Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Evgeni Malkin became the hero on Monday night!

Episode Date: December 13, 2022

Evgeni Malkin brought the house down for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday! Hunter starts the show by diving into that goal and what went into it coming together. He breaks down how the Penguins came into the zone with authority and how Bryan Rust was able to do his patented rush to the net before Malkin cleaned up the garbage. It was Malkin's first goal in 10 games and it got the Penguins winning streak up to six. Hunter looks at how it was one of the only offensive rushes in the third period since both teams were playing lockdown defense. He goes into how this was a low-event game from the start since Dallas was content on its top line creating all of the offense while using the other three to stifle Pittsburgh defensively. After that. Hunter breaks down another outstanding performance from POJ as he continues to prove even more people wrong and how it might be only a matter of time before he gets put on the top pairing. He also analyzes Kris Letang's performance as he continues to get better and better, plus shouts out Tristan Jarry as he's looking more and more like the goalie we saw last season. All that, plus your listener takeaways 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.NHTSADrive sober or get pulled over. Click HERE 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.

lucky number six for the Pittsburgh Penguins, six in a row for them after a two to one victory for the Dallas Stars. In this episode of Lockton, Penguins podcast, we're going to fully recap that late two to one game over the stars, the Afghani Malkins scored the game winner with 34 seconds left. I was in attendance with my girlfriend, so I'm going to go into how it was watching that game in person

who really stood out to me and then know if the numbers really backed up what I saw overall. So for the first of everyone to get into, just the heroics from Gino what led in to that goal. Also get into POJ with how ridiculous he was a bit later on in the show. Tristan Jari as well, how Chris Lutang looked, but the second came back from the stroke, and so much more.

So stick around for all this right after this drop. Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows, Twitter, at LN or Sorp Penguins,

and of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen of the day. I feel so much better. You know, it's amazing what three days can do. When you have a cold, I do not sound as congested, at least I hope I did not to all of you. My nose is not as red, and, you know, I just, I'm basically at the end of this. At this point, it's about the same time. But Penguins 2, stars won six-game winning streak, up to second place in the Metropolitan Division. And, you know, what a game.

You know, it's just, you know, December 12th, you know, you're almost 30 games in the regular season. It's a random Monday night against a Western Conference team. You're thinking, you know, going to be maybe a weird game. No, this had a playoff feel to it. Decent amount of stars fans there, at least, you know, from my vantage point in a really good crowd. for at least from my penguin's perspective. You know, we've been seeing a lot of dead crowds at some games lately. I've just, especially watching it home and stuff,

just hasn't really been the same. But tonight, much better crowd. They were into it. A lot of let's go Penn's chance. Just a really animated crowd compared to some of the other crowds that we've been seeing for the past couple of weeks, just because I haven't really been selling out games. And you know, I think part of that it's due to the construction around the arena.

It's been getting a bit colder, you know, it's still Steelers season. I think that's also a big one. I think some people are just not fully invested in the Penguins as of yet, just because the Steelers are still like, I don't care if the Steelers are 5 and 8, this is a football time of first. But once that eventually ends,

I think you are going to see even more fans. Come back, and I think, no, college students, you know, they're kind of still here, so they're, you know, they're going to be coming to games with their friends coming, and all that stuff. It was just a really nice crowd overall, but, you know, the big moment of this game, and we're going to touch on it right now, Gennie Malkins' goal with 34 seconds left in regulation.

Honestly, for that entire third period, I was kind of like, it's kind of going to go to overtime. Penguins and Stars, really not just generating a lot of offense. If you look at the numbers, it kind of matched up to what I had, to be honest. I mean, it was a very lower-than game. If you go to all expected goals, Kimmelts of all situations, Dallas, 1.41 expected goals, the Penguins 1.39. It was a 50-50s play. It was a very low-event game, but it also didn't look like a low-event game just because of how fast both teams were.

You know, this is a, this is not a heavy SARS team. They play with speed, with precision. Their top line is one of the best lines in hockey. They're deep. Their defense is very mobile. They have a great goaltender. That said, this was kind of like a Rick bonus type game where, you know, they're kind of dumbing it down a little bit. I was noticing when I was watching the game at PPG that Peter DeBoer was sending out the, I think it was the Ryan Suter-Callin-Miller pairing whenever Sid came onto the ice and they were kind of just having them play low-event stuff as the Sid-bine wasn't generating as much offense as they normally do. But, you know, this is how you beat a team like the Stars and the Penguins were able to do that, you know, less than a minute left.

Because, you know, I thought I was going to see my first three-on-three game in person. And I think that would have been a lot of fun. This was only my girlfriend's second hockey game in person. So I was hoping that she was going to see it. But, you know, if any Malkin had other plans, and I think they were better plans as of that, you know. Jason Zucker comes into the zone, gives it to Gino, who gives it to Ross. He does his patentant, you know, backhand, forehand move.

He starts to stuff it in. Runs into Jake Onger, incidental contact. You know, Onger is way out of his crease. I originally thought that, you know, the goal was going to get called back because after, you know, Ross and Andre, they kind of made contact. He's out of the net a little bit. Malkenberries the rebound. Ottinger was throwing his hands up saying, like, where's the call?

And, you know, they went to Toronto to look at it with the situation room. They confirmed it was a good goal. Dallas did not challenge for goal interference because there's 34 seconds left. I think if you do that, you're kind of screwing yourself in that situation. But the fact that Toronto was able to review it, and then they didn't have to challenge, you know, that's also big. But, again, the reason why it wasn't called back was because, Ottinger was kind of out of the crease. So you're kind of fair a game at that point.

And, you know, he kind of, you know, initiating that contact, at least how I saw it in person. And that was, you know, Gina was able to bury the loose change and get his first goal in 10 games and the Penguins were able to take home a crucial two points because, you know, the Rangers won again tonight. They're starting to heat up a little bit. You're now a couple points clear of the hurricanes

that you'd have a game or two in hand on them. You have a couple of your points ahead of the Islanders now. Penguins are officially second place in the metro. But, you know, that goal I thought capped off a really good performance for the Penguins outside of that. Opening 22nd goal that came from Rupert Hints. The Stars didn't do anything on offense. You know, 59, 41 minutes, 59 minutes, 49 minutes, 41 seconds of scoreless hockey. Really solid stuff from the Penguins and, you know, the numbers.

They backed up at least what I saw the stars. Only five high danger chances for the Penguins. also had five hundred danger chances. If you look at the expected goals, the stars only 1.3, 1.3 1 expected goals at 5E5 per natural statric, 1.2 in expected goals again. So, you know, very low scoring, you know,

score effects, that matched up to what I saw. And in terms of even just high danger chances, they didn't really have anything going there. The stars actually only had two high danger chances in this third period. And I'm pretty sure both of those came with about two minutes remaining in the third period when they had that very long shift in the penguins defensive zone.

That actually came right after the penguins had a long shift in the offensive zone where I was sat in there, where they were. It was the Crosby against over a Kel line that was just taking them to shreds. And the stars countered that. They could have had a goal or two in a situation. The Penguins come right back with the Malkin line. They would have finished them off. But again, I thought that goal capped off a really good performance from Pittsburgh.

They didn't give the stars anything. I think that those final 59 minutes outside of that fluky goal for Moupe Hins, that Robertson Hens-Pa-Liske line did absolutely nothing. I 5-5. They held Jason Robertson in check. And that's three straight games now where two, you know, elite players in this league right now, Tage Thompson, who has killed the Penguins over the years, and who's set the league on fire this year, didn't score any of those two games, only had one assist Robertson tonight.

You know, he wasn't really a force at all. And, you know, the Penguins, they're doing a really good job right now of shutting down the team's best opposition in making the other players beat them, which obviously, you know, you want to do that in any hockey game. But especially when it comes to, you know, teams like the Sabres who, you know, are good offensively and have Tatechompson. And even though the stars aren't as good offensively, they're a better team, but, you know, you rely on them with defense of goal. They still have young, you know, really good young talent, especially in Hins Robertson, and then the older guys of Kovilski, Ben and Sagan. who are really good. I can add Hayskin and into the younger guys

because he's a treat to watch. He was flying all over the ice. But really nice shift at the end there for the penguins to steal those two points. And, you know, that's 12 out of 12 points in their last six games. And, you know, now they'll get to go south to try to take on a Panthers team

that's not been that good this year. Then they'll hit the Carolina on Sunday, Monday, to wrap up that two-game road trip. But that wraps up. up this first segment for today's episode. Coming up in the second segment, we're getting into a little bit on the power play, and POJ is going why that was just one hell of a shot for that.

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I am your host, Honour Hohie. So follow me on Twitter at Homer Hodes, follow the shows, Twitter, at Eleanorstable Pagments. And of course, thank you so much for making this. this your first listen of the day. Really cool stat from Penguins PR on Instagram. Mike Sullivan, this was his 700th game as an NHL head coach, and he is eighth all-time with the most wins through his first 700 games behind Toblake, Tom McCall, and Mike Babcock, Glenn Zader,

Scottie Bowman, Bruce Bedrow, and Vancouver. Sullivan has 384 tied with Dave Tippett for eighth. So congratulations to Mike. you know, another distinct honor as the head coach of this team, and I think he's going to be the head coach of the Penguins for years to come. So other tidbits that I really enjoyed out of this game when I was watching in person, and I swear, it's such a different experience to be at the arena than you're saying at home. And some of you all have listened to my show and you have not been to PBG yet,

please make the drive up, fly in, do whatever you got to do. It's a really good arena. And I think you all would have a lot of fun. watching that game. But Power Play continued to stay hot tonight. That's goals now. And what? Five, I know it's at least five games.

It actually might be six now, but it's at least five straight games now of a power play goal. That's the longest stretch that Penguins have had since March of last season. But March of this year, but obviously last season. And it just, it looks like a good unit. I saw some people kind of crabbing on the first unit tonight.

I thought they were moving the puck pretty well. They just weren't bearing the chances because the stars penalty kill is pretty decent league-wise. around the league, excuse me, and Jake O'Honters, also one of the best goals in Norsonky. It's hard to get chance to pass in. But the second unit was able to do that. Really nice zone entry by P.O. Joseph, the penguins are moving the puck around with authority, and then P.OJ's able to get it, come down the blue line a little bit, and then just roof a shot for his first goal of the season. I believe that's only his second goal of his career. Oh, if my math adds up. Yeah, I don't, I don't, yeah, he has not scored since the COVID-shorten season.

because well I mean it hasn't been up a lot but um what a shot that was Ottinger no chance really nice screen in front there um I don't know you know didn't look like he saw some of it but I think even if he did I don't even think he would have saved that I was going top shelf every time really nice shot by P.O. Joseph and he is I mean I'm running out of things to say about him at this point because he's blowing my expectations away I knew that he was a good defenseman in his own zone I just didn't know if he was going to be this good offensively this quickly. You know, these last 10 to 11 to 12 games, he is really showing what he can do in all three

zones on the ice. And right now, thank God the Penguins didn't trade him over the office season, you know, because I've been told on pretty decent authority that they were trying to move him during the preseason because they wanted to put Ty Smith up there. Now, I don't know where this team would be right now if it was Ty Smith in the lineup and POJ was playing somewhere else, but I don't know if they'd be nearly as good. I can say that. You know, he's definitely part of their short and long-term plans right now. You know, he needed to play.

They needed to see how good he was. And so far, he is proving, you know, a lot of, I don't know what I say this. I think he's proving a fair amount of people wrong right now just because he played in Wilkesbury for a long time. You know, if he was ever going to get a call up and she's just been consistent at times. But, you know, his first full season in the league because he's considered a rookie, he's been really good. I think if it weren't for this strong rookie class, we'd be talking about some Calder Trophy love for him.

It's not, he's not going to get it. You know, it's just because that's how it works, but he's having a really strong rookie season so far, and I'm glad that he was able to get a goal tonight. And again, the power play, I thought looked really good overall. Switching gears a little bit, I thought Chris Lange played a pretty strong game, thought he was moving the puck even better than he did.

against the Buffalo Sabres. He looked injured a little bit at times. I think you got a cross-check from behind by Yuel Keevri, Ranta Schiven, a penalty. I don't know what the, I saw the ref just looked right at it when I was at the arena, and he just stared at him and just did not reach down and put his arm up. So, you know, reached out and put his arm up. He just looked at it, decided to have play, play on, and that was that. I don't understand it.

I think that's just peak and it's all officiating. and I said to my girlfriend, I'm like, that is a call that you can get mad at because she was talking to me about how, you know, all these little mini-hits shitty penalties. I'm like, no, like this is what happens every NHL game. They never call that stuff. And then I turned to her and I said, no, that is a legit penalty. It just wasn't called because an NHL officiating is just bad. But I'm glad to see he was okay off that. And I thought, you know, he didn't really pass up too many scoring opportunities.

He was really good with the puck in his own zone. set up some nice chances in the power play. He's starting to shoot even more. I think all the men of advantage was really good. You know, he's starting to put the pieces together solely, but surely I know it's only a second game back after the stroke, but I thought this was also one of the finest performances of his season to date. And then Tristan Jari, let's just wrap up with that before we go into the final segment.

Another really strong game. That first will be he allowed, just fluky. Nothing really going on there. But, you know, lately he's been, he's a man on a mission. right now. I believe if I have this stat right, let me hear if I can see this. Yeah, this comes towards to see the Pittsburgh Penguins. 9-0-2 in his last 11 games. That's the longest porn streak of his career. And his 11-game point streak is the longest such streak by a penguin's goaltender

since Mark Andre Fleury, 12 consecutive games in 2012. So Jari will put that to the test. I'm sure on Thursday when he gets to start against the Panthers. and then if they win that game or even get a point, he'll try to get the record on Sunday when they travel down to Carolina or they travel up, I should say, from Florida to Carolina to take on the hurricane. So he's playing, he's just playing on a really high level right now. This is the level that I think we all, or me, at least I expected him to play at for most of the season,

kind of had a little bit of a rut. I do think a good chunk of it was injury-related, in my opinion. But right now, you are really seeing him round into form. playing aggressive, making the saves that he's supposed to make, bailing the team out at times when, you know, what team needs to. And, you know, I was realizing this as well. These last a few games, you know, they're kind of, I mean, they're kind of 50-50s in some ways just because the Penguins haven't really

dominated these three teams. They play well enough to win. It's just that the other teams, some of them haven't gotten the saves, especially when it came to Buffalo. Their goal training has been bad all year by the Penguins. They're able to get their saves from their goaltenders in those two games. And then tonight, Jari was able to outdo one of the best goaltenders in the league. The goaltending is really rounding into form.

And it's why the ship has been righted right now, just because, you know, when they were struggling that seven-game losing streak, penalty kill. Goaltending. They kind of go hand in hand. Now, penalty killed the top five unit in the league. Trish and Jari's over 930, 940 over the last month. You see what I'm talking about? Those two things go hand in hand.

Once those turn around, the offense is going to produce defensively, you clean up some stuff in your defensive zone. What do you have? The makings of a very, very good hockey team. I don't know how far this team is going to go. I don't know if they're going to go on a cup run. What I do know, Yins, we have a really good hockey team here. This is still an excellent team.

One of the best, I think, in the Eastern Conference, and a team that I think can make some noise, especially if they can go out and maybe get another forward for this lineup. We all know what's going to come down to. depth, you know, can the bottom six score in the playoffs when the top six being shut down and the goal tend to be my biggest question for a long time with his franchise. But, you know, I think those are the main players that really jumped out to me tonight. And I thought, you know, I already touched on Gino as well.

He was galloping tonight. He was forcing turnovers left and right. You know, that when he's doing that and when he's skating with authority, you can tell that a big hot streak is on the way. And I think tonight was the start of that just because that was his first goal. in 10 games. I think other than that, when no one else really jumped out at me,

I think everyone else played mostly fine overall, but coming up in the next end, we're getting into some of your listener takeaways, what you all thought of this really strong performance from the Penguins. But before I get to that, Bar-inline is your number one source for sports betting info,

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You can head to a website today or use your military device to know more. That has been online where the game starts. All right. I'm not currently on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I am your host, Honour Hodes. We're going to follow me on Twitter at Honor Hodees. Follow this show. I'm also of course.

Thank you all so much for making this show for. first listen of the day. So let's get into your listener takeaways here. I wish AJ says POJ has impressed so far and it's been great these last couple of weeks. He should be getting the second period minutes over Dumo. Also, I've got a love Gino. Yeah, I think at this point, you know, POJ should be getting more minutes. And I was saying this on my Twitter a couple days ago, are we ready to see POJ on the top hearing? Let me know what you all think of that. Do you think he should, you know, supplant Marcus Pedersen up there? Because Pedersen and Petri played really well together. I know Petrie was out tonight with that.

injury, it's the hand. That's what it is. I don't think it's broken. He said after the aim that he was fine, you know, not fine enough to play in this game. I think he's being further evaluated. It's probably just really sore. Some like that, maybe it's a sprain. I don't know. The penguins are very tight when it comes to injuries. They've always been like this. But that's a very good pairing when healthy and with POJ's, um, rise right now. I do think he should, he could be getting top pairing minutes sooner rather than later. And then you can have Dumlin Ruta as your bottom pairing. Pretty good stuff. And then next year, you want to look towards next year.

Potentially, Joseph Latang, Patterson Petrie. Ty Smith comes up to replace Brian Dumlin with Yan Ruita. We're cooking with some fire on that defensive court. That gets me really excited up for next year. But, you know, Dumlin, you know, play fine tonight, but still, it's still not what we're accustomed to at this point. Scott McGregor says, hey, hey, Hunter, enjoy listening to your podcast and content. the Penguins and I have two takeaways. First off, Scott, really appreciate you listening to the show. Appreciate everyone always that listens to the show here. He did say Malkin scores on the final two minutes of

the game to give the Penguins the lead in number two. Tristan's already being good tonight after a little bit of a shaky start. Yeah, I mean, excuse me, Tristan, it was a fluky goal in 19 seconds in. That stuff happens, and it's the Star's top line. They're going to do that to anyone. You know, the last 59 minutes, I thought the Penguins were very good against that line. And, you know, the other three lines have the stars ran out. I think Peter DeBoer was just telling them to collapse down low, not really give the penguins a lot, and just kind of play defensively because those other three lines were not getting a lot of scoring teams. It was really just the top line that New War was just sending over and like, okay, go to our offense for us. The other three lines

are going to play mostly defense. We're going to play it safe and kind of just trapping down a little bit. But definitely a little bit shaky start by. I do agree that Tristan had a really nice, you know, final 59 minutes. And yeah, I mean, Malkin, just a really nice goal to be in the right spot at the right time. And I do think he has a big hot street coming here. He's been a little cold lately, but, you know, that's the ebbs of loads of the season. I think he's about to break out here. And then Alan T. Eodor says the one home game I missed so far this season, but it was a good one.

Good for B.O.J. did not have him scoring a powerfully goal on my bingo card and also good for Gino. I've been thinking over the last few games that he looks like he's going to go off soon. Hopefully tonight is to start. Yes, Alan, great minds think alike. and I think this is we're going to get it really I think we're going to get it right now I think that you're about to see a big Gino takeover to say the least

and Abram King Gino has messed up the camera stream and we are better off without him I love getting those takes you know a great emoji but yeah I hope that goal also you know

continue to laugh in the people's faces that said they were going to be a better team without him heading into the season those people are a bunch of sheep just a bunch of geysers I think but I'm glad that, you know, the people that sent in their reactions had kind of the same takes

to this game. Just a really tight checking, low-scoring game. And, you know, I usually despise low-scoring games just because they're so boring to watch. But that was fun. You know, fast teams going at each other. Decent scoring chances, good goal-tending, tight-checking. It's, I like those kind of games at times, especially between two really good teams that had a playoff feel to it. Stars are. You know, going to be right there in contention to come out of the Western Conference. The Penguins potentially here in the East. Really fun game to go to.

I was joking with my girlfriend as well, just to end the show here. Had they lost this game, I think, you know, that no, she would not have been allowed back because she would have been 0-2 in their last two games. Because I came in that last game against the Maple Leafs on the five-game winning tree. So she would have directly influenced two of the losses. But, you know, got off to snod tonight, and the Penguins were able to get that win. Up next for them is a date with the fancy cats, as I like to call them. Back when they had the analytics team running the show before Dale Tellen took the show back over,

they were called the Fancy Cats. So I'll always call them that. And actually have a fun game on Thursday. I love watching Matthew Cachuk. He's just an absolute animal. And the Panthers, not as good of a team this year, but still, they can be dangerous when they want to be. Maybe we'll do a preview with Armando of Locked on Panthers.

You can stay tuned for that. And then the Penguins after that, they will head up. to Raleigh to play the hurricanes for the second time this season before coming home to play the Rangers and the Hurricanes right after that and then they play the Devils a lot they have a tough schedule stretch here so that winning streak is going to be put to the test really shortly but overall really strong performance six in a row and a prime playoff spot we'll see if they can keep it up on Thursday for tomorrow's episode I think all potentially have a preview of the game against the Panthers and going to some other topics as well so again thank you all so much

I really, really appreciate it. We'll be back on Tuesday for you all. So again, thank you so much for listening. Talk soon.