Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Happy Penguins June 12th Day! Reminiscing on this night 11 years ago and 4 years ago with some family stories!

Episode Date: June 13, 2020

Happy June 12th day, Penguins fans. Hunter dives deep into what was going on in his life 11 years ago when the Penguins upset the Detroit Red Wings and also when the Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks four years ago. He tells stories about how he was watching the 2009 one with his mother and how she always gets during games, plus how he had to rush home after his high school graduation just to catch the third period in 2016! All that and plenty more stories in this episode of Locked On Penguins! 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 Friday evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes, follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the show's Twitter at L-O underscore Penguins. Happy Friday to you all. We are here to have another great, great weekend. You know, it's just, I can't believe these weeks just keep flying on by it. It really is ridiculous. Happy June 12th day to you Penguins fans, of course, a very big day in Penguins history.

As always, this show is brought to you by Bill Barr, but, you know, as I was saying, June 12th, you know, the Penguins just have a date with destiny with this date. Of course, this day 11 years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins won their third Stanley Cup, their first one in 17 years before when they went back to back in 1991 and 1992. And then on this day, four years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the 2016 Stanley Cup over the San Jose Sharks. But, you know, we'll just do a little, you know, we'll just talk about these two Stanley Cup final since, you know, it is June 12th day. talk about kind of from my perspective and my family's perspective and how much these, you know, mean to me, I'm sure these mean a lot to you guys as well. I remember the 2009 one, I remember

most of it. I was still, I was not at that time, 11, I think. So, I mean, I remember watching the game, though. And, you know, my mom, of course, who was just, she's ridiculous when she watches with me. I would always come, I came home from college during my, after the 2016 cup, I was a freshman and college and going into their back-to-back year. And, you know, we've been, we always watch the playoffs together. This has been a thing, honestly, since they kind of started their streak, we have, we have, like, our own little spots. Basically, my mom sits on the couch.

I sit on the carpet near this little table thing. And, like, it's just, we're very, very superstitious, you know, we really don't get up unless we have to use the rest of you, maybe get a drink or whatever. It's just we, we have superstitious shirts that we wear, you know, that the strip had this shirt, um, Malky. in the middle for the 2016 one that I would always wear on elimination games. They won basically every single one up until the 2017-18 one until I retired that. But anyways, I'm just rambling on here.

But so, meanwhile, I remember, yeah, we sat in our spots. She was on the right side of the couch. I'm on the right side of the table. And, you know, we're watching. She's way more nervous dying. I wasn't, I was, of course, a fan of the team, but I wasn't as big of a fan as I am now. I mean, as you get older, you just, you start, you understand it more. I still didn't understand parts of the game that I do now.

So anyways, but I remember I asked my mom going into, I'm like, mom, how do you feel about going into this? You know, are you going to do it this year? And she looked at me and then she's like, yes, with most emphatic yes, I've ever heard her say, I'm like, okay, I guess they're going to do it. So I've worked my stepdad's down there too, and he's a capitalist fan. So, of course, he's rooting for the Red Wings to go back to back after his capital got eliminated by the penguins in seven games.

So we're watching, you know, the penguins, they're coming out okay, but the Red Wings, of course, they come out, they come out pretty strong. My mom's just gasping all the time. The one thing that she always will say, get it out, get it out, get it out. She probably repeats, I could, we could do a drinking game, and I honestly think you would probably be drunk in 30 seconds, how many times she says it. It's her favorite thing to say. She's been saying it for over a decade that we've watched games together.

and, you know, I'm kind of, I've been worn out by it, just a little bit, I would say. But, yeah, that's just her thing. And then, of course, you know, we get the first Max Talbot goal. You know, we both go berserk. And then the second one comes. And then she goes crazy. I go crazy. My stepdad's sitting there like, what the hell is going on?

And then, of course, you know, we had the Sydney Crosby injury. And the one thing I remember from that game, what's not related to, like, how me and my mom were reacting. was just in the third period, you know, the penguin just hanging on for dear life, barely chipping it to the red line. The Red Wings had the pop the entire frickin' period. It was just like, can we get an offensive possession here in the offensive zone? Can we get a shot on that? The Penguins really were not getting a lot of pucks on Oz again in that third period.

I mean, they were just basically turtling, I guess is the word I should use. They were literally turtling the lead. The Red Wings finally get a goal with less than, I think it was like, less than what, eight, seven minutes left in the third period. It cut up to two to one, Jonathan Erickson. And then, you know, the one, the post heard around the world still is 11 years later. That post with less than three minutes left in the third period, the penguin's up two to one. I think it was Erickson the hitter or was it Crohn Wall?

I mean, it's one of the two. I know Erickson scored the goal. I'm going to have to go back and double check. I know it's one of the two. But, I mean, I remember when Matt hit off the post, my mom probably let out the biggest Yelp, I guess, is the word for it. And I just, I stood, I put my hands over my mouth and then onto my head. I was like, did that, I asked her, I'm like, did that go in?

And she looked in me, she's like, no. I'm like, okay. So we're back in business. I remember seeing the Red Wings fans just jump up. And, oh, that was just. And then, of course, you know, what happened with Mark Andre Fleury at the end of the game. And then, you know, I wish I was old enough or close to being old enough to drink at that point, because I probably would have gotten way too shit-faced.

at that point but you know we'll have a story about the 2016 um cup coming up after this but you know i remember just when that horn sound of mark and a fellery made that save on nicholas lydstrom who of course played like he was 22 at the time even though he was going on close to 40 i remember we like when my mom we like just jumped on to each other it just started screaming and my step-judge just sitting there like what the fuck is going on i don't think my sister was down there i don't even she she's never really given a shit about sports to be honest.

But, yeah, just being there with my mom at that moment, you know, I remember a few of her tears were coming down. Of course, you know, she had seen two before. This was my first one. So she was just really excited that I got to see one of the first championships I've ever seen for my sports teams. Of course, I saw the 2005 Steelers won. We saw this Stewart won the Super Bowl again, but still, this was the first hockey one

that I got to go through. And, you know, she was just so happy. You know, I remember she called my grandma, my grandpa. they were on the phone screaming and yelling. My uncle called. He was so excited, too. He's not as big of a Penguins fan as he's a Steelers fan. He's honestly one of the biggest reasons I am a Stewards fan.

But, you know, he watches the Penguins when they're in the playoffs and sometimes during the season. But even he was just super excited. I remember my mom, she had a bottle of wine and she just corked that open, poured herself a glass. She chugged it like it was no tomorrow. and she got herself another glass and then she slowly drank that one but yeah mind you I mean this was my mom 11 years ago

she was in her 30s but still she was going crazy um like I said I wish I could have had a drink but I mean that was it was just so much fun to watch that with her it's always fun to watch all the playoff runs with her just because I can see how you know animated she gets you know she doesn't watch too many of the regular season games because you know she has to work she has to do other stuff with my stepdad and my sister and

She just doesn't have the time that, like, I have to, like, watch every single game and, of course, do this podcast and write about the team for other websites. Hell, I don't even think she really knows how to use the streams on Reddit, to be honest with you. So, yeah, it was just to see that, just to go through that first time with her and just to see how excited she was that whole playoff run. And then, of course, it culminate at the end with beating the Red Wings. Just absolutely spectacular. I'll keep saying, you know, that Red Wings team was disgusting, man. I still don't know how the Penguins won that series with how much talent the Red Wings had. You know, to go into Joe Lewis Arena where the Red Wings did not lose very often during that spring.

And to beat them, two to one, it's just, you can't make it up. That's all I'll say about that. That run was so much fun, you know, I'm really glad I witnessed it when I was 11. Another funny story that came out of that. I remember, I think it was that night. What was the next day? I called the girl I had a crush on at the time in middle school. This was when I was in sixth grade.

So what's her name? Oh, there. Okay, I found it. Okay. Her name was, oh, this is a particular, particular interesting name. Her name was Genesis. I don't remember her last name, long, long time ago.

I think that night, because I was so, like, just an idiot at the time. I think I sang, we are the champions to her by Queen. I think when I walked into school the next morning, she looked at me. and she just was like, I got your voice and I was like, yeah, she goes, that was one of the weirdest things I'd ever heard.

I'm like, well, you know, I'm saying we are the champions to you and you're just going to do me dirty like that. So, yeah, that's how that went. But, you know, I think she gave me a hug, I think afterwards. And I don't think I've spoken to her much since then. Hell, I don't even know where she is,

but still that, that is a funny story that came out of that. I remember that clear as day. But I just wanted to share these, memories with you guys because June 12th is one of the biggest days in Penguins history. You know, it has a lot of meaning for me. And I'm just like one of the, it just, you know, my, my fandom for the penguins just skyrocketed. It was, I was already a fan then.

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All right, so we're back on this episode for Locked on Penguins. And, you know, it's time to talk about that 2016 run, of course, and the Penguins beat the San Jose Sharks, three to one on this day, four years back. What a season that was, you know, senior year of high school for me. So, you know, that was a big one. You know, the big send-off, the big screw you, I guess, to the Capitals fans at Broadwron High School, where I went to high school. You know, that was truly one of the best feelings in the world to see all the Capitals fans.

You know, not only but heard that the Penguins won the Stanley Cup that season, but that they lost to the Penguins in the playoffs in six games when Nick Benino had his heroics in overtime, just about a little over five minutes in. I remember walking into school that next day. There's a few cast fans that, like, we were talking a lot of shit to each other at the time. And I walked in with my Penguins jersey. I saw them, pointed at them. They turned right around.

I'm like, yeah, you guys. You have nothing to say now. So that was just a lot of fun. But, you know, they actually won the Stanley Cup on the night that I graduated high school. And, you know, that's a funny story too. So, you know, Broadwin did this thing where, you know, apparently you can't have your phones during the commencement ceremony. You had to give your phone off to your parents or you had to give it to, like, someone when you walk in. I know.

Very, very stupid. I was, and of course, the game freaking starts during the ceremony. So it's like, oh, my. God. So I'm just sitting there. Like I look up at the clock and the game is, I see the game starting. I'm like, can we just end this so I can go the hell home already? And after after my name is called, I go up, I wish I could have gone into the mic and said, you know, tonight's night, the Pittsburgh Penguins win, bring home more to Stanley's Cup. Probably would have gotten mood. Probably would also not have cared. But I remember, because I knew exactly where my family was sitting. My mom and all then, my grandparents came down, my uncle and aunts. And I looked up and, and I looked up and, But my grandpa points to me to get my attention. I look up at him and he said he put out one zero with his fingers. And I yelled Pittsburgh and he goes, yes. And say I threw up a very big fist pump would be a massive understatement.

I had people look at me weirdly, but you know what? I really didn't care. So then, you know, I get outside. One of the buddies who's actually a cast fan that, you know, we were talking a bunch of crap to in school during the series. You know, he was a good friend of mine, too. So, you know, he was actually one of the people that I really did not. mine from my high school. For those who don't know me, I hated most of the kids that went there. I hoped to never mostly see them ever again. But I saw him. I was like, hey, buddy, like,

congratulations. said, yeah, you too. I was like, I see you have your phone. I was like, is there any chance you can just check the score again? He goes, oh, for that team, I'm like, yes, very much appreciated. He goes, all right, it's still won nothing. I was like, can you tell me who scored it? Because I had no idea. He goes, oh, wow, he goes, it's Brian Dumont. I'm like, wow, Brian Dumlin gets the opening goal. Did not expect that. So I remember, I finally, found my parents and all, but I'm like, and I, you had to him all, I'm like, let's go, let's go, let's go. And she's like, okay. So, you know, we get in the car, I get my phone back. And then, you know, I'm just like, I'm just trying to live tweet the game. I'm trying to listen to it on the radio, trying to

see what people are saying. And then, of course, while I'm on the ride home, Chris Kunitz does not score on the empty netter, which he should have because he got that pass from Evgeny Malkin. He passes it right back to Malkin, which it should have been, I think, um, 3-1 or, I think it would have been, yeah, I think it would have been 3-1 at that point. But, you know, I remember that Kuchert tied it to go while I was going home. And then, um, just, of course, a couple minutes later, you know, Latang scores. And I, I, I, I'm refreshing on Twitter, everyone just says, Latang, Latang, let's tag. And I just, I shout out. I'm like, well, Chris Latang just scored. And my mom, she immediately turned around and she's like, what did you just say? I'm like, yeah,

Chris LaTang just scored. And then she was just like, oh my fucking God. So she's, she's telling Steve, my stepdad, book it, book it, book it. So, you know, we finally get home right in time for the third period. And then, you know, we're just, you know, clench-bought cheeks time, you know, 20 minutes away. You have the two-one lead, you know, and then the penguins just do their thing. That's one of the best times I've ever seen them execute Mike Sullivan's system.

Though one more, well, I'll say this one thing before I get back to this. It's a little off topic, but during the season, there was one moment where I knew this team was different. it was the game I think March 21st, March 22nd, somewhere around there against the Capitol, and they were playing them at home. They had just beaten the Flyers before that during that weekend they crushed them, I think, in Philadelphia. And the Penguins, you know, they jump out to that 2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-Campals come back to tie it. And then the Penguins, you know, Koonakle scores, Schultz scores, 5-2, and then I think it went to 6-2. I think they won the game

6-2, 6-3, something like that. And they would just blew the doors off the capitals that game. And that's when I was watching it while we were out to dinner with some, my family. And, you know, that's just when I was like, okay, this team looks different. They play different. They're responding to Mike Sullivan. This team potentially has a very, very deep playoff run in them. And, you know, they did not disappoint in the slightest. But, okay, anyways, back to the story. So, you know, it gets, we're getting down to crunch time here, a few minutes left. And then, you know, the two-minute mark hits. And I'm like, oh, my God, I think they're going to do this. Because the sharks, they're not getting anything on Matt Murray. Hell, they're

barely even gaining offensive zone. The penguins are just using the one, two, two neutral zapped to a freaking T. They are just dominating the sharks that whole period. You know, I really don't, like I said, I really don't think the sharks gained the zone maybe more than four to five times during that period. There was just nothing. For that, Matt Marie, I think, only saw one or two shots that entire period,

which is just absolutely insane. And of course, you know, a minute, you know, comes. And then, of course, you know, the person that I'm dating at the time, you know, we're not going to speak her name because, for reasons. You know, she calls me. And then, because she's like hate watching, of course, because she's a fan of a rival team, the Rangers. And then, you know, as it clocks down, you know, Patrick Hornquist gets the empty netter, threw my hands up, ran around the house.

My grandma started yelling. My grandpa started yelling. My mom went berserk. Everyone at the house was just going crazy. And then, you know, when that clock hit zero, you know, I just, I got up, went to the cooler, grabbed myself a corona, and chugged it right in front of my whole family. family, not even joking. My mom looked at me and she was just like, Hunter, what in the hell are you doing? And I was just like, what? I'm celebrating. I mean, I was 18 at the time. So you're close

enough to 21. So who really gives a crap? But yeah, I chugged it right in front of her. You know, she was cared for a split second. And then, you know, went up and got another one and started drinking that. I had way too many beers that night. I had way too many beers the year later. and I think from my high school they were having like an all-night grad party at like a place across the street I was honestly so tempted to go over there a couple beers in

and just like rub it in everyone's faces but I didn't want to be an ass but yeah it was just that run these two runs just spoke to me so much they were so bittersweet you know the fact that the team was able to get there and just win these cups

you know and also you know just I know these stories were long and you know you might not care about them or whatever but you know it means so much that my family was there to watch them with me during these, you know, most of the games that I watch, you know, they're just by myself. You know, my mom's doing other things when I'm at home or when I was at school. You know, I watched them by myself.

None of my roommates really cared about hockey, which was pretty unfortunate. But, you know, these just, they just really spoke to me. It was so much fun to finally get that second cup for Crosby. You know, that was the first one in seven years. So, you know, going from age 11 to 18, you've seen a lot in Penguin's history up at that point. you know the Flyers series, the Bruin series, the series against the Habs, the Crosby-Malkin-Less series, the 3-1 choke to the Rangers in 2014, the embarrassing five defensemen year in 2015, and then to finally get that one, you know, that was just awesome.

And, you know, I'll always remember that one, especially because, you know, I graduated high school on that night. I know not a lot of people really give a shit about graduating high school. I'm not, like, really super big on it, to be honest. I was much more excited for my college graduation, but still, Whenever I think about my high school graduation, I will think about how the Penguins won the Stanley Cup that night and how I got back right in time for the most important part, which was the third period.

So, yeah, I'll just say this, though. If you guys hated me telling these stories, please be sure to let me know. You can tweet me, DM me. I don't care how you reach me. If you hated them, please tell me. If you loved it, please tell me. I'll tell more awesome penguin stories with my family.

I could spend a whole week of episodes just talking about what my mom has done during Penguins games and honestly what we both have done because we're both just a riot during the games. But yeah, you know, I figured I'd take most of this episode, you just basically just talked about, you know, what I was doing on this night four years ago and what I was doing on this night 11 years ago. And I'm just glad that I was able to remember both pretty, pretty distinctly, I would say. But another thing I can remember very distinctly because I just actually had one is a built bar. There are protein bars that taste like a candy bar, 16 amazing flavors,

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You'll get $10 off your first order. That's promo code locked on for $10 off at Billbar.com. All right, so we'll just have this little segment before we call it a week here. The NHL announced their phase three plans yesterday. It looks like they're targeting July. 10th to go into training camp, but, you know, the biggest line in that, though, was the line where they said in our announcement, you know, this is provided that medical and safety conditions allow, and the parties have reached an overall agreement on resuming play. So, yeah, of course, that's,

that's the biggest line or the sentence, I guess, in that overall statement, you know, you've got to make sure that, you know, there's not a lot of spike in cases, you got to make sure it's safe to do this, what's going to happen with the families. They still have to come to an agreement, like the statement says, on resuming play. They have a lot of hurdles to clear, but, you know, You know, apparently I did read that they wanted to get this out of the way because the NBA has a very, very detailed calendar that they released today. They also released part of it before the NHL did. So they kind of wanted to get it out there after the NBA did because I'm sure they saw how detailed the NBA's one is. But, you know, there are more penguins that looks like are trickling onto the ice as well.

We saw John Marino. No full face shield. It looks like he's back to a regular helmet. I don't know if you guys are following of Guinea Malcon on Instagram, but he is looking like Rocky Balboa outside in his backyard, just chopping these pieces of wood with these like hammers or whatever he just he looks like a complete boss out there you know i almost want to like take that and just like edit it and just put the rocky music right with it i feel like that'd be so um freaking funny um is there anything else that i forgot to talk about i do not believe there is so i think that's going to do it for this episode of locked

on penguins like i said if you guys enjoyed uh the stories that i had about my family and how how much June 12th, 2009 and 2016 means to me. I really, just let me know. I really appreciate it. And like I said, if you hate them, if you think that was one of the most boring things in the world, also tell me, you know, I won't hate you if you did.

You know, I won't hold it against you. But, you know, we'll have more content coming next week. You know, we're getting back much closer to hockey, folks. Hopefully, just a few more weeks, hopefully until training camp. You know, as of course the announcement said, if the medical and safety protocols allow. So, like I said, thank you guys so much for listening. listening to this episode of Locked-on Penguins. I really do always appreciate. I appreciate everyone

always listening to this. I still can't believe I've done over 100 episodes of this. You know, sooner or later, we may have 200 of these done. I just, I love doing it. I love that you guys continue to listen and hearing me just embarrass myself and talk to myself three days a week. Well, it'll move to five days a week, I think, in the next few weeks. I was on the conference call with a few people today. And it looks like we're targeting around when training camp is going to pick up when we'll go back to five days a week with a season revamp. But, you know, cross our fingers for that. But have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. The show's Twitter at L-O underscore Penguins. As always, thank you guys so much for listening to every single episode. And we will talk to you all next week.