Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins-10/11/2019- Ducks Game Recap

Episode Date: October 11, 2019

In this episode, Hunter goes through the game against the Ducks and recaps the Penguins 2-1 win to get back to .500 on the season. He also looks at the performances of Sidney Crosby and John Marino during the game and looks ahead a little bit to the game against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.  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 and welcome to the newest edition episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Of course, I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Be sure to follow the podcast on Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. And please feel free to subscribe to it on Apple or Spotify. And to kick things off to this episode, we are talking about the penguin's second win of the season coming up a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks last night. night in Pittsburgh to finish off their four-game homestand open the season before a back-to-back

which starts tomorrow night and Sunday in Minnesota and Winnipeg. They'll play their Winnipeg judge for the second time in less than a week, believe it or not. And there's a lot to like out of this game. A lot to like. I guess let's just get right into it. Cindy Crosby. What else can you really say about Sidney Crosby? He was his usual self last night.

because right now the penguins are really a one-line team with four or five of their top-nine wingers out, top nine, not forward's out, I should say. There's not a lot of scoring depth on their bottom three lines. Those lines really don't scare you, especially with Ganyi Malki and Nick Bukestead out, two of their centers, Al-Kalcena, Brian Rust. But Cindy Crosby, he brought it last night

and he was all over the ice. Mike Sullivan after the game called in the best 200-foot player in the league. he's up there that's for sure he's definitely in my top five for that category he was good defensively but offensively of course is where his game is the best and he brought it like I said the first penguin's goal came on that power play it was that vintage Chris LaTang Sidney Crosby shot tip shot yeah shot past tip basically

Latang shoots it right to Crosby's stick and he tips it past Gibson and make it one nothing they've done that so many times throughout their both of their careers. I've honestly lost count of how many times it's happened. I believe that's how they won their opening game last season against the Capitals. It was a shot tip pass in overtime. That was that crazy 7-6 game over Washington.

I think that was the first game for the Penguins after they got eliminated by the Capitals in the previous spring. But yeah, they practiced that, played routinely in practice. There's videos all over Twitter or YouTube of that going on. a nice play. I was a great play. And then, of course, for the game-winning goal, on Dominic Simone

got the puck up. I know that's probably going to piss off some some of the Penguins fans, but, you know, he had a really good game. He got the puck to Crosby, and Crosby just, he did the rest. He shrugged past Josh Manson like it was new

tomorrow, and Manson was all over him for a little bit. And then Crosby, just a beautiful backhand dish to Jake Ensel, who gets his first goal of the season for the Penguins. And it came at about just before the eight-minute mark of the third period. It came at about, I think it was 737 mark of the period. And, yeah, it was, I'm actually, I probably watched this replay so many times.

Simone just got the puck to Crosby. Like I said, shrugs off Manson, and then just dishes it from just about the goal line. And Gensel just buries the past Gibson, and he had no chance on that. And that was the deciding goal. And the Penguins, they played, I wanted to say they played a lot better defensively. We'll get to a special someone in the next segment, golf John Reno. But this was so much of a better game defensive for the Penguins. They were, especially for the Schultz-Peterson pairing.

They were seeing the ice better. They were making better decisions. They weren't getting carved in their own zone. I wrote an article for Last World on Hockey today. talking about how that Perry needs to be a lot better. It was a big step in the right direction. I was reading Josh Yoey's recap piece. It looked like the Penguins only gave up about, I think, I'm trying to find where he said it.

I know Matt Murray had 31 saves on 32 shots. That was a big rebound game for him. Much better from Murray. a lot of the scenes he really didn't have to like I guess work for them I know the goal he gave up I really wasn't a big fan of it but I think he was kind of screened a little bit as well which was also not good but the penguins they really did not give up a lot of odd man rushes they pinched at the right time especially for the defenseman

um Sullivan actually had a really good quote after the game or is this morning basically um Sullivan said you know that's three games games in a row where we've kept our scoring chances against a very reasonable number, and more importantly, the grade A scoring chances, we've limited those three games in a row that gives our team a chance to win on any given night, regardless of who is in the lineup. Yep, I mean, that basically sums it up, Mike. There's a reason why Sullivan is one of the best coaches in hockey, and, you know, he was most likely very displeased with the Sabres game, and, of course, I think the Jets game still

he had to have been displeased. They gave up a little more than they should have, but like I said, the Ducks really did not have any grade A scoring chances. I mean, like I said, their only goal came on probably a C grade chance maybe, because it was just a bad angle shot that went past Murray. I mean, other than that, I really couldn't find too many other plays where the Ducks just had a lot of good chances. I know Murray made that awesome jersey save.

Got a little lucky with the bounce, but still, Murray, just such a much better performance from him. Sullivan, like I say, wants to play with, he play with Instructure, that he wants them. And, you know, also, I think, like, this is kind of, like, the hockey that I think he wants them to play with all these injuries, you know. The Penguins cannot play this high-risk style that they're used to playing with all their forwards, healthy, all their defense and healthy. Not when Hengen-Malkin is her and at Bukestead.

You have to simplify your game. You have to play much stingier defense. And, like, does it seem boring a little bit? Yeah, yeah. I'll be the first to say it. Yeah, it does. But you know what? That's the way they're going to have to play for now.

I mean, you know, they're not going to play like the 1999 devils here. I mean, come on. Like, this isn't the trap that they're going to play. But they are going to have to play much dingier defense. Kind of like how the Islanders did last season, you know. That was honestly the one of their biggest reasons why they made the playoffs and why, of course, their goaltending was absolutely outstanding. I finally did find it in Josh's article.

They were guilty of nine giveaways. Like I said, still in the right direction. It's a better number than in comparison to the first game of the season where they actually, I believe, have like 17 gigaways against the Sabres. And many more odd man rushes. But like I said, it was just a night and day performance from the Winnipeg game. It was the game that Penguins had to have. And the players even said so in Josh's article.

Josh wrote a great article. Even Chris LaTang said, you know, this was good. We needed this win. And, yeah, I mean, like, all of the Nino said, we played smart. And that's basically all you need to, all you need to say, yeah, Latang even said, I thought we played a good defensive game tonight. This was, I think, Chris LaTang's best game of the season. He was a bit off those first three games.

Oh, well, I thought the Columbus game, he wasn't too bad. But I feel like he wasn't his normal Chris LaTang self, maybe those couple of games. But he really got back to it tonight. Him and Brian Duman were awesome. That pairing needs to be awesome going forward. I'm sure they will be. Most of their games will be good. And like I said, the Schultz-Peterson pairing finally and finally showed a pulse against the Ducks that were much better offensively.

Justin Schultz, you know, like I said, they need to get more out of him. He needs to find his game back. I mean, he's playing with a much better partner in Marcus Pedersen than Jack Johnson. And yeah, but overall, this was just a much better clean win for the, penguins tonight. All right. So, so for you guys want to hear more about Vivid Seats, it's an online event ticket marketplace dedicated to providing fans of live entertainment with experiences that can

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You couldn't really make a lot of generalizations about him. You couldn't really look at his game. They played seven defensemen against Winnipeg still. I'll die on that hell that. It's so stupid to do that. I thought he looked fun in that game, but tonight, wow. It definitely looks, I mean, tonight, of course, last night. Wow.

The Penguins look like they really like him. Sean Gentile also wrote a great article for the athletic. Shout out to him. The Penguins really like this kid. I still don't know what Edmonton did not see in this kid, but there's a lot to like about him. He was great in his defensive zone tonight. He made a play. He denied a zone entry that I don't think I've ever seen Jack Johnson and Eric

Grayinson do as their time as a penguin. It was just a simple play. The ducks, they were trying to get it in the zone, and Marino just stepped up and punched it out, and it went right back into the opposing blue line. It was just a great play by Marino. It's almost like, wow, like this is what happens, what a mobile guy with good hockey sense and good puck-moving skills

came to your defense. needs to keep playing every single game. You've got to see what you have in this kid. And with him playing now two games in a row, I think that there's going to be trade speculation. I mean, if there wasn't already, of course, Jack Johnson, Eric Good Branson. Bob McKenzie said that the Penguins are also looking to potentially deal him. That would make sense, like I said, that there's nine defensemen on this team. Too many. You don't need nine defensemen. They're going to trade one of them. And Marino's are writing.

and I know Sullivan loves the lefty-righty thing but the time could be of the essence here for Eric Good Brains it doesn't look he's going to potentially be here that long. Especially if Marino keeps this up. They need more of him.

He honestly, he was correcting some of Jack Johnson's errors more than once tonight. One of the best people from Penn's Twitter, Chad, Matt Chad. Shout out to him. One of my really good friends in there. posted a clip, actually, of Jack Johnson just utterly getting schooled. And he was actually, I think he was trying, I'm looking up the clip right now,

he was trying to direct traffic, of course, my text stuff goes off. Yeah, he was trying to direct John Marino to go to him after getting absolutely schooled by the Ducks for, and then they gave up a chance. Matt Murray had to make a wrap around save. It was, I'm trying to remember who 49 was on the Ducks, but he, I mean, Marino, I mean, he couldn't do anything there. It was just so funny, like, to me. That was just a really funny thing.

Like, if that were me in a hockey league or, like, me in the NHL, I'd want to have a talk with that kind of person. I just, like, oh, like, I don't know, man. I don't know, but that was, I thought that struck me as something that was really funny. It looked like Jack Johnson didn't even try to play that. I hung out to drive there, but, you know, That's what happens when your defensive partner is Jack Johnson. Hopefully, Jack Johnson will be benched at some point for Yusaricola.

That is another play that the Penguins are going to have to take a look at. You played in less than half the games last season. You still don't really know what you have in him. He made a team. Everyone was saying, oh, yeah, you know, he's at a great camp. Oh, yeah, you know, he's done. He's looked really good in the preseason. And then right before the opening game, he's on the third pair,

and he looks like he's going to get in. and then they, of course, get the injuries with Brian Rust, and then he's out of the lineup, and then Jack Johnson's playing top four minutes for the first game. So, they got, I think, you know, I would be curious to see a RICO-Marino pairing. I know a lot of NHL experience there, but you know what?

You got to see what you have in those kids. You know what you have in Jack Johnson. It's not great. The possession that he has with a player, it goes down, like, just so far whenever he's on the ice. Like, he just makes everyone, on the ice so much worse. I know I'm beating a dead horse. Eric Bradson, same way up to the might. He hasn't really impressed me as much as he was

during that 19-game stint. It's almost as if the regression is happening. But it'd be curious to see how long Marino gets games for. I would like Sullivan to keep playing him. Sullivan actually had a really, I was listening to the press conference after the game, and Sullivan said about John Marino. He goes, I think that was maybe misunderstood it after the last game in Winnipeg when we put him in the lineup. We put him in the lineup because we think he can help us win. We put him in the lineup because he's a good hockey player and he's shown a lot through training camp and up until this point in the early part of the season. So that's why the decision was made to put him in the first place. I thought he had another strong game. Big strong kid. Good stick. Mobile defense hard. He's got a little edge to this game and he's got poised with a puck and that's what he's shot. Yeah. So yeah, it's basically I think all of what people are seeing with the I test and all that. I know his numbers have been. on his unruly numbers have not been good. Like I said, playing with Jack Johnson. But if you just take a look at the eye test and you watch and play,

he's mobile, he's fast, he's good defensively. Like I said, he's good, and he's not getting hemmed in his own zone too much through two games. And, you know, it's hard to see why the, like I said, why the order has traded to him if he was already this pretty decent. And I hope he keeps getting a chance. Maybe he could have been in from game one. but, you know, like I said,

hope he gets getting a chance down the stretch, especially as the Penguins know opened their first road trip of the season before coming back, I think, for three more home games against Vegas being one of them, I think, Dallas or Florida. No, Florida is the road trip. I'll have to look up their schedule at some point, but I know they have three more home games after this back-to-back.

Also last night, Brandon Tanneth, I know he has not scored yet. It looks like he's getting close. He's getting really close. I'll get to Dominic Cahoon and actually admit it this. That was his best game too as a penguin. But I thought Brandon Tanna, this was just another really, really strong game for him. I know we've said it all so many times.

You know, contract's not good, you know, six years. But, you know, this is, he's drawn five penalties in four games now. That's really good. And also the thing was that, speaking of, penalties, the Penguins have also really not been short-handed through much of this season. I think last night was one of the first times they were on the penalty kill for the season. The Penguins, I think, at one point last night, had five power plays to the Ducks won. That's not something you see every day considering a lot of the time that the NHL refs love to do the makeup calls.

They'll call something that, and what is a makeup call? They'll call something that's a really ticky-tacky. It's not really a penalty, but they'll call it to even even it up, bro, because You know, I guess one team can't have way more power plays than the other, but last night there was. The hangings had a lot more power plays than the ducks. And Brandon Tanev was, he was causing a lot of disruptions, and he was drawing penalties. He was actually, I did not know that scoring Josh Ewey, and I was reading his article this morning. I wrote it down for my podcast today.

He was among the financial leaders in this category last season for drawing penalties. Yeah, I can definitely see that. He's very fast. Like I said, he's reminded me of Carl Haglin speak. He looks like he's almost assessed him, and that's why he's drawing penalties. He's a handful, but I mean, I could definitely see why the Penguins were really big on this player. He reminds them of Hagelin. He's like a younger version of them.

Still six years, of course, is too much, but he's going to get on the score sheet, I think, at some point. It's got to be coming. He's played too well not to score. Yeah, he can, I guess he played up and down the line of. can play any situation. He's just, he's really looked good. I did not expect him to look this good early on in the season. He's just doing a lot more than I thought he would.

And, you know, that's good. You know, that's exactly what you want to see when you sign a new player to do a contract that a lot of people laughed at you for, and rightfully so, considering the term was long. I know I sound like a broken record. I'm sorry about that. But, yeah, hopefully he can keep this up. And then, of course, getting to Dominic Kahum.

First three games, not a, just bad. He's looked out of place. Last night was a good stepping stone in the right direction for him. He was sprung on a breakaway. This was in the second period. Yeah, hit the crossbar right above Gibson's shoulder. He beat Gibson clean. I mean, Kahoon went in fast on that breakaway.

You a nice wrist shot. Just could not bury it. Did not get a lucky bounce. But he was fast all night. He was getting a couple good looks. good defensively. It's taken a few games, but it's finally looking like Dominic Cahoon is establishing himself on this team. And they need that.

You know, they traded Olimada for him. Cahoon had a really good rookie season for the Blackhawks last year. Almost scored 15 goals for them. And, you know, I know a lot of people said he did not look good in the preseason. His training camp was forgetful, to say at least, was what I've been reading and hearing from some people. but they're going to need that version of Dominic Cahuna Fakesaw last night. Like I said, good stepping stone game for him and the emergency if he can keep this up. I know I sound probably sound like a broken record for that,

but he needs to string some good games together here because, you know, he's one of those young players that a lot of people were looking forward to watching this season, a newcomer, you know, had a good scoring touch last season, had a lot of his goals also at even strength. That looks like where that's where his best play is. And so far it hasn't been. good, but like I said, good, good stepping stone last night. So he'll play up and down the lineup. He can play in almost any situation,

but a really, really good job by Dominic Cahoon last night. I guess going into this, the Penguins will play two games this weekend. I'm trying to figure out my schedule for how I want to do these episodes. Tomorrow is, might be a bit of, I'm going to try to do it before the Virginia Tech game. Of course, if you guys don't know, I do go to Virginia Tech, but also the Nationals play in the pennant against the St. Louis Cardinals. They play it four. I'll probably try to get up a preview of that game tomorrow before 4 o'clock.

Well, honestly, probably in the early afternoon. They play Minnesota, I should say. I've been switching around those games too much lately. And they go to Minnesota to play the wild tomorrow night, the wild checking in on them. They, I do believe they lost last night, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, they got whoop, yeah. The Wild are winless. I totally forgot about that.

They open up the scoring, and then they just, when they lost five to the Winnipeg Jets, the Winnipeg are 0-3. The Wilder 0-N-3 to start this season, they will be looking to get their first one against the Penguins. The Wild are one of those weird teams. Of course, Billy Garron took over Minnesota after they fired Paul Fen. That couldn't have come soon enough. Minnesota is a weird team going in this season. You really don't know what to expect out of them.

They have some good players, but also their depth is a little concerning. to me. They still have good defensemen. Devin Duminick is still their goal. But like I said, I can probably try to get a preview up of that game tomorrow, some more storylines. And then if I had to guess they may play Jari for that game and then go back to Murray for Winnipeg.

I think they'd want Murray to go up against Winnipeg Dianna trying to redeem himself. It looks like Tristan Jari will potentially get his first start tomorrow unless they go Murray back to back, which I doubt they'll do. And then I'll have a episode up on Sunday. Probably before NFL Sunday starts when on Sunday. day. I usually like to just relax, watch him of some football, then watch some Penguins Hockey. So I'll have an episode of Preview Up that game and then a recap of the Wild Game that day as well. All right, guys, like I said, thank you so much for listening. Follow the show on Twitter at L.O. underscore

Penguins. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. I really hope you guys are enjoying this show. This was the first full week that I've done it. I love doing this. It makes me happy every day that I can have another platform to talk about the penguins with. I love watching the games and chatting with you all on Twitter. And yeah, we'll continue to have more episodes. I'll have some guests on hopefully soon. But yeah, guys, thank you guys so much for listening, and we'll talk soon.