GAMEDAY 64 - RANGERS
7:00 PM
Madison Square Garden
[Flickr]
Listen to the game at [WXDX]
Watch the game at T.G.I. Friday's at the Waterfront.
The game is on FSN in Pittsburgh and Versus nationally.
NHL GameCenter has a free preview.
Ponikarovsky will not be available tonight.
"I am pretty happy with the trade and where I am coming to."
-- Alexei Ponikarovsky
Luca Caputi is also very happy becoming a Leaf.
According to Empty Netters, Mark Eaton is questionable for tonight's game.
Deadline Recap
A couple of things before we take a dump on the rest of the NHL.
First, this from the PG:
"Although Versus will carry the game tonight nationally, it has depleted its exclusive game rights,so the game will be shown locally on FSN Pittsburgh."
Also at that link, S.A. sheds some light on MAF's situation:
"Conversely, Fleury needed a couple of practices to regain his bearings after getting most of his workouts off the ice while with Team Canada. As the third-stringer behind older goalies Roberto Luongo and Martin Brodeur, Fleury did not play in any games, dressed as a backup for just one, and was not very active in practices."
Poni is no dice. Doesn't have a working visa for the U.S.
MAF is starting.
..............
Finally, keep your eye on PUCK THE MEDIA today for two things.
One is something about the FSN ratings from the Buffalo game...
And the second has something to do with Bing posing "in the buff" for some ad.
We're catering to the female audience on this.
Male Penguins fans couldn't care less.
Meanwhile, males from Washington, Philly, and Detroit can't wait to talk about it.
Funny how that works out. Homos.
After the jump, a poor attempt at some trading-deadline report cards.
Trade Deadline Summary
Game.
Go Pens.
TRADE DEADLINE DAY - 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Three hours remain.
This post will be up until 3:00pm and we'll have a wrap-up post later on.
We'll list any moves the Pens make at the top of the page and the latest news will be right under that.
Here's what the Penguins have done so far:
March 1st:
Traded their 2nd round pick to Florida for Jordan Leopold
March 2nd:
Traded Luca Caputi & Martin Skoula for Alexei Ponikarovsky
March 3rd:
Traded Chris Peluso to Toronto for a 6th round pick.
3:53PM
We're done for now.
We'll have a wrap-up post later one.
3:48PM
The Predators have acquired Dustin Boyd from Calgary for a fourth round pick.
3:47PM
Burke says he turned down a 2nd and a 4th pick from another team for Ponikarovsky.
He liked Caputi better.
3:36PM
The Pens have traded defenseman Chris Peluso to Toronto for a 6th round pick.
3:34PM
Ray Shero will hold a press conference at 4pm.
3:31PM
The Oilers send Lubomir Visnovsky to Anaheim for Ryan Whitney.
3:29PM
Mathieu Roy to Florida for Matt Rust.
3:14PM
Joey MacDonald to Anaheim for a pick.
3:08PM
Joe Corvo goes from Carolina to Washington for Brian Pothier & Oskar Osala.
3:07PM
From Bob McKenzie's Twitter feed:
"Interesting aspect of Jurcina deal -- he was just diagnosed with a sports hernia."
3:03PM
The Jackets tried to trade Fredrik Modin to LA, but the deal may not have gone through in time.
3:00PM
DEADLINE!
Let's see if anything else trickles in.
2:58PM
We wonder if the site is going to make it to the deadline.
2:55PM
Dan Hamhuis will not be traded by Nashville.
2:53PM
Lee Stempniak is heading to Phoenix for a draft pick.
2:51PM
Kevin Allen of USA Today says "Thrashers not close to dealing Colby Armstrong. Unless situation changes dramatically in the next 10 minutes, he will stay in Atlanta."
2:50PM
Milan Jurcina is heading back to Washington.
2:49PM
Ray Whitney will not be traded by Carolina.
Ray Whitney will not be traded by Carolina.
2:47PM
McGuire says Pittsburgh did the best job at the deadline.
"They didn't give a lot and they got a lot that fits their needs."
We're reducing the creepiness level down to two.
2:45PM
15 minutes left...
2:42PM
Keith Jones tells TSN that he doesn't expect Philadelphia will pick up a goalie.
He says they'll stick with Michael Leighton.
He also says the Pens are much better today than the were yesterday which is "scary."
He also expected Washington to do more.
2:41PM
TSN is rumbling about a major deal in Washington.
2:39PM
Clark MacArthur goes to Atlanta for a 3rd and 4th round pick.
2:35PM
Wolski is on the phone with TSN.
He says he should be in the Coyotes lineup tomorrow night against his former team: the Colorado Avalanche.
2:30PM
Half an hour left!
2:25PM
Nathan Paetsch and a second round pick are coming to Columbus in the Torres trade.
2:19PM
Raffi Torres goes from Columbus to Buffalo.
2:12PM
We're hearing that the Philadelphia Flyers are still a hockey team, but we can't confirm that.
We haven't heard from them in a while.
2:10PM
Sportsnet mentions that the Caps probably need to lose some players at this point.
They may end up sending some down.
2:00PM
Curtis McElhinney is leaving Calgary and going to Anaheim.
Vesa Toskala is heading to Calgary.
1:54PM
Tomas Kaberle is on Sportsnet.
He says he would consider a good deal, but for some inconceivable reason he wants to remain a Toronto Maple Leaf.
They also note that Caputi will play in the Leafs next game.
1:49PM
It looks like the Caps are adding some depth and grit at the deadline.
Dave Hodge says that Pittsburgh and Washington are the two top contenders at the deadline and that they've both done a little bit to make them better.
1:45PM
Eric Belanger goes from Minnesota to Washington for a second round pick.
McGuire and Darren Pang waste about three minutes arguing over who plays on what line for the Capitals.
1:41PM
Pierre McGuire has never even heard of personal space.
We're not sure how Darren Dutchyshen puts up with this.
Jay McKee is on TSN's list of defensemen that may be dealt.
1:38PM
1:34PM
TSN is saying that if Brian Burke came to Kaberle with a potential deal, Tomas Kaberle would consider waiving his no trade clause.
1:23PM
Jeff Halpern has been traded from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles.
Mathieu Schneider is going from Vancouver to the Phoenix Coyotes.
Phoenix is pretty busy today.
1:19PM
Pierre McGuire is just sitting back and nodding now.
We're gonna set the "McGuire Creepiness Level" at three for the "bedroom eyes" he made at the panel.
1:12PM
Not much happening, so watch this:
1:05PM
Katherine Dolan of TSN mentions that the Caps players are very quiet on the bus.
They're usually a very loud team.
1:00PM
Sportsnet asks Gary Roberts to name a deal that most helped a team he's been on.
He mentions the Flames trading Brett Hull for Rick Wamsley and Rob Ramage in 1989.
The Flames went on to win the Cup.
He makes no mention of the Hossa deal.
12:56PM
Another "huge" deal.
Kris Newbury has been sent to the Rangers for Jordan Owens.
12:45PM
A couple things we missed:
Peter Mueller & Kevin Porter are heading to Phoenix in exchange for Wojtek Wolski and a 4th round pick.
Yan Stastny leaving St. Louis and going to Vancouver for Pierre-Cedric Labrie.
The Capitals have picked up Scott Walker from Carolina for a 7th round pick.
12:10PM
The Oilers have claimed Ryan Jones off of waivers from Nashville.
12:02PM
Aaron Ward says that he's surprised that he was sent to Anaheim.
12:00PM
Here's a link to our earlier post for anyone that missed it.
Add a comment
TRADE DEADLINE DAY - 9:00am to 12:00pm
Welcome to the madness.
This post will be up until noon. Then we'll have another one until 3:00pm and a wrap-up post later on.
We'll list any moves the Pens make at the top of the page and the latest news will be right under that.
Here's what the Penguins have done so far:
March 1st:
Traded their 2nd round pick to Florida for Jordan Leopold
March 2nd:
Traded Luca Caputi & Martin Skoula for Alexei Ponikarovsky
11:58AM
This will be our last update in this post.
Visit our latest post for the newest updates.
11:55AM
TGI Fridays on the Waterfront is hosting a Pens away game party tomorrow night starting at 6pm. Wear a Ponikarovsky jersey and hope that he plays!
11:53AM
From the Pens website:
"Recently traded winger Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Toronto Maple Leafs will wear No. 23 for the team, while Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Chris Connor will wear No. 18 if he is recalled.
Ponikarovsky is currently working out a visa issue and may not be able to join the team for their Thursday contest against the New York Rangers."
11:48AM
Pierre McGuire says that Ryan Whitney could be on the move.
11:47AM
Derek Morris on Sportsnet calls this "a long messed up process."
He liked playing in Boston but would have only waived is no trade clause to go to Phoenix, which he did.
11:42AM
Sportsnet says that Aaron Ward has been traded to Anaheim.
A 4th round pick and Justin Pogge will be heading to Carolina.
11:38AM
Pierre McGuire sounds a little subdued now.
Maybe he was tranquilized at some point.
Maybe he was tranquilized at some point.
11:34AM
Dennis Seidenberg is going to Boston.
He was traded alongside Matt Bartowski for Craig Wheeler, Byron Bitz and a 2nd round pick.
11:23AM
Ken Holland of Detroit is on TSN.
He says that the Wings are very close to the cap so the number of moves they can make will be limited.
He says that their players returning from injury will be the best additions for them.
11:17AM
The Leafs got a fifth round pick in exchange for Martin Skoula.
11:07AM
Roberts says that Pittsburgh has a chance to return to the finals once again.
The Sportsnet team must be watching TSN because they make a point to mention that Ponikarovsky will likely play with Malkin, not Crosby.
11:05AM
Gary Roberts and Sportsnet talk about the possibility of returning Colby Armstrong to Pittsburgh.
They say that he'd be a good fit for the Pens and that Atlanta has done a terrible job with him.
11:01AM
There are reports that Martin Skoula has been traded once again, this time to the New Jersey Devils for a draft pick.
10:57AM
TSN is saying that Pavol Demitra could be traded from the Canucks.
10:47AM
Gary Roberts is still on Sportsnet. Now he's talking about Joe Nieuwendyk in Dallas and his first trade deadline as a GM.
They ask him what he would do with Marty Turco. He says it's a tough decision.
10:40AM
Sidney Crosby is on TSN.
He says the Olympics were "a ton of fun."
He said he wasn't nervous at the games.
He hasn't found his missing equipment yet.
He says that Shero's moves have been really good.
TSN continues to mention that Ponikarovsky could be on Crosby's line for some reason.
Sid puts over Poni's size and physical play.
He agrees that, because of the cap and the team's depth at center, the team's wingers will be rotating for quite a while.
Crosby says he feels lucky to have accomplished everything he has in his career so far.
10:36AM
There's a lot of talk that the Morris deal will lead to another deal for the Bruins.
The Bruins got a 2011 4th round pick in exchange.
10:26AM
We have a trade!
The Bruins have sent Derek Morris to Phoenix.
10:16AM
Gary Roberts is on Sportsnet.
They're talking mostly about the Leafs, since they're obviously the center of the universe.
He says Pittsburgh is set for the next ten years with Crosby, Malkin & Staal down the middle.
He keeps in touch with Sid since he's left Pittsburgh and says that how hard he works was an inspiration to him.
He mentions that Steven Stamkos has handled himself well in Tampa. Roberts trained with him four days a week over the summer.
Can you imagine training with Gary Roberts?
We get tired just thinking about it.
Roberts puts over Crosby's strength on the puck.
He talks about his time in Tampa being tough. He says they made too many changes last year to build a team.
He says Malone needs to battle for them every night and that Lecavalier needs to adjust his training in order to stay an elite player.
10:14AM
Michael Peca leaves Mike Green off of his choices for Team Canada 2014.
Somewhere Ted Leonsis is angrily blogging his frustration to the world.
10:12AM
TSN is talking about the possible 2014 Canadian Olympic team.
Sportsnet will have Gary Roberts on today.
10:06AM
Poni is on Sportsnet. He'll be flying to Pittsburgh as soon as possible. For some reason the announcers ask why he isn't driving and they talk about that for quite a while.
Brian Burke called Alexei after the game last night and told him about the trade.
Ponikarovsky says he's been with the Leafs for a long time and he has mixed feelings about leaving.
He says business is business.
He hasn't heard from the Pens staff about where he will play in the lineup, but the fact the people keep mentioning being on Crosby's wing confuses us. Sportsnet asks how well he knows Malkin. He doesn't know him that well, but Fedotenko called him today.
The two have known each other since they were kids.
He might not make it to Pittsburgh today due to immigration issues.
10:01AM
Sportsnet talks about moving the deadline to later in the night in order to have a prime time show.
It could be good PR for the league, but they'd likely have to cancel all games that day.
9:56AM
Luca Caputi is on TSN. He sounds tired.
He said that becoming a Leaf is "a dream come true."
He's definitely going to be a favorite in Toronto.
He should be in the Leafs lineup tomorrow.
9:54AM
Looking around the blogs now.
Faceoff Factor is putting out some great stuff.
9:52AM
TSN says that the Senators are pretty much done on the trade front.
9:49AM
Rogers Sportsnet is talking about the Bruins. They desperately need scoring.
Is Tim Thomas in play? Will Tuuka Rask be the Bruins new starter?
Will the Bruins trade their first round pick and keep the one they have from the Leafs?
So many questions.
9:41AM
Nashville may decide not to trade Hamhuis and try to make the playoffs.
The Sharks could be looking to shake things up.
So could Philly.
Sidney Crosby will be on TSN in about an hour.
9:37AM
Ponikarovsky's Penguins debut could be tomorrow night in New York, if he can get the immigration work done on time.
Looking for a place to watch that game? TGI Fridays on the Waterfront is hosting a Pens away game party tomorrow night starting at 6pm.
9:33AM
Damien Cox says that for every team like Pittsburgh and Washington that dumped players and rebuilt, there are teams like the Islanders and the Panthers go nowhere.
The panel agrees that selling your team for draft picks and prospects doesn't always work.
9:28AM
More discussion about the Leafs. Somewhere the rest of Canada is screaming that their favorite team isn't being mentioned.
9:26AM
McGuire says the Leafs depth chart is a mess and stares at everyone on the panel.
They all laugh.
He says the Leafs are five years away from being competitive.
9:17AM
Pierre McGuire is already standing in people's personal space and yelling a lot considering it's just after 9am.
The current McGuire creepiness level is two: Standard McGuire.
9:16AM
Poni is on the phone. He calls the Penguins "a great club and a great organization."
Says he doesn't know if he'll be playing with Crosby or Malkin and that the move is a great oportunity for him.
He says the Pens have players that know how to win.
He's still working on immigration paperwork but he hopes to play in the Pens next game.
He's still shocked at being traded, despite knowing it was coming.
9:15AM
The TSN panel just went around and listed their top five picks for the Stanley Cup.
Pierre McGuire:
Chicago Blackhawks
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
San Jose Sharks
Philadelphia Flyers
Matthew Barnaby:
San Jose Sharks
Chicago Blackhawks
New Jersey Devils
Washington Capitals
Buffalo Sabres
Craig MacTavish:
Chicago Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
Chicago Blackhawks
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
San Jose Sharks
Philadelphia Flyers
Matthew Barnaby:
San Jose Sharks
Chicago Blackhawks
New Jersey Devils
Washington Capitals
Buffalo Sabres
Craig MacTavish:
Chicago Blackhawks
Vancouver Canucks
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
9:00AM
The world is once again buzzing about Ray Shero at the deadline.
Ponikarovsky is a solid pick up, even as a rental.
The Penguins have been missing someone that can finish on the wings. Poni is exactly that player.
Last season he had 23 goals and 61 points with the Leafs.
This year he already has 19 goals.
And this is with the Leafs, playing with people like Mikhail Grabovski and Tyler Bozak as his center.
If he gels with Malkin it's gonna be bananas.
As for Caputi, he's a good player.
He has a lot of energy and will likely turn into a 20 goal scorer in the NHL.
He'll get much more of a chance to play in Toronto and will turn into a hero in his hometown.
The deal works out for both teams.
Add a comment
All Abbboooooard. PENS WIN.
Maybe it was the excitement of the Olympic hangover.
Maybe it was the anxiety surrounding the trading deadline.
But it really didn't pique our interest that Beej was starting this one.
It's not even something to be worried about anymore when going into a game.
No clue what team "Pittsburgh Ed" has been watching this year.
Honestly, when was the last time you felt this comfortable with a Pens backup goalie?
What a pickup. Only fitting we kick off this recap with a nod to the Shero.
matt s.
kevin p.
DNCraig
Nate K.
kevin p.
DNCraig
Nate K.
buttload of pics from Fleuryous and Lisa Rec
Can't remember the last time a hockey game got hijacked like this.
Such a shame, too, because it was another Sabres/Pens thriller.
Don't want to discount the game, but there are bigger fish to fry.
Some thoughts:
--- Only reason this game was close was Lalime. Another vintage performance.
He's still eating from that 1997 Wheaties box.
--- Leopold's first game was excellent.
He was just what Litter Box Cats said he'd be. Invisible. In a good way.
--- Gonchar's powerplay goal was the 200th goal of his career. What a shot.
--- Brooks Orpik, the player who possibly benefited the most from his Olympic experience.
Does that even make sense?
He was ferocious. Game on the line with under two minutes to play.
Some guy in front of the net, and Orpik just wipes him off the face of the earth. Big time.
--- Mike Rupp peed on Paul Gaustad's face.
--- Feds said Don't Trade Me, Bro. Fedotenko and Dupuis were both acidic.
But the story remains the wheeling and dealing of Ray Shero.
He traded Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula for Alexei Ponikarovsky.
This trade was probably the reason Martin Skoula was signed in the first place.
And then we come to Luca Caputi.
A bunch of Pens fans have a boner for Caputi.
Some just say, yeah, whatever, move on.
Collectively, the boys over at Faceoff Factor
have seen every game Caputi has ever played in the AHL and NHL.
And they offer up their sentiment on his departure:
So please Penguin fans… I beg you. Do not lament the loss of a player that was simply a popular player due to a badass hockey name and a player that was a light in a dark place.
They find the reports of Caputi being a potential 70-point NHL player as insanity.
Solid read.
And now to the arrival:
(First off, we recently made a mistake in spelling Ponikarovsky's name.
It's not Ponikajokesky. P-O-N-I-K-A-R-O-V-S-K-Y.)
Some other photoshops were rolling in:
Poni Boy rolls into town ticketed for a nice, warm spot right next to Evgeni Malkin, not to mention saying yo to Fedotenko, a fellow countryman he's known since they were 5 years old. And there is no reason not be excited about it. Poni Boy has been stuck up in Toronto playing for just about nothing for the last four years. Yet he has put up some pretty decent stats. He has hit, or been damn close to, 20 goals every year in the league...on one of the worst teams in the NHL. Now he gets to play with probably one of the best setup men in the league.
So basically Ray Shero just added 20 goals to his team without subtracting anything.
The Pengins have been missing that piece since Sykora left. And now they have it.
Hell, they were missing that piece all through the playoffs last year, too.
A good look from Yahoo on some situational stats on Poni:
We're not saying Poni Boy is going to change the world here, but the guy is a legit top-six human being.
The big knock on Poni is that he dogs it sometimes.
Whatever. Pretty sure that's been said about every Euro player ever.
This isn't just Ray Shero behind this move, either. Shero probably sought out the advice of Tom Fitzgerald, the Penguins director of player development. Ray Shero himself indicated that Caputi was a name they didn't want to move, but at the end of the day, they wanted Poni. Nick Johnson and ET in the minors are just better long-term prospects than Caputi, as both will probably be on the team next year. If Poni is the Ukranian Gary Roberts, we'll all be okay. We're just happy that Tangradi isn't gone, 'cause we've been waiting patiently to make an "ET phone top shelf" photoshop.
*** During today's trade deadline blogging, Rick will have his own thoughts on Ponikarovsky, what with Rick being from Toronto and all.
Your move.
Caps are the cream of the crop in the East right now.
Their record indicates this, as well as the two dumps they've taken on the Pens.
So Ray Shero adds scoring and a D-man familiar with A.O.
Just brilliant moves.
And now the Capitals have to do something.
And there's a reason you have to Google who the Caps GM is.
We refuse to. It's Mike McPhee or something.
He owes it to the fans of Washington to show up sometime before 3:00 today.
Go Pens
Didn't see this on a lot of people's Twitter feeds...
But if you follow the directions here and Tweet what they want you to,
you get access to an amazing Hi-Res photo gallery from Game 7 of the SCF.
s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-ss-s-s-s--s-ss-s-tunnned
Now imagine being able to zoom in on this pic by 30 times.
Amazing photo gallery. Fitzgerald is a beast.
Report: Pens trade for Alexei Ponikarovsky
TSN.ca all over this.
Looks like Caputi and Skoula are on their way to Toronto.
Ponikarovsky is a left handed, 29 year-old forward.
He is a UFA after the season. He is making $2.5 million this year.
Looks like this is a guy to park in front of the net on the PP.
Bylsma better have Poni already gift-wrapped for Geno's line.
If Poni is given to Sid, Malkin will be like wtf
His stats:
DOWN GOES BROWN weighs in:
Add a commentThe good: Ponikarovsky is a big winger with decent hands. But he'll use his size to win battles and he's one of the only Leafs who's willing to go to the net. He's not a skill guy by any stretch, but every now and then he'll score a beauty and sucker you in to thinking he's the real deal. His nickname is "Pony" which will be great if your newspaper headline writers love terrible puns as much as they do in Toronto
The bad: Even though he's big, he's not what you'd call a power forward -- he doesn't really hit and almost never fights, although he does hold the distinction of being the only Leaf to ever lose a fight to Rob Ray. He's just OK defensively. He's inconsistent, but so is everybody on the Leafs so it's hard to hold that against him.
He's also one of those Europeans who always kind of looks like he's wearing lipstick, which doesn't really impact his play but is kind of unnerving.
Bottom line: A slightly poor man's Nik Antropov. With the Leafs, he was an underrated 20-25 goal guy. With the Pens, I wouldn't be surprised to see him get 30 in a full season. That's if he resigns, of course -- my guess is he's in line for a Matt Stajan-level contract.
If I had to describe him in one word: "solid". Plenty of teams have won Cups with guys like Poni on their second line. He's a good pickup for the Pens.
GAMEDAY 63 - SABRES
7:30 PM
Mellon Arena
Listen to the game at [WXDX]
We'll get this out of the way first:
There will be no wet dream Olympic rematch between Crosby & Miller tonight, unless something goes terribly wrong for Buffalo.
Patrick Lalime is starting for the Sabres.
Brent Johnson will be in net for the Penguins.
Marc-Andre Fleury is probably resting after all of the action he saw in team Canada's net during the Olympics.
Max Talbot should be back in the line up.
