Ruslan Fedotenko picked a good time to score his first goal in 18 games. Fedotenko’s one-timer from the high slot 11 minutes into the third period proved to be the game-winner in the Pens’ 3-2 victory over Buffalo.
It was a big win for a couple of obvious reasons – it was the team’s first game after the two-week Olympic break, and the Pens are battling Buffalo for playoff seeding and New Jersey for the division lead. (The Devils beat San Jose late last night.) Every point earned from here on out is crucial.
The Pens never trailed last night, getting a power-play goal from Sergei Gonchar in the first and a second-period tally from Pascal Dupuis. Brent Johnson won the battle of the backups, stopping 26 shots to outduel Buffalo’s Patrick Lalime. Both netminders were giving Olympians Fleury and Ryan Miller an extra day’s rest. Miller, by the way, received a well-deserved ovation from the Mellon Arena faithful before the game.
TRADES
No one will ever blame Ray Shero of being lazy around the trading deadline. First, the Pens’ GM dealt a second-rounder to Florida for defenseman Jordan Leopold. Then, apparently during last night’s game, he traded touted prospect Luca Caputi and defenseman Martin Skoula to Toronto for winger Alexei Ponikarovsky. Both Leopold and Ponikarovsky will be unrestricted free agents after the season.
My initial reaction is that the Pens acquired two good, solid players who will play large roles the rest of the season. Leopold is a top-4 defenseman with over 400 career games on his resume. Ponikarovsky (I’m already sick of typing that name) has scored 20 or more goals three times in the previous four seasons. He has 19 this campaign.
Leopold is already in the six-man rotation, with Jay McKee the odd man out. Where Ponikarovsky fits in remains to be seen, but logic dictates you have to play him on one of the top two lines. Early money has him playing on the second line with Malkin. Who gets bumped, and who gets scratched? We’ll have a better idea on Thursday, but my guess is we’ll see several different line combos the next couple games before a decision is made. It would be hard to demote Dupuis off the second line right now, but Malkin-Fedotenko-Ponikarovsky has a lot of potential, particularly if Fedotenko can raise his level of play. No matter what, someone’s going to be sitting in the press box come Thursday, most likely Mike Rupp or Max Talbot.
After digesting the deals, it’s hard not to think the Pens may have overpaid for both players. A second-round draft pick for Leopold seems a bit steep, especially when you consider we got Bill Guerin for what proved to be a third-rounder last season. Remember, Leopold can walk come July 1. I must admit I was shocked to see that the Pens traded Caputi. Before the season, he appeared to be one of the team’s top prospects. He had a goal and an assist in four games with the Pens this season, but he did have 47 points in 54 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – not too shabby. He was only 21 years old and appeared to have a bright future with the organization.
As with most trades, however, you have to wait and see how the rest of this season plays out. If the Pens repeat as Cup champs, the moves look brilliant and Shero adds to his legacy. If the team suffers an early exit and both Leopold and Ponikarovsky leave via free agency, the deals look awful. Can the Pens even afford to re-sign either player (provided they play well enough to warrant a deal)? Only time will tell.
Bottom line: Leopold isn’t exactly the physical presence many felt the Pens were lacking on the blueline. Nonetheless, he’s a good skater that can move the puck well, he’s solid defensively, and he can provide some offense if needed. Ponikarovsky is what many thought the Pens were lacking offensively – a scoring winger that can play on the top two lines. He’s also a big body that should be able to create some space for Malkin.
These deals may not be considered “blockbusters,” but the Pens were able to improve their everyday lineup without giving up anyone off the current roster. (I know Skoula was on the roster, but he was a constant healthy scratch as of late.) The price they paid appears to be a little high, but management obviously thinks these are the pieces that may solve the puzzle of repeating as Stanley Cup champs. Personally, I’m not sold on either Leopold or Ponikarovsky, but the change in scenery is bound to give both players a boost.