Perhaps quietly, Penguins veteran Sergei Gonchar has been hanging with the top-scoring defensemen in the NHL. Going into last night's games, his 59 points had him tied for third, three behind Anaheim's Scott Niedermayer.

Gonchar isn't surprised he hasn't gotten more notice for his offense -- a key to his game throughout his career -- because he's not racking up a lot of even-strength points. All but 17 of those 59 points have come on the power play.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien this season has regularly matched Gonchar and his defense partner against each opponent's top line.

"I'm pretty happy with the way I'm playing," Gonchar said yesterday before the Penguins played Ottawa. "My role has changed a bit. I have to play against the top lines. I'm proud the coach trusts me in that role and I'm happy to do it."

Now that he's got his refined role down, Gonchar is making another adjustment -- one players hate to make during the season.

He was having problems with the skate model he used most of the season, but the last straw was when the rivets on one of his skates failed while he was handling the puck at the point during a power play at New Jersey last week.

With one blade dislodged, he fell, allowing the Devils' John Madden to have a long breakaway. Madden missed the net while Gonchar struggled to get back to the bench on one foot.

Now he's wearing a different type of skates each game.

"I ordered five pairs from different companies, and I have to decide which one I'm going to wear in the playoffs," he said.

Rangers hobbled

The banged-up Rangers won't be getting Brendan Shanahan back tonight. The veteran winger and 2006-07 all-star told the New York Daily News he hopes to be allowed to have contact tomorrow and play Wednesday against Philadelphia.

It was against the Flyers on Feb. 17 that Shanahan got a concussion in a horrific collision with Philadelphia's Mike Knuble. Shanahan was taken from the ice on a stretcher.

The list of those out for the Rangers includes Fedor Tyutin, Marcel Hossa and Karel Rachunek, all of whom have knee injuries.

Former Penguins forward Martin Straka, who plays alongside leading scorer Jaromir Jagr, is day-to-day after leaving Saturday's 7-0 win over Boston with a knee injury that Rangers coach Tom Renney described as less severe than the others on the team.

Milestone for Melichar

Defenseman Josef Melichar played his 300th NHL game last night, all with the Penguins.

Melichar, a third-round pick by the Penguins in 1997, is the longest-tenured member of the team. He broke into the league in 2000-01 with the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens.

Melichar, who has been paired with different defensive partners this season but right now is playing with Gonchar while Mark Eaton is hurt, is aware that fans have been unhappy with his play.

"It's not very fun to hear people criticize you, but they have the right to do that," he said. "I've been struggling the past few games, but [Friday against Montreal] I played a little better. I'm hoping to get my confidence up. That's what I need."

Slap shots

Eaton (sprained right knee) is skating with his teammates but is not cleared for contact, so it could be several more days before he can play. ... Gonchar said of Russian rookie Evgeni Malkin's grasp of English, "He understands more and more, but he's shy to speak it. Hopefully, he'll break that barrier and be all right." ... Mark Johnson, a former Penguin and the son of late Penguins coach "Badger" Bob Johnson, led the Wisconsin women's team to its second consecutive NCAA title. The Badgers beat Minnesota Duluth, 4-1, yesterday in the Frozen Four final at Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y.