Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 11/27- WHAT A COMEBACK, Plus All-Decade Penguins Team No Prep

Episode Date: November 28, 2019

In this episode of Locked On Penguins, Huntewr recaps the crazy 8-6 comeback against the Vancouver Canucks tonight as the Penguins had a six-goal third period to come from three goals down. He talks about Murray's bad outing, Evgeni Malkin's best game of the season, Kris Letang, plus much more. Then in the last segment, he does an all-decade Penguins team with no prep since it was bound to be more fun to come up with names on the fly. 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 a late-night edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast for the night before Thanksgiving. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the show on Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. And wow, well, first off, folks, happy Thanksgiving. Well, happy early Thanksgiving whenever you guys are going to listen to this tonight, tomorrow while you guys are with your family, whatever. Happy Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. This is probably my favorite food, family football. Just, you know, that's basically everything you could ask for.

in a holiday. Wow, what a game by the Penguins tonight. Obviously, it was looking pretty dire for, say, the end of the second period, then basically when the Canucks made it 63 and the third. But like Steer of Mir said, the Penguins would not be denied. They scored two goals in the third period to cut it to 6 to 5 and a little over a minute, and then they scored the third goal, the game's high goal, just a few minutes later. And then the Penguins scored the game winning goal.

Chris LaTang, of course, gets it. You know, Penguins Chronicles, count. You can take that goal. You can frame it on your window, frame it on your window, frame it on your wall in your room and just be like, yep, I was wrong about Crystal Tang because, you know, that's the addition by subtraction that you talked about so much when Crystal Tang was in the lineup. But you know what? Like, yeah, but anyways, you know, I had to get that out. But, um, what a win by the Penguins. First, let's just start out with, um, the bad, I guess, you know, Matt Murray, obviously. did not have his greatest night at all.

Four goals, what was it, 12, 13, 14 shots. I think it was four on 14. Just not a good, not another good night by hand. I thought that the Penguins would go to Trish and Jari, and I agree with Ryan Wilson, who tweeted this out during the game. They went about this wrong. You know, when your back-up goaltender has had a short sample size, but is playing really well.

Usually you can ride that hot hand for a little bit. You can give Jari some starts so that Matt Murray figures out, he figures himself out of this bad November stretch that he usually has about every season, and then December on is when he's lights out. He's been playing really well. Matt Murray is not. I figured that this would be a game that you would go back to Jari, and then this weekend you can just split up the back-to-back and see how they do.

Going back to Jarn, it would be fine. If he falters, so what, then you know that Matt Murray is still the guy. I mean, Matt Murray is still the guy anyway, but, you know, just, you know, he was not good tonight. The first two goals, I think, were really nice shots, especially the second goal by Pedersen, and that was just really nice. J.T. Miller goal, I thought, was also fine. The third and fourth goals, I did not like him. We'll talk about the third goal here for Murray. I blame both Latang and Murray on that. I don't know why Chris LaTang was going way back. I mean, I mean, I got to get my thoughts together here. I don't know why he was, like, coasting back just so harmlessly.

That allowed, excuse me, Jake Ver Chan, and she just go in and backhand the puck past Murray five hole. And that was a bad goal by Murray. I did not really like that he was, like, playing so passive as net. He could have maybe let out of poke check, could have played a little more aggressively. I didn't like that one. And then the fourth goal, I mean, that was, that was just gross. Nothing, you can't defend that one.

It was right to yank Murray with less than a minute left. He didn't have it tonight. And you know what? I did see, you know, you seen this now. from November his last few addings, they've not been good. You know, this is a goaltender. He started out the season really good. It was playing really well, but, you know, he's hit a bit of a dry spell.

Wait, he's hit a lot, like, it's just been bad. And you want, you need your backup goaltender to take some starts away, like Ryan Wilson said, and to give you the goaltending that you need while your number one goaltender figures this out. Yes, they're both going to get back-to-back starts this weekend. You hope that Murray figures it out. starts to figure out against one of Columbus or St. Louis, if I had to guess, I would think Murray is going to go against Columbus because Columbus is also not playing well this season.

He's played well against Columbus in his career, and then you can let Trishon Jari go up against the defending Stanley Cup champion in St. Louis Blues. But, I mean, for a while there, it looked like that goaltending was going to cost them this game. And if they had lost this game, that would have been the sole reason why. I mean, the Penguins at one point were out shooting the Canucks 12 to nothing in this game. I mean, the Penguins were out shooting them all game. they're out playing them all game. The Canucks were just capitalizing on their odd man rushes and on all their chances,

especially on the power play. Again, the PK needs to be better. That's another game where they've given up a power play goal. It's a little bit of a trend now. It's a few games in a row. The Penguins have got to clean up that area. But, I mean, I just wanted to start out with a little bit of the bad from this game. Even though I do think that this is a very, very dangerous hockey team right now,

the way that the Penguins came back in this game. I mean, I mean, I turned it off for a little bit. I won't buy, you know, 6.3. When Cahoon scored 6'4, I was like, all right, you know, we'll see what happens. And then Malcon scored 6'5. I mean, I was like, all right, I was watching it with my family. I said, all right, I'm going to turn this back on. I went back up, put it on with my – because all my family's in town.

I mean, all put it on. And then it scored a few minutes later. I was like, yeah, they're going to win this game. And then, of course, Krista Tang goes down and scores it. But like I said, with the Matt Marie takes, folks, you all really, really, really have got to chill out with the Matt Murray hot takes. A lot of tweets saying that he's trash. I'm not going to call out, you know, everyone, even though, I mean, some of this, the

criticism is warranted that he's not playing well right now. You don't want to give him a lot of terms, $7 million per, and I agree with that. I agree. You really don't want to probably give him seven years at this point for $7 million per. He's not having the kind of season that would point to giving him that kind of money as a good idea. But, you know, you hope that he gets out of this. I think Jim of Penn Twitter, shout out to you, Jim.

He summed it up best. He had a bad game. I mean, Jari, he came in. A couple of goals were not really not his fault, but he's also been the better goal he is late. But, guys, Matt Murray, he is far from finished as the number one goaltender. And also, guys, the Penguins were playing some pretty bad, piss poor team defense. That was probably the worst team defense.

I've seen the Penguins play. And, you know, probably since opening night, you know, the Penguins have been one of the stingiest teams defensive. defensively the season. I think they've been one of the best teams defensively. It was a really good article written by Adam Retz. They're really limiting the shot attempts per 60. The shots allowed per 60. They're high danger. Scoring chances per 60. They're top

10 in the league in all those categories. Tonight they did not look the part. They were giving up odd man rushes left and right. Chris LaTang was struggling a little bit in the defensive zone before he had that outstanding game winner. But you know what? Like I said, I think Matt Murray is going to be okay. You know, you won the game. That was an awesome comeback. But, you know, you'll take it.

And, you know, we'll keep diving it more into this game when we come back for our next segment. But I just wanted to get that out there. Matt Murray, he's going to find his game. And he's going to get back to being 930 where he was earlier in the season. And even December through all of the rest of last season when he was one of the best goaltenders in hockey. And also, folks, don't remember, guys, treat yourself to the meal that you deserve and have your favorite restaurants come to you with DoorDash. Right now, guys, you can get $5 off your first order of $15 or more when you download the

DoorDash app and you enter the promo code Locked On. If you're listening on the go, if you can't visit DoorDash right now, you can find all this and all of our other offers from Lockedon sponsors at Lockedon Podcast.com slash offers. So, wow, I mean, like I said at the beginning of this episode, what a win by the Penguins tonight.

You know, I think they deserve this win, even though they had bad goaltending. That comeback was something else. It was different from the Islanders comeback. Even though they were both three goal comebacks in the third period, they were just so different. I mean, I know the Penguins just bulldoze the

islanders in that other comeback, but this one, man, I mean, they had been peppering this backup goal tender all night because he wasn't supposed to star. Jacob Marchand actually came to the game feeling ill. People were joking on Twitter that, you know, he maybe had some diarrhea or whatever, got the flu, but he couldn't

even come into the game after those three goals allowed because he just, he couldn't dress. I don't even think he even dressed to this game. But that third period, just outstanding by Penguins. A six-goal third period.

Obviously, I think their best third period of the season. This was their best win of the season. We'll just start with Evgeny Malcon. This was easily his best game of the season. Two goals. Five points. Had the goal to cut it to 6'5.

Just a rocket of a shot off his stick. Past I'm forgetting his name, Thatcher Demko. Didn't even know he was a goaltender in the league until tonight. That goes to show. how much I know about the Canucks. But then, of course, he had the empty net goal

while falling with 0.2 seconds left in the third period. But also, Brian Ross, you know, he's continuing his just tors, just fire as torture, whatever you want to call it.

This hot streak that he's on. One goal, three assists, a four point game for him. That's another game where he scores and he's feeling it right now. He's been absolutely outstanding. Another game, another goal for Dominic Cahoon. I think that's what his seventh goal of the season.

He's on pace for a 20-goal season. He had a really nice goal to cut it to 6-4, and that's what prompted the comeback. Everyone at the time was like, well, you know what? Not really going to matter. Well, it definitely mattered at the end. Zach Ashton Reese, really, really nice to see him get on the board again. Whenever the penguins get fully healthy,

I've talked about this so many times. he's going to be trying to get that one of those last roster parts. He's a really good 13th forward, at least for the Penguins. But he can also definitely play in the bottom six if needed. He's been playing better as of late, which I really, really like. Let's also get to, of course, Jake Gensel. You know, another great game for him, a goal three assists. Had that he opened the scoring in the game with just a nice shot off of the face-off win by Malkin.

It looked like Demko didn't even see. a puck going past him, if we're being completely honest. And then, of course, Chris LaTang's game winner. I trashed the Penguins Chronicles account earlier in this podcast episode. I'm going to trash all you, Chris LaTang haters. That is why he is an awesome defenseman on the ice. Because he can rocket the puck just like that. I thought offensively he was really moving his legs.

He was playing great in the offensive zone, setting up chances, shooting the puck a lot. it was in the defensive end, you know, he was kind of out to lunch, he looked like he was ready to eat all the turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing tomorrow that all of us are also ready to do. But I thought he was outstanding, like I said, in the offensive zone. And you know what? That's why he's making $7.25 million per year. And that is why he's one of the best defensemen in the week.

I don't know why, like I said, he gets so much criticism. If you saw today from Dom on the Athletic, he actually put Chris Latang on the debt all-Dec 18 from 2009 to 2019. the third pairing. And you know, it's great to see that Chris Thang is getting more national recognition as he's been one of the more underrated defensemen of this past decade. Not overrated. He's been awesome.

Just a great shot to be set up by Gensel. Of course, Gensel set that up on a T. Tang just shot it past Demko. He didn't really look like he had a chance of a prayer on that. And like I said, you know what? That's why Chris LaTang is in the lineup. That's why this team is so much better when he is. in the lineup. Spare me that stat, that

useless stat, or, you know, they want to cope without Latang, you know, to say that, you know, they don't need him in the lineup because they definitely do, and he makes the team so, so, so much better when he is, when he's in the lineup. Also, Tristan Jari

just, you know, a couple of the goals he gave up, the first one, you know, Jack Johnson, why he's doing that in the first place. It looked like it bounced off him and in the net. It was also just a weird knuckling puck, I would I think that's the best way to describe it. And then the other goal, really, Jari didn't really have a chance on that.

I made a little bit of a joke on Twitter saying, oh, you know, I didn't know Tristan Jari. I also could give up a couple of shaky goals. I just wanted to, you know, make a joke about it because, you know, that's what everyone says. Well, Matt Murray allows a goal that really not a lot of goals can save and, you know, thought it would be funny to at least share that. But, yeah, I thought, you know, he also made a couple really big saves after I think it was the 7-6 short-handed. Then Cooper came down in the ice, it looked like on a mini two-on-one, and Jari. made a really big save.

It's less than three minutes to go to preserve the win. Let me make sure this game does not go to overtime. But yeah, this was, like I said, this was, I think, the win of the season for the Penguins. You know, the best part is, guys, they're doing all of this without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. I mean, think about that.

You know, we're only, what, two weeks into this surgery for him, two and a half weeks, somewhere around there. You still got about three and a half to four weeks left. You're still banking points right now. You're getting closer to the Islanders. You know, I think their point streak finally, I think it finally came to an end. I know they lost in overtime, but the other night. But yeah, yeah, it was out in Anaheim.

The ducks actually shut out the Islanders. That's pretty hard to do, considering how the Islanders are so. I've been really good at scoring lately. They finally ended their very long point streak. The Penguins now are officially, they're catching up to them. So with this win now for the Penguins, they're now two points behind the Islanders. They've also played three more games. And then the Penguins are now 14 and 7 and 4 on the season, collect points 31 and 32.

The Islanders have played 22 games a season. They are 6 and 4 and 2. They've actually lost two in a row. And the Washington Capitals, of course, seven points clear of the Penguins, five points clear of the Islanders at 17 and 4 and 5. They are just rolling right now. But the Penguins, like I said, you know, now they're also one point up on the Hurricanes and the Flyers.

Both of those teams have been playing some good hockey eyes of late. Rangers are also playing decent right now. They won tonight. They're now 12 and 9 and 2. And like I said, this was a, this was, I mean, just what a win. I don't know what else I can say about this. What else? What else can I say here?

You know, I mean, they're controlling games left and right. They're out attempting teams. They're controlling the shot share. They're out shooting all the teams. They're out possessing all the teams. You know what? I just want to shout out John Reno again. I mean, you know, he continues to just get better and better.

I can't believe Edmonton only got a sixth round pick in return for this kid. Tonight, he controlled 75% of the shot attempts, 91% of the expected goals according to natural stat trick that I just checked. Is that good, folks? That's pretty damn good. I'm going to have to find a comparison to what he kind of reminds me of. I don't have it just yet. But yeah, he continues to get better and better.

and you know what? He was playing with Jack Johnson for the whole night. So to do that with Jack Johnson, so it's pretty, like I said, it's pretty, pretty damn impressive. But yeah, that was awesome, you know, to send us off into this holiday tomorrow. Great win by the Penguins.

I know this, you know, this just felt like an 80s game. And, you know, I love the games where it's like 8,6, and there's not a lot of defense. I just, I love the high scoring games, you know. We don't get that. We don't get a lot of 8,6 scores in this day in the NHL,

because, you know, it's not the 80s anymore, and there's a lot more team defense these days. But that was just a lot of fun to watch. This game was bonkers. What else? Other fun thing happened. Oh, yeah. I don't think I've ever seen two coincidental two holding minors before.

I don't think, as long as I've been watching this score, I don't think I've ever, ever seen two players on opposite teams get called for coincidental holding penalties. It's not very often. But let's just a great win. I don't know how many more times I can say that. And, you know, we get to bring that in tomorrow and just, you know, eat all the turkey, mashed potatoes stuffing, green bean casserole.

Ugh. You know, I don't really like that. Cream beanberry sauce, whatever. But, yeah, just a great win by the Penguins tonight. That was just so much fun to watch. So for this last segment, I wanted to do a little something a little different. I was listening to the penultimate podcast from Sean Gentile, Rob Rossi, and Josh Joey this morning. Also read a couple articles.

A lot of people are doing the all-decade teams of the teams. I figured, you know what, I'm not going to have a list of players that I'm at. I'm just going to do it live off my head and see if I can come up with a team for the penguins of an all-decade team. So let's just do it. I just figured this would be fun after a win. You know, I figured that everyone's do it. Let's just do it too. So starting six.

So obviously the starting center, Sidney Crosby, let's just get that out of the way, first line center. Left wing. let's see here. Chris Kunitz. Yeah, let's got to do him. He produced so much next to Crosby. He's one of the best wingers Crosby's ever had. He did everything.

Just did all the little things. You know, whenever he wasn't scoring or just getting all the assists. He was playing really good defense. He was just awesome. He was so underrated by so many people. He was definitely there. And I think right wing, Phil Kessel. I think Phil Kessel would go up there.

I don't really think any other right winger, qualifies Patrick Hornquist now. Jerome McGinla. He'll be on this team. I'm not going to put it at left wing, though. God damn, Bosma, McGill, I remember that line. Jerome McGinla, of Gennie Malkin, and then James Neal. It made me just cringe.

And then the two defensemen, the top pairing defenseman. Sergei Gonshaw on the left side, Chris LaTang on the right side. I mean, that's not a debate. I mean, those are two of the best Penguins' defensemen and Penguins history. Chris LaTang, I think, is second best penguin's defenseman and Penguins. history. And the starting goaltender,

Mark Andre Fleury. Matt Murray would be the backup, obviously. You know, I think I would have it out of 1A, 1B. You know, you could easily make an argument

for Murray to actually, you know, be there, but, you know, considering, you know, what flower's done through this whole decade of being with the penguins, I would have him starting.

I wouldn't have Murray starting just yet, but it's pretty close at this point. Second line, let's see here. Center, of course, of Guinea Malkin. Best,

second best center of this to the decade. Let's see. Left wing here. The second line left wing here would be see James Neal. Is that okay to put James Neal up there?

Or maybe, you know what? Is it James Neal? You know what? We'll put James Neal there. You know, he was really good when he was by 40 goal score. He was just, he was awesome when he was here in Pittsburgh. There was, there were not, he was probably one of their best top, like I say,

he was one of their best top six wingers of this decade. I know Max Talbot, you know, Ruslan Feta Tenko, you know, I mean, it's just the Penguins were just so much stronger on the right side. And the right wing of that line would be Marion Hosa. You know, shoots left, but, you know, he's a pure right winger. I know he was only year for one playoff run, but, you know, Marion Hosa, just what a treat to watch. He would be on my second line right. wing.

Not really don't even much else to say to that. Third line center. Jordan Stahl, yeah. I mean, that's, yeah, I mean, that's pretty, pretty easy there. Just awesome. You know, he's obviously down in Carolina now, but, you know, those cup runs that he had with Pittsburgh, the cup run that he had with Pittsburgh, when he really came into his own, just outstanding. I love Jordan Stahl.

I love what he brought. Let's see. Left wing. You know, I know, no, we'll say with, we'll wait with left wing. Right-wing Patrick Hornquist, when Patrick Cornquist was in his primers of the Penguins, 20-15, 16, 2016, 17, has been one of the best right-wingers in this team's history. I mean, they're not teams history. In this decade history, I don't know why I said team history.

He's been honest with saying. He's had all those 20-goal seasons. He's a menace in front of the net. I think it's fine to put him on the third line. On the fourth-line center is definitely going to be Nick Benino. You know, all the Benino, all this playoff magic. All right. on the third line

You know what All right Third line left wing All right Matt Cook Let's just put Mac Cook up there You know It's probably It might draw us a little bit of a

You know weird Like whoa what did you put Matt Cook up there But man Matt Cook When he wasn't being a freaking idiot He was just outstanding He could He actually could contribute to the lineup He could put double digit goals

Double digit points You know it's just When he wasn't being an idiot He was a really effective player, especially in the cup runs, like Cookstall Kennedy line, and you know what, we're going to put Tyler Kennedy on the fourth line right way. I mean,

I mean, I guess that's maybe a little bias at this point, but actually, yeah, and then on the fourth line left wing, we're going to put Carl Hagelin. You know, Carl Aglin, Nick Benino, and then Tyler Kennedy. I think I think Hagelin, that's fine to put him there. He was, like I said, he was such a menace

just in that 2016 cup run with the HVK line. just that line That line was just unbelievable. You know, you know, all three of those guys were going to get on the all-decade team. They weren't going to be on the same line because there were just so many impactful players,

you know, Phil Kessel, you know, Patrick Horanquist, Marion Hose, before center depth. But, I mean, you know, that's center depth. Crosby, Malkin, Stahl, Benino, that's pretty, pretty, um, A-O-K, I would say. It's pretty, pretty A-O-K. But for the defense after Gonschar and Latang, We'll put Brian Dumlin on the second pair.

I think that's okay to put Brian Dumlin there. And we'll also put on the second pair. We'll put Paul Martin, I think. Paul Martin, he was very, very underrated for a very long time. You know, he was really good with Chris LaTang. I was sad to see him go. I think that would be good. Then the third defensive pairing, Justin Schultz on the right side.

I think that's fine to put him there. I don't see too much of a problem with that. And then on the left side, on the left side, you know what? A prime Brooks Orpick. I think that's okay to put him there, you know, on the third pairing. Brooks Orpick, like when he was in his prime, he was pretty good. I mean, it was just when he left his prime where he just became a total tire fire. So defense, you know, Gond Charlatang, you know, Dumlin with Martin, and then Orpick with,

Oh, Jesus. Or pick with Schultz. Oh, geez. I have in short-term memory loss here. And then, of course, the four centers. Let me know what you guys think. The four minds, if I left anyone else, if I left anyone out that you think should be there.

I thought doing this live would be really cool. I didn't really want to just, you know, think about it. I thought, you know, I just wanted to see how much I could just, you know, come up with all in the fly, even though I remember, you know, most of the, I remember all these years. But I'm not going to have an episode tomorrow since I'm going to be doing stuff with my family off of Thanksgiving. Friday, we'll see if I do.

I'm going to be watching the Virginia Tech-Virginia game as the Virginia Tech tries to go for 16 wins in a row. Penguins will be back in action that night. They go to Columbus, like I said, to play the Blue Jackets who are struggling this season, and then they go to St. Louis to play the back-to-back stand-leuk champion. So we'll see if I have an episode coming on Friday. But if not, I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Eat all the food that you can, watch some football, spend time with your family, because that's really, honestly, what it's all about. And we'll talk to you guys on Monday at the latest. All right, guys, take care.