Pony made his Pens debut on Saturday in an energetic win over the Dallas Stars. The raw stats don't speak to the impact of the power forward. It was truly inspiring watching a new player being welcomed at the Igloo as Pony was.

The fans did not have to wait long for his first goal as it came on a power play in the third period. After his name was announced on the intercom, the people began to chant "Pony" as loud as they typically cheer for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. He also received a standing ovation at the end of the game as he was named the third star of the game.

The acquisition of a big, scoring forward will not be measured in goals and points, but also in intangibles. Pony has all ready had an effect on his teammates.

Before the Olympic break, any Penguins fan would have seen Ruslan Fedotenko as being one of the first players scratched due to lack of performance. Fed's point production is still low and his +/- is a career low minus -16, but he is making up for it in other ways—heading to the net and checking. He appears to have a new zest for the game, perhaps realizing that a roster spot is not guaranteed.

Once Pony, Fed, and Geno get acquainted with each other, there is no limit to how well they can play.

Once this familiarity is attained, it spells bad news for every opposing defense. Before the Pony trade, opposing defensemen had to worry about the first line, Geno on the second, and Jordan Staal on the third.

With the acquisition of Pony, defensemen have to decide who to try and stop on the second line. Geno's underrated passing ability makes the second line equal to most first lines in the NHL.

The Pens finally have the personnel to do what other teams have so effectively used against them: have a player sit in the crease and screen the goalie. The fans got a little taste of this last Saturday has Pony scored a PP goal, which is rather impressive as he only made one appearance on the power play late in the game.

The city of Pittsburgh can get behind a player like Pony. He is a blue-collar, physical player who reminds me of Pittsburgh native Ryan Malone. His stat line versus the Stars included four hits, one of which was a beautiful open-ice hit in the neutral zone separated the puck—and almost the helmet—of the Stars' defender. With the departure of Malone, the Pens needed a power forward that could score in those dirty areas.

Ray Shero did what any good GM does: he went out and got what his team needed. He gave up a young player who could become a top six forward, but he got a current top six forward in return. No one knows what will happen with Pony after the season; will he be resigned or test free agency? It could be disheartening, but in the here and now, I know the Penguins will ride Sid, Geno, and Pony deep into the playoffs. Repeat? Anything can happen with studs like that...

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Leopold, the 29-year-old defenseman, was a second-round pick in 1999 by the Anaheim Ducks. This would appear to be Shero's way of adding bulk and size to the blue line by acquiring the 6'0", 200 lbs defenseman. His 59 hits would place him third on the team for defensemen behind Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang.

Leopold's stat line looks like this: 61 Games, 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS, - 7, 22 PIM, and 1 PP Goal.

The cost for Leopold was fairly steep, a second-round pick in the 2010 draft. The fact that Leopold's contract is up at the end of the year doesn't help the situation any, either. I believe this would lead to another trade. With Leopold on the blue line, that leaves one of the Pen's other defensemen out in the cold.

With only $1.750 million for the year, the Pens could trade any of their blue liners as all are more expense than Leopold. My guess would be that the acquisition would make Mark Eaton expendable. 

Stay Tuned for more trade deadline news.

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This case is a little different: the Canadian forward is Sidney Crosby, Orpik's teammate and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Does Orpik play for national glory and dislodge the puck from his captain, or does he concentrate on his NHL goals and try not to hurt him?

This scenario was played out on Sunday in the USA vs. Canada game. Both players acted as I thought they would: Orpik laid two devastating checks on Crosby in one shift, while Crosby took a high-sticking penalty against his teammate.

These types of scenarios happen many times during the Olympic Games. Teammates and friends are typically placed in one another's path to national glory: a gold medal.

Teammates form strong bonds out of necessity in the NHL because of long road trips, time spent together, and the will to win. The unfortunate part of hockey is that it is a business.

Teammates and lineups are typically jostled from day to day—especially during the trade deadline—let alone year to year. Friendships typically become more strained as the number of times played goes up.

This is not the case with the Olympics. There are position battles and battles to be included on the roster, but one goal outshines all personal feelings: national pride. Players are brought together for a common cause, which has unified many feuds.

The feud between countrymen Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin was well-documented when both entered the league (2005 and 2006, respectively). The more the two played each other, the more animosity was present. 

The former teammates had grown to strongly dislike each other until a dinner in 2008. A fellow countryman brought the two strong personalities together to work out their differences. The reason: They wanted to be a unified force when the Olympics came around in 2010.

The dinner obviously worked out, as Malkin (three goals, two assists) and Ovechkin (two goals, two assists) are first and second in scoring on the team, and they have led Team Russia to a first-round bye in the medal round.

The Olympics bring together friends and enemies from across the world to do battle on the ice. From the opening ceremonies on, all personal and professional disputes are put aside for the glory of wearing a gold medal.

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