Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - A win?! Is that allowed?!?!

Episode Date: January 10, 2023

The Pittsburgh Penguins snapped out of their funk in a big way on Sunday night with a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Hunter starts this episode by making sure a win is indeed allowed before touching on how seeing Jake Guentzel get back to his usual self was the biggest reason for the win. He looks at where the two goals were scored and how Guentzel finally decided to simplify things in his game to get back on the score sheet. After that, Hunter praises Casey DeSmith and how he gave the Penguins his best start of the season. He looks at why the Penguins need this level from him until Tristan Jarry is ready to come back since they need to keep pace with the rest of the teams in the division. He also analyzes Jason Zucker's goal and how he could finally pull off that beautiful move before roasting the power play for another awful performance. What needs to change on that unit? Is Todd Reirden not doing enough in terms of coaching? Is it the players not executing? Hunter then wraps up the show with a full preview of Tuesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Athletic GreensTo make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NHLNETWORK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello, welcome back. Happy Monday, everybody, January 9th of 203. The Penguins are back in the win column. They win 4-1 against the Arizona Coyotes. Well, was that a little cringe? Maybe not, maybe, maybe not. A 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night. In this episode of Logged on Penguins podcast,

we're going to fully break down that win for you. Also do a full preview for Tuesday's game against Vancouver Canucks. I believe Ashley and I will be there for that game. I need to have a little bit of better luck for this one after seeing what happened against the Detroit Red Wings. And that's all coming up right after this drop. You're Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.

Your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the shows, Twitter, at Ellen Shore Penguins. and, of course, thank you all so much for making this. Your first listen of the day. Penguins 4, Coyotes won.

Yes, the Penguins did win a game on Sunday night. It wasn't pretty, but, you know, they badly, that when they start out the game, a little bit rough, they go down 1-0 to the coyotes a few minutes in, not have a good start, down 1 at the end of the first period. And at that point, I'm kind of saying, you better win this game. There are no excuses.

to lose this game to that kind of team. I don't understand like how you used. They've beaten some good teams at home ice this season. They've beaten the avalanche at home. He'd beaten the Maple Leafs, I believe, a couple of times. I think they'd beat their Maple Leafs twice. This season, they've been a couple other really good teams. They're not as bad as a lot of people thought they were going to be.

But for the Penguins, when you're on a 16 losing streak, and when you need to bank points, you better win that game. Because heads will really roll, and I think Twitter would have actually melted if the Penguins lost that game. But nope, Penguins are able to win floor one. Jake Gensel gets two goals in the second period. Penguins play their best third period of the season, and they're able to skid out with the victory. I think the biggest thing that I really took away from this, Jake Gensel, welcome back.

So, well, I screwed that up. Jake Gensel, welcome back to the land of the living. If you've been listening to this show, the last couple weeks, I've been going in on Jake a little bit a little bit because he's not been playing well. He kind of looks like he's over, just overthinking all of it, to be honest. But he was dynamite in this game. As Marcus Pedersen told Josh Yohia of the athletic, after the game, Jake Gensel is the goal thief. And, you know, he was not on Sunday night.

He gets two goals. His first five-on-five goals since November, got his second five-on-five goal, just a few minutes after. You know, you can only keep a sleeping giant down, you know, for so long, right? You were never going to keep him down forever, and he showed that in this game. He was electric, just all over the ice. It felt like just from the drop of the puck, he was finally going to get one, and sure enough, he got not just one, but two.

Those two goals really gave the Penguins life. I shouldn't say the first one really gave them life because I thought the Penguins were competing hard, but once they tied the game up, they really took control of that game. and do not give the coyotes anything on the rest of the time outside of some stuff on the penalty or on the power play should one handed but we'll get to that a little bit later but jake you know just two vintage gensile goals right around the net front um you know that that area is kind of his office as well the second one really nice job for him to kind of change the angle on that one the first one was just a really nice shot um and you can tell you know right away when he scored

you're kind of looked up and just, you know, praise God right there just because he knows he's been, you know, just feeling it as of late, hasn't really been doing his job. But he was awesome in this game. And again, you know, when the top six scores, good things happen. Jason Zucker gets another one,

make it 3-1. The game was basically over with a minute to go, but Jeff Carter gets another goal this season. I'll say it again. As the top six goes, this team is going to go. That is how it is. is until they go and make an upgrade or two for the bottom sex. Toppsies is going to have to carry the load,

especially with the two of the best defensemen out. That's how they're going to have to win games here, because I don't think a lot of those debt players are really going to step up and score. You know, Josh Archibald is still out. Ryan Paling is still out with that aggravated injury. They don't have a good third line center, even though Carter scored that empty netter. Boo-hoo. I mean, boo-hoo.

You know, whatever, cool. You know, guy gets an empty-neck goal. But still, you know, outside of that, didn't really think he had that good of a game. you know, my, my big takeaway from this game was the return of Jake Gensel. If he can get back to producing like he normally does, this team is going to win a lot of games here down the stretch. Shaw is really appreciative of his efforts last night.

Sidney Crosby as well, he played another very good game. Just that entire line, I should say, with Gensel Crosby and Russ. You know, they've been flip-fopping Raquel and Russ throughout the season, but, you know, last night's top line, very, very solid. and I would expect that to continue. Jason Zucker, you know, I'll get to that in just a second, but really solid job overall by Jake Gensel. Now I will get to Jason Zucker.

He was flirting with that forehand backhand move a couple times in the game, right? He kind of bull Rushdell, the Melka, excuse me, wasn't able to get the shot off. Third time was the Charmina, though, when the Penguins badly needed an insurance school, because the Penguins have been so bad at defending the lead in the third period, according to Joshi's article from the athletic. And this lines up, the Penguins have given up six third period leads already this season

and they've lost. The number probably feels a bit low, to be honest. But they made sure that they were not going to do that in this game. Jason Zulker makes it three to one with only about, about, yeah, about, what was it, halfway to the third period, something like that. a little bit past. Penguins were able to skate away with the victory and not giving Arizona anything for the rest of that period. And I will say this.

Penguins have had a lot of trouble with the third third periods this year. They've given up a lot of leads. They've blown games that they shouldn't have. This was evidence just last week in the Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins. They give up one to tie it with about 10 minutes left. Give up a game winner with less than three minutes left. But you couldn't even get a point. Carolina, the two Carolina games just a couple weeks ago, you know, they've had a lot of problems.

But for this game, shout out to everyone on the Penguins that was playing in that third period. That was excellent hockey with defending the lead. They were exquisite. They were aggressive. They were forechecking. They were not sitting back. They were not turtling. They were taking it to the coyotes.

And they were not giving anything back in return. And if you look at natural statuary, that coyotes, only one high danger chance in the third period, only four scoring chances for at 5B5. A very solid job by the Penguins. Once they got that insurance goal, they continue to clamp down, and they also continue to forecheck as well.

They did not they give the coyotes anything again the rest of that third period. That was, I think, that is the blueprint for the Penguins. If they want to succeed and they want to get better defending leads, you have to look at that game, watch the tape on it, and see what you need to do. I understand you're playing the Loli Coyotes. They're in the race for Connor Badaard.

But you know what? A win is a win, and you can use tape from that game and use it against better teams. You just maybe have to play a bit more harder. I shouldn't even say that. You know, just... Well, yeah, honestly, that makes sense.

Maybe you have to play just a little bit harder because the coyotes, they're not as good as some of these other teams of the thing we can be playing against. So, really have... happy with those aspects from the win on Sunday night. That does it for this segment. Coming up in the second segment,

we're going to get into Casey dismissed performance, why I really liked what he did and how he needs to keep that up. And we'll also get into how bad the power play you was and what really needs to change with that unit because I'm tired of it being Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde and we'll also touch on the penalty killing unit as well. But before we get to that, our next partner has a product.

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underscore penguin. So a couple other things to get into when it comes to this game before we preview Tuesdays game against the Canucks. Casey DeSmith, excellent performance from him. That is the kind of performance that I want to see from him going forward if Trishon Jari's going to be out a little while. He's already been out a week. Mike Sullivan's been very coy to talk about it.

The details are not there right now. I have not heard a thing. So if you think about asking me, don't. I have no idea what the injury is. But the fact that Mike Stall is not really saying anything, it's a little bit concerning. Usually we would know by now if he's truly day to day, week to week, something like that.

Penguins are obviously going to be hoping for good news. But he's being evaluated in Pittsburgh right now. But to Smith, very good last night. I bailed out the team on more than one occasion. The goal that he gave up was not his fault. He made a couple of dazzling saves, especially in the second period when the Penguins' power play was really bad. One of them was on a three-on-five,

which I don't think I've ever seen the Penguins give up a breakaway goal. when they have a five on three. And it came to a former penguin Nick Bukstad, and maybe that's the reason why it did not go in the back of the net. But DeSmith made all of the saves that he needed to was in the positives in terms of goals stayed above expected. Well over 940 in this game, very solid job by him. And I will say this again,

they need this kind of goaltending. If they want to stay in the race here until Tristan Jari is back healthy. Yeah, it's already been out a week. I don't know any of the details right now, but this is dismiss net until Tristan is ready to play again. And they have a back-to-backup coming this weekend. If Tristan's not ready to go,

I would assume Dustin Tocarski is going to get a game. And if he can be at least league average, the penguins should be fine as well. That's where all the penguins mean. It's just league average goaltending people. That's it. If they can get back, they can win a lot of games. If they would have had league average goaltending

for the last two, three years, the playoffs you know we'd be having a much different conversation right now in terms of you know playoff series wins from mike solven or versus playoff losses it probably would have made at least one more um mini run maybe not to the final but second round eastern conference final something like that but that is a performance to build off of if you are just met the problem with him is you know he's just a bit inconsistent at times so i just want to see more consistency but really solid job from him um power play what a joke um oh for six it looks at looked lifeless all night.

At this point, you guys start changing some things up. Change up the deployment. I mean, you can put POJ on there all you want, but, you know, is that really going to change how bad the core players are playing on there? I don't really know. Eviggeny Malkin has kind of looked lost on the power plate for the last week. Sid hasn't really been doing much. I'm not trying to throw Gino just under the bus himself.

I think everyone else on there has been total crap as well. Zone entries-wise, if I'm just going off like my eye test, it seems like they gained the zone 30% of the time. The rest are just easy clears for the opposition. It just doesn't seem like there's any actual plan for when the pigment's going on the power play. It's just like, oh, we're going to get the puck. We're going to do a drop pass.

We're going to somehow carry it into the offensive zone. Oh, wait, we lost the puck. It's going back down the other way. Or when we do game the offensive zone, it's like, oh, we got it. Let's overpass and pass the puck around five million times. Let's take one stupid shot for the point. Oh, opposition gets it. It's cleared back down the other way.

everything about it sucks. And I'm tired of this being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It stung to start the season. Well, actually, excuse me. It was decent to start the season. It stunk during the losing streak. And even after that, they then had a 10-game streak where they scored at least one goal in the power play,

which is one of the longest streaks of the, it's definitely the longest streak of the Mike Sullivan era, almost one of the longest streaks of Gini-Malking, I believe the record was 12 or 13. And now it's just back to sucking in their, oh, for their last 20. It's just unacceptable. There is no reason.

I don't even care that Crystal Teng is not on that unit right now. There is no reason why that unit should be the way it is with how bad it is right now. I think it's poorly coached. I don't really know what Todd Reardon is saying to his guys. I think he's doing a poor job of coaching up that unit. And I think the players are doing a very poor job of executing whatever Todd is telling them. Everything about it right now stinks. I'm not saying that you need to separate Cindy Cron.

v and of getting Balkin or something like that but what i am saying is you know maybe move someone off you know just you can move brian rostov you know move ricard put ricard mackal back on you can move poj on something like that um you know they got to change up the tactics with it because it seems like every time the penguin's got a power play the opposition knows what's coming it's so easy to game plan for even during the street they were doing the same things they were just getting a little bit more puck and the goaltending that they were going up against was just not playing that well. So, you know, the same issues have been there. It's just, you know, right now, the issues are really bad for the penguins as an over 20 skit skid. So, you know, that needs to change in a hurry.

Obviously, the penalty kill has been really good. It was great again. Last night of Arizona. And I know the coyotes and you're playing Arizona here, people. But no, they still did, you know, a solid job. I believe they killed off like, what, two, three, four penalties. something like that. And speaking of the power play struggles, you know, I don't even know how you give up a five-on-three short-handed goal. Just complete laziness by everyone on the ice. That would been the first time I think in the Cidgenio, they've given up a three-on-five goal. I can't recall the last time I ever gave one up. So just ridiculously embarrassing. Good thing to Smith was there to bail out the mistake of that top unit. He saved the puck on Nick Bukstad. Not good enough. It needs to change, and it needs to change in a hurry. You know, it's been losing them games.

The devil's game, prime example. You have nine power play opportunities. You can't even score one with all that talent. Sorry, that's not acceptable. That's just gross, my opinion. So that's what I have to say really on that. So I think it's really all I have to say about this game as a whole. If you look at the natural stratrix,

at 5 on 5, the penguins say 56% in the shot attempts. They had scoring chances. They lost the battle 2315. They did lose the high danger battle, 9-6. Expected goals, though, Penguins. 50.3, so kind of a 50-50 right there, but they did have three goals for a five-on-five, one goal. Pardon me, the coyotes had two high danger chances in the third period, but still, that's a very solid job. The Penguins played did a very good job with learning them.

But, you know, it was a massive win for them. They needed it in the worst way, and the schedule's going to start opening up here. They have a lot of winnable games here in the month of January. They played Vancouver on Tuesday, which we're going to get to in the final segment. They got Winnipeg coming up. Yes, they do play character. Carolina, which is going to be a very tough game on this weekend. But if you go here and look at the rest of the standings after this, they play Carolina. They have Anaheim at home, a home and home against a struggling Ottawa Senators team. The Devils again, which will be tough.

The Panthers who stink. They have the sharks as well late January. Yes, I know they play Washington who has been surging, but a lot of very winnable games, especially at home, as we go through the month here January before they have that full week. I think it's a bye week. If I'm not mistaken. It's either their bi-week or it's the All-Star breaks, something like that. They don't play for the first full week of February.

And I hate it. So, you know, they have an opportunity here to really go on a run. So that win was big. We'll see if they can follow it up on Tuesday. And we will preview that game right after this. But before we get to that, Ben Online is your number one source for sports fending info, stats, and news and analysis. And get the latest odds and trends for every professional amateur league out there.

From both football to college bowl season to basketball and the World Cup, we've got it all at bedonline.com. If you love sports podcast, you can even find those. have been online as well. We're always the fastest, the easiest way to get your vending info. You can head to a website today or use your phone to learn more that has been online where the game starts. All right, I'm back here in this episode of the

Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the shows Twitter at L.O.R.P. Penguins, and of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen the other day. So Penguins Canucks second time this season.

Penguins lost the first matchup. earlier in the year, they got blown out in Vancouver, a really poor performance by the Penguins against a struggling Vancouver, Canucks team at that point. Kuzmeco, I believe, had two goals. Penguins lost that game, what, four, five, one? Some like that, it was a very poor performance on them against a Canucks team that has been good in sports this season, but not good enough.

Tomorrow they'll come in with Kuzmiko, Elias Pedersen and J.T. Miller on their top line. Patterson is very, very good. With J.T. Miller, we all know what he can do. The hometown kid had almost had basically 100 points last season. there's been some baggage with him this season. I know some of you all have been to my mentions about maybe reacquiring him, but the fact of the matter is, the Benguins aren't going to touch that cap hit,

and he's also just been a total de-hole to players on the Canucks this season. The baggage is really bad. That's just, it's not off the ice. It is on the ice. It's just, it's not looking pretty. The Pedersen, though, he's been good because Meku had two goals in the last matchup. Second line, Brock Bessler, Bo Horvette, and Ilya, Bo Horvatt, is my main target for the Penguins for third-line center.

He does it all great offensively, penalty-killed, you put him on the second power play unit, good defensive metrics. He would be a perfect third-line center for this team. That is a very good top six, by the way. It is a shame that the Canucks are just not in the playoffs. I'm a playoff spot right now. Third line, and their bottom six is where he kind of just gets

dicey, Connor Garland, Will Lockwood. Curtis Lazare, Sheldon Dries, Dakota, Josh, players who are just, you know, kind of eh, at this point in their career, defensive pairings. Quinn Hughes, who's amazing with Ethan Baer, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, with Tyler Myers, and then Travis Dermott with Luke Chen. Quinn Hughes, we all know how good he is, great puck mover, good defensive in his own zone. You know, maybe he's not as good as his brother right now, but he is a true number one defenseman in this league.

Ethan Bear, good to see him getting a shot with the Canucks. Ekman Larson, you know, he's having a little bit of a better use. year as even though he struggled the last couple of years Tyler Myers now what he once was but can still lay the boom Travis Dermott he was always good in Toronto Luke Chen I think he's going to get a lot of trade interest as well um factor Demko is on I are right now so the penguins it looks like will not be seeing him in this game I think they will get Spencer Martin or Colin Adelaia but it's gonna be Spencer Martin he actually started the first matchup which you know that was the game that kind of ticked me off a little bit because the penguin's

Penguins, they were going up against an NHL goalie who barely had any experience. And, you know, in typical Penguins fashion, he was stonewalling them. Other stats here, DAU all set for the Canucks. Penguins, 8 and 4 won in their last 13 games overall against the Canucks. They've also gotten points in five for the last six against them. They're also six and two and one in their last nine home games against them, dating back to November 17th of 2010, and the Penguins have won six of seven against Western Conference teams this season.

So they have a lot of West games. still to play. Again, this is a very winnable game for the Penguins. You're going up against a Canucks team that, let's face it, you know, this has been a very tough year for them, a very tough year for that day and base. The Canucks right now, eight points of a playoff spot, 17, 19, and 3. Jim Rutherford has his work cut out for him on Patrick Galvina, I should say, for really churning that team around.

It is, that team is really feeling it. Right now, they have to make some tough decisions, I think, at the deadline. But the Penguins, you know, just get puck, you know, your playing the Senator Martin, most likely, a goalie who does not have a lot of financial experience. You know, you have to do a lot better than you did last time against him. Casey DeSmith has to play good again. If he can duplicate that, replicate, excuse me, that performance that he had on Sunday against the Arizona Coyotes.

That would be very, that would be very huge for the Penguins' chances to win. Top six, needs to produce. It would also be nice that they could get some goals from the bottom of six. And, you know, just stick to you, you know, just play Penguins hockey, you know, just every shift zero to 100, four checking aggressively, five check will always be important. You know, you're at home. This needs to be another win. You're playing another team that's not contending for a playout spot this season.

You have to come home with this win. You have to stay pace with the other teams in the division. Because right now, Penguins have I checked my phone, two games in hand on the New York Rangers. They have four games in hand on the Washington Capitals. They have one game in hand on the Carolina. Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils. Those only mean so much, though, if you win them. Penguins need to start winning those games in hand if they really want to cement their playoff spot for the season. Because the Eastern Conference right now, it's a lot more competitive.

The Sabres have really been coming on. The Panthers are still right there. The Islanders, the Penguins are tied with them right now. The only reason they have the playoffs spot is because the founders play two more games. So they need to keep pace with all of these teams. That would do it, though. For this episode of Lockton, Penguins podcast, I really appreciate all of you listening to this one. I will be back with another episode on Tuesday. We'll fully recap the game against the Canucks. Should be a good one, excited to get to PPG to watch it there.

But again, thank you all so much for listening. I will talk with you all on Tuesday.