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Q: As I'm sure you're sick of people asking "What's wrong with the power play?" I'll give you a potentially new question: How many numbers has Mark Eaton worn as a Penguin? It feels like every time I see him he's sporting a new number.

David Roke, Philadelphia

MOLINARI: According to records maintained by the Penguins, Eaton has worn just two numbers - 3 and 7 - during his two-plus seasons here.

Coincidentally enough, that's how many man-advantage goals the Penguins can reasonably expect to score this season if their power play performs the way it did over the weekend. And while there might be some psychological benefits to the goal Alex Goligoski scored as time was about to expire in their 3-1 loss to Ottawa Sunday - after all, it officially ended their 0-for-13 start with the extra man -- it came a bit late to have a tangible impact on anything except Senators goalie Alex Auld's shutout bid. Certainly, it meant a lot less than a goal on one of the Penguins' previous six opportunities that day would have.

There obviously is reason for concern about the power play, but it's way, way too early to panic. Don't forget that many guys who logged a lot of quality power-play minutes last season - Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Whitney, Ryan Malone and Marian Hossa - weren't in the lineup over the weekend, and that one who was, Evgeni Malkin, was cast in a new role, as point man, for part of the time.

Settling on the makeup of the No. 1 unit - the Penguins really don't have the depth now to assemble two quality groups - and allowing those guys to get familiar with each other's tendencies will go a long way toward upgrading the power play's performance. That will take at least a little time, though, and until then, there probably should be an emphasis on reducing the power play to its most basic form: Getting the puck on goal as much as possible while generating traffic in front of the net to create screens and rebounds.

The Penguins had 14 power plays over the weekend, but recorded just 19 shots on goal when they had the extra man. That's not nearly enough for a power play that was struggling to manufacture goals.

Q: Can you please explain the reasoning for naming Malkin one of the alternate captains? Is it purely for his own ego? I don't see a point in wasting the "A," and the ability to talk to the referee, on someone who cannot speak English well enough to make a point. Obviously, Malkin is one of the best players on the team and leads by example, but don't you think the "A" would be better worn by someone who speaks better English?

Aaron Josephson, Monroeville

MOLINARI: There's no indication that Malkin lobbied for the job, so when he was given an "A," it wasn't because he was interested in having his ego massaged. (That doesn't mean coach Michel Therrien, who decides on captains and alternates, didn't take Malkin's mindset into consideration. After all, players who hold those positions often are among the most talented on their particular team and being formally designated a leader isn't going to hurt their self-esteem any.)

Malkin's command of English isn't the issue it was during most of his first two seasons in North America - he actually does interviews in English now, and can express himself fairly well - although it remains to be seen if, in the middle of a game in a noisy, hostile arena, Malkin will be able to make a point to, or grasp a detailed explanation from, an official. Of course, he won't be the only player with a letter stitched onto his sweater, so chances are that the Penguins will have someone else available to handle those duties if Malkin has difficulty.

Although Malkin is a perfectly reasonable choice to be an alternate, the thinking here was that giving it to someone who fills more of a blue-collar role - Max Talbot, anyone? - wouldn't have been a bad idea. Then again, Talbot probably would be one of the first to express the widely held belief that a player doesn't have to have an "A" or "C" on his chest to be an effective leader.