Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - After another embarrassing Penguins loss, do changes need to be made?

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

The Pittsburgh Penguins had another embarrassing loss on Monday night to the Philadelphia Flyers and Hunter and Pat are here to give their thoughts on it. They start the show by again ripping the power play as it somehow got worse for this game. They discuss more of the issues that they saw and get into what can be done to fix it. Should Reirden be gone by Wednesday? Should the top line go out there as the first unit? After that, they get into the rest of the performance and how outside of the top line and Nedeljkovic, everyone was terrible. They dive into the OT period and how lackluster it was before they analyze whether it's time for this team to make a major shakeup. Finally, they discuss the week ahead for the team and the opportunities that they have.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsWith all the parts you need at the prices you want, it’s easy to turn your car into the MVP and bring home that win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.Jase MedicalGet $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.SleeperDownload the Sleeper App and use promo code LOCKEDONNHL to get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details.GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime.Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) 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.

The Penguins blew another one to the Flyers on Monday night. And for today's episode, the Locked-on Penguins podcast, Pat and I are going to recap that loss, plus get into whether a major shake-up is needed for this team. You're Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day.

Welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Hunter Hodes. you can follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, joined by my co-s, Patrick Dam. You can follow him on Twitter at Center for Wet. And you can follow these shows, Twitter, at L.O. Ernstle Penguins. Of course, thank you all so much for making this

your first lesson slash watch of the day. We are free and available on all platforms. And finally, today's episode is brought to you by GameTime, down the GameTime app, train account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. So, Penguins lose again to the flyers on Monday night dropping their second overtime loss.

in three nights to the flyers. They get a point, but they're not able to get that extra point. And it's funny, I didn't think I would be saying this after this game after what we saw on Saturday. But I'm honestly more annoyed after what we saw on Monday compared to Saturday. This loss was, I think, more embarrassing, more pathetic, more of a joke, more whatever you want to call it, honestly. They were bad at five on five. And they were especially bad on the power play. And that's what we're going to start this show once again.

for the Tuesday edition. The power play, every time I feel like this unit can't get worse, well, it surprises me. It was way worse in this game compared to Saturday and compared to, I think, any other game this season. The Flyers had more scoring chances short-handed than the Penguins did on the main advantage. The Penguins could not gain the zone,

and even when they were trying to, they were dumping the puck to the opposite corner of the zone. And every time they did that, the Flyers are like, thank you we have a head start and we're just going to clear the puck the penguins had no puck support when they were dumping the puck there and it was just easy pickings for the flyers and on the off chance that there was some movement in the offensive zone the penguins are just passing the puck around not shooting not getting to the front of the net not getting to the high danger areas as we've been

talking about this is a completely broken unit I know I have said that 500 times and it's another game man where the penguins pissed away a point because their power play continues to stink. I still don't know how Todd Reardon has a job right now. And frankly, he should not have a job for Wednesday's game down in Florida. He just can't. You have to make a major change with this at some point outside of just the personnel. He's got to be the one to go at least. But I know you've been wanting to talk about the power play.

So I'm going to hand this over to you. But what an utter embarrassment from that unit once they're going to get. again, a unit that continues to lose the Penguins games. And I know they were bad overall in this game, but they had ample opportunity after opportunity to either extend their lead or take the lead after the Flyers tied the game, but they couldn't do it once again. Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I would go as far as you to say that this one was more embarrassing.

I actually liked the Penguins effort in this one because they forced a team that plays low event hockey to actually play some up-tempo hockey. So I got to give the Penguins credit there because if you look back at Saturday's game, the first 30-ish minutes of that game were genuinely difficult to watch because it was that boring. That's true. Meanwhile, last night they actually, you know, played something that loosely resembled hockey. So here's the thing. I want to put in perspective how bad this power play has been. And the eye test is there. You have seen it. We have all seen it. We have all seen it's genuinely horrible.

You know, last night, you said it last night, they gave up more shots than they got on the power play. So that's a damning indictment enough. But let's go through some stats here, right? And these are some analytics. So, you know, you can tell me to watch the game all you want. But right now, according to natural stat trick, the penguins are the eighth best team in shot attempts at 5V5.

They are 10th and expected goals percentage at 5V. and they have the second most high danger chances at 5V5. So this is a team that ranks in the top 10 of all the major even strength statistics, and they're still a 500 team. That tells me that this is a power play problem because you also look at the penalty kill. It's eighth in the NHL. Yeah. And it's a shade over, I think, 84%.

which is pretty good. I mean, we have to take into account, though, the Penguins, if you take away the major penalties they've had assessed this year, they only have about 160 penalty minutes, which is at the very low end of the NHL. But their penalty kills getting it done. Their goaltending is getting it done. Because according to Moneypuck,

Tristan Jari is the 13th best goalie in the NHL at all situations that goals save above expected. And Alex Nadolkovic, as a backup, is 22nd. So for a guy who's only played a couple of games, being 22nd and that stat is pretty damn good. And Jari being in the top half is also pretty damn good concerning the offense you're supposed to have. Lastly, but not leastly.

Even strength points in the National Hockey League by player right now. Jake Gensel is first. Sidney Crosby is second and Brian Rust is tied for fifth. So once again, this is a power play problem. It is their one and only glaring issue. Do they have some other micro issues here and there? Is their defensive structure not great? Is their breakout getting a little bit worse?

Yes. Are they doing the most on the forecheck? Probably not. But when you have people who are in the top half, if not the top of the top in the national hockey league, an even strength or all situations, and you're still a 500 team, that leaves one thing.

And it's your power play. And it has been an active liability to this team for the last month. I want them to start, I wish they could at least start declining power play opportunities because every time they get one, it doesn't work out. And obviously, I know you can't do that right. But for the power play, I guess one other change I would decide to do after what we saw last night, just run the Gensel-Crosby Rustin out there, put two defensemen out there, Pat, and just see what happens.

And I know that kind of goes against, you know, my thinking of, oh, splitting up Crosby and Malkin on the power play, just because I don't really, I've just never really liked that. and we saw what happened earlier this season, excuse me, wasn't that good. But with how that line continues to cook, put that line out there, put one of the defensive hearings out there, whether it's, I don't know, Pedersen, Carlson, whether it's Latang and whoever else you want to put out there, and see what that does, honestly, because at least that line at five-on-five has cooked all season, see what they can do on the power play in a five-on-four situation.

I guarantee they can generate more expected goals, more high-danger chances, then the entire first unit has combined this season. That's honestly one of the, if not the last thing I would try and then before I guess you would fire someone. But honestly, I'm still at the point where I would fire someone. So I'm not trying to sound like a hypocrite here. I would fire Tar Reardon before this game on Wednesday. But if they don't, that's the last thing I would try

before 100% Mike Sullivan would have to be forced, I think, to make a change. And unlike the Penguins power play, I'm going to set you up for something here. I'm on board with just rolling lines on the power play at this point because a power play unit is just not working. So just keep playing your game. And with as good as that top line has been and with as good as the pairing of Carlson Pedersen has been, why not give that a try?

But it also, yeah, maybe you don't want to split up Crosby and Malkin. But guess what? Underrated thing that's happened the last few weeks, Malkin has stunk. I like it. I love Fagney Malkin. Love him. I have been his defender in this town for years because we have been, we have been trying to trade him since about 2011.

And I have constantly said and stolen the line from Jesse Marshall of, if you trade Evgeny Malkin, you no longer have Hvgeny Malkin. But underrated point for the last couple of weeks is Malkin has been bad. Like maybe not bad, but bordering on it. So taking him off the power play is, I don't think it's going to really. do that make that much of a difference. I don't think so either. And I'm glad that you brought that up because I tweeted this before we started recording today.

I know everyone is really upset by the effort that Cindy Crosby gave in overtime last night. And I will say this. It was bad. It looked like he was just out there for a glide, out there for just a regular skate. Honestly, it just looked like a morning skate out there for him. Just, you know, I'm going to go out there for 10 minutes, not really do anything. He was out of the play. Basically, the entire overtime period, made a really bad turnover that could have ended

the game before Sean Kuturie did with about a minute left. He made that play behind the neck. Just I don't know what he was doing there. They called timeout instead of a face off play. He loses the face off and then he's so slow getting back. I don't know what he was doing there. It looked like his controller disconnected that entire overtime period. But Evgeny Malkin was brutal in that game.

You remember that three-on-one sequence they had during a very critical moment in this one. Malkin doesn't even get a shot off. And a whole bunch of other times in this game, he was handling the puck like a grenade. Wasn't making the right read with it. His skating wasn't there. And overall, he played a really poor game. And he had a couple good games before these last two against the Flyers.

But before that, he had been into a rut. Lately, that rut has returned. And it just hasn't been good enough from number 71. And it needs to change if this team wants to, I don't know, go on or run and make the playoffs this season. His game is not there right now. and it's got to change. I just haven't seen enough talk about that from this game on Monday night. And I get it because Crosby was really bad,

but Gino was also horrendous. And I should stress, Crosby was really bad in the overtime, not overall. The first three periods, I thought he was tremendous. He was their best player. Overtime he was bad. But Malkin, I thought overall in this game, he was flat out awful. Yeah, I think the only reason Sid probably lays around in overtime was he was gas because he tried to pull that team to a victory.

might have been three straight periods. But yeah, I mean, if, Evgeny Malkin and Riley Smith started off the season on fire, they're now cryogenically frozen. They're just, they are completely cold. And you can't have that, not with this team. Because we talked about it on the show. While the depth has moderately improved,

the production has not. And this is the, you know, nightmare scenario where you only only have one line that's producing while your other three are stuck in the mud and spinning their tires. And with Smith and Malkin going cold and the bottom six still being what it is, this is a recipe for disaster at this point. It is. I agree with you. And going off a point you made earlier about, you know, the team is right around the 500 mark, despite all those stats you put out there. I'll throw another one at you. If you go to stats news, the penguins have a 918 say percentage. All situations say percentage between their goalies this year. That is top five in the

league. What happens, Pat, if that goes down? Serious question. What happens if that goes down? Because Alex Ndolkevich and Tristan Jari have both been really good. Outside of a few starts from Jari this year, Nadelcovich has been awesome. And then Jari has been also very good. I felt awful for Nadelcovich in this game because he was keeping the penguins in it all throughout, made some dazzling saves. in the regulation, in the overtime, he did everything possible to get you this win. And you still couldn't get it because your power play can't score. And then they couldn't do anything else at five on five. They are continuing to get rock solid and honestly almost elite level goaltending this year.

And they still have this record. It's maddening to me, man. It's maddening. Yeah, the last month, Jari put his bad start behind him. He absolutely did. Jari is now, again, he is making himself look like the $5 million goal tender that we've talked about because he's looked really good. Add in the fact that you have a very capable and if not fringe starter in Alex Nadalcovich,

you can keep Tristan Jari mostly fresh. But at this point, what does it matter? Because they're on the outside looking in for the playoffs. And I don't know if they're going to miss because, you know, a month ago we were talking about how they're probably going to breeze their way back in. But right now, it's not looking good. No, it's not. And sure you're getting a couple loser points,

but you need to bank wins at this point, my friends. But that'll do it for this first segment. Coming up in the second segment, Pat and I are going to go into whether or not it's time for a major shakeup for the team, whether that's a trade or whether that's a coaching change. But before we get to that, we got to tell you all about Indeed. When you're drafting your fantasy team, do you ever wish you could do the same thing with your business team?

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I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodeys. joined by my coes Patrick Dam. So I also tweeted this right after the game last night. I feel like, man, it's time for a change. You have to do something to shake this team up or at least wake them up for the rest of the season. Whether that's a big trade or whether that's a coaching change. I've been saying for the last week, week and a half,

it's time to fire Tar Reardon. I would do before Wednesday. But I will also put this out there, man. If Mike Sullivan is not willing to make the needed adjustments for this team, whether it's five on five or also helping out on the power play, I honestly think, and this might be a hot take to some people,

I honestly think you might have to show him the door as well. And I hate saying that because I have been a very vocal Mike Sullivan defender throughout his tenure here. He's the best head coach in franchise history. I think he's a top five head coach in the league. But when you're not getting it done and when it's gone a little stale, I think it could be time for a change.

We might be there right now. if he doesn't make the necessary adjustments to his system. And we saw it early on in the season, Pat. But right now he's not doing his job well enough. And I think it's also starting to cost the team more points in the standings. But you can't keep running out the same product game after game, after game, and hoping that it's going to change. You need to do something to shake this thing up, in my opinion.

So I want to start here. I know everybody says it is a joke mostly. I know there's some people who think it's legit, but I know most people think it's a joke, but the whole, oh, they fired their coach twice and went on to win the Stanley Cup. Well, yeah, it's on the surface, that's what happened. But let's actually look into it.

You know, 2009, they completely quit on Michelle Terry. And his time was done. He was, he was, he was, was needed to teach a young team that didn't have much discipline how to play somewhat of a two-way game. And he did that to a very, very successful degree. They quit on Mike Johnson, too. Well, they quit on Mike Johnson, but then in 2016 or 2015, Mike Johnson never should have been hired in the first place.

They tried to hire a guy to turn this into the 90s devils while the roster was built as the 2010 Penguins. So listen, I'm not ready to get rid of Mike Sullivan yet because what I said in the last second, all other situations, this is a good hockey team, bordering on a very good to elite hockey team. It's just the fact that the power play is terrible. And again, I know I said this yesterday. Todd Reardon might not be, it's not like an offensive coordinator in football where it's his only focus. he's focusing on the defense as well. But at this point, you have to send a message to this roster. And by all accounts, this is a coaching staff that the players very much respect,

very much like playing for. So if you can, if you dump Todd Reardon, that sends the message to this roster that you guys cost a man his job. Because as much as it is coaching, there's still a lot to be said on the players because it is a lack sedesical power play. They do not have any urgency. They don't have a whole ton of heart. The work ethic's not there. They're doing the same couple of things. And no coach in his right mind is going to teach that. But eventually, you have to send a message. And you're

not going to be able to trade or get rid of five to seven players overnight. So eventually, you're going to have to send a message. And that message has to be getting rid of Todd Reard. And as for the Sullivan stuff, I'm not there yet. You know, again, I don't think he's untouchable. I don't think he's won a job for life, but I don't think there's many options out there better than him were you to drop him. And I don't see this team having quit on Mike Sullivan yet. I think their power play is just that bad that you got to get rid of the guy in charge of the power play. Yeah, no, I hear what you're saying. I also don't think they have quit on Mike Sullivan. I haven't seen that level of play yet that we saw under Michelle Terry that you talked about and under Mike

Johnson as well. You could tell after that loss, I believe it was in December of 2015. It was that shootout lost, if I recall correctly, that it was a win. Oh, that's right. It was a win in the shootout. But, but the lead up to that win, right, they were playing like they just wanted to get through the season. There was no urgency to win. There was no competitive fire. They were playing like, yeah, okay, we got another game done. All right. I'll see you guys at the bar afterwards. That was fun. It's funny. I actually forgot that they won that game. Yeah, they won a shootout against L.A. and then five them. I thought I remember it was a loss, but my memory must be ridiculous at this point.

But nevertheless, I get what you're saying. It's just, I don't know, man. You got to do something it feels like to shake things up. And, you know, again, we've already discussed weird. And if it's not bad, you got to make a trade. I would love to be a fly on the wall if Jim Rutherford was still the GM here because he probably would have crushed the team. by now. I think he would have made at least one, if not two major trades.

You should take this thing up. I got to think Kyle Dubus is getting close to doing this, Pat. And I know it's easier said than done with their cap situation with how you don't see a lot of movement at this time in the season because teams are still trying to figure out how good or how bad they are. But I do think we're at a point now where Dubis needs to start really scouring the market to see if he can maybe make a trade that will really shake this team up, get the course, some help that they need if you're not going to fire one of the people behind the bench. Because let's face it, the core deserves better than this. And I know I'm saying that, even though the power play has been awful to start at the year, they deserve all that plane.

But at five on five for at least a good chunk of this season, the core deserves better than this because the depth scoring, let me at least a little bit lately, it's dried up. I mean, redeems the hornet provided a little bit of a spark. He hasn't been doing much. I know they have injuries right now. You have Alex Neeland. they're playing. Jansen Harkins is no good. Matt Nietto's hurt, Nola Chari's that banged up.

I get that. But even before I think they got banged up, they still weren't at the level that I think some of us expect them to be this year. So I do think Kyle should be getting to the point if he's not been already where he's looking at getting some help for this lineup to try and give this team some umph for the rest of the season. It's either that man or you got to make a change in some capacity behind the bench because, again, you can't keep putting out this product with little to no change on an every game basis.

Something has to give in this situation. The team is too good. I will die on this hill. The semblance of a good team continues to be there, but this team is too good to have this poor of a record at this point with all those numbers that you put out there, with the goal team numbers that I put out there. It's too good to have this record. And I think Kyle needs to realize that and give the team some help.

or at least send a message that this start is not okay, and I'm going to do something about it. Agreed. The problem here is I think the answer is Todd Reardon, because if you look at cap-friendly right now, a trade is going to be really, really difficult. Yeah, I don't know. Because there's all of seven teams that have more than $3 million in current cap space.

So making any kind of a trade right now is going to be next to impossible. because to get anything, you're going to have to move something of value. And you're going to have to take something of value back. And of the teams that would fit that bill, they are teams that are currently in a race to make the playoffs. So they're not looking to dump anybody. And then you look at the teams that have some cap space. I mean, you already fleeced San Jose once this year. They're probably not trading with you again, nor do they really have anything that you would want.

Arizona, they look pretty good, regardless of what you think of them. They look, they're right in there. Same thing with Detroit. They just got Patrick Kane. Columbus is a divisional rival. They're not trading you anything regardless just because they don't like you. Nashville, there isn't really much there. And they're in a playoff race.

Anaheim and Buffalo, they're trying to contend. So there isn't much they're probably going to want to send you of value. And then Chicago, same deal. They're bottoming out because they have Connor Bedard. And there's not a whole lot on their roster. any more that you would probably want. And the one thing you would want, they're not going to want to get rid of, which is Taylor Hall, even though he's hurt because they want him there for

Connor Bedard. So a trade right now is going to have to be really creative and really, it's going be really difficult to do. Lastly, the reason I think it's got to be Todd Reardon here is this. He was hired, re-hired, because remember, this is his second tour of duty with the Penguins. He was rehired in September 2020. So let's go through the 2021 COVID-shortened season in the last. last two years. COVID short in season, his first year back, being the power play guy, which

is what I'm going to assume he was. They were fourth in that short in season. Fourth in the league, 23%. Pretty solid. 21, 22, 19th, 20.20.20%. 20%. 20%. So it's hovered around the 20% mark, which is about this team's average, even though it's not doing great right now. It's 10%. The other thing is most good power plays in the top five are 25% and above. Yeah. That's what you have to get to. And given that there is this much talent on this unit on this roster, 25% should be the expectation.

They should be scoring one out of every four opportunities they get. But for whatever reason, coaching, will, they just aren't doing it. And considering that the salary cap situation in the National Hockey League is this tight and there's really not going to be many moves to be made right now with with both conferences being an absolute log jam going into the playoffs it leads to one answer and it has to be making a change at assistant coach and getting rid of Todd Reardon has tarburden approach the Mack Canada territory here for the Steelers and the Penguins because I think we're almost there if not already there with this I think for the fan base he has because I here's the thing I will say this

I said it yesterday he's not just the power play coach he's also the defensive coach. Yeah, and say what you will about this team. It's a solid defensive team. So he's doing a pretty good job. Because if you remember before the season, there was the Wyshinsky article that everybody had a meltdown about where they thought Sullivan in Reardon were going to turn Eric Carlson

into a stay-at-home defenseman. Well, they weren't going to do that because they never do that. But also, he's become one of the better defensive defensemen in the league this year under this coaching staff. So for the fan base, yes, he's become a Matt Canada style. villain. But for his actual abilities, he's not a bad coach. It's just one of the units he's in charge of is looking like it could become historically bad. Right. And I will push back on you just a little bit when it comes to Tarrier to being a good defensive coach. Because I think part of that is true.

But then when you look at the Penguins being ranked 30th and odd man rushes against per game with 5.5.4 Megan Chica put that out there on Tuesday morning. Shout out to her. She's a great Twitter follow, by the way. That kind of gives me pause because your third last in the league and odd man rushes against per game, that's not good enough. That's frankly unacceptable to be honest. A lot of that is,

I think, offensive zone play on the forecheck and the forwards. Something of it, yes, is on bad pinches by the defense. I'm not going to sit here and pretend like it's not. But again, like,

the guy has, I hate rooting for a guy to lose his job. I really do because I have said this on the radio. I've said it in columns. I've said it here. It's not EA Sports NHL. It's not a name that just disappears off the screen. It's a person with a family and a job and all of that.

But I mean, to quote Mike Tomlin, it is a results-based business and the results are not there. And, you know, that's what we saw with Matt Canada with the Steelers. And, you know, maybe we'll see the same thing here with the Penguins. I would do it today if I were then. But I'm not sure what Mike Sullivan and Kyle Dubas are thinking when it comes to that. But that'll do it for the second segment coming up to end the show. So Patternoy are going to take a quick peek at the week ahead for the Penguins. They have a couple more road games, so we're going to do that.

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guesswork out of buying tickets with game time, download the GameTime app. Crane account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, crane account and redeem code locked on NHL for $20 off. Download game time today. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. All right, we're back here on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes, joined by my co-s, Patrick Dam. So at least the Penguins are going to get some nice weather to end the week here. They go to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning for the second time in about a week,

and then they'll go to sunrise, take on the Four of Panthers, a Panthers team that is red-hot to start this year. They are playing roller hockey. The Lightning, though, they bounced back after a couple of brutal losses to the Penguins and the Stars. They beat the Stars on Monday night. This is a Lightning team that's lost five in a row now to the Penguins. the penguins have had their number over the last couple of years. It's funny, I'm not going to make the same mistake if the penguins win this game that I did last week

where I said, you know, could this be the game that really kickstarts things for them this season? Because obviously what we see in the last two games. But this is a matchup that the Penguins have done really well historically. Again, at least the past two, three years. Still pretty winnable game with how the Penguins play against them. But the Panthers, man, that team is good. 14 and 8 and 2 to start the year. Top three in the Atlantic.

They're getting good goaltending. they got their top two defensemen back after they were out to start the year. Matthew Cichuk is incredible. He's one of my favorite players to watch in the league. This is not going to be an easy week for the penguins. Even though Tambay is a bit milling right now, they're also, and kind of in the same situation the penguins are, they still have quite a bit of talent.

And then for the Panthers, man, they're deep. They play good defense, and they're getting solid goaltending this year. These two games are going to be, again, pretty tough for the penguins. Yeah, it's, it's, it's, the Florida trip is always tough, no matter which way you cut it, because these two teams are very good. And on Friday, listen, got to win it for Patrick Hornquist. Absolutely got to win it for Patrick Hornquist.

It's going to be an emotional night. And here's the thing, though, that I'll kind of respond back to you about the turning the season around win. It should have been against Tampa. because if you remember that game, they stunk in the first period. Absolutely stunk, no-showed, slept through it, however you want to describe it.

And then they roared back and beat the crap out of a really good lightning team. Yes. And it should have been a launching point, which tells us there is something wrong with this team. But again, they didn't get a full disaster out of the Phillies back to back, or home at home.

You get two points out of it. You would have liked four and no divisional points. But there are, things to build on. You know you can beat Tampa. You have continued to do it for the last few years. And they're traditionally pretty solid in Florida. So these are two games you need to win. Because then next week, you get a little bit of a break. You get the Arizona Coyotes, who while they're surging, still are very young, not that great yet. Then Montreal, who's one of the worst teams in the league. And then Toronto that next weekend. So again, there are a lot of

opportunities for this team to get back on track and it has to start tomorrow night in Tampa. Right. I agree with you. I mean, we've been saying this for last couple weeks now. It's past time for them to start going on a run. You know, we're into December now. You got to really start stringing together some decently long winning streaks, if not a big one, I think at this point. Because if you continue to do the same thing that you've been doing win, win, loss, win, or win, loss, you're not going to get anywhere in the standing. sooner or later, you're going to have to start stringing a street together, and hopefully it starts on Wednesday against the team that you've played.

Well, against, I know I've said that probably five times in the last two minutes, but I really do mean it people. But that's how I see it as well. Yeah. The good news for the Penguins is that the Metro Division. It's so tight, right. Well, and what I was going to say was like, you're right, is that they need to start stringing wins together because every team.

in the metro right now is doing the win loss, win loss, win loss, win loss, win loss. You look up and down, everybody's record right now, outside of the Rangers who are eight to, eight and two, eight and two in their last 10, Carolina, six three and one, Philly, six three and one, cap six four and oh, Islanders five, two and three, New Jersey, four and six, Columbus, four and six, penguins, three, four, three. Like, everybody's doing this win, loss, win loss. So if you can find a way to get three, four, five wins, string together, all of a sudden, you're going to be right up there in the standings with Carolina and New York.

And it's, this is a very good opportunity over the next week for the penguins to do that. You took the words right on my mouth because I was about to say, the opportunity is there, my friends. It's right in front of the penguins. They just have to take advantage of this. and somehow, some way, get the power play going, continue to get this strong goal tending, keep playing decently well at five-on-five,

maybe get some more depth scoring because that's right up, I think, a little bit as of late. Just get a long street going so they can get back into this. But that would do it for this one. Thank you all so much for listening to slash walking this episode. And I just want to say one thing, Pat, I did look this up while you were talking. The Penguins did lose that game to the Kings.

I knew I wasn't hallucinating. when I remembered that. So just wanted to put that out there to all listeners. I think it's bad memory people. I think it's mainly because I was surprised they finally did it. Like it felt like they should have done it a week or so before. And we weren't expecting it that day. So maybe that's me more remembering.

I was surprised by the firing than the result of it. So I don't know. Either way, I'll own that one. I screwed that up. Pat took the L on that one, my friends. I'm just glad that I remember that because I'm like, I feel like I know they fired him after that shoot at loss. because I remember watching the game in my mom's base and I was a senior high school at that time.

And then I went upstairs. I'm like, okay, something's going to have to change after this one because they look like they quit. And sure enough, next day or two, they fired Mike Johnson, Mike Sullivan was promoted. So I wanted to put that out there. But again, thank you all so much for listening to Slash watching this episode. Pat and I will be back with another show for you all on Wednesday to preview the game against the lightning. We'll then recap that game on Thursday, get you all set for Friday's game against the Panthers. And of course, them honoring Patrick Hornquist.

But again, thank you all so much for tuning in. We'll talk with you all on Wednesday.