TRADER RAY CALLS IT A DAY

Well, that's it for another Deadline Day for the Penguins, and early returns are mostly positive on Ray Shero's new class of imports, aside from Poni's visa problems which might cause him to miss tomorrow's game against the Rangers.

The final deal Shero pulled the trigger on was a very minor one, sending D Chris Peluso to Toronto for a sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft. Peluso was a seventh-round pick by the Pens in 2004 and is currently playing for Bemjidi State in Minnesota.

Former Penguin D Ryan Whitney was also dealt late today, going from Anaheim (along with a sixth-round pick in 2010) to Edmonton in exchange for D Lubomir Visnovsky, a pricier and older model who has 10 goals, 22 assists, and a minus-four in 57 games so far this season.

Washington was active on Deadline Day, acquiring Milan Jurcina, Joe Corvo, Eric Belanger and Scott Walker, but surprisingly did not make a move for a goaltender. Among other teams ahead of the Pens in the conference standings, Ottawa made no moves, while New Jersey picked up only Martin Skoula. Buffalo ended up with Raffi Torres, who was a hot candidate to get traded to Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia stood pat, apparently content that their team is capable of winning a Cup as-is.

The full rundown of deals, as per TSN:

- Boston traded Derek Morris to Phoenix a fourth round pick in 2011.

- Toronto traded Martin Skoula to New Jersey for a fifth round pick in 2010.

- Florida traded Dennis Seidenberg and Matthew Bartkowski to Boston for Craig Weller, Byron Bitz and a second-round pick in 2010.

- Carolina traded Aaron Ward to Anaheim for goaltender Justin Pogge and a fourth-round draft pick.

- Carolina traded Scott Walker to Washington for seventh-round pick.

- Vancouver traded Pierre-Cedric Labrie to the St. Louis Blues for Yan Stastny.

- Colorado traded Wojtek Wolski to Phoenix for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter.

- Detroit traded Kris Newbury to the New York Rangers for Jordan Owens (minor league trade).

- Vancouver traded Mathieu Schneider (from the Manitoba Moose) to Phoenix for Sean Zimmerman and a conditional sixth-round draft pick.

- Tampa Bay traded Jeff Halpern to Los Angeles for Ted Purcell and a third-round draft pick.

- Minnesota trades Eric Belanger to Washington for second round pick.

- Calgary trades Curtis McElhinney to Anaheim for Vesa Toskala.

- Buffalo trades Nathan Paetsch and a second round draft pick to Columbus for Raffi Torres.

- Buffalo trades Clarke MacArthur to Atlanta for third round pick and fourth round pick.

- Washington acquires Milan Jurcina from Columbus for a sixth round pick.

- Maple Leafs trade Lee Stempniak to Phoenix for a fourth round pick and a seventh round pick.

- Washington trades Brian Pothier, Oskar Osala and a second round draft pick to Carolina for Joe Corvo.

- Toronto trades Joey MacDonald to Anaheim for a seventh-round pick in 2011.

- Carolina trades Andrew Alberts to Vancouver for a third round pick.

- Columbus trades Mathieu Roy to Florida for Matt Rust.

- Columbus trades Fredrik Modin to Los Angeles for a conditional draft pick.

- Edmonton trades Lubomir Visnovsky to Anaheim for Ryan Whitney.

- Calgary trades Dustin Boyd to Nashville for fourth round pick.

- Pittsburgh trades Chris Peluso to Toronto for sixth round draft pick.

- Edmonton trades Steve Staios to Calgary for Aaron Johnson and a third round pick.

- Hurricanes trade Stephane Yelle and Harrison Reed to Colorado for Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll and a sixth-round pick.

- Phoenix sends Chad Kolarik to Columbus for Alex Picard

- The New York Rangers traded goalie Miika Wiikman and a seventh rounder in 2011 to Phoenix for veteran defenceman Anders Eriksson.

- Anaheim trades Petteri Nokelainen to Phoenix for a draft pick.

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CROSBY AND WHITNEY OUT TONIGHT

If I may take a moment to interject some non-Ovechkin-related Penguin news, it's been announced that both Sidney Crosby and Ryan Whitney will miss tonight's game against the Islanders: Crosby due to a sore groin, Whitney to a family matter that took him home to Boston. They will be replaced by Janne Pesonen and Kris Letang, respectively. This might be one of Pesonen's final shots with the club, and considering Dan Bylsma's familiarity with him, that just might happen.

The Pens will be sporting their blue uniforms tonight, and by my calculations, they're an underwhelming 2-4-1 when donning the alternates. Of course, with Crosby out of the lineup, Evgeni Malkin will probably score six goals, so the good and bad vibes all balance out in the end.

Crosby, Whitney out of Penguins lineup [PG]
About the Islanders - 2-25-09 [Empty Netters]

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NOT A GOOD START

If you consider a 3-2 shootout loss to the league's worst team a good start for the Dan Byslma Era, you're a more optimistic person than I, because that's exactly what happened in a rare weekday afternoon game today on Long Island. The loss dropped the Pens to an unreal 1-7-2 in 2009 on the road [forgot to include that part in the original post]. Ugh.

I listened to most of the game online, and other than Phil Bourque getting overly excited about President's Day, there weren't many memorable moments from this contest. Sergei Gonchar did get his first point by assisting on Ryan Whitney's power play goal in the second, and Geno Malkin added a goal onto his league-leading point heap, but that's about it. Malkin and Sidney Crosby were both stopped in the shootout, and it was curtains for the first game under Mr. Byslma.

In other Pens-related news, Mad Mike Therrien said in an interview today that he thinks the Pens are still playoff-bound, and that he was basically blindsided by his firing, in the process adding that he thinks Byslma is "one of the up-and-coming young coaches". On both counts (the playoffs and Byslma), it's a coin-flip at this point. But after one game, there's one thing we can all say for sure: it's clear that Michel Therrien was not the entire problem.

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NEWS AND NOTES

A few things to quickly get up to speed on...

--Ryan Whitney comes back tonight against the Lightning, as the Pens try to make it two in a row after a 4-3 win against Buffalo in OT last night. [Pittsburgh Penguins]

--The halftime entertainment for Pitt's Sun Bowl game has been announced: The Village People. I'm sure there's a joke here, but is it even necessary? [SunBowl.org]

--The Buccos are pursuing Rocco Baldelli, a 27-year-old OF who's suffered from extreme fatigue, not unlike Pirates fans who've watched their favorite team fail to crack .500 for 16 straight seasons.

In other Pirate news, Ty Wigginton is thankfully off their radar, while Jack Wilson looks to be returning in 2009. I'd probably feel worse for Wilson, but he will pocket $7.2 million while playing for a team with no expectations. There are worse situations in life. [PG]

--Check out the X's Everything Pens Page, which is currently featuring a very interesting article on one Sidney Crosby by resident Super Genius Mark Madden. [105.9 the X Pens Page]

--Mark also had a great piece on the late, great Dock Ellis [Beaver County Times]

--And finally, the Wu-Tang Clan is invading Millvale. Don't say you weren't warned. [Triblive]

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NEWS AND NOTES

--Breaking news: the Pirates sign another international prospect....the Iraqi shoe thrower. [Bugs and Cranks]

--But seriously, the Pirates are now looking at utilityman Jerry Hairston and pitcher Daniel Cabrera. And (again, seriously), Ty Wigginton. [PG]

--Jason Michaels is now a former Pirate after joining the Houston Astros. His legacy includes a dramatic home run against the Cardinals on July 12 and a .224 average. [Houston Chronicle]

--Now to a team people care about: the Penguins, who might welcome back Ryan Whitney as early as December 23 against the Pittsburgh South Lightning. [Trib]

--Ravens coach John Harbaugh says he doesn't believe Frank Walker spit in the face of Mitch Berger, setting the stage for yet another storyline if the teams meet (which is very possible) in the playoffs. [ESPN]

--The Pitt Panthers are quietly off to a 10-0 start and ranked #3 in this week's poll. Yet they're somewhat of an afterthought in a world of Sidneys, Santonios, and Shadys. That will be corrected soon enough. [ESPN]

--In light of the recent Heisman ceremony, let's remember William Shakespeare (yes, that's his real name), the second runner up for the award in 1935 who was drafted by the Steelers but never played in an NFL game. [Wikipedia]

--Jim Boeheim and a microphone have it out after Syracuse's loss to Cleveland State. [NESW]

--Burger King is now selling meat-scented body spray. This immediately jumps to the top of my Christmas wish list. [Fast Food Maven]

--Lots of people enjoyed the Ironhead Heyward clips last week. So courtesy of "Cecil from Cecil", here's probably the best Ironhead clip out there.


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CATCHING UP WITH THE PENS

DEVILS 4, PENGUINS 1: Rough night in Jersey for the flightless birds, who were battling the Devils, the injury bug, and (not to sound too much like Seattle, but...) the refs. That's three losses in a row.

Matt Cooke scored the only goal for the Pens, who had a couple of unfamiliar names in the lineup last night. When I heard the name "Lovejoy", I half expected to see this guy:

It was not a bad effort, but the bounces just weren't going the Pens' way. Oh well. Time to regroup for the Islanders tonight. John Curry is expected to mind the net.

--The Pens' new home will be named Consol Energy Arena. I can't speak for you, but I'm excited.

--Keep voting to send the Penguins to the All-Star Game. The current leaderboard shows Sid and Geno 1 and 2, finally overtaking the Canadiens. Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney are 3 and 4 among defensemen, which is pretty unreal. And MAF is 2nd among goalies. And guess who's leading the West? One Marian Hossa.

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THE BEAT GOES ON

PENGUINS 4

FLYERS 2

Yesterday, I picked the Penguins to beat the Flyers in six games. After watching the game on Friday night, I think my prediction was about five games too many, because this series is looking pretty lopsided.

The first period was a bit of a roller coaster, perhaps to due to the Pens' extended layoff. The pair of goals scored by Mike Richards were not exactly the stuff of legends: one was pretty much stopped by Marc-Andre Fleury, but somehow trickled in; the other was due to a traffic jam of Parkway rush hour-sized proportions. Said Ryan Whitney in the PG: "Their two goals were typical Flyer goals," Whitney said. "Throw it in front, and all of a sudden, it's in the net."

But despite the ups and downs of the period one, when the clock hit 0:00 the Penguins were in possession of a 3-2 lead that they would not surrender. The Evgeni Malkin goal with seconds left had to be a morale-killer.

In the second, Malkin got up from a crushing hit, took a pass, and blasted a slapshot goal from about 10 feet away. It instantly took a place among the most memorable goals in Penguin history. I've never seen a slapshot taken so close to the goalie - I literally laughed out loud at the mere attempt. It was vintage Malkin. Watch the clip at 6:09 of the Game One highlight video below:

The third period got a little chippy near the end, but the Zambelli-level fireworks everyone expected never really developed. It was your basic, run-of-the-mill, blahse Scott Upshall/Derian Hatcher nonsense, with more jawing and facewashing than punching. There was no scoring, but we can't have any beef with that, because the Penguins had already provided more than enough. 4-2, and one game to none. Drive home safely.

Game Notes:

--The TV broadcast on Versus had this annoying habit of cutting to a Flyers fan party at the Wachovia Center after each Flyer goal. How about showing a reaction after they give up a goal or four? I know I'm not the only Pens fan with that request.

--I just was not feeling that Versus broadcasting team of Joe Beninati and Darren Eliot last night. I've heard more emotion from video game hockey announcers.

--Brooks Orpik had a fantastic game, with six hits, although the penalty when he leveled Hartnell in the second seemed a bit ticky-tacky.

--To add insult to injury, the Baby Pens knocked the Philadelphia Phantoms out of the AHL playoffs last night. A Philadelphia team losing in the playoffs? I know, I'm floored too.

--Too bad Daniel Briere didn't make the trip. The Flyers could've used him.

--I realize the Pens are playing at an unbelievably high level. You have to be in order to post a 9-1 record 10 games into the second season. But you have to admit, they're getting some lucky breaks along the way. In round one, it was a damaged Daniel Alfredsson. In round two, Sean Avery almost died. And now, the Flyers lose top defenseman Kimmo Timonen to a blood clot. Assuming and hoping that they make the finals and play, let's say, Detroit, I'm predicting Johan Franzen will slip on a banana peel and miss the entire series.

--Had enough RJ Umberger coverage from Versus?

Yeah, Christine (brother of Craig) Simpson could've picked a better time to interview his parents than...I don't know....RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF GAME ACTION! It was reminiscent of the Monday Night Football "guest-in-the-booth" syndrome.

--The PG Empty Netters have their blow-by-blow account filled with links, photo, and videos.

--Rocky statue mission accomplished!

--A few weeks ago, A.J. wondered about what the Penguins' playoff song would be. And while I did hear "Zombie Nation" played, I think on behalf of all TV viewers that the following song becomes the Official 2008 Penguins Playoff Anthem. There's no other tune I can identify so closely with my Penguins playoff-viewing experience.

--Max Talbot was skating at morning practice today.

--Cook: If Penguins keep this up, Flyers will be cast aside quickly

--Smizik: Malkin, Crosby too tough an assignment

--Anderson: Flyers: Game 1 loss puts them in familiar spot

--Molinari: Malkin scores twice in Game 1 win over Flyers

--Rossi: Game 1: Malkin scorches Flyers, 4-2 (with Trib Photo Gallery)

--Prisuta: Flyers play a game they can't win

Sid Makes a Housecall

As you may or may not know, the Penguins have a simply unbelievable marketing team. And unlike the Pirates, they actually market the product, not fireworks, Smash Mouth concerts, or hot dog guns.

Having a market-savvy organization means doing things like the Penguins did yesterday, when they sent six players (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Colby Armstrong, Maxime Talbot, Ryan Whitney and Marc-Andre Fleury) to hand-deliver season tickets to a total of 24 homes.

I received an email from Matthew Kozlowski, a regular Mondesi's House reader whose mother happened to be one of the lucky 24. He has graciously allowed me to reprint it, because I really wanted to capture the enthusiasm that this team has created. Steelers execs who enjoy year after year of sellouts and waiting lists, take note: this would be a nice gesture once in a while.

Joan Kozlowski, the Pens super fan, who had a visit from Sidney Crosby, is my mom. I'm "Matthew" that he was talking to on the phone. I'm not trying to extend our 15 minutes of fame at all, but I can't begin to express how big of a deal this was for her. With my parents divorced and my brother and I grown and moved away, the Pens are like her family in Pittsburgh. She lives and dies with them and has supported them all my life (I'm just turning 26 today).

When Sid called, I just thanked him so much for taking the time to brighten someones day like this and told him that he and the team were awesome and we're 100% behind them.

I think it's amazing the Pens do things like this for their fans. Their PR department and community relations staffs are amazing and thoughtful. Sidney and the other guys couldn't be better ambassadors for the NHL, the Penguins, or the city of Pittsburgh. The whole organization is a class act and deserves kudos for customer service. Maybe the Buccos could pick up a thing or two?

Just in case you missed it, here are some of the clips. (video 2 is my mom)

Here's an article from WPXI's website apparently written by a 4th grader. Not only did they spell our last name wrong, but also "Sydney" Crosby?? Come on!

Channel 4 coverage here

It's hilarious. I haven't stopped smiling about it all day. My mom was exhausted by the evening when the promos for the 10 and 11 o'clock news were coming on. Ha!

The News

A recap of your favorite links, named in honor of Mike Tomlin
"I'm not telling a story. I'm reporting the news."

Got news? Email it to mondesishouse@gmail.com

--A-Rod's wife wears a "F*** You" shirt to Yankee Stadium yesterday. Not surprisingly, the New York media noticed.

--Just into the tipline...D&T Tees in Washington, PA (also known as Steeler, PA) is selling "We Won't" T-Shirts. Haven't personally seen them, but kudos for their entrepreneurial spirit.

--Sports Illustrated gives us another list to get our panties in a bunch: their rankings of NFL owners. Dan Rooney comes in at...9th?

--Think the Pirates are bad now? Well, they are. But this vintage '00 Ron Cook column tells us all we need to know about the mess that was the 1980s Buccos.

--Drinks are on Ryan Whitney tonight. He can afford it with his cool new $24 million contract.

--Whitney will have a few new teammates next year: Darryl Sydor and Petr Sykora. And Rob Scuderi will also be back. Surprisingly, the Rangers didn't offer him $52 million to sign.

--We don't have Michel Oullet to kick around any more, as the Lightning scooped him up in free agency.

--Angry Pirates Fans + Dejan Kovacevic = good reading.

--Freddy Sanchez is an All-Star, beating out Tom Gorzelanny and Sauerkraut Saul as the Pirates' rep.

--I pray that this rumor of the Mets' interest in Ronny Paulino is not an April Fool's joke in July.

--Dan Patrick as the new host of Price is Right? Bob Barker is rolling over in his grave.

--Where are they now: The Hanson Brothers.

--A dozen 7-11 stores complete their metamorphosis into Kwik-E-Marts to promote the upcoming Simpsons movie. The best part? You can even buy Buzz Cola and Squishees. This just in: a photo gallery from the Burbank 7-11/Kwik E Mart

--You just dropped $600 on an iPhone, what are you going to do next? Smash it!

--Brett Ratner is entrusted with bringing Hugh Hefner's life to the big screen.

--Doubt About It gives us a few alternatives to a Pirate walkout.

--Pittsburgh continues to rank among the leaders in loss of population in the US.

--Welcome a new Pittsburgh blog, Pittsburgh Fan For Better Or For Worse.

A LIST OF TODAY'S TOP LISTS

9 Superhero Powers That Would Be More Trouble Than They're Worth

Top 10 Jobs Where Employers Come Looking for YOU

TV Guide's Top 30 Cult Shows Ever

Lord Stanley, Lord Stanley...

The Pens took their latest step in their quest for a third Stanley Cup on Tuesday night, as Crosby and Co. clinched a playoff birth with a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals. There was no champagne, no excessive celebrations...this is a team focused on a greater prize. If there are any Pittsburgh Pirates reading, pay attention: .500 is not the goal of a pro sports season, even for a young team.

The Pens got two goals from Ryan Whitney, one from Sidney Crosby, and the 18th (18th!) of Michel Oullet's much-criticized season, locking up their first playoff appearance since 2001.

So how are the Pens handling their first foray into playoff territory? Says Dave Molinari:

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said he was not aware the Penguins had clinched until a reporter mentioned it, although he allowed the accomplishment was "pretty cool."

I would expect nothing less of an answer from MAF.

The game featured a fight between Georges Laraque and Donald Brashear, which Fox Sports' Final Score described as "like a heavyweight fight between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago."

This game also closed the book on another season of Alexander Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby storylines. Somewhere, a hockey TV exec is shedding a tear. The career head-to-heads look like this, after two seasons: the Pens have won 7 of 8; Crosby has 5 goals, 9 assists, and 14 points; and Ovie has notched 3 goals, 6 assists, and 9 points. That should quiet any "who's better" debate for a long time, if that even is a debate any more.

Tuesday's matchup was played before a crowd of 18,277 in Washington, but there was a Steeler-esque road following for the Pens on this night. Said Ryan Whitney: "In warm-ups, it was crazy. They were chanting, 'Let's go Pens.' It was a little unexpected. There's usually a good amount of Pens fans here but not that many."

The Pens are now 44-23-10 (98 points), currently 5th in the wild Eastern Conference standings. Next on the agenda is a Thursday rematch with Boston, who the Pens took down on Sunday afternoon. Five games to go (at Boston, at Toronto, Buffalo, at Ottawa, N.Y. Rangers) until playoff hockey hits the Burgh.

How Far We've Come

When you look at the 2006-07 Pittsburgh Penguins season, it's pretty remarkable. And I'm not just talking about the spectacular 33-18-9 record or the 75 points (3rd in the East). Everyone had high hopes for this team, but not this soon. When you look back at the early script for this season, it looks like a re-write at this point.

The hot preseason topic was whether or not to keep rookie Jordan Staal on the roster. As he lit his 25th lamp tonight, you wonder how the idea of not keeping him was even a remote possibility. I'd say the Pens made the right call in this personnel matter.

We move to the first game, where prospective owner Jim Balsillie dropped by to check in on his potential investment. He certainly made an impression in the booth, where he dropped an s-bomb on live TV. What a symbolic way to ultimately remember his flirtation with our city.

From the opening whistle of this season, this team exceeded expectations. They led off with an old-fashioned butt-kicking of the big, bad Philadelphia Flyers, shutting them out 4-0 in front of a raucous Pittsburgh crowd. The game would serve as a fitting start to a 7-0 record against the Broad Street Babies this year.

The opener was a big night for Marc-Andre Fleury, who would mature greatly in his third season. Fleury brought a career record of 17-41-2 and a 3.41 goals-against average into the campaign, numbers he's improved upon greatly. He currently stands at 29-13, with a 2.92 goals-against. Despite his recent "break" given by Michel Therrien, Fleury has solidified the position for this team for years to come.

The opening night lineup featured dead weight like John LeClair and Andre Roy, both of whom were put out of their misery and traded in for newer models. And don't forget, we had to wait five games for the unveiling of Evgeni Malkin in a regular season game. 29 goals and 38 assists later, and I'd say he's adapted to life in the Burgh quite well.

There are feel-good stories all around. Sergei Gonchar is to be praised for his 50 points and his off-the-ice mentoring of Malkin, even if he's not exactly qualified to give him lessons on what to wear.

Mark Recchi's made everyone forget the locker room friction of last season, with 22 goals (including #500) and 60 points at age 39. Ryan Whitney has come into his own, as he ranks fifth on the team in scoring. Eric Christensen is a shootout wizard. Michel Therrien was on the verge of being canned, now there's Coach of the Year talk. Mark Eaton is so beloved by fans that he gets his own photoshop contest. And Ronald Petrovicky will knock you out.

The most amazing part of this story and this season is that I've been able to write eight paragraphs and not mention Sid. This team has come so far in such a short span of time that the face of the NHL can experience a little goal slump and the players around him are good enough to overcome it. He is better than advertised, he's leading the league in scoring, and he's a polite, mannerly guy. He's a breath of fresh air in a world of PacMan Jones, Tank Johnson, and the Cincinnati Bengals. You'll never see him flying to Vegas and showering strippers with $81,000 in a garbage bag. He knows how to handle himself, and he's the perfect man to lead this team into the journey they're embarking on.

I know I haven't mentioned all of the great stories surrounding this squad. That would take way too many words to describe. But the highs feel even better when you consider the obstacles the team battles on a regular basis: the perception of Crosby as a whiner; the perceived return of the "garage league" in the way the game is called by the refs; and to a lesser extent (but important to Penguin fans), getting proper recognition and national coverage, especially when the "worldwide leader" doesn't seem to care much about the sport (geez, ESPN can't even get the right Penguins logo for their playoff matchup simulator!). What doesn't kill the Penguins makes them stronger. For all the hatred spewed from jealous teams, jealous coaches, jealous players, and jealous fans, the Pens have risen up to overcome the road blocks. That will only make this dangerous team even more formidable down the road.

For people waiting for the postseason to see something "special" happen, open your eyes. It's already going on around you. This team has already had a storybook season, regardless of what happens in the playoffs. This team is ready. They expect to win. We're lucky to watch them on a nightly basis. I believe there's a phrase for what this feels like:

The Pens did a nice job tonight pulling out a win at a place where they've traditionally struggled. Thibault played well, Colby saved the day, and the Pens are two points richer as a result. Next up is Tampa Bay at 5 PM on Sunday. Make sure to watch. You'll want to be a witness. The script has many more acts to follow.