Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - It's a MUST WIN game for the Penguins tonight!

Episode Date: March 9, 2023

It's a HUGE game day on Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins will play host to the New York Islanders. Hunter first touches on the practice lines from Wednesday and why Alex Nylander should continue getting a run in the lineup to see what he has. It certainly beats trotting out Jeff Carter every game even though all he does is take faceoffs. Where should Nylander slot in? Is he good enough to be in the top six? Hunter ponders those questions before he shouts out Mike Sullivan for changing up the defensive pairings...at least a little bit. He likes seeing Dumoulin off the top pair and predicts whether he will work with Jeff Petry. He also likes what he's seen from Pettersson and Letang before he gets a bit more nervous thinking about Kulikov and Rutta. Are both of them weak links on defense? Should the third pair be Joseph-Ruhwedel? Hunter analyzes that before previewing the game against the Islanders. How can the Penguins finally beat this team? What do they need to improve on? How have the Islanders changed their identity in recent weeks? Hunter answers all of those questions before ending the show with some news about PPG Paints Arena and a fascinating comment from Brian Burke on Mikael Granlund.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.Athletic GreensTo make it easy, Athletic Greens will give you a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NHLNETWORKFanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) 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.

Good morning. Happy Thursday to you all. Big day for the Pittsburgh Penguins Day. A massive matchup against New York Islanders. But first, is Alex Neelander going to be in the lineup tonight? Should he be in the lineup tonight over song like Jeff Carter? We're going to get into that. Plus, all of the other lines and defensive pairings that you will expect to see for this game coming up right after this drop. You're 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 Locked-on Penguins podcast I'm of course your host Hunter Hodes and follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes follow the shows Twitter at Analyst for Penguins and of course thank you all so much

for making this your first list to the day we are free and available on all platforms rocked a different shirt for the YouTube audience today my very OG shadow of Mordor shirt and yes that is a great game if you have non-downloaded that or played it This is just a little first of the two Lord of the Rings games.

Anyways, getting a little off track. But Penguins Islanders tonight, 7.08 p.m. face off, 18T Sports Net for those in Pittsburgh, MSG for those in New York. Obviously, people that watch on ESCAM Plus, if you're not blacked out. One of the biggest games of the season, you have to beat this team. We'll preview that in just a second. But let's look at the lines that you will expect to see Penguins had a full practice on Wednesday. Apologies for not game episode up. just a couple of things popped up, which, you know, I apologize on.

I don't really like missing episodes. It's just very annoying that that happened, but we're back early today. Change of plans. I'll be recapping the game for my Friday episode while also previewing the weekend to come against Philadelphia in New York. But, you know, we did see a little bit of some different lines. Kind of, kind of yesterday. So Penguins had the full practice, and it was Gensel-Zel-Zuckermanalk-and-Rust.

O'Connor was on the left wing with Danton-Hinen. alongside McKeile-Granlon with Jeff Carter and Alex Nealander, Ryan Paling with Danton Hine on the left wing, and then Benino and Josh Archibald. Let's just stick with the Ford. So top six is going to remain the same. There is no reason to touch that. Now, bottom six, I like Drew Connor on the left wing.

Granlin at center, I don't really know how much it's going to truly move the needle. It is good that they have moved Carter to the wing because I think at this point in his career, yeah, he's very washed. but if you're going to play him, that's the spot to play him. He was getting reps with Alex Nealander there. Mike Sullivan was talking very glowingly of him after practice. That said, I probably would not expect to see him in the lineup tonight, especially with Grambling back from being sick.

And congratulations to Brian Russ and his wife on the birth of their second child. So he is also going to be back in the lineup for this game. But should Neelander be scratched, though? No. And again, I am not this massive Alex Neelander fanboy slash Sint slash whatever you want to call you. There's a interesting segment in the Penguins fan base that is very crazy about him. Don't really know why. I guess just because people think he's going to be the next Brian Russ or Jake Gensel.

Hint, he's probably not. I think those are just a dime a dozen. And those are the exception, not the norm. But I think this is still a player that can help this. team. Maybe not to level that they have since they came up from Wilkesbury. I know they were obviously developed in house. But you see where I'm going. I thought he played very well. Last game, it was a good debut. He had his first point with the Penguins, fired a lot of good shots on net, played well defensively. I think his expected goal share was almost 80%. His shot

attempt share was well over 50 to 60%. He took shifts with Afghani Malkin, Jason Zucker. Very promising debut. But it's probably going to come out of cost because, again, they had to run 11 and 7. You're going to get a couple forwards back who couldn't play. You're going to stop out a defense him, which I'll get you in a second. He's probably going to be on the next bus ride back to Wilkesbury. That said, I would still get him a little bit of leeway, and I would still bench Carter, but I also know that's not going to happen because they are, for some reason, very infatuated by Carter. At this point, Carter really only does well with face-offs. I think that's the only that he can consistently do at least a decent job of at this point in his career.

They put him out there for overtime face-offs. That's been a new wrinkle. They've been winning a lot more overtime games, so I'll take that. Otherwise, he sometimes wins them at five-on-five. He's not scoring. He's not producing any assists. He's not playing well defensively. He's a black hole out there.

But, you know, they don't see it that way. It's both the management's fault and as the coaching staff. So, you know, Mike Sullivan still deploys Jeff Carter like he's Patrice Berserun out there. And that's a problem. I'm sorry, like that is. You know, he is in his late 30s at this point. What are we doing here, people? But I would really like to see Neelander play in these games.

And just give him a run up in the top six. You know, you can move Russ down to the third line. And, you know, I'm not really sure how big of a difference it's going to make. But you also, just why not? You know, you've won five out of six. You're in the playoff race. He just had a good game. see what he can do for a full game with Jason Zucker and of Guinea-Malking.

I really don't think the Penguins have anything to lose there in that sort of situation. I don't really think it's going to make like a massive impact in terms of them winning versus losing. I think if anything, it improves their odds to win more than it does to lose. And Rust, you know, that also helps out Granland and someone like Hinen or O'Connor down there because, you know, Russ is a playmaker, can also score Granland, a little bit more of a playmaker. he can dish the puck to rust or o'connor who's been playing well lately i think that kind of line would make a lot of sense but you know i know they stripped two-thirds of that makeshift their line with mcgin carter and capitan but they just won't do it with carter because the loyalty the respect

you know he's been the league a long time got it got it yeah it's very annoying it's stupid but um that's that's how i say at least i i would put him in there the coaching staff spoke very glowingly of him. I mean, even Brian Burke last night, if I scroll up here, on my, on my Twitter here, and if I can, let me just get this quote for you all. And, geez, I know it's the wrong quote. He was speaking about, yeah, here's the quote. He said, we were very pleased with his progress as a player. Brian Burke said this, and has not been as fast as maybe we have liked, but it's been steady, and he's really turned into a complete hockey player. Last night, we were awful, but we were all awful. After that,

we play well and Alex is part of that he played very well. I am not sure how long he's going to stay right now because we have roster and cap issues. We're all trying to find the guy who did this, Brian Bergen-R-Hex-Dall. It might be a brief stay, but we don't know yet, but he certainly acquitted himself well and he's earned a second shot if he does get sent back. He'll get another shot, I think. That should tell you all you need to know. It's going to get sent back down in pretty short order.

It should not be happening. He should be playing over Carter and maybe a couple other players. It stinks that that's going to be the case. you know, it's, I'm glad that they have some more youth in the lineup, someone that, you know, it's just a new face. And again, you know, maybe he does surprise me and he turns into next Brian Ross or something, very doubtful because he's 25 years old at this point in his career. But also, I just, you know, if he can turn into a productive bottom six player, I will count that as a win. And I'll probably still take the L because I didn't even think he was going to be that when he got traded for San Lafferty.

So, you know, really good start. wish we were going to see more of it. I don't think he's going to play tonight. We'll have to see. But, you know, the fact that they have to send him down due to roster and cap constraints, wow, it's almost like, again, we're trying to, it's the banana man. I mean, we're trying to find a guy who did this, right? Other stuff from the lines that we saw.

So Mike Sullivan did change up the defensive pairing. So Marcus Pedersen with Chris Latang, Brian Duman with Jeff Petrie, Jim Chukulikov with Jan Ruda, Pio, Joe. Joseph with Chatterbeedle. My thoughts. I like that Pedersen is back with Latang. I do get that Pedersen Petrie has been one of the best second pairings in the league this year. I think they've actually been one of the best pairings overall. Underline numbers support it. They have been electric. If I can actually, if I can try to load that up here on Moneypunk just real quickly, try to find the analytics for this. Do, do, do, do, do if I can actually try to navigate this website,

which I don't know if I'm going to be able to. I know in terms of overall, you know, parings, okay, just defense-in-pairs only, yes. Yeah, that's the Pedersen-Ruda pairing. That's not Pedersen-Petri. Peders-N-Petri, they ranked, they played 498 minutes at 5-on-5 this season. They have an expected goals rate of 55% expected goal.

So that is very, and I mean very, very, very, Good. Expected goals for per 60, 3.3. Again, another strong number of expected goals against per 60 minutes, 2.66. So very, very strong numbers. I know you hate to see it broken up, but they want to give Dumlin some less minutes because, you know, he probably can't play top minutes at this point in screen. And he's also been struggling a little bit more. As of late Pedersen and Let's hang have played well this season. The fact that Pedersen Ruta is up there in terms of, if I can just get this here, yeah. The fact that they are up there in terms of expected goals just goes to show how much Pedersen has carried Yon Ruta this season because with every other defenseman, Jan Ruda has been total crap. And, you know, with Dumolin, we all know Jumlin Ruta has been a disaster.

I don't, you know, Duma Littang has not been really that much better. It's been maybe a little bit better, but, and you're splitting hairs. Let's see how he does with Petrie. That's maybe Jeff Petrie can. carry him as well. Kulukov, Ruda, I think you're just asking for a bad time. I was not particularly impressed with Yon Ruda's play in that game. On Tuesday, I thought he was horrendous. He was giving away goals like they were pieces of candy on Halloween. Hopefully he'll improve for this game. And then the same for Kulokov wasn't really too impressed with him. I don't

think he did anything offensively. Defensively, he was kind of a little bit of a wreck in his own zone. Maybe for some first game jeners, who knows, they'd want to get him acquitted with the system. we'll have to see, but wasn't really impressive either of them. And it's unfortunate that it looks like if they're going to go 12-6-2 tonight, that P.O. Joseph is going to be left out because I thought he played. Well, and I don't think he deserves to be sitting right now. But that does it for this first segment coming up in the second segment, how can the Penguins finally defeat the Islanders tonight?

I'm going to touch on that. But before we get to all that, it's time to touch on Vandul, the official sports betting partner of logged on. The midway point in the NBA season is here. and now is the perfect time to download Fandul, America's number one sportsbook, because new customers get a no-swet first bet up to $1,000. That has bonus bets back if your first bet does not win.

Just download the Fandul Sportsbook app. It saves a security for easy to use. Then you can bid on everything from the money line to point scores and three-drain, plus Fandul even let you combine your bets for a chance at a bigger payout with a same game parlay. So don't miss a chance to get your no-swept-first bet up to $1,000. In bonus bets, when you go to Fandle.com slash locked-on.

That's Fandul.com slash locked-on or more. Make every moment more with Fandu, the official sports betting partner of the NBA, and Lockdown. All right. I'm back here on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm of course your host. Hunter Hodes. I want to follow me on Twitter. Hunter Hodes.

Follow the shows, Twitter, and Lorner's for Penguins. Of course, thank you all so much for making this year first. Listen, on the day, we are free and available on all platforms. So Penguins Islanders tonight, the final meeting of the season. They're probably not going to play in the playoffs. And the Islanders have swept the season series so far as all three wins. Penguins should have won the last two if they would have gotten a save from anyone. And the Islanders lately, they are playing some much better hockey.

And I think that's due to them getting back to their system. You know, ever since they do the Penguins on February 20th, they beat the Jets 2 to 1, the loss of the Kings 3-2. They beat the Jets 4-0 again. Lost to the Wild 2-1, beat the Red Wings 4-1, and then they just beat the Sabres. They have gone back to that very boring identity that we all saw in the very trots era, where they're just kind of trapping or sitting back. letting you make mistakes, playing their very defensive-minded system,

and that is the reason why they have gotten really into the playoff race. Now, actually, might be one of the favorites to sneak into the playoffs season because Buffalo and a lot of the other teams behind them are not playing as well as good of hockey right now. Penguins are going to have to be patient tonight. They can't be running and gunning against this team, especially with how they've been playing lately. It's weird that the Islanders are doing this, especially without Jean-Gabriel Pazzo and Matt Barsell. I mean, Barzell is their best offensive player.

they are winning games without him and I mean I'm stunned by it like he is a lot of their offensive identity and the fact that they are winning all these games it goes to show that you know how everyone knows their role in that system Beau Horbat has been awesome since coming over you know

Anders Lee's been good Zach Perise Brock Nelson's having another very good season this team is playing well and this is going to be a very tough game for the Penguins to win you look at their lines Anders Lee with Bo Horvett and Pierre Engball.

Engball just came over from the Maple Leafs and the trade deadline. Zach Parise, Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmeri. Nelson, massive penguin killer. He does it every game against them. He scored in all three games against them this season. You know,

in terms of Jordan Everly, he's probably not quite there, but he's rushed us behind him. Parise has also killed the Penguins of his career. Paul Mary, I feel like has as well. Matt Martin, Casey Zizicus, Hudson Fashling, excuse me, he's one of their new players this season.

Simon Holmshund Otto Coyvula and then Josh Bailey on the fourth line. Bailey is also a penguin killer. Adam Pelick, Scott Mayfield, Alexander Romano, Ryan Pulock, Sebastian Hawtho, Noah Dobson, and then goaltending-wise, Ilya Sorokin, Seroq and Semyon-Varlamov. I do think Ilya Sorokin is going to get the start in this one. This is a huge game. You cannot get swept by a team that you are in direct competition with for a playoff spot this season.

that would obviously look really bad. And also, you know, I don't think the islanders are truly that good. The Penguins have brutally outplayed them in two of the meetings this season. You have to get the saves. I understand that Ilya Sorokin has been a thorn in the Penguins side ever since he really made his debut against him in the playoffs just a few seasons ago. But, you know, they played well enough against him in the meetings this season, at least in two of them, where they deserve wins.

They put four on him in the second meeting where they had the two-goal lead, not once but twice. Even in the second meeting, he was playing good, but you still had that two-to-one lead heading into the third period, and then Tristan gave it away because his conditioning was not that good, and he gave up a couple of goals that he should not have given up. You have to get the saves. I do expect Tristan to get back in the net tonight. He has to do better than he was on Tuesday against Columbus. He gave up at least one goal, the fourth one against the Blue Jackets.

I did not really like it all, just a shot that can cannot go in. Honestly, the first one I didn't really like either. I thought he was too slow with his movement of frost. The other two, I'm not really going to fault him. I thought the penguins are really horrendous defensively there. But he needs to play a lot better in this one. The penguins also, again, have to be patient. The Islanders right now, they're not giving, you know, much in the way of schooling chances to the opposition.

You know, when you get one, you better make sure to finish it because Sorokin is not going to give you a lot of freebies. he has been awesome this season. One of the best goaltenders in the league probably is going to be a Vez and a trophy finalist. You have to make sure when you get good scoring chances. You don't try to overpass, try to be too cute, just fired on net, get traffic in front of them. Do what you did in that second matchup.

You got four goals on him because you're getting traffic in front of them and you're making it impossible for him to make saves. You have to do that. And, of course, get better goaltending. I want to see the special teams improve. They have been so freaking bad this season. even the power play at home lately has just been dreadful. I don't care that they scored on that four on three overtime goal.

They were looking terrible on it before then. Cindy Crosby put more in that slab shot than I think I've seen him put into a shot all season. I'm just saying something because I think he puts a lot into his shots. But, you know, penalty can lead to better. They've given up 21 goals in the last 21 games. That's with Teddy Bougar people, even before he got traded. And it was not doing a goddamn thing. needs you better because even the Islander's power play is honestly not that good.

So those are my main keys. I want to see my Kyle Grinlin actually show up. First couple of games. I mean, first game was okay. He actually had Jeff Carter above 60% in terms of course and expected goals. But, you know, second game, shrug a little bit. Let's see how he does it center here if he does indeed play at center. But, you know, in terms of the playoff race, these are games.

half to win. And I'm going to touch on this actually just a second. Penguins just announced that they are going to be making $30 million of upgrades. The PPG Paints Arena will touch on that coming up in the next segment. I'm going to load that up on my phone. But again, with where the penguins are in the playoff race, right now, heading into tonight, March 9th, 2023, penguins have three games in hand on the islanders, the one point behind them, behind the penguins. Panthers, three points.

Penguins have two games a hand on them. So if the Penguins win those two games, they are seven points up on the Panthers. But behind them, Buffalo, Ottawa, five points. So is Washington. The Red Wings, six points behind them. The Red Wings came back to beat the Blackhawks on Wednesday. You've got to win this game, especially to avoid Boston, to show that you cannot get swept by a team that you are in direct competition for.

And again, the Islanders, I am sorry. I really do not think they are that good of a team, especially without Matt Barzell. J.G. Pajor is not fair. I don't think he's going to play tonight, but we'll have to see. I think he's been getting closer to return. But, you know, this is a game you have to win in terms of the playoff race. So in terms of some other numbers against the Islanders, Penguins, four and three and one in their last seven games against the Islanders,

they're eight and four and one also in their last 13 against the Islanders. They've also won five over the last six games at home against the Islanders. Obviously, the one loss being in regulation. They also only have five regulations. losses in their last 20 matchups versus the Islanders, the Ineact of 2020. So it's funny. They actually do play well against, decently well against the Islanders,

except just this season where they've just, they've like forgotten how to play against them for some oddly divine reason. But that's what I have for this segment. Those are my main keys for this one. How do you think they can make the Islanders tonight? Let me know down in the comments or you can send me a DM on social media. Coming up in the final segment, we're going to get to a couple of other comments made by Brian Burke about

Michael Granlin in the acquisition that he spoke on with Wilkes for his broadcast on Wednesday. Plus, the upgrades that are coming to PVG Paints Arena, stay tuned for that coming up right after this commercial, right? All right. We're back here on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I am your host, Honour Hodes. You're going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter, and Lawrence for Penguins.

And, of course, thank you all so much for making this your first list in the day. So let's start with the plans for $30 million of, $30 million of upgrades to PPP's Pins Arena. I have the email right in front of me. So they say highlighting the team's plans are the addition of two new bunker suites at ice level and an all-inclusive VIP event level club to provide premium experiences for hockey fans and concert guests. So basically, you know, an all-new VIP event level, two new bunker suites, construction is then to begin this off-season and it will be ready before the start of next season.

Also, the team plans to build two additional bunker suites next to Penguins Runway. and bench Jason to the Suite 66, which is for Mario Lemieux. These improvements will offer premium lower bowl seating as well as dining and entertainment space, full-service bars and private restrooms. All three seats will have an exclusive view of areas outside the Penguins Lockroom on the event level. I am sure those are going to be very pricey. If you like to get on that, you can do that heading into next season. In addition, the team is building a new, all-inclusive VIP event-level club

located in the Penguins Devon-Taxon with access to Section 109 for hockey games and special premium seating next to the stage for concerts. This can, I'll comment up to 300 people. Again, I am sure this is going to be very, very expensive. Capping off the improvements is the investment to upgrade the entire in-game entertainment technology system at PPG paints Arena. These improvements include a new 50 by 33-foot, state-of-the-art center hung scoreboard, about twice as large as the existing scoreboard, new ribbon boards, sound system, control them, and content management system.

These improvements include financial support from the arena's own. sports exhibition authority and are targeted to enhance the overall fan experience so brand new scoreboard that is going to be really cool as long as it's not as big as the Dallas Cowboys one down at uh Fort Worth I think we're looking fine there but those are some pretty cool upgrades that are coming to pbg paints arena they're investing a lot in them let me know what you all think down the comments and um in my DMs if you want to talk about that now finally to end the show some comments made by Brian Burke last night on the Wilkesbury Scranton broadcast.

So he spoke a lot about just the trade deadline overall. He spoke about Demetri Kulikov. He said, we needed to add a depth defenseman and Kulikov as a guy who's had a great career. Not a great, not just a great career or a good career, but he's had a little, that was a weird quote, but he's had a little renaissance the last year and a half or so.

He's played a lot of let a block and really picked up. We think, okay, you know, whatever. I'm not really going to drive, I think, too much into that. So I'll go on Nick Menino, said a lot of good stuff about him. And then this was the money quote here. Michael Granlin was a guy we tried to get last year. First off, thank God they did not get him last year

because they probably would not have been able to go get Ricard Raquel, which would have stung where this team be right now and honestly last season without Raquel. He continues. Everyone says it makes your bottom six fours better. I think it makes sure top seven fours better. We view him, this is the money quote. We view him as a top six guy that can help out.

He could do any job on a hockey team. That is my reaction to that. A baseball. I am sorry. I like Mikhail Gremlin. I think he is a very fine player. To say that he is a top six player on a contending team right now is flat out laughable. He's not.

I understand he had 64 points in 80 games last season. That is totally fine. But, you know, if you go to evolvinghockey.com and you look at some of these numbers, If you do the last 237 in games by data going back from this season, ass season, and the year before, you know, he ranked in the sixth percentile for overall 37 percentile for even strength offense, the second percentile for even strength defense. If you look at goals above replacement minus three, which is not good for even straight defense, even for even strength offense, not even about one.

Penalties he draws a little bit, power play offense. he can give you a little bit on the second unit. But, you know, this has been a player in decline for the last couple of seasons. Again, I understand he had good production last year. But, I mean, he also played with Matt Duchay, Philip Forsberg, and Roman Yossi. If your production isn't good with those guys, I mean, that would be even more concerning, to be honest. So it's just he is not a top six guy anymore. He, his passability is obviously very good.

he's not a shooter. His defense stinks. He's making $5 million per year for the next two more years. I don't know how you can say that guy is the top six player in this league at this point. I think that's a very laughful statement. And I think that shows that the Penguins' player evaluation process is very, very on. Say, please. And you know, it's only been two games.

See how he plays tonight? It's just, I don't know about that one, Berkey. I really don't know about that one. I think you could have gotten someone a little bit better. That is fine, you know, money-wise. I really think the game is starting to pass both Brian Burke and Ron Hextel-Wy. If they're saying stuff that they still think he's a top six player, I mean, that's just not accurate to the slightest.

Good third-liner at this point in his career. I think that's fair to say. I don't think he's a fourth-liner. I think that's maybe a little unfair, but third-liner is fine. To say he's a second-line winger on this kind of team with how this top-six is, it's not true. don't know all. But that's really all he had to say in terms of those comments.

You know, we'll have to see how he does. He's playing center. It looks like tonight. I mean to see how that goes. But that does it for this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. Really appreciate all of you listening. Again, apologies after a couple of things came up for Wednesday. I don't really like missing episodes.

I've been really good the last few weeks about not missing any. That's not going to be the case moving forward. For a Friday's episode, we will fully recap the game against the Islanders. See if they can get that big, big win. and it will also preview a big weekend ahead, Flyers game on Saturday afternoon, and then a massive game against the New York Rangers. Penguins, only six points behind the Rangers right now.

Penguins can get the result tonight. In winning regulation, I'm looking, making sure who the Rangers, because the Rangers do play tonight as well. And if the Rangers lose to the Canadians in regulation, Penguins all of a sudden be four points back of that. And if we go to Saturday, the Rangers will play Buffalo. Penguins with the Flyers and the Rangers lose to the Sabres in regulation, all of a sudden the penguins are two points behind the Rangers

heading into that game on Sunday. Again, maybe it's a little bit unlikely to happen because the Rangers played Buffalo and Montreal in these next two games. I wouldn't have to soon. They'll get at least a point, if not two. I have had that. But, you know, crazy things have happened.

Could the penguins be two points back at the Rangers going into that game? We'll have to see. But these are big games. You know, it's crunch time. We got a month to the playoffs. Every game is important. It really, you know, comes to a head tonight.

Gotta be the Islanders. Half to win, especially in regulation. You win that game, you go a point up. Still got three games in hand on them. Huge for the payments. Again, thank you all so much for listening. Really appreciate it. I'll be back on Friday as we'll recap the game and preview the weekend.

Have a great rest of your day.