Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - It was the night before the 1st night of Hanukkah...

Episode Date: August 1, 2020

Hunter is back on a brand new episode of Locked On Penguins and he's joined by Cam (NotThatFehr) from Penguins twitter and they breakdown what line on Montreal will cause the most problems, the chess match that is Mike Sullivan vs Claude Julien, and Hunter also says what the all-time record is for thePenguins and Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto going into the series. The two then make their qualifying round picks (and Cam has one pretty big upset in here too), plus Hunter answers some mailbag questions as well. All that, and much more on 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, is Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. We are now less than 24 hours away from the start of game one between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens. The hockey overall starts tomorrow at noon with the New York Rangers and the bunch of jerks, the Carolina hurricanes going at it, and then I think the Blackhawks and the Oilers play at 2 o'clock Eastern time tomorrow.

There's a 4 o'clock game. I got to remember what that one is. and then 6 o'clock, 8 o'clock game, of course, the Penguins, and then there's a 1030 game, which is going to be pretty fun. So, yeah, it's basically going to be a full day of hockey. I thought in honor of hockey coming back tomorrow, we would bring back Cameron Easton, who's been on this podcast so many times, but we have a lot to discuss today.

So, Cam, how you doing, my man? Dude, it's great to have hockey back. I'm so excited. This can be chock full of excitement tomorrow. I'm going to be watching every single game. So I'm excited. Yeah, I think everyone will be glued to their TV starting at noon. Travis Yos put up this awesome tweet basically by saying,

there's really no need to leave your house during the day on Saturday or Sunday, especially because the NBA is now back. They're going to be having games on right during the NHL. I think a lot of people are going to be flipping back and forth between each sport. You know, this is the NHL's time to shine anyway, especially with the uncertainty around Major League Baseball right now. And if that season's even going to continue, who knows. with all the positive tests, but still, yeah, less than 24 hours, it feels pretty, pretty good.

Also, everyone, if you guys miss the big series crossover preview with Scott and Laura of Locked-on Canadians, you guys can go back and check out those episodes that came on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I'm kind of previewed out. We'll still talk a little bit about this series tonight, but it won't be like a full-on preview. So with that, Cam, I did want to say there was this cool little fun fact that I wanted to touch on, So like the Penguins record at Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto where they will be playing, as is Montreal. So the Penguins, they've played 35 games there since basically that like arena opened. And they are 15 and 15 and 5.

So a little below 500. Then when you get to Montreal, there are 24 and 25 and 1. So I think Montreal has the better overall record there. Well, they also play in Toronto, I would say more often since they're in the division. But they did go 1-0 this season at Scotia Bank Arena as the Penguins went 0-1. I thought I would put that a fun fact out there for everyone. Yeah, and it's interesting because it's almost like Toronto and Montreal have that Flyers, Penguins rivalry. So it's almost like how Sid goes to Philadelphia and usually plays well in Philadelphia.

So there's always those circumstances for players in those teams and where they play. but I think this is we're in unprecedented times. And I think, you know, I'm really not going to be looking those kind of stats because it's, there's going to be no fans in the stands. And you kind of look at, like you said, you look at baseball and what they've done over the past couple weeks here. And it's just really interesting. I mean, for some of those pitchers, it's got to be kind of weird having no fans

in the stands with the noise and everything. So what's it going to be like for the, goalies, you know, and usually there's some fans yelling out their name and all that. So it's going to be interesting to see these first couple games, how these teams acclimate to the environment. Yeah, they were pumping in some crowd noise during the exhibition games, and it was just like, okay, I mean, it just did not. It's a little weird.

It did not feel the same with all the ice also. I did not really think was that good. But, you know, it's August ice as August starts tomorrow. So, I mean, how good can you basically get with it? But, okay, another thing I wanted to get to, just with this matchup alone, is which line on Montreal is going to give the penguins, I think, the most fits in this series? I know Montreal is, of course, not as deep as the penguins. They will never be probably as deep as the penguins for a long, long time. But, I mean, their top line of Philip Dino, Thomas Tatar, and Brendan Gallagher is not to be trifle with.

I mean, I was reading the preview on The Athletic by Dom. I'm not going to try to pronounce his last name because I'll just fail at it. But, you know, all three players were in the top 30 and five on five points per 60 this season, a season according to him. They just, they dominate offensively. They're really, really good defensively. Tatar had 61 points in 68 games. I think that's going to be a challenge for the Sydney Crosby and Jake Gensel line to go out against them,

the way they just suppress shots and the way they're just in the offensive zone a lot. I just wanted to get your take on that. Well, yeah, and going off what you said, to talk, that whole one. line is the top four points getters for the for the Canadians. So that's going to be the main priority for the penguins. And I think looking at the exhibition game, although the penguins lost, I'm pretty confident that this lineup is the deepest we've had in a couple seasons. And it goes back to the fourth line and how that forechecking of that fourth line is.

And I wouldn't be surprised to see that fourth line go. against the first line in a couple shifts against Montreal. And, you know, past that first line for Montreal, I'm not too worried. Yeah, no, I agree. And that brings me honestly to, like, my next point as well is, you know, like, the chess match with Mike Sullivan and Claude Julian. And we all know what happened the last time the Penguins played a Claude Julian team in the playoffs in 2013 with the Boston Bruins where they just got utterly embarrassed.

You know, much different team now, much different coach. It's just the Mike Sullivan called Julian chess match, as I say it again, is just going to be very fascinating to watch to see what line Sullivan puts out against, you know, whatever line Julian has out there. As you said, I do think the fourth line of Aston Reese Blubertanaf may get some shifts out against the Gallagher and denote line. And, I mean, I said it also on the crossover. I mean, his, Mike Sullivan's trust only just gains more and more as that line continues to play

well and just suppress his chances in the defensive zone because they just don't get hemmed in their own zone very often. We saw in the exhibition game, they were just coming at the flyers and waves that line every single time they were on the ice. And it was just par for the course where they were just getting chances. I mean, Teddy Bluger, I thought, had a really good chance. He drew a penalty, I think, in that game. It almost could have been a penalty shot if he had like a mini breakway there, but still, it was just par for the course for that line. Whatever line they're going to go up against, they're not really going to be hemmed in their own zone a lot and I just I still think though that that Dano Gallagher to Tar line is going to be

the biggest matchup problem if there was one for the Penguins in this series just because of just how good they are and how good to tar was this season I always think Brendan Gallagher is super underrated he's very very good at just firing a lot of pucks at net he's just always been a very underrated player I think in this league no he played in 59 games this season 22 goals 43 points I mean, but before that, he was a 33 goal score last season, had 52 points. Before that, 31 goals, 54 points. Always a player. That's his course E. Fenwick percentage is about 54, 59.

This season, it was 61%, Cam. That's just, that's ridiculous. He is always just very, very good. And I think if there's one player that could potentially steal this series for them, that's not Kerry Price, I think it's Brendan Gallagher. I agree. and I wouldn't put past the Canadians. I think there's the perception by a lot of fans that Montreal, you know,

went through that rebuild. They're still going through a rebuild in my eyes. And they have a lot of veterans still on that team with playoff experience, you know, with Shea Weber and, you know, heck, even Jonathan Druins played for Tampa a couple years back. So, you know, I wouldn't put it past this team. just as an easy check-off, you know what I mean? And going back to the fourth line of the Penguins,

I'm really thankful that I got to see the training camp that was offered by the Penguins YouTube and all their social media where we got to see some of the inner squad games. And, I mean, Brandon Tanna was just, he was doing really good, I thought, in those games, along with even Sam Lafferty. And he's not in the starting lineup, but, I mean, going down the line, I could see him just pairing in that fourth line if something were to happen.

Yeah, he would be the guy that would come in, I think, if someone went down. Oh, no, for sure. Or every Rodriguez. I think Rodriguez would be first, and then it's Lafferty. Yeah. I thought Rodriguez had a pretty good camp. I think Cam tomorrow, Sullivan said that he's going to announce a starting goaltender tomorrow. It's going to be Matt Murray.

That's the last time we want to say that on this podcast until. he starts um what do you think matt murray i just i was so mad when i was going on twitter during the exhibition game and it was murray versus jari and i'm like oh my goodness it's back

it's back after four months so well it's like we've already went through the murray versus florey and here we are with murray so um it's it's murray's net and nobody can't change my mind until you know we see that lack of play from murray um it's his net he earned it and um that's all it needs to be said in my opinion yeah i i agree with that um coming up right after this break uh we're going to do the other suit all of our series predictions actually i'll have cam

though give his prediction on the canadian's penguins one since i already gave one on the crossover but so right after this we're going to have the big um just previewing all the other series all right cam so it's time let's just preview all the other series just quickly we're not going to spend all much time on it but um the first one i want to get to you know the the rangers hurricanes one that's going to be a lot of fun to watch i think that's the other one besides the penguins and the canadians that i'm going to be following really really closely um the canadians wow um the hurricanes are going to be down two of their best defenseman duggy hamilton well he might play at some point in the qualifier, but it seems a little bit unlikely right now.

Brett Peschi is probably out for the entire playoffs. But the Rangers, people I think are sleeping on them a bit, but I think their bottom six could be their undoing. But I am going to go Rangers in five for that series. I think they're going to beat Carolina. I think Artemey Panarin and Beka Zabanajad and Pavel Bucenevich are going to go off. I think their young goaltender, I will not pronounce his last name. I'm going to give it a shot.

Shestrican, I guess it's Shesterkin. I think he's going to start game one. I think he's going to have a longer leash than some may think. I know Henrik Lundquist is the backup. He's going to be trying to itch. Well, he's going to be itching to try to get into some games. My God, I cannot speak tonight, man. It's actually very interesting.

But I just, I like the Rangers in this matchup. I know Carolina's deeper. I know Ajo, Tara Vinen, stall, just so much more. It's a really, really good team. But I just, I like the Rangers top six in this one. I know they don't really have a lot. of depth and I think they're just going to go off in this series. What do you think of how that one's going to go? You know, I love seeing Carolina make that run last season. And I totally forgot it

myself, but they acquired Vincent Trochec. The season. And, you know, the Rangers definitely have Panarin and Sabinajad. And those two are unreal. And I just, there was a lot of uncertainty from the media I saw that they weren't really in it to win it. But I think Panarin really wants to win. But I just, I love Carolina and I love that team. And I really do see them winning in five. Yeah, that's like the biggest, I think, swing pick, you know. A lot of people are going to pick Carolina.

A lot of people are going to pick New York. I just, something about New York with Panarin's advantage that just makes me want to pick them. So I'm going to take the Rangers of five. but you know I think it's a coin flip man so who knows on that one um islanders panthers i'm gonna man that's just tough um i'm gonna go islanders and four on this one i'm gonna tell you why um very trots system is going to just cause a lot of problems for the panthers i know the panthers have the two best players in this series in alexander barcog and jonathan huberdo but the way the islanders stingy defensive system is i think they're going to get it done and i think varlamov will show up

I also just don't trust Sergey Bobbsky, man. He's just, he's bad. He's, playoff Bob is just not a good thing. I agree. And, you know, it's, it's a shame because Bobrovsky had that unreal year last year prior to receiving that massive contract, which is a little bit of a head scratcher. But, hey, Florida needs a goalie, I guess. So, but yeah, I do see New York winning this one with very trots.

the helm, you know. I'd say four games, too. Yeah, they should be able to take care of them, though. You never underestimate Joel Quenville. He's one of the best coaches in hockey. He's going to have the players ready to play. Toronto, Columbus. I'm going Toronto in five.

I think that series is going to go five. Something about John Toro. Again, you know, another stingy team. You know, the Blue Jackets are going to make the Leafs play these little two-one games. It's not going to be a track meat like the Leafs want it to be because the Blue Jackets. are not going to fight fire with fire. They know they can't go up against the Leafs top six, just guns ablazing, or honestly,

their whole team, to be honest. But I think it's going to be close, but I like Toronto in five, just barely. All eyes are going to be on this series in Canada, and most of the NHL, in my opinion, because this is it for Toronto, I think. This is, you know, they have all...

Lots of big ones. I mean, they signed to Veris, And, you know, I think this is a Stanley Cup caliber team, in my opinion. And it's making to break it. And I think Columbus, they were having a hell of a season in the last stretch before the whole COVID started. I see Columbus win in the series in five, in my opinion. I think there might be some playoff struggles for Toronto. that's interesting.

So I'm intrigued that you picked Columbus. I was reading Dom's preview on The Athletic. He has that series going way in Toronto's favor with his model. So I found that just pretty just a lot different than what some people are saying. Hey, you know, in Toronto, I mean, going back to the past couple of years with their troubles against Boston, even if they were to get past Columbus. And they probably will. I'm just kind of just throwing a curveball here. you know, I just, I don't see him going deep.

I don't, I don't see this team really winning it all, even though they do have the talent. I just, I don't know. Probably not. I mean, they would have to most likely go up against Boston again. I mean, they've taken Boston to seven games. That's the thing that they just can't get it done. They just can't do it. You know?

Yeah, you're right. I mean, this is, we're into Austin Matthews peak years now. He was almost won the Rocket Richard this year. I mean, William Nealander was playing well when Sheldon. Keith came in, Mitch Marner was going off, John Tavares was playing well, Zach Hyman, I mean, they have a loaded top six. I know their defensive struggles are well noted.

There's, it's just, it's bad. But I mean, Frederick Anderson, he struggled a bit this season. He was not the same goaltender as he was last season. That's going to be an interesting story, too. I think he was like barely 9-10 this season, if I'm not mistaken. So that's going to be an interesting one too.

I just, I see it as they put all, you know, put their ships all in. You know? Yeah. And, and when a team does that, all the attention is on you. And especially in Toronto, with their history, you know, so there's going to be a lot of scrutiny if something were to happen in this qualify around, I think. Yeah, no, I agree. And Cam, too, just wrap up the East.

Give me your prediction for the Pence Canadian series. Pence and four. Okay. Same as me, Cindy Crosby's birthday present. Yeah. They're going to have one game where I think that it's not going to be a sweep. It's not going to be a sweep. I think people that think the Penguins are going to sleep.

The Canadians are a little bit delusional. I think the Penguins will win this series, as I said, in the crossover. Now, moving on to the West Cam, we'll start with Chicago, Edmonton. I'm taking Edmonton in a sweep there. That's probably the only sweep that I have for my predictions. If they lose to the Blackhawks, you know, they might as well just trade Connor McDavid. That Black Hawk's team is so bad in so many ways, especially defensively. I know Patrick Kane is still awesome.

I know Alex DeBring Kid is still going to be really, really good. Oh, here comes the Jonathan Taves resurgence, as they all say. Top 100, top 100. Dominic Kubelik is really good. But, you know, Duncan Keith has fallen off now, I think. Even though I still think he's a good defense. But he's falling off. Brent Seabrook is, I mean, I don't think he's playing, but he's not that.

No, he's not. I mean, I think Cory Crawford is going to play. He is a difference maker in net. He is one of the best goaltenders. So they have the ability to win at least a game or two in that series. But I just, Edmonton is just deeper than them. They're a better team.

I think this is the most lopsided series in the qualifying. I'm taking Edmonton in the sweep. The only thing that could deter against the Oilers is Chicago's veteran leadership and playoff experience. But even then, I don't, you know, I don't see that. There's just really troubling the Oilers, you know. I agree with everything you said. but I wouldn't say a sweep.

I think it'd be Oilers and four. Okay, I got you. Yeah, I just, Connor McDavid's going to come out with a house on fire, so is Leonhardicidal. Oh, that gold McDavid had the other night in the exhibition game was... Yeah, he's ready.

He's going to kick some serious ass against the Blackhawks. I can't wait to see what he does against them. Another series can, so this one's going to be interesting. So Winnipeg versus Calgary. This one I've been going back and forth on. I'm going to take the flames in four games. I'm not confident in that because I think counter Hellebuck after carrying the Winnipeg Jets

corpses to the playoffs, he is going to try to carry their corpses to the next round. Winnipeg is an atrocious team defensively, but they do have a solid top six. I don't know, a lot of their players in their top six rebound at this season, especially Patrick Lone. I thought he had a much better season. Calgary, you know, they just got to make sure their star players showed up. They need to have the Johnny Goodrow from last year to show up in this year's playoffs

because he was not as good as he was as he was not good as good this year as he was last year. And can't wait to see Matthew Kuchuk in playoff action. That's going to be really funny. He is just an absolute minute. I'm sure you saw what he was doing in the Battle of Alberta exhibition. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Being a lunatic because, you know, that's just who he is. But Flames and Four, not confident in it, but I could definitely see Connor Helduck just carrying the Jets to the next round. Yeah, I'm a huge Mark Shifley fan, and I think he's pretty underrated, in my opinion. And I like Patrick Lainey, but to go off what you said, this Flames team, I love this Flames team, and I think they're going to be the better team in this matchup. And I'm kind of rooting for the Flames Oilers matchup, heading down, maybe potentially down in the tournament. but yeah i'd say flames and four

i'd go off what you say all we need all we need is a battle of alberta playoff series just to see connor mcdain go up against them and then matthew kachuk just pissing off zach cassian i'll just i'd be here that would be amazing i would be yeah that'd be awesome so epic um let's oh this is this one i've also been going back and forth on you know Vancouver minnesota i think minnesota is more underrated than people seem to realize Their top six is also pretty good. Their top four on their defense is absolutely ridiculous.

You know, Jared Spurgeon is one of the best defense from the league. Ryan Suter is still doing good. Mac Dumba is really, really good still. Jonas Brodeen has always been underrated for a long time. But, you know, Eric Stahl had that quite, he had quite a resurgence when he went to Minnesota. He's just been awesome ever since he got there. But also, Cam, Kevin Fiala, I mean, he was, I think, the Wilde's best player this season. be ready to be blown away by some of these stats came.

So he had a career high, 54 points in 64 games. That's a 69 point pace, which is very, very nice. After the All-Star break, you know, 26 points in 19 games. Reading, you know, Dom's article in The Athletic, he was third on the team in points per 60 at 2.17. I mean, this just came out of nowhere for him. So the Wilde do have a good team and they were playing well under their new head coach. it's just their goal-tending, I think, is just going to get in the way of a lot of things. You know, Stalock and Dubnaker, which is really not that good.

And I'm going to take Vancouver in four. Quinn Hughes is just, I could watch Quinn Hughes all day. I think he's absolutely incredible. You know, Elias Pedersen, I think he's the best player in the series. He's going to be absolutely incredible. You know, J.T. Miller, Tyler Toffoli. You can put Brock Besser on your second line. I know Alex Edler is still there, but, you know, Jacob Markstrom had a really good season for

Vancouver, I just think they're deeper than Minnesota. I think their best players are going to show up more than the Wilds ones are, and I think Vancouver is going to advance here. Yeah, I do see Vancouver winning this one, but I just want to go on and talk about Minnesota, and they almost kind of remind me of the Western Conference version of Montreal, because they have that mix of a lot of young players and that veteran presence. And, hey, once you're in this tournament, anything can happen, you know? And I did say Vancouver, so I'll say Vancouver in five.

I think for some reason, the wild will take them to five games. And it's always the peak wild, you just take everyone to five games or seven games, and then they just lose it. So, you know, they're supposed to be the wild I've been doing in the Zach Bresay, Ryan Suter era. One more now, Cam, we got the Predators and the Coyotes. I'm taking Nashville and five in this one. I think Arizona's going to give them a hell of a fight. I think Taylor Hall is going to play his ass off.

But, I mean, I think the predators are just too much here for Arizona. I know the predators were not having the best season, but whatever who they were, they decided to start. It's Pecorina, UC Soros. They're going to get it done. And I think Victor Robertson, Philip Forsberg, Ryan Johan are going to show up in a big way. And I think Roman Yosey, who could very, very well win the Norris.

He is going to also show up, too. I just think Nashville is just the better team here, and I think it's going to be close. Like I said, Arizona is going to give them everything they have. Rick Tocke is a really, really good coach. He gets a lot out of his team, but it's going to be National in five. Hey, Phil Kessel is technically back in the playoffs. Yet again, and playoff Phil is a different player. He can play.

But Nashville is just deeper. and, you know, I love the goalie tandem they have too, and I think they'll do well in this round. So I'd say Nashville and four. Nashville and four, okay, yeah. So we agreed on most of them, but we did disagree on some of the much, you know, I liked, you know, that's always very, very good.

Hey, I had to throw that curveball in Toronto. Yeah, yeah. You got to be a little different. Hey, mine was kind of the Rangers one. I think more people will pick Carolina, but I still think a lot of people will pick the, the Rangers one. But I will say there's going to be one of these ones where it's be like, yeah, it's going to be that team.

I feel like there's going to be an upset somewhere. And it's going to be, everyone's going to be like the Columbus Tampa series. It's just going to be like, really? I know. Really? Really. It is going to be funny. But before we do go, Cam, just a couple mailbag questions to answer.

You actually asked one. So thank you very much. What's my favorite goal from the 2019-20 season? on that's definitely the Fgeny Malkin move on John Carlson, where he just turned them into a pee-wee hockey player. I think John Carlson should lose the Norris just based on that. He lost his liquor license. And that was just, that's my favorite goal easily from the season.

And then Alan T. Yoder, who is your favorite Penguins player not named Sidney Crosby of Gennie Malkin or Chris LaTang? That's a good one. I'm honestly going to go with Jake Gensel. I think that's kind of maybe the obvious. answer to a bunch of people but I just, I love watching Jake Play. I loved how he just came into his own and just,

you know, it wasn't a product of Cindy Crosby as a lot of people like to say and some still do say it, which is absolutely ridiculous to this day. Jake Gensel is a elite winger on his own right. So that'll conclude today's episode, Cam, unless you have anything to say at the end.

No, I'm just ready to grab a beer tomorrow and watch all these games. I'm excited. Yeah, man. Hey, thanks for having me again. It's always a pleasure. Yeah, no, I'm glad I brought you on. We'll have you on at some point down the road here, you know, probably after the qualifying

round. But yeah, man, thank you so much for coming on. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. It was a little hard to record on Friday night as, you know, just basically we're all just starting all over the place, but you know what, whatever. We'll be back next week with episodes, you know, breaking it all down for you guys right here on Locked On Penguins with the series against the Canadians. So keep it right here.

Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend. Watch a lot of hockey. Drink a lot. Stay safe, please. And wear a mask. Yes, wear a mask, please, too. Social distance. And I will see you all next week.