Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Can we learn to respect both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin?

Episode Date: December 17, 2021

It's another late-night one! Hunter is back with a fresh episode on the Pittsburgh Penguins. He first goes into a deep preview on the Sabres...was the falling off expected? Is Tage Thompson turning into a Penguins killer? How has Kyle Okposo been able to rewind the clock? Hunter then touches on Kasperi Kapanen and how he's been able to turn it around. Was regression to the mean always the likeliest of scenarios? Does this turnaround coincide with how good his underlying numbers have been? He then discusses Jason Zucker's play and what the team should do with him before ending the show with a rant about how the DC media needs to stop dragging Crosby down when Ovechkin does something great.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.StatHeroStatHero is the first of its kind Daily Fantasy Sports platform where it’s YOU vs. the HOUSE in head to head fantasy matchups - winner take all. Sign up for FREE - RIGHT NOW - at StatHero.com/HOCKEY and use promo code HOCKEY for a One Hundred Percent Deposit Match.Omaha SteaksThe holidays are around the corner and finding the perfect gift is tricky. Omaha Steaks makes it easy to send friends and family an unforgettable gift guaranteed to be loved. Go to Omaha Steaks dot com and enter “NHL” into the search bar to order The Perfect Gift Package. 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.

Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello, everyone. Welcome to this Thursday evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am, of course, your host, Hunter Hoddies.

You know to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can also follow the shows Twitter at L.O. Onersport Penguins. Finally, a little bit of better lighting here. I'm actually able to scoge my laptop over a little bit. I think the picture looks much. clear, especially if I take my glasses off, and those that are watching on YouTube,

this just looks so much better. But if your audio only, you don't have to deal with that. So, yeah, thank you all so much for listening, at least to the first minute, but we have a lot to get to for this episode, including,

so a full preview against Buffalo Sabres, where you get into that in the next few seconds. We're also going to touch on Kisbury Kappan, the level that he's been playing at, the last few games. And also we're going to go around the league a little bit. I'll also have a little bit of a message about this weird Crosby-Ovechkin thing

that's been going around social media the last few days in case I have listeners that are not on social media and I'm pretty sure I do I'm just going to fill you in on all of that. But so, Pittsburgh has the Sabres coming up on Friday. The Penguins, of course, lost to Buffalo

early on in the season. It was basically the full-on Dustin Tocarsi game. And, you know, Buffalo has really struggled. I'm just looking at the results. These last six games, They've lost four of the last six, but they have one two in a row. They beat Winnipeg this past Tuesday, then they beat Minnesota tonight in a shootout. So they will be playing on a back-to-back.

I'm going to look to see, actually, who started this game for Buffalo. I just want to make sure. Okay, so Peco Lukanan started this one. I think that means that Tokardiski might be going tomorrow, which case, I'm not shocked just because, what do you expect? He played his butt off against Pittsburgh. last time. I was also making sure that I somehow didn't screw that up because he wasn't hurt or anything, but it definitely seems like he will be getting the start against Pittsburgh.

But overall, I did a short little preview on the other night for Buffalo, but I mean, they're just a bad team this year. Forty-six. Point seven percent of the expected goals, they only have, I've just lost it here real quick, 44.6 percent of the actual goals. They're just, they're not getting that production this year. And the funny thing is, their best player this year is Oldie Kyle Oposo, former Islander, of course. He has 19 points in 28 games.

I did not see that coming, especially because he's just been really banged up these last couple of years. He did score against the Penguins in that first meeting. Tage Thompson looks like he's finally putting some stuff together. He has 18 points in the 28 games. 10 of those are goals. He actually leads the Sabres in goals this year,

and he always seems to find another level when he plays Pittsburgh. I'm pretty sure he has close to five goals. I think it's close to five goals against Pittsburgh for his career. He's getting, and he's not at Jordan Everly status just yet, but he's well on his way to getting there at this point. Jeff Skinner has rebounded a bit this year, 17 points in 28 games, neither of those goals. He's still a bit overpaid. I shouldn't say a bit. He is way overpaid, but it's nice to see him actually having a pulse this year. Rasmus Dahlene, he's been good, Victor Olives, and he's mainly a power.

specialist, but he hasn't been bad. Dylan Cousins, I think Buffalo is hoping that, you know, he can be that next top center for them. But, I mean, there really is just not a lot here. I mean, Raspis, Aspland, Vinnie Hino Shroza, Colin Miller, Cody Eakin, Mark Pizzick, Drake, Cajula, Robert Hags, Zemgus Gorgensen's. Again, you know, it's a team that does not have a lot of talent and the rebuilding. I know they had that nice start to the season, but that was not.

not going to last. I feel bad for Craig Anderson because he is basically being classified as month to month right now with an injury. I loved that they signed him in the off season and we're giving him a shot, but it kind of seems like a long shot right now that he's even going to play again in the NHL, which is just terrible because he's been a pretty decent starter throughout his entire career. But this is still a game that Pittsburgh should win. It's at PPG-P and Serena. I know they lost the last time the game was at PPG for Buffalo. but, you know, the sabres are not good. This is a team that's in a full we build.

They're going to be selling at the deadline. They're just going to be going for picks and prospects and all that jazz. Pittsburgh just has to hope that Dustin Tokarski does not have a career game against. Well, but Pittsburgh, obviously, I just, I really do not want to see that. I don't think anyone does, at least in my opinion. So, well, at least Penguins fans don't want to see that at least in my my opinion. So big game opportunity for Pittsburgh to bank those two points that they really need. I know there are only six points. Well, at the sort of this recording, they were only six points back

of first place, but now Carolina has gone up a little bit. So it's closer 10 now. But, you know, Pittsburgh is still making that run. You know, Sean Gentily came on to the pod last night and said he wasn't really surprised that they were making this run just because, you know, the process was there, as I've been talking about for weeks now on this show. But the result, just weren't there yet. Now you're seeing them come in, and they're 10 and 2 and 1 in their last 13 games, and they're not the worst team in the league anymore

in terms of actual goals score per Jayfresh's model. I remember they were literally 32nd in the league. It's gone up a little bit. Still hasn't regressed fully just yet, but I'm hoping sooner or rather than later that is going to happen. But, yeah, again, overall, Buffalo's metrics this year, just really if I can find the metric this is probably terrible radio but we're just going to roll with it shot attempts for Corsi 48.5% of those unblocked shot attempts for Fenwick only 48.1%

of those only 54 goals for 67 goals against for reference the flyers have scored less goals in the Sabres this year and Philadelphia has a lot more talent that's just that's crazy to me the Sabres expected goals against it's 57.4% So that's definitely not something that, you know, Sabers fans want to see. Their goals for per 62.27, goals against per 602.82.8. So they're giving up a lot the other way. They're not getting a lot of chances in the offensive zone. And they're expecting goals for up for 60s 2.1.

So again, it's just, it's going to be a struggle from the wound to the tomb from them all season. If you have not heard that reference before, I really hope that you all start learning it because it's a really fun one to use. But again, I don't really have much more on this matchup. You know, the players to watch, I guess. Rasmus Dalene, Jeff Skinner, Cage Thompson, especially because he's turned into a penguins dealer. Kyle Loposo, excuse me, Victor Olson, Dylan Cousins. That's probably it. That said, you know, these are the games you want to bang points with.

You know, you don't want to get to the end of the season and say there's an extreme example, right, where the penguins missed the playoffs by a point. not going to happen probably, but, you know, say the possibility exists. And you don't want to look back, even for Hall Meiss or something, you know, or just to get into the top of me in the metro where it's a better match with than going up against a team from the Atlantic, you don't want to look back and be like, well, you know, we should have gotten that extra point against the Sabres or, you know, we should have gotten those extra two points against the Sabres

and not dropped another game to them in regulation. Because if Pittsburgh does do that, there'll be 0 out of 4, 0 out of 4 points against Buffalo this season. You just, you don't want that to happen. that's for sure. But that's a small preview of the game against Buffalo. That is a 7 o'clock start. And it's a matchup that Pittsburgh needs to win to keep this hot streak going.

If they are able to win it, though, that will be six in a row, their longest winning streak of the season. Still have a lot more to get to for this episode of the Locktime Penguins podcast, including some talk about Kaspari Kavanaugh. And I'm going to squeeze in some talk about Jason Zucker. That comes in the next segment. Before we do that, though, no one plays daily fantasy sports to lose. Winning feels so much better, but traditional fantasy sports are a long-term losing proposition

because you never know who or what you are up against. Stout Hero is the first of its kind daily fantasy sports platform, where it's you versus the house in a head-to-head fantasy matchups, winner take all. Here is the crazy part, though. Stout Hero shows you their lineups before you play and may handpick the team you want to face one-on-one. This never before seen innovation of a fantasy sports and sports betting hybrid has Statenero players clocking odds that are over four times better. With Statenero, you are in control of the stakes, you decide how much you're going to play for, and Sat Hero is no choice but to take it because they're daring you to beat them.

Stata Hero head is what daily fantasy sports should be one on one. You can sign up for free right now at stathero.com slash hockey and use promo code hockey for a 100% deposit match that has Statshero. com slash hockey with a promo code hockey for a 100% match. One more time, stathero.com slash hockey. Promocode hockey, terms and conditions apply. All right, so we're back here on this episode of the Locktime Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm not to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hote.

So all this shows, Twitter, at L.O. underscore Penguins. So, Gispera Kappan, I mean, this is the best. We've seen him play since last season. I know I had a good discussion with Sean Gentileo, the Athletic on Wednesday evenings episode, but you're finally starting to see him be better with loose pucks, corraling the puck in the event's zone, and just finishing his chances, which he was doing such a poor job of, you know, before this recent hot stretch. And, you know, chalk it up to whatever you want.

He's not playing well in the defensive zone. He's not doing well in the offensive zone. He's kind of just stopping when he has a nice rush up the ice and just trying to do passing first, excuse me, but you're starting to see that come out of his game a little bit, and he's ripping the puck more. You know, that goal against Washington especially. He gets that beautiful pass, and he rips it gloveside. You know, the other one against Montreal, just a beautiful display there. It was almost like a little bun that you see in baseball, and just the hand-eye coordination there from Kaepinan was truly as I to behold. And, you know, it looks like he's kind of

starting to, again, you know, play up to the underlying numbers that we've seen from him this year. He's played 382 minutes at 5E5 comes courtesy of natural statric. The Penguins have 52.6% of the shot attempts while he's on the ice. Pittsburgh also has 71.4% of the actual goals score, 15 to 6 ratio. Expected goals for Pittsburgh has 52% of those while Kampen is on the ice, 53% of the scoring chances for, and also nearly 52% of the high. danger chances for, along with a nice 69% high danger goals for. So his underlying numbers are actually pretty good this year. It's just, again, he's been struggling eye test-wise with making the wrong decisions

when he has the puck or in the defensive zone where there's just not much an effort there. But these last few games, you're really starting to see him turning around. He even said going into the Washington game that, hey, you know, I would basically describe my play as crappy this year. and he has surely just, what's the word I'm looking for here? I guess turned it around, as I've said, the last 30 to 60 seconds. And I'm really excited to see what he can do once again, Malkin comes back. Speaking of Gino, he practiced again today, still in that no-contact sweater.

That's going to, I don't know when that's coming up. I don't have an update for you all on that. I haven't really heard anything. Sullivan continues to say that he does stuff in practice. practice each day that he gets closer and closer. Maybe next week before Christmas, he could be back, but I'm not really sure at this point. If I had to make a guess, it's going to be sometime in these next one to two weeks.

I think before 2021 is up, you will see Gino playing in line up. But he continues to do work on the second power play, continues to do some even strength rushes. So he just hasn't been able to take contact. just yet. The practice lines, though, they were the same today, except Brian Boyle was absent.

So Sam Lafferty was in his place. Rodriguez with Crosby and Cappanin, Zulker with Carter and Hinen, Ashton Reese, Lugar, and McGinn. And then Simone with Lafferty and Drew O'Connor. Defense was the same. And then, of course, I'm sure Tristan Jari is going to start against Buffalo on Friday.

I mean, why wouldn't he at this point? I do have an update for you all on Brian Boyle. This comes courtesy of Mike Sullivan. I actually have the email pulled up here, right in front of me. He says that Boyle is dealing with a nagging lower body ailment, and he hopes it can be managed with a maintenance day, which he classified as today. But it is possible that it can turn into a day-to-day thing. So his status right now is up in the air for the game against Buffalo. So I have no idea if he's going to play or not. But he's been

battling that injury, I would want to say, for the last few weeks now. Just he's been in and out of practice quite a bit. And even when the team was a bit banged up a couple weeks ago, and usually when he's playing, he was not playing due to that injury. So he was able to come back from it, but I guess something flared up again with it. And I would say the same with Brian Russ, because it looks like he may have suffered the same injury as well. He is continuing to skate before practice. So as Jake Gensel. So as soon as they return to practice, you will know their return is getting close at this point. No other update with that. But now, in terms of a player who continues to struggle and the penguins need more of.

It's just Jason Zucker. I mean, he makes too much money. And I know this is so obvious. It's low-hanging for me to talk about this. But he makes too much money for him to play this poorly. And again, the funny thing is, some of his underlying numbers this year are pretty decent. When he's on the ice,

the penguins have nearly 55% of the scoring chances for. They have 56% of the high-danger chances for. 57% of the high danger actual goals score, 55.7% of the expected goals, and then for shot attempts, the pinons of 53.2% of those. It's just the fact of the matter is he's not putting the puck in the back of the net.

Yet again, my bold prediction with Jason is looking pretty bad right now. I said before the season that he was going to be a 20 to 25 goal score. I know I look like a complete moron, but, I mean, something has got to get. I mean, I think I know what the team is going to do. Once Gino comes back, they're going to try to put Zucker up there.

So he maybe gets some magic back. I mean, he played well in the playoffs. He actually scored a couple of goals. But that level of play has not translated over to this season. Sure, his playmaking ability has been better, as I've touched on numerous times. But he's mainly being paid to score goals because that, again, that was the big reason why Jim Rutherford acquired him in the first place from Minnesota. and with the package that they gave up to get him,

this has not been the Zucker that we have, how should I say this? This has not been the Zulker that I think the team was hoping they would be getting in that trade. And the funny thing is, after he came over during that 2019-20, short and season, he played his tail-off with sit on that top line, 12 points in 15 games, and then was one of their three to four best players in the return to play, actually scored a couple of goals. It looked like this was going to be a slam dunk kind of trade.

And then he just falls off the rails after that. And you can really see, I think, the frustration is starting to build within him. Case is pointing against Montreal, right? You know, gets a beautiful feed on a 2-1-1. I think it was from Danton Heinen and clings it off the post. Has Jake Allen fully beat? Looks like that should be a sure goal. Clanks it off the pipe and he comes to the bench,

basically just slams a stick down, and just screams a bunch of customers. I mean, you can tell it's affecting him. And I mean, can you blame him? I mean, he knows he needs to start putting the puck in the back of the net. And the funny thing is, it's never like an effort thing with Jason because you can see that he's playing his tail off every freaking shift. It's just not going his way. And it hasn't been going his way for a long time. So what's the solution, at least until Gino comes back?

I mean, do you elevate him to Crosby's line? but with how Rodriguez is playing this season, no, with how Kaepin has played these last few games since being elevated, no. I think you just keep him with Jeff Carter and hope that that line turns it around. I mean, again, they're going to put him with Evgeny Malkin when he comes back.

I mean, that's just, it worked well for the most part last year, mainly due to Gino and Kaepinin playing well. I know Jason struggled overall, but it was still a pretty deadly second line. all things considered, I would assume that they are going to reunite that. But, I mean, he's just got to keep getting those chances. And eventually, the dams should break. I mean, it should, right?

I mean, there has to be some regression coming to the mean here at some point. I mean, just, I really don't know what else to say at this point about Jason Zucker. Other than that, you know, he just needs to start putting the puck in the back of the net. because that's where the main value is for him. And if he were making $3 million or something like that, I wouldn't give a crap. I wouldn't. I mean, but the fact of the matter is he's making $5.5 million.

I know this is his last year of his deal. He's probably not going to come back to the team next year, considering the team's cap situations with Chino and Latang, being a cap and in Jeff Carter, all that. But he's got to start making a counter. He's not going to get nearly close to what he wants on the open market. That's for sure. But hopefully he turns it around sooner rather than later.

The team really needs him to do that. That's for sure. That wraps up this second segment of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. Coming up in the third segment, going to go around the league a little bit and also touched on this weird Crosby v. Ovechkin inferior complex, just because I've been seeing it going around social media these last couple of days.

But first, got beard, get primal. And yes, you heard me right. If you or someone you care about has a beard, and yes, I have a nice beard right here, It needs to get primal. Maybe you are that guy who has never considered the benefits of treating your beer with product. Primal origin oils will stop the itch and make your beard look healthy and groomed. The products are free from harmful synthetic ingredients and with low impact on our planet.

Primal origin oils makes palms, oils, and whipped butter that are renowned as the best feel in beer products available. All products are Fairtray certified and handcrafted in the United States. The combo kits make a great holiday gift, and if you're shopping for yourself, you will be glad you did. If we know that every company claims to have the best, but Primal Origin Oils challenges you to compare their ingredients and the feel in-beard to the other products that you have used, we promise that you will see and feel the difference. Remember the code locked on gets you 20% off at primal originoils.com.

One more time, that's the code locked down at 2020. That is the code locked on at checkout for 20% off at primal originoils.com. All right, so we're back here on this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. You're going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow this shows Twitter at L.O underscore Penguins. Going around the league a little bit, Philadelphia lost again tonight. They're still pretty far back in the standings.

I know they had won a few games in a row since L.A. and Vigno had been fired. But that's a team that is still, I would say pretty far up a creek. The Islanders, they won tonight against Boston, though they're still. a way out. They're 10 points out of a playoffs probably right now. I mean, they're going to have to play some really good hockey down the stretch. It's going to be tough for them to get in. Again, overall, the Penguins. So they are six points out. That is my apologies,

Carolina. Even though they won tonight, they ended up tying both Washington and New York first in the Metro. So, Pittsburgh, though, six points back. There's still a lot of time left in the regular season. the road ahead for Pittsburgh. Remember, after this game against Buffalo, home and home versus New Jersey,

Sunday's game against the Devils at 7 o'clock, and then Tuesdays game against Devils at 7 o'clock, and then they have Philadelphia on Thursday before. A three-game trip to end 2021, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, then they come home for the new year, and then they also have the Western, not the Western, the California trip, excuse me, coming up in mid-January.

But that was a little look around the league. Now, there has been this weird topic that I've been seeing going across social media and I don't really care for it. And I understand that a lot of my listeners are, some of our listeners I know for sure are not on social media. Trust me, you're saving yourself a world of pain if you're not on social media. I will say that. But there was this tweet today. I'm not going to say who it's from.

But he says, Alex Ovechkin is farther ahead of Sydney Crosby and Goals than Crosby is of a vetchkin and assist and you can get assists for touching the puck one time an hour ago. I don't know if that's supposed to be a troll tweet. I'm assuming that it is, but there's just no need for that kind of talk. I don't care if it's a Penguins fan saying it. In this case, it was a Washington media member slash fan saying it. There's just no need for it. Cindy Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are two of the 10 greatest players of all time.

That's not going to change. And you can debate who is better. until your arm goes numb. I know who I'm taking, but you know what? That's not what this is about. This is about an inferior complex with Washington fans and media that for some reason exist.

They can't praise Ovechkin without bringing Sidney Crosby into it. And I understand their legacies are always going to be intertwined. But the fact of the matter is stop comparing them. You can celebrate both of these players by not trying to tear the other one down

in the process. you know, Ovechkin, one, not I shouldn't even say one, the greatest goal score of all time. And he is a player I used to despise as a kid. I've grown to love him ever since, you know, I started becoming an adult all those years ago. It feels weird to say that, even though I'm going to be 25 next year. But, yeah, there was a time where I couldn't stand him. But, you know, as I got older, I learned to respect him. And, you know, there's just no reason to dislike him.

And I think it should be the same with Sidney Crosby as well, comparing them makes no essential because of the position that they play. One is a pure goal score and a winger. The other one is a center who is a great playmaker and is really good defensively as well. It's like comparing Ed Reed to Troy Palomalu. They are both completely different safeties in completely different spots on the field. Ed Reed was always way back deep. Troy was all around right at the line of scrimmage playing a linebacker,

back deep, strong safety versus a free safety. You can't compare it. As one of my Twitter followers, Bioshock was saying to me today, is like comparing big proof to like Kobe Bryant. I mean, maybe a little bit extreme, but you seem where I'm going with this, right?

I mean, I'm just, I'm tired of people, whether it's in D.C. or other places, continue to discredit Sid, while Ovetchon is on a hell of one. And you know what? I hope that he breaks Gregsick's record. It would be great for the sport.

It would be one of the biggest things this sport has seen in quite a lot. long time and there will probably be new fans that come to this sport because Ovi will likely do that. It is okay to respect both players and I'll say that here. You know, if you can't respect both players, I don't know if this sport is for you. I really don't. I just really wanted to get that off my chest because, you know, trolling are not with those kind of tweets. A, they're not funny and they make you just look dumb and, you know, this is, I don't, this stuff isn't only just on social media, you can see it on message boards.

You can even hear people talking about it at the actual game, at bars after the game, you know, before the game, whatever. You know, this is a discussion that happens all the time with these two players. And again, I get it. Their legacies are always going to be intertwined. It's one of the greatest rivalries of this era, if not the greatest rivalry. But, you know, it's okay to respect both players in what they have done for the sport and what they are continuing to do for this sport.

again, there are two of the top 10 miss players of all time, at least to my opinion, and you don't need to tear one down after placing the other. I really wanted to get that off my chest to end this episode. But we'll be back on Friday for a full game recap of the Penguins Buffalo matchup, and then on Monday we'll have a full game recap

of the Penguins Devils matchup, and then we'll do the same thing on Tuesday after the two teams play in Pittsburgh. But that'll do it for this one. Thank you all so much for listening and watching, and I will be back with an episode on Friday.