Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Evgeni Malkin comes back with a VENGEANCE for the Penguins

Episode Date: January 12, 2022

Happy Wednesday! Hunter is back with a full game recap of the Penguins-Ducks game from Tuesday night and it all starts with Evgeni Malkin. Hunter goes into how he was flying right from the puck drop, including how this was the best he's looked in quite some time while also dunking on the people who said he should've traded or mess up the structure. Who should be his linemates moving forward? Hunter also touches on the brilliance of Sidney Crosby yet again after he jumped about 10 feet into the air for a goal. Other topics discussed: Should Tristan Jarry be top 3 for the Vezina? Which backup goalies should the team go after? Should the team trade its first-rounder for a forward? All that, plus thoughts on Kris Letang and much more on this episode of Locked On Penguins.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Primal Origin OilsPrimal Origin Oils – Got Beard, Get Primal!  Stop the itch and make your beard look healthy & groomed.  Check out PRIMALORIGINSOILS.COM to learn more about their full line of beard care products. Use the code “LOCKEDON” for a 20% discount at checkout. 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. 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. Happy Wednesday. Welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Remember to follow me on Twitter.

At Hunter Hodes, follow this show's Twitter at EleanorScore Penguins. Remember, this show is free on all platforms, you know, Apple, Spotify. And now, of course, on YouTube. Check the other day. The channel, it's only been up for, what, about a month now, up to close to 60 subscribers. It's ridiculous how fast that it's grown. I do not think it would be that quick.

Next goal, obviously, is 100, and then, you know, we'll go from there. But the feedback so far, video-wise, has been really good for those that have been, you know, watching the videos on YouTube. I know something will strictly stick to audio. Excuse me, that's probably fine too. I'm not going to judge anyone or anyone like that. You know, if you want to see my face talking about the show and talking about the team in live action, you can gladly do that, but if you prefer the audio, you know, that's perfectly fine as well. But Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the win column, a four to one victory over the Anaheim Ducks

on Tuesday. We had Jason on the show yesterday to give a full preview. And I actually got a few things. Well, we both actually got a couple things, right? He said Jeff Carter is a duck tiller. He had not one but two goals. I also said of Gany Malkin was going to score. He had not one, but two goals as well.

and I think we do have to start with Evgeny Malkin. He stole the show. His knee looked ridiculous. He said 200% before he came back. Maybe it was 300%. That was probably the best I've seen him skate in at least a couple of years, was not making any bad decisions with the puck. His passing was on point.

We saw that one of those, a couple of those patent and Gino bombs from the point, one obviously in the power play, loved how Sid was able to just, you know, jump almost 10 feet in the air off skates. I mean, I'm someone who probably can't even jump a centimeter into the air off skates. And we see Sid here doing a full freaking jump like someone is bare feet outside or inside or something like that.

You don't teach stuff like that. The stuff that he's able to do on the ice, Sid, that is, with that, is just nothing short of spectacular. He partly made that go happen, but what a bomb that was from a. Viggeny Malkin and I'm wondering if Evgeny Malkin is screwing up the team chemistry. Yeah, no. Don't ever buy any of those takes. I pledge everyone.

Stop listening to Mark Madden in a bunch and just his crap on 1059X. He stinks. Brings no good coverage. You know, there's so many other great platforms out here, you know, writing wise and podcast wise that bring outstanding Penguins coverage, you know, including obviously, you know, myself. I'd like to think that I have a pretty good show with how many listeners that, you know, listen to this podcast. So just, again, don't listen to that crap. It has no substance. He has nothing to back it up on. And that goes to anyone, I think, in this stand base. I didn't really

get to touch on on Tuesday's episode with Jason, but I'll say that here. He is never going to mess up the team chemistry or the structure or anything else. No, he doesn't need to get traded for cap space or draft picks or prospects or anything like that. If you're were to trade him, you would get something like a Cam Atkinson kind of player, B-level prospect in a first round thing, which is just a garbage return. What he brings still on a nightly basis, few players can match. This is a top 50 player in the NHL history. The second goal last night was an awesome deflection, right off John Marino and, you know, the Selly. You can tell that this meant a lot to him just because he's missed eight months due to this massive knee injury. And, you know,

all he wants to do at this point is to help this team, you know, get to the playoffs and win a four Stanley Cup. He's playing for another contract. I still think he resigns here. But, you know, to see him, you know, just really light up to the media after the game, you can just really tell how much this team means to him. And, you know, how much, you know, the fans love him. You know, again, don't think for a second that the Penguins fan base hates him.

You know, it's a very, it's a small but loud segment. but if you go to PBG Paints Arena and I know a lot of the listeners of the show I have season tickets I've been there obviously quite a few times everyone just speaks glowingly about you know no one that I've interacted with that I've gone to the games

has had a bad word to say about him or he's lazy or takes down penalties or anything like that he does do that at times but the good far outweighs the bad I'm tired of seeing the discourse surrounding this player He is one of the best players of all time. You saw how important he was to the team last night.

If they want to win another Stanley Cup, and I think this team is a contender at this point, he needs to be at the top of his game or close to it. He was up there and then some last night. I know they have a lot of players out due to COVID protocol right now, but the Penguins need their best players to be their best players. And throughout this 11 out of 12 stretch, they have had their best players be their best players.

especially Chris Lentang, I'm going to get to him later on in this show. Cindy Crosby as well. But Gino, he got right up there with them. And, you know, this is the 16th straight season that said Gino and Lattang have been on the same team. I believe that's, you know, tops for, you know, a trio in initial history with at least multiple Stanley Cubs. I want to go back to that tweet from the Penguins PR here. I came across that stat last night while, yeah, here it is. Yeah, it marks the most by a trio in NHL history, passing Dustin Brown, Onzei Kopitar, and Jonathan Quick.

Before that, it was a tie with Jean Belaview and Richard and Provost. And then before that, Ovechkin, no, not Ovechkin. That was the Gordy Howt trio with Montreal. So they passed three trios with Montreal. all. I mean, this town is so freaking spoiled. You know, Ben Rothesberger is probably about to play his last game this weekend. I know it was probably about to be, it was supposed to be last weekend, but the Steelers are now in the playoffs. Go check out locked on Sears with Chris Carter.

We've now seen 16 straight seasons with Crosby, Malkin, Latang, and Pittsburgh for the hockey team just across the river. I mean, got three Stanley Cups out of it. It's surreal how great they've been playing for this long and just, you know, how time has flown by with these players. Appreciate them because there is going to be a day when not all three of these players are playing on the same team anymore and, you know, when all three of them are retired. And there's probably going to be some dark days with that. But, you know, that comes with the price of winning, you know, not one, not two, but at least three Stanley Cup is during that era. So I just wanted to point that out as well. But overall, great performance from a beginning of Malkin last night.

That's exactly what I wanted to see from him. Fanbase was fired up about it. One more thing as well. I love the late night starts. I know some people go to bed a little before just because they have work in the morning or school. I don't know all the ages of the people that listen to this podcast. But I am a sucker for those California trips. I'm always been a night owl myself.

I'll stay up until 12, 12, 30, sometimes past one. on most nights. I don't know how I do it, even though I sometimes have work at 9 o'clock next morning, but I absolutely love it. One other takeaway before we get to our commercial break, Jeff Carter opened the scoring less than a minute in.

I touched on this with my preview with Jason before the game. I figured it would take him a game to probably get back to the level that we saw from him prior to him getting COVID because that game against Dallas was a lot slower, you know, was fighting it a little bit. And that's also expected because he just came off the COVID list, you know, after almost a week. It sounds like he was one of the players that had symptoms.

And so it was going to take him a little bit to get going. You saw last night gets that awesome goal past Stollars, opens up the scoring. And the Penguins were just dynamite overall. I mean, the Penguins had 63% of the shot attempts at 5E5. In that first period, they had 78% of the shot attempts, 78% of the scoring chances for. in terms of expected goals, they had 77% of the expected goals, just a dominant performance in that first fame.

The only reason it was only 1-0 at the end of the first was because of Anthony Solars was just playing like God himself. Obviously, Tristan Jarry was able to match that and then some. But, you know, I said to Jason as well, look for the Penguins to bounce back. You can tell how this game is going to go within the first 5 to 10 minutes. Penguins brought their forecheck. They brought their defensive capabilities.

the goaltender was making some 10-dell saves and they were able to skate away with this 4-1 victory. And now they've won 11 or the last 12 games. Two points out of third in the Metro, only three points out of first where Carolina and New York are. Still have a lot more to get to for this episode. We're going to touch on Crystal Tang's play. And it's just, you know, he's a freak at this point.

Sydney Crosby going to him a little bit. Have some practice updates for you all today. You know, and just also the play of Shriston Jargs. and you know what other backups I think they could potentially be going after as the deadline now is getting closer to a month away you know which is I think crazy at this point but before we do that this is a new year so that means new year's resolutions if yours is about getting fit or eating healthier make sure you include bill bar in your plan bill bar is the protein bar that tastes like a candy bar maybe even better than a candy bar bill bar makes it easier to stick to your resolution

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All right, welcome back to this episode of the Locktime Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. You know to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. We saw it again last night. Chris LaTang is playing just the finest hockey over the last five years. I know he was sensational last year,

but I mean, this is 2016 level stuff we're seeing right now from Panger. I've said it many times, you know, Cal McCar, he probably will win the Norris this year, rightfully so. He's Eric Carlson's son, Victor Hedman's been incredible. Adam Fox is awesome, Devon Taves. But, you know, Chris LaTang is right up there

with most of those guys, probably a little outside Kelmacar. I don't think he's going to be a Norris fine. I think he's going to finish top five, though, in the voting towards the end of the season. But, I mean, everyone that has to start appreciating this play more and more because, you know, he looks like an even different player compared to last year. I would love to lock him out up for, you know, five times five times six or something like that, you know, maybe four times six, six and a half.

I know he probably wants around five years. I would still lean towards four. I think an extra year there. it's probably not the end of the world but I would still probably lean with more shorter term with a player like that just because you never truly know when the wheels will start to fall off

though as he gets older he plays better but you know it was great in the defensive zone last night he was quarterbacking the power play at an elite level this is a player that he needs to be extended at all costs you know I've read weird stuff

around the parts this season that you know he should be let walk at the end of the year or, you know, should have traded him long ago. I don't really know where this stuff is coming from. It's the same with the beginning of Malkin. It's these weird anti-Latang people that for some reason want to get rid of his cap hit because he's lost a step or something like that.

Guys playing the finest hockey of his career. This team is so much better when both him and Gino are on the ice and said, of course, I mean, that shouldn't even be a hot take. I mean, it's just, it's, I kind of have this thing I've got from a couple of my friends. You know, I'm about getting it right, not being right. and, you know, that's, I guess that's where I kind of end it with this, you know. Just playing at an amazing level right now. The underlying numbers are elite.

He's top 10 in game score among defensemen. He's basically almost averaging a point per game at this point. Just really, really good stuff from Tanger. I thought John Marino had a much better game last night. Real nice bounce back I thought from him. He did not play well against Dallas. And, you know, he had been having, I think, a better season than I think some have said. But, you know, he was let out to dry on one of the goals.

He had a badly time pinched on the other one. When, you know, it was a two-two game. You can't be doing that with less than five minutes ago. You're trying to get a point. You know, he was much more, he was a little aggressive in this game, I thought. But, you know, it was more reserved, I think, at the same time as well. I think he definitely learned from that mistake. Patterson as well, he continues to have a solid season, really liked his performance.

I think his gap control was. on a nice display last night. I did not like at times how, just changing gears here for a second, I didn't like how the penguins were giving up a couple or multiple grade A opportunities to the ducks, but, you know, Shris and Jari was able to answer the bell and had another five performances.

He's number six right now per money puck and goal saved above expected. I really do think we need to start having an actual conversation about him being a Vezna Trophy finalist or a contender to win it this season. I know Jack Campbell has been amazing this season. I know Igor Shusirkin has been awesome. He's probably the odds on favorite right now to win it. In my opinion, UC Soros has been awesome. Jonathan Quick somehow has been having a renaissance year,

Sergei Bavlovsky, Vasilevsky, Petrick Anderson. But Tristan Jari is right up there as well. He has 15 goals saved above expected. He has a 932 save percentage, 1.91 goals against average. During this winning streak, his state percentage was, I believe, well over 940. Goals against was around 1.4. This is elite level hockey that we are seeing right now from him. He is locked the hell in, and he doesn't look to be coming out of that anytime soon.

Knock on wood, of course, you know, who knows what can happen. But this first half of the season has been the best hockey I've ever seen Tristan Jari play. and, you know, I've been saying, I haven't said this in a while, but I'll repeat it to the listeners. As each passing game goes, I get more and more confident in him, you know, being a player that can potentially come close to stealing a playoff series. You know, he was on the complete 180 in May when he solely gave away a playoff series. Now I'm sitting here talking about how he can steal a playoff series like Ilya Sorokin. did that is how good that he has been this season.

And that game last night, I thought, really I think showed, or it should show to a lot of people that either root for this team or, you know, in the national media, just how hard the penguins are to beat when they are on their A game. You know, they have some of the best forward depth in the league. But, you know, even when some of these players are out, they come at you in waves. And if it's not the first guy, second guy. And it's not the second guy. And they make you fight for every inch.

that is Mike Sullivan of hockey 2A.T. The Ducks were having a lot of trouble breaking out of their own zone last night, especially when the Ducks had their power plays. The Penguins 7 for 7 these last three games picking up right where they left off prior to having their streak snapped where they were less than 20 away from breaking the all-time NHL record for the most consecutive penalties killed. And again, they just didn't get Anaheim anything last night.

I'll say, well, I'll have a few chances that, you know, in the second and third periods, majority was up to the task. But, you know, forechecking wise and, you know, in the offensive zone, they had a lot of extended zone time. And, you know, we've been seeing a lot of that, you know, these last, you know, five to six weeks where, you know, it's just, it's hard for other teams to contain the penguins. You know, like I said, they come at them in waves and they're suffocating them in their own zone. And then they get so tired and they give up a goal against.

And then it just spirals from there. because another line comes on and the cycle repeats itself. So that is just how good this team is. Hopefully, if they get healthy, they can roll four lines. The defense is really good this year. I don't want to hear anything about Mike Matheson right now. And, you know, I've detracted him a whole bunch this year. That said, these last few weeks, he's played his finest hockey of his Penguins' tenure.

Honestly, he has some of the best underlying numbers I touched on last week among defensemen. Choward Whedle's steady as ever. But, you know, if you can get an upgrade at one of those positions, I'd say you do it. Adam Grets were a really good piece today saying, you know, the Penguins should not be afraid to trade their first round pick. I'd probably agree with that. We'll probably honestly get a little bit more and do that coming up here in the next

segment. I don't want to stray too far off. Other takeaways that I had, Sidney Crosby, really nice performance for him again. You know, I said it in their first segment. The way he is able to jump almost 10 feet off the ice there is unheard of. Like, what are we doing right now when we're looking at that? It's just like, what other player can do that? It's just, it's crazy.

You know, if he isn't able to do that, that's a block shot, and that's not even a goal for any Malkin. So just a great display there. And, you know, he had a lot of really nice passes, I thought, in this game, too. He had a great A scoring chance, I believe, in the first period when it was one, nothing, Stolarz had a really nice save. when Sid was trying to go five whole. So, you know, as each passing game goes,

you know, he's really getting, you know, back to his A game, you know, since November, you know, right around when he came, he was around, you know, close to a little before Thanksgiving. But right around the Thanksgiving time, you know, there was a stop that came out last week. He is top five in points since that time. So Sid is back.

I'm fine. I'm fine with how he's playing. Could he get to an even higher gear? Absolutely. But, no, I'm really fine with his play right now. Jake Gensel could have had a couple more goals last night. He was stoned really nicely by Stolars on a couple of chances. I really liked Brian Dumlin's game as well. He's really had a nice balance back after a rough first few weeks to the season.

I was a little concerned, but, you know, this is the Brian Dumlin that I want to keep seeing on a nightly basis, that's for sure. coming up to the next segment we're going to go in a little bit and do Adam Gretz's article and the topic of trading a first-round pick and also just some rental goalie ideas that I you know I've been kicking around a little bit as well for a Thursday's episode we are going to have Sarah from Locked on Kings onto the show for a little crossover she's probably going to be in morning about Jeff Carter coming back to Los Angeles but hey you know them's the break sometimes but before we get to our final segment if you or someone you care about has a beard it needs to get primal. Maybe you are that guy who's never considered the benefits of treating your beer

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It gets you 20% off at primal originoils.com. Use the code locked on. Remember at checkout at prime. I'm at Ordernalls.com for 20% off. All right, welcome back to this episode of the lockdown penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the shows Twitter at L.O.R.N. Square Penguins.

So I saw this really good article today from Adam Gratz of Pensburg, and he was saying, you know, how the penguins should not be afraid to trade their first round pick for immediate help, just because the window is almost shut. And I would happen to be with him, you know, I know some people pushed back on trading Sam Poulan for, you know, a high-impact winger. but you know this season in Wilk Ferry He only has four goals and seven points and what over 20, 25, 30 games that they have played. I know they had COVID problems,

but it's right around there. So almost nothing should be off the table, I think at this point. I understand they've already mortgaged a lot of their future. But if you can go out and get a high-profile player like a Tomas hurdle, I'm not going to say go out and get Jacob tricking. That's probably a bit too much asking price-wise.

But if you go out to get a rental, you know, another four that you can plus, again, that makes a lot of sense, I say you do it. If that means taking Jason Zucker out of the lineup, which, you know, it stings just because of how hard he works. I say you do. You know, he's still a bit of hurt right now. I know Brian Burke went out and said that he doesn't want to be trading his first-on

pick just because they want to restock the farm a little bit, you know, with what Jim and Rutherford did every year. You know, what a GM and president of hockey operations say the media, it could be very different from how they actually feel, you know? know, there's always saying, you know, lies were told, you know, in parentheses. Because, you know, GMs and presence of hockey ops, you know, they do this stuff all the time. They'll say one thing, but then they'll go out and do or, you know, a completely other thing happens. And it's like, oh, well, I thought you said this was that going to happen.

Yeah, well, something came along. So I'm sure if something came along for Ron and Brian to look at, they definitely will. I am down for them to go out and get whatever they want to stock this team. You know, I don't need you to go out and get a Jacob Triton here, but, you know, You know, Tomas Hurtle, another rental winger, rental forward. If you want a depth defenseman that you can plug in over travel, Weedle, even though he's been steady this year, you can do that, which now leads me to, I think, the most glaring hole on the team of backup goaltender spot.

You know, Louis Doming, you know, I think that's fine if he, he's the backup for a little while now, though Casey DeSmith is going to come back relative some point, five to six days. I think if DeMing is there for, again, he's probably not going to be here for more than a week. He'll probably be sent down to Wilkesbury. But with how Desmith has played this year, you got to go out and get someone. You know, Braden Holpey from Dallas, I think makes a lot of sense. King Clark, he was in my DMs talking to me about that. He doesn't make a lot of money.

You can probably get him for a mid-round pick. Yarslav Halak, that makes sense, though. Someone, a listener of the show, actually, if I can find this message here, Jackson Hollister, shout out to you for bringing this to my attention. He said, you know, Halak will be a great fit, but he has the 10-game bonus of $1.25 million. He's currently eight games. What are your thoughts on that? So with the bonus, you know, thank you for telling me this, Jackson.

It would be $2.75 million. How do you think we will get the cap to make that happen? So, Jackson, they would probably have to move some money out. I don't know if they would move Jason Zucker. I mean, I think that makes the most logical sense with how much he struggled, but does Juan Hextall want to do that. I think that's the main question. Otherwise, you're right.

You know, it's going to be interesting to see where they get the cap space for that. Houdobin, I think, is the same thing. I think his cap is kind of close to that bonus combined for Hulak. But I do. They may have to go out and get an established veteran because, you know, on, you know, the off chance that Jari stinks again in the playoffs. They need to have someone ready to go that's not to dismiss because he is, he's not the answer. So those are definitely a couple of options that I would be. be looking at. I'm sure more will become available as the deadbine gets closer, you know,

as you see the sellers and all that. So we'll see what happens with that. But that'll do it, I think, for this episode of Locktown Penguins podcast. Remember, the deadbine is coming up. I wouldn't be surprised if Hextall does swing for the fences a little bit because this is one of their last big years to go all in. I think this is the deepest team they've had since 2016 and 2017. Honestly, I think the forward group is deeper than 2017. So we'll see. They have as good of a shot as anyone to come out of the east. This team is playing some dynamite hockey right now.

Three more games left on this road trip. The L.A. King's Star will be 10.30 on Thursday night. I'll be doing a full preview of that game with Sarah of Locked on Kings coming up for tomorrow's episode. I know you won't want to miss that one. Remember to subscribe to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and it's now on YouTube. Thank you all so much for listening to this one. and we will be back on Thursday.