Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Dominik Simon is out till November-December, plus Sheldon Smith makes his debut on the show!

Episode Date: May 15, 2020

Even during a pandemic, the injury news keeps coming for the Penguins as forward Dominik Simon will be out for the next 6-7 months with a torn labrum. On today's show, Hunter discusses that, plus some news that goaltender Matt Murray is working with a specialist to fine tune his game. Hunter then brings on Sheldon Smith of Penguins twitter to the show to do some more "franchise what if's" for the Penguins and they both go very deep into it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello, welcome to this Thursday evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows, Twitter, at L-O-U-U-Unguins. Welcome back. We have a really special episode for you guys today. Sheldon Smith at Penguins Tour will be making his Lock-on Penguins debut. He will be on the second and third segments. I figured I just do a segment, the first segment alone for you guys.

We have some Penguins news to get to you before we get into the next two segments, which will be part of the more franchise, what-if, moments. Sheldon's going to compile his list and he's going to share his list with you all. And we're just going to have a very fun discussion with it. But as always, this episode is brought to you by Built Bar. We still have a code going. You can do promo code locked on to get $10 off your first order at www.biltbar.com. So please remember that. We did have some a lot, just a lot of Penguins news that happened today. We will start with the news with Dominic Simone. I'm sure you guys have seen it. Even during a quarantine.

season hiatus, the penguins still get injury news. Dominic Simone, apparently tore his labrum in that game against the sharks. He went into the boards pretty rough. There was really no update on his status even well a couple weeks later into March. It was just Sullivan, I think, just said that, you know, he was day-to-day week-week and that kind of stuff. But it was officially announced today that Simone will miss the next six to seven months with a torn labrum.

He had surgery just a couple of weeks ago. So let's do a little quick math here for a non-conynolds. on math major. That puts him at about November, mid-November, mid-December. Mid-December being the latest and then mid-November being the earliest for where Simone will come back. So who knows if the season will even be starting in mid-November, the next season, of course, not this current season. That's just, I mean, that's not going to happen.

So, yeah, I hate seeing that for Dominic Simone. He was having a pretty decent season. I know he can't score times. He hits a lot of posts. He drives fans crazy. crazy with how he plays, but he is a good player. He's productive in the top six. You can also put him anywhere in the lineup and he produces, even though, of course, he's not the regular goal score that we know that he can be, but still, that just absolutely stinks that he's out for six to seven months. So best wishes for him on a speedy recovery. We also got some interesting news from Elliot Friedman's 31 thoughts. This comes from today. It was actually just published

just before I started recording. And there was some interesting Matt Murray news in it. So basically there's this guy. So his last name is Francilia. I believe that is how you pronounce it. If I mispronounce that last name, I am so sorry. Apparently he's worked with Thomas Grice, Connor Hellebock, Justin Schultz.

Apparently, this person is now working with Matt Murray. Elliot Freeman says they were introduced when he visited Pittsburgh during the season. He writes that he didn't really want to go into what they are doing in much detail. So he asked, Will Penguins fans notice a difference when play resumed? So basically this guy just works with goaltenders and players on fine tuning their game. He answered yes. In general terms, we've identified some structural deficiencies that weren't allowing him to create

the foundation of stance that he should have for a couple of hiccups were affecting his biomechanics. That's great news. So it's confirmed that Matt Murray is seeing a specialist. It's not a goaltending specialist per se, but more just a specialist for players who are struggling in any facet of the game. So that's like I said, that is outstanding news. Hopefully we can get the memory that we all know back,

especially if the season resumes, and we can see if there really is a difference in how he plays. I know some people are going to be like, oh my God, is he going to give up less goals to the glove side? That's just that those are my, I will always die on the hell that. Those are honestly, which is my favorite people. And it's just, you know, they just don't know that a lot of goals go glove side on most goalies. But, you know, like I said, very, very good news on that front,

for Matt Murray, we will look to see that. O.E. Freeman did have some interesting other stuff in the 31 thoughts. Apparently, Brad Treleving, the Flames general manager said there could be some NHL news coming the next week. It could have a preliminary plan in place to basically announce for like formats for how the season is going

to come back. If it does, we had Gary Bettman this week say I'm not at this point even considering canceling the season, so he's pretty hell-bent on saying that the season is going to resume. We also had Dave Molyneari from D.K. Pittsburgh sports today.

He talked to Mike Sullivan about who Sullivan is going to put Jake Gensel next to when he returns, because it looks like he is going to return when the season resumes. And he said, to be frank, he likes Gensel next to Crosby. He doesn't really want him next to Malkin. He wants to keep Rust with Malkin, though. So it looks like

to me it's probably going to be Jake Gensel next to Cindy Crosby and Connor Sherry. And then probably they can move Jason Zucker down with Hvgeny Malkin and Brian Russ, because Rust, has worked really, really well with Malkin this season before the season went on pause and then we all know just how good Crosby and Gensel were together. They were just absolutely outstanding.

So my thoughts on that, you know, I'm not really surprised. It's almost like pick your poison at this point. You know, I don't really care who they put Gensel with. He was working really, really well with Malkin before the injury went down for Gensel. I think their possession numbers were through the roof. Like there was about 55% or something like that. Their expected goals rate was through the roof. You could almost look at any advanced metric and it was really good.

You know, is it better than how Sid, is with Gensel. Excuse me. I'm not really sure. I'm going to have to look up up the numbers on that, but I do know that the underlying numbers

for when Gensel and Malkin were together were just absolutely outstanding. They were really, really good. Also in the article, apparently, he says there's been some pushback on the 2014 team format,

though. The 2014 team format is liked by some teams, but for other teams, basically they said, you know, they don't think it's fair if Montreal and Chicago

get in especially because they don't want to face a fully rested Kerry Price. Again, I 100% understand. stand that stance because, you know, Carrie Price, when healthy and when

rested is obviously one of the best goaltenders in hockey, though. I also think those teams don't want those two teams in because, frankly, did they even deserve it? If you're asking me, I really, really don't think they did. Just their record, just look at the initial standing. Their records, I think, indicate that they really, really

did not. But to close this segment out for this day in Penguin's history, 1995, today, May 14th, Penguin's winger, Luke Robatai, baby, scored. Four and a minutes into overtime to beat the Washington Capitals in game five of the conference quarterfinals. You know, I always, it's always so somewhat forgotten to me that Luke Robatai played for the penguins. And then something happened in 1993 today. You all know that. I'm sure you guys have seen it on Twitter. We are not going to be talking about that because it just brings back

a lot of heartache to me. But so with that, you know, it is now time to talk about Bill bar again. They are a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar, 16 amazing flavors, eight chocolate nut flavors, eight chocolate nut-free flavors. They're covered in 100% chocolate. They're very, very soft and easy to chew. Again, as I have said so many times, my favorite flavor is the peanut brownies, 20 grams of protein, 170 calories, three grams of sugar, three grams of neck carbs. I think I'm honestly just going to order more of those because they're just so damn good. I didn't really like too many protein bars going into this, but when I got Bilt Bar, I really, really enjoyed them, and I'm going to keep ordering them, honestly. They're just really, really good.

Also, the mint-browny flavor is great, 15 grams of protein, 110 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of net carbs. Again, we are having an offer. Go to BiltBar.com and use promo code locked on, and you'll get $10 off your first order. That's promo code locked on for $10 off at BiltBar.com. All right, so we're back on this episode of Locked on. Locked on Penguins, and yes, I teased it earlier this week. I teased it again today. We are proud to welcome Sheldon Smith to this episode of Locked on Penguins, his first time appearing on the podcast. Sheldon, how are you today? And what are you doing that keeps you busy during this time?

Hey, I'm pretty good. As of right now, working from home still, I've been busy with that and then trying to enjoy some spring while we kind of have it. Took a long time. time to make its way here in Calgary but I can't complain now it's a mean 20 degrees so and uh yeah I guess I'm just trying to keep up with some some fitness while I can it's a little bit different right now so but as long as I can get out for some walks or some runs or some bike rides I can't complain so yeah yeah that's perfect yeah the weather here has gotten pretty nice too I think it's supposed to be like 85 here so um especially after last weekend I think it was only like 45 here so the Virginia weather just comes and goes um it's basically like a new C-1st

in each day. And yeah, I've just basically been playing video games because that's really all I can do at this point. And, of course, you know, commencement is tomorrow. So that'll be a very special time as well. But so this week, as I told you before, it's franchise what if. So this is such a broad thing. You can really go in so many directions. I know I did some of my own last week.

But I wanted to bring you on to talk about your own big franchise. What Ifs? Sheldon just I'll give this over to you. What are some of your biggest franchise what-if moments for the penguins since because there's sure to be a lot of them. Yeah, I've got a few and I think kind of starting kind of right around my fandom beginning. It's kind of lucky to watch them win two in a row.

And then I think like my first what-if would have been, what if Volick missed high. I kind of think if he misses and the penguins win, I don't really think that anybody. else was going to beat them in 93. I know that Patrick Wall was kind of playing out of his mind that year. But I just think the penguins were just an absolute juggernaut that year. I think that that was the NHL record for most wins in a row.

Like Lemieux was it as absolute peak, Yager. Like you can just go on and on. And I think that that team was just ridiculously stacked. And I just didn't like, I think if Volik missed, then I don't think in the Pittsburgh wins, I don't really think that anybody else was kind of challenging them, and they were going to three-beat. That's my first one. That's the big one.

It is sad to report that today is the anniversary of that goal. I know I saw that. I can't watch that. I wasn't even born at that time. But whenever they show it on the TV, I've said this so many times, I turn to the channel, I mute it. I just can't look at it. It's just, because like that team, like you said,

that team was so shocked. You know, you have, like you said, Lemieux and Yager. a young Marty Strachia, old Samson, Tom Barrasso, just Kevin Stevens, the list, that team was just filthy. It was ridiculous, yeah.

And like, Montreal wasn't even really that good that year either. Like, they just kind of got into the playoffs, and Patrick Waugh took them there. Like, I kind of feel like Pittsburgh probably would have had an easy time with them. But, I mean, what can you do? You can't win every year. And I think that, I think it kind of comes down to Billy Bean's quote again about the playoffs and that like you know his goal his his job is just to get his team to the playoffs

and then after that is just luck like you know teams have luck and teams that's just kind of how it goes sometimes yeah it's just yeah a lot of the playoffs is luck driven um i don't think a lot of people realize that when they analyze playoff series because you know yeah a lot of times teams get lucky you know a post an off sides call you know we have the like one big what if my moment that I never talked about is the Danny Breyer situation from 2012. That was so offside that. Yeah. Stevie Wonder could have seen that.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that's also kind of on my list as well. Yeah. It's just, I'll never, I'll never fully get over that one. What's your next one? My next one was, so like, it kind of felt like after the 93 season,

they kind of were just in like a mid-lane phase for a long time. Like I guess you can say the 96 series with the Panthers. Like if they didn't get trapped to death, like it was the same thing like Lemieux and Yager. I think that year they both had 60-some goals. Like that team was a, and like Detroit was knocked out in the third round. So I mean like they were facing Colorado if they beat Florida. I mean like that would have been a really good series.

But I think like even like after that kind of like once that team lost like then there then there was kind of like a stagnant period for a long time. And so like I think in that phase there wasn't really a whole lot. Like for me like my what if's in that were like what if they didn't trade like Robert Lang and Marcus Naslin. Kind of like, you know, like Pittsburgh's always kind of had to, you know, trade some players here and there when they've been financially struggling or they haven't been winning. You know, you trade players while you can. But like the Naslin trade, for example, was like he wasn't even a star at that point. like that's one of the worst things I've ever seen yeah yeah that is that is if I had to make like a

a Twitter poll for like a March Madness style bracket for some of the worst trades in penguin's history I would not be surprised in the slightest of that one because yeah yeah you see he just wasn't he wasn't even a start at that point and then he of course comes on goes on it to be just awesome and yeah you're right they they would have played Colorado in that cup final and yeah if I'm if I'm not mistaken, that would have, that would have been when Foresberg was there, right? And he's obviously one of my all-time favorite players. I grew up watching him a little bit, especially playing with him in some of the old NHL games.

And he's one of my all-time favorite players. And I think Sackick would have been there, too. That would have been a lot. That would have been a series. That would have been so much fun to watch. Yeah, that was, like, I remember watching that playoff run. And like, like, and like the, and like the, the what if. can kind of also be tied to like you can go like for the avalanche like you know what if like

patrick wad didn't get lit up in detroit like then like because there's no way like otherwise like you know maybe they don't trade him to colorado and like colorado i don't think beats detroit with like stephan if you say in that so it's just like it's weird weird things that you kind of like forget to kind of add up in the season right but like that up like that was a pretty fun playoff running because like the avalanche i think they beat like the canucks and then the black hawk and then the Red Wings and then yeah like they got the walk of the Panthers and like it was just like it was so weird because like Pittsburgh was you could probably argue was a better team than the avalanche and then and then Colorado goes and walks them in four games like I don't like that was just that was like a devil's kind of thing you know except they trapped like so much worse I think than the devils if I've gone back and watched it a couple times it just it looks worse than what the devils did you know I can respect the devil's a lot of little bit. Well,

maybe not. Just a little bit, but the way the Panthers did it, that's just, just borderline awful to watch. It's just bad. Yeah, the devils could at least,

like, counter slash, like had some offensive players. Yeah, exactly. Like, Florida, just like,

all they did was, like, they just trapped and then that was all they did. Like, it was just bad hockey, like, into, like,

you've got so many good players on the penguins, like, such an offensive. players, like fun to watch. And then they just go up against, like, watching paint dry. It was exactly what Panthers wanted to do. It's almost like Yiboucher's senators from 2017.

I mean, they had Eric Carlson at the height of his power. I know Mark Stone was a superstar in the making, but other than that, you know, on that team, Bobby Ryan from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, I'll never get tired of saying that, by the way. But, you know, there's just wasn't a lot of star talent there besides on the same. those two and the paint was I don't know what I would have done if they would have lost that series that was a little too close for my um that was a tough series yeah was a little too close for comfort yeah speaking um but anyways I'm getting a little uh track uh what are some other ones that you came up with uh I guess if I'm gonna be keeping an order of moving towards present day um I think kind of like my

another like what if it's like looking back on it now is what if the pens didn't draft Stahl, but they drafted like Tays or Baxter. Yeah. Like, like, look, like, and like, Stahl was great and I love him. Like, he's a pretty good player, but I mean, like, looking back at both like Taze and Baxter, I think it's pretty easy who you would take now.

Like, oh, absolutely. So. The answer is not Jonathan Tatee either. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Like, and they're both centers. They're both like, I know, like, like, Taze is kind of.

of falling off but I mean like in his prime when he was like 2010-ish he was a really good player so like I kind of feel like you know if he would have like a but then it kind of comes down to like contracts and stuff like that too because like you know I feel like if they could have kept Jordan for a little cheaper or something then you know maybe he stays but I think that he kind of wanted out of the shadow of crossby Malkin and maybe that happens with Tate's backsham too right yeah yeah I would have I would have picked back for sure it was it was good that The stall pick ended up working out because of just how menace he turned out to be. That 2000 was a boy that turned into a man.

Yeah. Going up against Zetterberg and Dotsuk in the final and just brushing aside, his shorthand the goal was that Rolfsky, yeah, yeah. He was so underrated, and he just brushed him aside like it was nothing. And he was just, I still miss him a bit to this day. You know, it sucks that didn't work out. But, you know, I know he wanted to go play with his brother, is of course

understandable. But yeah, I mean, imagine if they took Backstrom and not stall, you know, that would be, that would be awesome

to see how Backstrom and Crosby and Malkin would have worked. Yeah, Backstrom's incredible. So he would have been, it would have been pretty cool to watch the three of them. But yeah,

I mean, at the same time, like, it's, you know, if they don't draft Stahl, did they kind of have the same third line that was so big

for the Pinsder in that cover like he had Cook and, uh, Kennedy and stuff like that and like does like do those two mesh well with say backstrom or taves or something like that as opposed to stall who was kind of more that kind of player at that era of hockey so yeah he was like there's so many like so many kind of questions around that but I think like you know just like objectively looking back at it I think that both

players are better so it's like so yeah he was like the defensive specialist well I know, Taves is well known for his two-way game. I just, I think Stahl, you know, he could just do anything. You know, he could tell him to score. He'll go score. Tell him to be a playbaker. He'll go play on the penalty kill, which I will still say to this day that most players can do it.

You know, he was just really good at it. Yeah. Just the way he was able. You know, and then like you said, you know, with Matt Cook when he wasn't being an idiot and Tyler Kennedy, he had a lot of clutch goals on that run, especially in game six against the Red Wings. That was just, that's what the goals of the, um. the playoff run if you ask me yeah but yeah yeah so you continue

on so that's about what so what we are we up to now shodden was that 2000 that was yeah that was a draft and then I think like kind of my next would have been like I mean everybody's mentioned I think everybody talks about the Crosby concussion and kind of like my thing was like like later on that season in the playoffs like because they didn't have Malkin either so they go into the 2011 playoffs with like Jordan Stahl is their number one center with like I think it was like James Neal and somebody else in the top line and like the east and like outside of like Tim Tom is playing out of his mind that playoff run like I'm not sure anybody really beats a Pittsburgh

team with like Crosby and Malkin at their absolute power like they're both in their prime at that point like I think Washington was they won the president's trophy that year I can't remember. 2010-11? No, they did not. No. Vancouver did, yeah. That's right, yeah.

And then, you all know what happened here with them. So, like, you know, that's kind of how I was thinking for that season was, like, if they, if they go into playing Tampa in the first round, like, I don't think Tampa really stands a chance against Pittsburgh. Like, so. Even with Gie Boucher's trapping system and Dwayne Rollison playing out of it, he still played out of his mind those last three games. I can't believe that.

Honestly, that game seven honestly got me mad online when I was watching it just because the Penguins outplayed them the whole game without their top-through centers. And honestly, they played them. I thought that whole series,

but they kind of just ran out of gas in a couple of those games. But, yeah, like you said, you know, I think with Sid, you know, he'd probably be, he has, what, almost 1,300 points? He'd probably have close to 1,500 points by now. I think so.

Yeah, if he didn't miss all that time. Like you said, that's just, that's just easily one of the biggest what ifs not of just like this generation of this like last decade but honestly in like the history of the team because of just how big it was and how much time he messed and that's right yeah when malton blew out his knee it was just basically the icing on the cake when it was just so like he was he was playing so well that year and then to have that like happen was just so like that was just unfortunate yeah and like to you know have both of them go down like I feel

Like even if, like, one was okay, then they probably still get around in. But to have both, like, it was just like, you knew they, like, even when they were up 3-1, you're just kind of like, no, this still doesn't sit right. Like, it doesn't feel, it doesn't feel good. Like, they just, it just didn't feel right the whole, the whole series that, like, Crosby and Malking weren't there. So. Yeah. Yeah, that was the first year that they got, Neil and Missing him in that trade.

And that were doing, they were doing pretty good. I think Neil had that overtime winner after Paul Stadard. ball basically lost himself. Yeah. With that call, because I think it was Bob Erie that was like, yeah, he hasn't scored yet. And Paul Schauer was like, there it is.

From like that's crazy what, like crazy angle too. Wasn't it it? It was basically like near the goal line. Yeah. He just like fired it at the net. Literally from the boards. From like 40 feet.

That puck goes in. But then he, that same 39 year old goalie has a shut out in game seven. Just, you know, that's goal attending for you, you know. Yeah. Just it never ceases to amaze me. But coming up for next, or do you have like some of the Flyers series, the Bruins,

anything like that? Yeah, I had the like, yeah, like you mentioned the offside. And then also like, you know, what if like Flurry can just like stop a puck?

I don't know. Like all he had to do was not be like a peewee goaltender for six games. And it was in like, like that, that series as well like you know if they win that they go to face New Jersey like you know Jersey got to the finals that year and like they got walked by

like L.A like you know it's the same kind of thing like the East didn't really amount to much for a few years there like that was when Jonathan quick just walked by everyone in the playoffs I don't think yeah player was there was no one stopping him

no yeah yeah that was the height of his power but no like you said you know for Mark Ronde 30. He could have stopped a beach ball. You know, Ilya Beers Ghalov was really, really bad in that series. He was bad,

yeah. He was really, really bad. The Penguins were lighting up the flyers like it was no tomorrow. I'll still always say that offside. I don't know how they miss that in real time. I miss,

I wish there was a little mini offside challenge, not the one we have today where it's just a basically assess pool and then still don't know what offsides is, but I just, I wish that they had that because, you know, if that goal gets reversed,

I honestly think the Penguins win game one. Yep. They were just, they were already up three one going into the third period. And then, of course, that's when the meltdown started. But we forget that the Penguins scored 10 goals on the flyers in one game. That was game four. Yeah, game four. That was hysterical.

And then the Bruins series, I talked about that last week. Just talking about losing their way and just what a big what if that. You know, just one of the biggest. things I wish was that we could have seen a penguins black hawks final with pain and taves and sid and gino at the height of their powers and just like in their peak peak peak years because that would have been just so much fun i'm not sure if that was on your list though yeah it was and i think i'm trying to remember what game it was i think it was game one maybe game two and it was like a tie game and pittsburgh was pressing and i think it was like near the end of the second period or something

and I think I'm pretty sure it was a tie game and like they hit the post and it was just kind of like they in the third period they kind of fell apart and it kind of like you just kind of wonder like if that shot went in like does that change like game one and does it change the whole series if they take the first game or something like that like it's just like small things like that because like they were all over Boston at the start too and like I can't remember what game I know it was in game one or two but yeah it's like there wasn't in the game one where they did hit a post when the game was close but then of course they lost their shit when you know charra and crossey were going at it and then I think Malkin fought Berger 1 in that game but games 3 and 4 were a lot

closer because though they of course Vokun was was starting and then the overtime game in game three or I had to sneak downstairs to watch that was a blast and then oh the thing to game three the biggest what if honestly from that game was

Yager's penalty that they let go on Malcon, and I think they turn around and scored like 40 seconds later. On the same shift, yeah. I think it was, yeah. And that was, I think, a big one for me because, you know, what if they call that penalty? You know, do the Penguins win that game on the power play?

And then game four was just really, really close as well. I think game three, that was one of their only two goals that they scored. On the series, I believe it was from Chris Kunitz, too. Coonis, yeah. Yeah, they're one from an old friend, old friend, a former Connuck, Brandon Sutter. yeah love Brandon Sutter love me some Brandon Sutter yeah especially on a five-year term that's uh

that's that's Jim Benning for you everyone but um anyways I'm getting off track again but yeah that's just that year was just so that's this one I think about it I just think yeah like you look back and it seemed like they could have like two years where they mighter run like ran into the hawks like the like even like the 2010 year like I know how much like I disdained yoroslav halak but I think we also have to like

in like in that instance we also kind of have to keep like we have to remember that like he did that to Washington first oh yeah so it's like as much as like we can hate halak I think like Washington has a better claim to hating them because like they were president's trophy winners they were up like three one and then one game I think like I think it was game six maybe and that's series and he put up like a 50 save shut out like Pittsburgh had like and I think it was more like yeah like Halak like played on it out of his mind but like Flory was not good in that 2010 series like I think like Washington probably should have beat Montreal I love that a capstan still have PTSD over that it actually makes me half just just just a little bit but yeah do uh any more final ones Sheldon I'm sure you have at least one or two more um um The 2014 and 15 seasons for me, like, when they lost to the Rangers, like, I kind of didn't, like, like, that, like, later stages of, like, the Bilesma going into the Johnston era, like, they just, like, they were just an unimpressive team. And, like, like, you watch them and, like, you just kind of, like, felt bad for, like, Crosby Malkin and, like, Coonitz, like, and LaTang just kind of, like, trying to, like, carry around, like, a bunch of, like, Zach Sills to the, to the playoffs

and then trying to like do anything and like a bunch of dead corpses yeah like like maybe the year that like like was it 2014 like when St. Louis mom died. Yeah yeah that was yeah that was that was 2013 14 yeah I remember at the time you know some some interesting characters on the Twitter machine

had some thoughts about that we are not putting that on this podcast that was just that if you want to look up those tweets and if you are listening to this podcast I'm sure you know who made these tweets you can go find his Twitter I'm not linking it here he is just a interesting person in general but yeah like the biggest thing for me that year is like you know I talked about this last week what if they win that game seven they play montgomery conference final they probably win that and then the next season they probably

have Bilesma and Shera going on yeah there's probably no Rutherford and Sullivan today honestly yeah because they like the the Bilesma and Shiro are kind of like they overstayed their welcome and I think like if they would yeah like that's a good point if they would have win another series slash like get to the final you know they're just gonna kind of keep with status quo as opposed to like shaking things up but like yeah it was like the you know I think that they all be like

you know to lose to the range of just two years in a row was was tough to watch but i mean like it's you know let's play off hockey too i mean they trucked them in the 2016 so i mean it's it's whatever but yeah and like i just like the the 20 like the johnson era like i just couldn't stand watching them like it was just like and to get like he came in with like such like everybody was like oh yeah there's this like young prodigy coach coming from the w hl and you're thinking you're going to get this like revolutionary coach and the guy just turned into like boiled potatoes and like couldn't do anything and like it just seems so like dysfunctional and he just like there's just like so many memes of the guy's

face like wasn't it like darnay that made the post from pensburg about how he was tasering people at practice tasering people yeah oh my god it's like yeah it's like good times in penn's twitter history. That's one of the funniest moments. I remember reading that article when I saw it. I was like, wait, what? And then I started reading it. And then I'm like, oh my God, people were going to take this so out of proportion. And then sure enough, they did. That team was just so bad. And that was the year that Shane Donne had his dirty hit on Chris La Tang. La Tang, yeah. He knocked him out of the playoffs, which was really unfortunate. So we had to watch Taylor's Hornie eat up top pairing minutes. I mean, at least we got Brian Duhlin out of that. That was the first time I think he was called

up um a war at the first time so wasn't that also was that also the year when they had to like beat buffalo on the last game of the year and they had to play it with five defense yeah they they watched that bad and then like you're watching that game and like you just like you can just like I think crosby had a couple points in that game and you could just tell that he's like he's just like I'm doing everything I can like he can't do anything more like they're playing with an underman roster like Like, good thing they're playing the Sabres. Like, if they were playing any team that could, like, at least skate, they don't, they probably don't make the playoffs.

That was one of the worst teams I've ever seen in the Sabres. They were so bad. Yeah. And that was, um, wasn't that the year they tank, too? Yes. Like, wasn't that, that was the tank for Eichol year, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. I believe.

Yeah, I think they got Eichol in that draft, right? Yeah, that was right. Yeah, that was right. Yeah, they wanted McDavid so bad, but, you know, they ended up, of course. not getting him Sheldon before we wrap up do you have any more or did you have that all the

the ones you have? No I didn't really have anymore I think like the 2018 series against the capitals I think like you know Matt Burry kind of wasn't at his best but I you know I think that in 2016 and 17 he was okay

and I mean like I don't think you were going to beat Washington three times in a row like that was tough yeah yeah like it was like it was like you wanted to beat them because I mean like there's nothing better than watching penguins beat the capitals but at the same time like you're just not going to beat that good of a team three years in a row like I think in 2017 they were pretty lucky to get by them like the you know I yeah like I think if you're if you've got like a what if Fleury's shaft doesn't hit Ovechkin's shot like if Ovechkin scores there with like that's like that's late. in the second period. Like, you go into the second intermission with, like, a rock in Verizon Center, like, and then, like, start of the third period, and you've got to face, like, you know,

Ovechkin shot out of a cannon. I'm not sure if they win that game. I thank God every day for that thing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, I've got another good one. Yep. Go ahead. Okay, so the 2016 playoffs, they're in Washington. It's game two, and it's tie game. and they were down and they lost the first game and the Eric Farragal. I think I'm not sure if they'd be, I don't even know if they'd be Washington that year because that was your Washington won the President's trophy.

I didn't like, I was watching that game and like, because they like they dominated game one. They should, they deserve to win. And then they're playing really well in game two and it's tied. Hope he's playing really well. And then just like Eric Fairthor's sticking to the slot after like Malkin just like blindly puts the puck into the slot and it goes in. Like, I don't know if they'd be Washington that year. If Ferrer doesn't score that goal.

That's one of the top five biggest goals about to playoff here. With Paul and Quist, LaTang, obviously, with his Stanley Cup, punching one, the game seven against Tampa. It's easily in the top five. I don't think it gets enough credit for just how clutch it was. Because I think, I think that game would have went to overtime if he didn't score there. You know, overtime is a crapshoot. You know, whoever, it's almost like whoever gets lucky enough to, you know.

Exactly. First one to score, so, you know, sometimes it's a lucky goal, too. But Sheldon, thank you so much for coming on this episode and doing this. It was very much appreciated. Unless you have, like, one or two more. That was, this was a lot of fun to do. Yeah, I'm good, man. It was nice to meet you, and I didn't have any others.

Yeah. Thanks for having me on. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we'll be back, I think, tomorrow I'll probably try to do something before my commencement thing that happens at 630. So that's going to be a lot of fun. and then we'll be back next week. I'm not really sure what the topic will be yet. But thank you guys so much for listening.

And, oh, yeah, Sheldon, shout out your Twitter so what people can follow you. I am Sheldon M. Smith. That's my Twitter. There we go. He is also, he also loves the Flames, and you can look for a lot of good takes from Sheldon on his Twitter, especially when he comes to bashing the Knucks as well. Yeah, and Mike Smith. Yeah, Mike Smith, yes.

That's the big, I always forget about that. But yes, thank you guys so much for listening. We will talk to you all tomorrow.