Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Another game, and another blown lead...

Episode Date: November 3, 2022

Things just keep going from bad to worse for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hunter recaps another loss for this team as it's now six in a row after ANOTHER multi-goal blown lead. He goes into what happened in that third period and how the Penguins just didn't get good enough goaltending again. He breaks down the two goals that the Sabres scored early in the period and how DeSmith was way out of position before looking at another elephant in the room: Brian Dumoulin. What does the team do with him? Should he be sheltered? Scratched? Traded? Hunter gives his answer on what he'd do before looking at what the team will most likely do since they value him a lot. He then looks at how a lot of the fringe roster players & some of the acquisitions during the offseason just aren't doing enough to help the core. After that, he has an honest discussion about Mike Sullivan and how he's likely not on the hot seat before looking at how Ron Hextall's heat should be getting warmer. All that, plus much more on this episode of the Locked On Penguins podcast.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!SimpliSafeWith Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNHL to learn more. 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.

Hey, everyone, Hunter Hodes here, back with another, I guess, a somber episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. The Penguins lose again, six to three to the Buffalo Sabres. That is now six losses in a row for this hockey team. We're going to go into everything that transpired from this game, how the same issues just continue to repeat themselves, what the solutions are for this team. Can I get into the core? If Mike Sullivan's on the hot seat, can a trade be made? all that stuff plus so much more coming up right after this.

You're Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to that episode of Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Honorahodes. You know how to follow me on Twitter.

At Honor Hodys, you can also follow the shows Twitter at L.O. We're Penguins. and, of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen of the day. And as I started Tuesday's episode, that is the way to describe today's episode as well. Penguins, they jump out to another lead, 1-0, courtesy of Jason Zucker with that beautiful little salute to Yarmir Yager. Josh Archibald gets his third goal of the season. They get it to another, they give up a goal late in the second period. they get it right back early on the third and yet again another third period collapse for this team

this is the fourth game this season that they have blown a multi-goalier. We're only at game 11 at this point. This has been such a massive issue for this team this year where they're just taking periods off. And honestly, the first 40 minutes of that game thought the Penguins were playing fine. They were up one-nothing. going into the first intermission. They played really well. I found that first period. They took it to Buffalo. Second period, they mostly played fine. Gave up that goal late in the first or late in the second with about a minute remaining. If they were able to get it to the intermission up to, you know,

maybe the third period's a bit different. Who knows? But they gave up that goal. They got it right back, which was nice. Now you just got to hold on for 19, 20 minutes. And they weren't able to do that. stupid penalties, a couple bad goals from Casey to Smith, and it was just another collapse, and that's now six in a row. And again, this segment is just basically me, I feel like I'm just going to be repeating myself during the segment. It's the same issues game after game after game after game. It really is.

Who's on the ice for a bunch of the goals tonight again? Oh, wouldn't you know, it's Brian Dumlin who continues to play top Perry minutes for some unknown reason. Casey DeSmith, not good enough as well. Played fine through 40 minutes, but look at the second and the third goals. I understand that Owen Power had a really nice fake slap shot, but you're telling me that Casey DeSmith is on the other side of the net and he bit that hard from a shot that's from a pass, excuse me, that's 50 feet out. That's terrible goal tending. The Tage Thompson won. He bit hard on that pass as well. Well over half the net.

is open. That was the three two goal. I kind of went backwards a little bit. But that was the three two goal, the Thompson one wide open net. And it's just like, what are we doing here? You know, I just don't understand why like that's the kind of goaltending that the Penguins are getting. And this is back to back nights now. Back to back nights that, oh, if this team is able to just get a freaking save, maybe it's different. I know the head team has issues. but bad goaltending is doomed them two games in row and a lot more during this stretch and that is a major problem right now yes if you want to get into brian doom one we can do that he stinks you know he's at a point where i've been seeing this take on the timeline i'm

close to there not right well i mean people have been saying like this is like the jack johnson two point oh i don't think anyone gets as bad as jack johnson jack johnson excuse me You know, he was on his other world level of bad. Dumolin is bad. He's not that bad. Some people say he's Rob Sudari. Late Rob Skidari, of course. He's bad.

I don't know if he's that bad. But it's getting, I think, to that territory. It could potentially be there within the next month or something like that. I think at this point, the solution to that problem for me, you know the penguins aren't going to scratch him, right? That's just that. That's not what the penguins are going to do. but I think in order for Mike Sullivan,

because he's going to have to change something up with the lines, and I'll get to Mike Sullivan as a whole a little bit later. But what I think they need to do is move him off the top pairing, give him the POJ treatment. And what I mean by that is you're sheltering him. You can play him with Yan Ruta, give him 12 to 15 minutes tonight, see if maybe that gets him back on his game. And then if it does, okay, maybe you can keep him down there,

but also maybe try to increase his minutes again, see if he continues on more confidence. And then if he's able to go to the top pairing and magically play better, that'll obviously be great. But I know he's not going to get scratched. So I think that's what the penguins need to do with him there. Obviously, you're all going to ask me, well,

what they do with Chris Tang, right? Well, in my opinion right now, I did not think this way going into the season. I think you just put POJ up there. POJ has been really good these last. few games. I thought he had another really strong game tonight was good against the Bruins as well. I think he's really coming into his own through these first 11 games. Again, I don't think he's ever going to be this outstanding offensive defenseman, but he's going to be someone who's steady on the back end, plays good defense, can go from defense to offense quickly, and, you know, is someone who I

don't think is going to hurt you that often. At least that's how he's playing right now. So I'm really encouraged by the way he's playing. I think some early returns when they had POJ, up with a tonne a couple of years ago, we're good until it turned to crap. But it's also been a couple of years. So I think I would potentially be down to try that. At least that is how I see it right now. You've got to do something about the deep earrings. And some of the other defensemen that they got this offseason, including Jeff Petrie, he's been bad.

I think that's honestly the best way to say it. If you listen to the podcast back in July, when they made the movie, moves to get with her Matheson, who's hurt right now, to bring in Ty Smith for John Marino. You know, I was all for them because, you know what? I felt like they needed to be better on defense. I thought this was going to help both offensively, especially with Petrie, if he continued to play the way he did under Marty St. Louis, and especially with Yon Ruto, with how good he played, well, yeah, that was where I was going, yes, with

Yon Ruto and how he played in Tampa Bay. And then with Ty Smith, he needed a change of scenery, right? Well, so far, Jan Ruta has been fine. Tyn Smith down on the minors because of their cap situation. And Petrie's been awful. This is another game where he takes a stupid penalty. And it's just like, I feel like I'm saying that on a nightly basis at this point. He just can't stop taking penalties.

And his playoffensively has been bad. I mean, I saw in the preseason that he wasn't looking super good. So I was kind of like, well, you know, it's preseason, right? I don't really cares about that. But so far in the regular season, I'm kind of taking the L on this because I was very here for those moves, but John Marino, I think, has a top five game score in the entire NHL right now. He's looking like a completely different player in New Jersey, and kudos to him. I'm really happy that he's turning it around. I don't know if he was ever going to turn

it around in Mike Sullivan's system. But no, that most of the defensive moves right now are looking bad. And when you couple that up with a horrendous bottom six, which is what you are seeing right now, boom, there's your struggles. And along with bad goaltending and the team not being able to hold leads. I think the people that are honestly blaming the core players and the head coach for all these struggles, they cannot see the forest from the trees. I will die on that hill. It is not Sidney Crosby's fault. It's not of Guinea Malkins' fault. It's not Chris Tank's fault that a lot of the lesser players in the lineup are just flat out stinking this year. What has Brock McGinn done this year? Crickets. What is Ryan Paling done for a good chunk of

this season? Crickets. Josh Archibald, okay, had a goal tonight, three goals already. That's good. Other than that, not really doing too, too much. I mean, Drew O'Connor's been fine. He's only been up here for a couple of games. What's Caspericabinet done this year? Crickets. You all see what I'm going here? I mean, Dan Hinen, decent start. What's he done since then? Crickets. It's a bad, it's a bad unit. I'll put the same with Jeff Carter. Crickets.

It's a bad unit. And, you know, I think it's something that, you know, I think Ron Hextall made his bed with it over the offseason. He's going to have to live with it. At the end of the day, he's going to have to live with the mess that he made. And there's not a lot of easy answer now. This team has no cap space. It's going to have to be dollar in, dollar out if they want to make a move.

And, yeah, I mean, things look a little bleak right now to say the least. But coming up in the second second second, we're going to go into more about Mike Sullivan and why I don't think he is going to be fired or should be fired. And I'll try to come up with also with some solutions for this team to stop the bleeding. But before we get that, so can we pause the pod for a second?

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shows Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. So let's get into the whole Mike Sullivan conundrum here. I've been seeing a lot of takes on the Twitterverse. You go on to Penguin, the Penguins subreddit. I mean, Reddit's just a really weird place to begin with. And people are calling for his head. And I get it. You know, usually with this kind of loss early in the season,

this is the kind of loss where either someone gets fired or someone gets traded. For the Penguins, it's going to be the latter, if there is something that happens. I know Ron Hickstall is kind of a patient person, but in my opinion, you know, they're not going to fire Mike Sullivan. And you're probably going to ask me,

well, why? Like, who cares if he just signed that deal? Well, Fenway Sports Group obviously does. He's here for the next five seasons, and he also just got extended two to three months ago. They are not going to make that kind of decision. And everything that I've read from what I've heard whispers about, the Fenway Sports Group, ownership group,

they, I just said that twice in like two seconds. they absolutely love him. Like they cannot get enough of Mike Sullivan. So he's not going to go anywhere. That said, can he be a bit better with some of his lineup decisions? Absolutely. 100%. I was touching on this, of course, in the first segment.

Take Brian Dumolin off the top pairing. Also, get Ricard Raquel back up to the Crosby line. I know he's been flip-flopping with Rust and Raquel, but give Rust back. to Gino. I thought they were working really well together. I think the bottom six is what it is at this point. I mean, Teddy Bluger is set to come back, I think, on Friday, on Saturday, at least according to Mon Hextall on the GM show with Josh Getson today. So I think that will obviously be a big help. Other defensive pairings, I mean, I don't really know what you do to change those up. I mean,

again, you put PEOJ up there with Lettang. Do you put Pedersen up there? But I don't really know if he's going to get, I don't know how he's going to fare with top pairing minutes. The people that just say, well, you know, change the lines, do something. You know, sometimes it's easier said than done because, you know, there's just, when you look at the bottom six right now, there's just really not a lot you can do. I mean, are you going to put Dayton Hine in your top six? No, that's not going to happen. Are you going to move them down to your fourth line?

I mean, do you scratch Kasperi Kappanin? I mean, I don't know. Like, they, they're still battling a couple of injuries at forward. So I don't know what the answer is there. I'm sure he's just going to maybe try to throw players into a blender and just take them out one by one or something. But, you know, I really don't think that the issues right now, it stems from coaching. I think obviously, again, there can be roster lineup decisions that he can be better with. But from like an X's and O's in a system standpoint, the team is playing his system.

It's, you've seen it, even during the six game losing streak, the problem is once they get up, they just go back to making losing plays and they're not taking care of the puck and they're just playing like a lottery hockey team. And that's what happens late in these games where they're just getting crushed, especially against the Bruins on Tuesday. You're five, two late in the second period, five, three, twelve minutes into the third period. And even though you're blowing them out of the water in the third period, you go back to making silly mistakes. you're not killing six on fives tonight the penalty kill gave up another goal it's basically a goal per game at this point when this team becomes short-handed you're not getting saves you're not forechecking hard enough when the game is close and i think all of that just comes back to a lack of effort for this team i just don't think they're giving it they're all right now obviously i know it's still early but four and six and you know right now like we're like what

four and six and one it's just it's it's not good enough it's not not excuse me no four four five and one basically i think of this before yeah one of those two it's not good enough and and the players are going to have to do a lot more a lot better um if if they're going to snap out of this losing because honestly they should have won both these games sorry they should have had four out of four points in both these games there's no reason um for them to lose both of these games but when you're a team right now that's down this bad and you are just making losing plays you know that's what a losing team looks like when you've lost the will to win you make stupid plays and that is what you all are seeing right now with this team heck third late third period tonight right six on five

situation quit the puck's going down to the corner should be an easy icing call Chris is saying, just, oh, I'm gliding back. Not only going to try. He's getting outskated by Zemgus Gergensens. That's a career fourth-line player. I'm like, are we for real right now? I just like that kind of effort right now. And I love Latang's pass for the Gensel's goal to make it three to one early in the third period.

I think that was the best play he's made in the past few games. But that effort right there, that sums up, honestly, the Penguins problems. It's just people not trying hard enough. It's soft, as Michelle Tarian, like to say. And I hate calling players lazy. I think it's such a cop-out just because you see it thrown around so often. And a lot of times people are just like talking out of their butt and stuff. But that one, that was pure laziness from Crystal Tang.

And it's just like, you've got to try a hell of a lot better in that situation. there was another play right before that's just a couple minutes before that you know defenseman comes down about to tee up a shot and he's you know they're not putting it to the net and they were trying for the past it goes off eric connery's pad and it's like just rip that on net and see what happens in that situation and you know they didn't and they're just like you know those are the kind of plays again that's another kind of play where they're just overthinking it And, you know, maybe the sticks are just too tight right now, but they got to stop a bleeding at some point.

They're obviously going to win games. Again, at some point, they're not going to keep losing all these games. I think the worst losing streak they've had under Mike Sullivan. I don't think they've ever had a seven-game losing streak under him. So I think hopefully that goes well going into the Saturdays home game against Seattle. But things are bleak coming up. After this home game against Seattle, six of the next seven games are on the road. This is a wake-up call.

for this team. You can't just, you can't make the play. I'm going to say this. You can't make the playoffs in November, but you can damn sure miss them. And if they continue to not get points during this whole month, they're going to be up a creek going into December. I'll say that.

So, you know, that's, I think, what I have to say for this segment about Mike Sullivan and some other topics I wanted to discuss. Coming up in the final segment, we're going to get into some of the core players. I mean, I guess we'll also touch on some positives that take away tonight, because I don't want this whole episode to just be a bunch of me spewing negative nonsense. So look around for that coming up in this final segment. All right, I'm back in this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes.

Want to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can also follow the shows Twitter at Eleanor for Penguins. And, of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen of the day. So I know there's not many positives. I know I've just been probably, you know, just being a negative Nancy, but hey, you know, I got to be objective when this team all the time, even when they're on a six-game losing streak. You know, Jake Gensel, great goal to make it 3-1 early in third period.

Beautiful pass from Crystal Tang. Again, I think that's one of the best plays he's made all season. Charles Archibald, really nice job to drive to the net to get that second goal of the game. That's his third goal of the season, I've got to say, did not think he would already have three goals in 11 games. but, you know, that's kind of been the player that he was throughout his career. I guess that's, like, the big redeeming quality of him. He usually is, like, a 13 goal per 82 game guy right now, 22 goal per 82 game guy.

Is that sustainable guys? No, it's not. It's not, it's not sustainable at all. So still, nice to see him get that goal. Jason Zulker, love seeing him get another goal this season, did hit signature Yarmier-Yer Yager salute just because they were in the Robo Penguin, Jersey. I got to say that Robo Penguin jersey looked awesome tonight. I know some people don't like it.

For me, though, I think it looked incredible. Yes, they blew another lead with a Robo Penguin jersey. I thought this was going to be the night where, you know, they break the curse, but no, it wasn't meant to be. That's for sure. You know, I thought Sidney Crosby played well. I thought he was engaged. I thought he was winning puck battles.

I thought, you know, he was, you know, his usual self. I thought of Guinea Malkin played fine, had a couple. of weird turnovers, but I had a really nice pass on that first goal by Jason Zucker. I don't really have a problem with his game right now. Thought Chris Lange had a really nice performance too. Obviously, I already talked about Jake Gensel. The core players are doing their thing right now. I mean, I think that's really all you can ask for with them.

But, you know, again, the rest of the lineup, you know, they're not. And it's really weird when I go to Natural Statrick, and at 5E5, the Penguins held the Sabers to, three, three high danger chances against at 5E5. If you go to all situations, the Sabres had four high danger chances all game, and they scored six goals. What, like, I mean, that's just,

I mean, that just comes down to bad goaltending and, you know, just bad team defense. So, I mean, it's, it is a rare thing when you see a team, beat you when you have a 7 to 3 edge and high danger chances. I mean three high danger chances in 60 minutes and you're giving up six goals. That's something else. The Penguins also control the expected goals here. 53.6 percent, they lost a little bit in the scoring the swing chances in the shot attempts. But when you're controlling the expected goals and we're controlling the high danger chances like that, usually come out on the other side. Penguins weren't able to tonight and, you know,

bad goaltending and bad PK and just getting up another blown lead cost them. So, you know, again, they go from here, just got to start learning how to win again. I said it on my Tuesday episode. I'm going to say it now. They have to start learning how to win. And I don't think I've ever said that in all the years. I've watched this team and all the years I've been doing this podcast now. This is basically season four of this show. So they got to take a long look in the mirror. They got to maybe have a player's only meeting or something like that. And, you know, it sounds like Cid, Gino and Jake Gensley were saying the right things tonight, but that only goes so far. You know, you can say all this stuff, but until you go out on the ice and prove it, it doesn't mean jack crap to me.

So, no, it's bad vibes right now. I think the whole entire city of Pittsburgh, it just needs a win just because of how awful the Pittsburgh Steelers are. Heck, the pirates aren't even playing right now. Like, they might be the best team in the city. And the penguins just barely, they just haven't won a game in so long at this point. So it's just bad vibes for the city. Again, they're not going to fire Mike Sullivan. The core players are going to play well.

But, you know, when you screw up the bottom sakes and when your defensive moves aren't panning out the way you wanted them to through 11 games, no, Ron Hextall's made his bed. He's going to have to lie in it. And if they continue to struggle, I wonder if they make a general manager change. I truly wonder about that. And people have been in my mentions about that tonight, too. It would make sense.

Family Sports Group, that's not their guy. Obviously, they like Mike Sullivan a lot, and they had very glowing statements about him after they just signed him to an extension. But, you know, if this continues, I think Hextall or Burke stays are numbered. I think they could get a new general manager in there. And I know it probably wouldn't look good because right, late 2022, Hextel was hired early 2021. So it's been almost two years that he's been on the job. But he just hasn't done enough right now. I mean, shrew business to bring back the core and bring back Raquel and Brian Ross and stuff.

But all of his other moves right now are not parent panning out the way he probably wanted them to. And usually in this kind of losing streak, someone has to be the fall guy or a trade has to be made. It's just which one of those things is going to come first if this continues. Obviously, I don't want this to continue. But, you know, these, again, like that loss tonight and a couple of these other losses, you know, these are ones where you see big changes made. And I wouldn't be surprised if you start hearing some insiders, you know, talk about some rumblings regarding the team and all that stuff. So we'll have to see.

It's been kind of a tale of two seasons for the penguins. A four and oh and one start, followed by an oh and five and one losing streak. So, you know, basically, you know, four or five and one start at the season, four, five and two. Whatever. Yeah, excuse me, yeah, four or five and two start to the season at this point. I mean, it's bad vibes. And, you know, I've probably said the same thing about 20,000 times on this episode for you all. But, you know, hopefully it'll be a little bit of a different case for my Thursday and Friday episodes where you all will be previewing the game against Seattle.

We'll be recapping that game next week. And, you know, I will be in the building on November 15th. They can't lose that game. I mean, that's my 25th birthday, for God's sake. So, you know, I know it's a rough time right now, but, you know, to get your mind off it, go outside, take your job. dog for a walk, play some video games, make your favorite dish for dinner, spend some time with your significant other, something like that. I know the hockey team's playing bad, but just try to get your mind off. At better times or ahead with this team, I will say that.

Right now, my prediction, they will make the playoffs at the end of this year. I'll put it out there for you all. That's my prediction. I think they will find a way to figure this stuff out. they will find a way to stop this bleeding. They stink right now. I understand that, but I do think they will figure out a way to write the ship, and I think they will make the playoffs by the end of the season. I will leave you all with that for today's episode.

So I really appreciate all of you listening. Thank you all so much, whether it's on Apple, Spotify, YouTube. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel. If you haven't already, you can also leave a review for the show. If you haven't already, either. hopefully it's a positive review. But again, thank you all so much for listening. I'll be back with another episode for you all on Thursday.