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March 5, 2009
So, the trade deadline day has come and gone in the NHL. What a whirlwind festival this non-holiday, yet important date on the calendar of the hockey world it has become. It’s a wild feast for the media. More on all the trade day action in a moment. Then, to cap it off, the Marlies put forth a solid effort in a victory over the Bruins at Ricoh Coliseum.
The game marked the return of Tim Stapleton, who joined his old pals Jiri Tlusty and Bates Battaglia on the front line, and they again lit it up something fierce. Man, are they ever fun to watch right now. That sixth goal of the game was some beautiful passing work. Tlusty decided to follow up his AHL Player of the Month award with a six point game. Outstanding! He is playing some great hockey right now.
It was also impossible to overlook the headline story of the game, which saw Justin Pogge square off against Tuukka Rask for the first time in Toronto and second time in the AHL. The two goaltenders gave each other a little nod while passing at centre ice during the warm-up, much like two prize fighters ready to do battle, yet willing to acknowledge their opponent. During the first period especially, it looked as though they were trading big saves one for one at either end of the ice, seeing who would break first. While there were 10 goals scored in the game, there was also some stellar passing and shooting from both teams, which made it a tough night for the net minders, but they put on a good show, with Pogge being able to outduel his counterpart in the rematch. The rest of the story for the two remains to be seen.
A big weekend still lies ahead for the Marlies as they’ll face the Bulldogs twice in Hamilton on Friday and Sunday, while hosting the East Division leading Hershey Bears. Watch out for some deadly scoring power on Saturday from Keith Aucoin and Alexandre Giroux, who are 1-2 respectively in the AHL scoring lead. Should be a dandy weekend!
Since the trade deadline day has been analyzed beyond belief thanks to 10 hour live TV marathon coverage, (which does get addictive to watch at times, even while you’re part of the media doing some of that broadcasting) I won’t go into any details on the whole day’s worth of activity, but instead just focus on Toronto related deals.
• Martin Gerber – If you are going to move forward with Vesa Toskala as your starting goaltender next season, then you want to have a healthy Toskala, and shutting him down for the year is a good idea. It not only allows him time to recover and get healthy, but allows him to be healthy for the off-season, where he will be able to spend the summer training instead of working in rehab. Gerber was 6-7 with a 2.91 GAA and .901 save% with one shutout in his 14 games with Binghamton, before being put on recallable waivers. He’ll be a very serviceable starter, without any long term contract implications, to fill Toskala’s spot, and allow Pogge to remain with the Marlies and focus on his growth and then chance to start a playoff run.
• Erik Reitz – If you were like a few of the media members today, you too may have said “Erik who?” Well, allow me to fill you in on this big defenseman who was the Captain of the Barrie Colts team that went to the OHL Finals in 2002. Reitz, is a Michigan boy who stands over six feet tall and plays a physical game. He had 40 points and 153 PIM in his final year in Barrie, while recording 20 points in 20 playoff games, before the Colts lost out to the Erie Otters team, featuring Brad Boyes, Carlo Colaiacovo and some goalie named Adam Munro. He was drafted by Minnesota in 2000, and went on to win the Calder Cup with the Houston Aeros, although missed some of the finals against Hamilton with a shoulder injury. This year, he was finally given his shot in the NHL and racked up 41 PIM with the Wild in 31 games before the Rangers picked him up in a trade. He’s a good hard worker, who can also drop the gloves when need be. He’ll look good in blue and white.
• Antropov, Moore, Petiot – Essentially, all of these players were traded for picks. The Petiot deal with Tampa Bay involves some players that are injured right now, so it’s tough to say what the long term outcome will be, as it depends on health. Petiot was good with the Marlies, but with ice time going to Sifers and Stralman, the emergence of Oreskovic and Perry, and with the youth of Uotila and Ryan, plus the recent additions of Engel and Lalonde, it might have been tough to keep a rotation going. Petiot was a good guy and I wish him all the best in the Tampa Bay organization. As for Andy Rogers, he’s a former first round pick of the Lightning, but hasn’t really been able to catch his stride with Norfolk. Sometimes, all you need is a change of scenery to keep the ball rolling.
Next up for deadline excitement is the AHL Clear Day Rosters, which will be declared next Wednesday at 3pm ET. They decide who can compete for the 2009 Calder Cup.
You can email John with comments and questions about the blog or the Marlies anytime to marliesradio@yahoo.ca.
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