Isles take 52 shots and lose; Reaction to the trade deadline

First off, let's say this about the trade deadline. It's never boring. Even when no trades are happening, the expectation that something big could happen with one of the big names in the NHL is always fun.

I didn't expect much from the Isles this year because I didn't think that the organization had the chips to land a guy like Brad Richards or Marian Hossa. Was I surprised that GM Garth Snow traded Marc Andre Bergeron? A little. I mean, the guy has that great cannon shot and no one can deny that he added a very important element to the team last season after arriving from Edmonton but this year he just got plain scary in his own end. I mean, seeing him play with Berard was, at times, cringe-inducing. Both have never been known as being the most reliable defensive defensemen in their careers, you know?

I do know that in Anaheim that Bergeron is going to have a chance to bring his shot and his powerplay abilities to a team with several very responsible defensemen who will gobble up the majority of minutes in almost every situation. It wouldn't surprised me if Bergeron became almost a powerplay specialist for the Ducks...and I don't know that his style is going to lend itself to success in that sort of role. We shall see.

Trading Chris Simon to Minnesota is simply addition by subtraction. A sixth-rounder is nothing to sneeze at because you never know where players are going to come from so in that regard, it is a good thing to get anything for a guy who has been suspended and rehabilitated as many times as Simon has. We wish him luck with the Wild.

So, with all of the activity, the Isles settled in and promptly peppered Penguins goalie Ty Conklin with 52 shots on net. Two made it past him. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that 2 out of 52 ain't great.

The Penguins played the game figuratively shorthanded because they gave up two roster players to fetch Marian Hossa from Atlanta in a trade deadline deal, but Hossa had not reported to the Penguins in time to play last night.

Pittsburgh goals were scored by Jeff Taffe, sophomore-slumper Jordan Staal and Connor James, who arrived from Wilkes-Barre as an emergency call-up. The first Penguins goal was scored by Evgeni Malkin, who must've been wearing a blue suit with an S on his chest since Sidney Crosby has been out of the lineup with a high-ankle sprain.

The Isles and new defenseman Rob Davison (who made his debut last night, wearing #3) travel today to take on the Hossa-less Thrashers in Atlanta tomorrow night. Then they return home for the two big weekend afternooners; Saturday vs. the Flyers and Sunday against the Panthers. Conveniently, Panthers color analyst Denis Potvin will be in the house he helped build as the organization salutes The Core of The Four before the game.

Regarding The Core of The Four, I am looking forward to it, for sure. One thing though: this has to be it for the big celebrations of history, at least for a while. When you have a lot of them--and there is a lot to celebrate--the importance of the events get lost with the familiarity of them. Still, seventeen guys who played on four consecutive championships is way freaking impressive and most likely will never happen again in any sport at all.