Hainsey finally gets shot at playoffs

At long last.

Following Thursday's trade that sent Ron Hainsey to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the veteran blue-liner will finally get a look at playoff hockey.

Hainsey, 35, holds the unfortunate record of the most games played without qualifying for the postseason. He joins his fifth team with 891 career appearances under his belt. Should he lace up for all of the Penguins' remaining contests, he'll finish at 914.

The previous high-water mark was held by Olli Jokinen, who skated in 799 contests before making the playoffs with the Calgary Flames in 2009.

To his credit, Hainsey has appeared in 41 postseason games in the AHL, recording two goals and 16 assists over that stretch. His last playoff endeavor came in 2005.

The defending champion Penguins sit second in the Metropolitan and are poised to make their 11th straight playoff appearance.