Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 1/2/2020- Senators Game Recap, Jake Guentzel's Injury, Plus Trade Talk with Cam Easton

Episode Date: January 2, 2020

In this episode of Locked On Penguins, Penguins fan Cameron Easton joins the episode to talk about the latest win over the Ottawa Senators, plus discuss trade options with Jake Guentzel's latest injury. They also discuss the game against the Sharks tonight and how it's been a fall from grace for the Sharks so fast with all their core players over 30 years of age. 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 this edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast, the first episode of the 2020. I'm, of course, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show on Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. And a lot has happened at the end of 2019 and then going into 2020 in the last few days in Penguins World will get so all that. But today, I figured to start off 2020 right, we're going to have another guest on the podcast. He's already been on this podcast before. Well, my very, very dear good friends, Cameron Easton.

Cam, how you doing today, buddy? Pretty good. Happy New Year. Yeah, happy New Year, man. It's great that you got to become on the podcast today. I've been really wanting you to come back since we had that really good episode last time. So the Penguins had that game, of course, against the Senators, 5-2 win. They get to their 24th win of the season, their third win in a row. And a lot of good to come out of that game.

But, of course, Cam, we have to start with the very devastating news that came on New Year's Eve. and that is Jake Gensel will be out for perhaps the rest of the season, four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery, after scoring the goal. I think it was the fifth goal of the game, and then he just rammed into the board. So I was a very upsetting day if you're a Penguins fan, I think, Cam. Yeah, the score was 4-2 at the point right before he scored the goal,

and it was like, did Gensel really need to score that goal and then get that injury? But, you know, things happen in the NHL. and hope for a speedy recovery for Gensel. And, man, what a season he's been having. Got voted to the All-Star game. And with the injuries to Crosby, he's been really, you know, cementing himself into that top line by himself.

Yeah, and having himself a great season. He already had 20 goals. He was leading the team in points, I think. Yep, selected to his first All-Star game. And this loss is just, you know, there's a lot of injuries that have happened this year, but they've overcome them. but this loss is going to be right up there with one of the hardest that they will have to overcome for perhaps the rest of the season.

He does so much. He's probably their best pure goal score. I think he was on pace for 45 goals this season. He was probably going to smash his career high, even though that was 40 last year. And it's just unfortunate because the way he was, people were having the discussion during the Senators game, because Cindy Crosby is probably about a week away from coming back. Do you move Gensel up back to Crosby? Do you keep him with Malkin?

and now we don't really get to have that conversation anymore, which is so unfortunate. Yeah, no, there was all those conversations of a healthy Penguins team could be a very dangerous team in the NHL. And it seems like every week there's just that one injury that just keeps him away from that. And obviously this week was Gensel. But Alex Gailtchenier has to really step it up. He's going to be playing on the first line tonight against San Jose. and that should be interesting. See if he, he's been scoring a little bit as of late,

but he needs to really step it up. Yeah, he had the goals in back-to-back games against the Predators. I thought he was okay against Ottawa. He's been playing a bit better, which that's much needed. It was in L.A. Freeman's 31 thoughts yesterday that they were still shopping for a new home friend, but now with Genssel Hart, he reported that basically they really don't have a choice, but to keep him at this point, since you really can't trade another winger

with another winger going down. At least Cindy Crosby, I think, is coming back soon. He's still skating and he's going to be practicing, I think. Sometime, hopefully, soon. I guess in the next week he comes back. I've been saying that for probably like two weeks now, but that would be good. But, I mean, it was just, it was a really good game overall, I think, with Ottawa. I thought Tristan Jari was solid.

Again, you know, that's ho-hum. He was actually voted, it was just announced he was voted as the second star of the month for December. And I think with Gansel and now not going to the All-Star game, obviously, I think he might be a, a penguin that goes to the All-Star game, him Malkin or Rust. Yeah, I'd love to see her make it, you know, in the absence of Crosby and all these other players are getting these injuries. It's, the team is really stepping up. I said it again on the last podcast, but man, I just, all these guys from first line

to the bottom line, Tristan Jari, they're all really stepping up and 10 wins in December, I believe. Yeah. That's very impressive. if you were to tell me Crosby you know or it's going to be out for the month and they'd have 10 wins

I'd be very happy Yeah they went 10 and 2 In the month of December Which was pretty ridiculous He had eight wins 1.54 goals against average Three shutouts He has a

I think it's almost a 940 say percentage He's honestly on my On my list of one of my On my list of one of the short candidates For the Vezna right now Even though he hasn't had Enough playing time as a starter Though he's getting it now

but I mean, I think you could definitely see him. If he somehow keeps this up through the rest of the season, he could definitely be a candidate for the best and at the end of the season. Yeah, and Murray didn't have the best game against Nashville, but, you know, it was a win, and that was a much-needed win for Murray. And for whatever reason, Jari, you know,

gets on a little cold streak and we have to rely on Matt Murray. I think him building on that win is such a, positive outcome. And, you know, we said it before, it gets me a very interesting offseason. And these next couple months are going to be telling a lot for the future of the penguins in terms of the goaltending. Yeah, I think right now, I've said it probably a few times. I just keep riding the hot hand with him.

Eventually, I think his numbers will regress down a little bit to, like not a 940 level because a goal he can't play at that level for his whole career for a whole season. And then, you know, you'll get Murray some starts. And, you know, but like you said, I think that win was really big for him. You know, just to get that under his belt, he hasn't won a lot. Whaley hasn't played his best hockey. But, I mean, I think having 44 saves on 48 shots, I think may also help him seeing the puck a lot, which will help him more.

But going back to the game against the senators, I mean, it was kind of weird to see. I think at the end of that game, the senators were just very mad. Mad, very mad online, as I like to say, I don't have Genie Malkin. They were just like, you know, taking some shots at him, being at the game, a lot of the fans were throwing some pretty interesting words out there, choice words, I'd say, for some of the Senators players towards the end of the third period when the game was over.

They were kind of just running around looking like idiots. Yeah, it was a very chippy game. And then I saw the video of Cachuk, just following Malkin on that last shift, just trying to throw hits at him. and then ultimately it led to that scrum, and then Murray and the trainer had to keep Malkin off, or on the bench when he was pulled off from the referee.

Yeah, I saw that. You don't normally see that with this Penguins team now, just all that chippiness. But, you know, they got out there with the win, and that's all that counts. Yeah, the funny thing, it was pretty funny when Malkin kind of swung his stick at Shabbat, and he got fined.

was a $5,000 fine that he had. I thought that was a little bit funny considering he was just the, and then Borietzky, I think, was on him. Brian Russ made a, he, like, raised his arms up. It was, it was really funny. I just, I thought that was a really fun end of the game. Yeah, again, Malkin does that little stuff. He's done that stuff before with the, you know, in fights and stuff.

I wouldn't really call it a fight. It was more of a wrestle match in the corner, but, you know, again, happy to get the win, just move on. I'd love to avoid injuries in the case of getting in a fight and for some reason get a concussion, but that wouldn't be good. But glad everyone got out of there, except for against all, which was unfortunate, but you move on and you build with what you have. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Well, coming up after this little little break, we'll probably talk a little more about the game, a couple players that scored, especially Patrick Hornquist. He got on the board for one of his first times this season. He's finally back healthy, which is really, really big as well. All right. So, yeah, as I said, before going into the break, Patrick Hornquist was able to get a goal in this game. I think it was the goal that made it 3-1, I think is what it was for two, something like that.

I think it would restore the two-goal lead. And, you know, whenever he's been healthy this year, he's actually, played a lot better than he did last year. I really did not understand a lot of the Patrick Hornquist hate that some people throw around. I know his contract is a little over $5 million. I get that criticism, but, you know, when he's been on the ice and when he's been healthy, I think he's really, really helped the team this season.

He's definitely been one of their 12 best forwards. I've seen some takes that, you know, he could be a healthy scratch for some reason. And I'm like, that's not going to happen at all. Yeah, I just love his net front presence. obviously when you're in that area of the net you're going to tend to get hit a lot more and there's chance for more injury but um getting those dirty goals when it really really matters it it um it helps on the power play as well and um i mean you saw it on um what was on the senator's game and yeah just his net front presence was very valuable and you know he does get that criticism but

you know, being on the latter part of his career and getting paid $5 million, but, you know, um, price he's got to pay. Yeah, and he's fully healthy now too, which is, I mean, that's just been the big thing, I think, for him. Um, he hasn't been able to stay healthy a lot of these past couple seasons. A lot of it is not really his fault with the concussions. Um, that's, um, that's something you really can't control. But other lower body injuries, he's at two this year, but it looks like he's fully healthy

now. Hopefully he stays healthy the rest of the season and he keeps chipping in goals like that because he's still a good player for this team and he can really, I think, help this team win games. Also, another play that scored again, Cam was Dominic Simone. I hope the Simone hate Dominic Simone. Haters were enjoying that goal considering that was also a gorgeous pass from Joseph Blan, D.C. Just cross-ice from the point. Simone had to almost dive to get it pretty much.

Just a really nice goal to get. And that's his second, I think that's a goal in two consecutive games now, two out of three games now for Simone after not bearing his chances earlier in the season. Yeah, I'll admit, I was never a big Simone fan at the beginning of his career, but he had those flashes where he was a really skilled player. And, you know, him playing with Crosby, that was great and all. But now you're seeing it without Crosby, you know, and it's, you know, I, you know, I, I'm on the Simone bandwagon, as I say, you know.

But, yeah, he's been playing real good as of late. Yeah, he's definitely been very, very, very good lately. He's chipping in assists. I've always said that goal scoring is a bit hard to do in this league, but he's also had such bad luck just hitting the post. He's like he's also missed empty nets somehow, which I don't really understand how he's missed so many. Which game was that?

Was it the Boston game where he kept hitting the post? Yeah, that's, I think, the one. multiple time. That was unreal. I started feeling really bad for him at that point. But, you know, it's good to see him actually scoring on his chances now. That's what happened sometimes in this league. And then Brian Russ also added two assists in this game.

And he's on a steal for that contract right now, Cam. The way he's just really turned into a complete player, I remember when he was called up. You know, didn't really think anything of him. He just, you know, he just did a bunch of random stuff on the ice. But, I mean, they have developed him so. well. He's on pace to score over 40 goals, I think. I think Dom of the Athletics said the other

days on pace to score over 50 goals this season, which I'm probably not going to do. But it's just, it's nuts how good of a player he's become. He's been one of their best players in this season. Yeah, Brian Russ has been always one of my favorite players and 32 points right now.

Making up the loss points with Crosby and all the other injuries. You know, he He used to have those cold streaks at the beginning of the seasons, and he would heat up towards the playoffs, and he would be Mr. Playoffs for the Penguins. But now you're really seeing him develop into this...

I wouldn't say perennial, but he's definitely a top-line player right now for the Penguins in terms of the way he's scoring and point production. Yeah, he had that streak last year, I think, where it was like one goal in, like, his first 30 games. He was getting no puck-locked. And then I think he had a stretch where he had like seven goals in four games. It was just really streaky last year.

But he's really just put it all together this year. He hasn't really been just been streaky. He's just been, you know, just scoring at will, I would say. It's just, it's been so a really good, pleasant surprise. And, you know, the best part is you can plug him anywhere in the lineup. He'll just keep producing. Yeah, when he started off with the Penguins, I always saw him as a bottom line player. But now it's like, you see him as a top line player just based off of the skills.

and even the finesse of some of the goals he scored, it's sometimes when he's on a breakaway, it's kind of like, wow, that's Brian Rust, you know? Yeah, he has these awesome moves. Whenever, yeah, like, he's on, when he's on a breakaway, he'll just, I think his go-to move there, what I've seen a lot of times is, like, he just backhand, forehand, he'll go to the right side.

I know he did that in the playoffs against Vasilevsky. He's done it a few other times. I'd have to go back and, Tricach. But, yeah, he's just, it's just, it's been, so much fun to watch him, just grow, develop into the player that he is now.

And I think you can, when Crosby comes back, you can put him on that right wing on Crosby's line, which I think they might do. Or, you know, you can just keep him on Malkin's line, because, I mean, when Gensel was in, it was, like, that, it was Gensel, Malkin and Rust, and they were just, man, that was just, that was just

really fun. But I think at this point, before we go into the break cam, I just wanted to circle back to that. They were going to probably wait to make a trade, but I think you may have to make one pretty soon to replace Gensel's production because it's very hard to replace that production, but you're going to have to go out and get a top six left wing or it's mandatory now, whether, you know, people don't know Tyler Tofoli. I've seen Chris Kreider out there.

Brandon Sodd when he gets healthy, though he has a high cap hit. I'd have to see more names as they come out. But, I mean, those are the three I've seen people throwing out there right now. Yeah, 43 points is a lot of production to make up. And a few of those players you mentioned are quite possibly could do that with the penguins. I'd love to see if Brandon saw it as a penguin just. Pittsburgh connection. Yeah, Pittsburgh guy.

But, you know, high cap hit. You're going to have to bring back some salary over there. That's quite an interesting trade that Jim Rutherford would have to make. I would think you'd have to possibly throw Galchnok in there. but it's going to be an interesting trade deadline for the penguins because that Gensel injury just shapes a whole different outlook to what they have to look forward to towards the playoffs. Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

I mean, I was reading an article in The Athletic the other day, and Jim Rutherford basically said to Rob Rossi that he's just sick to his stomach at this point. He said he's going to take his time to see what he wants to do. do before he goes into any trades and all that. He is a quick trader. He usually likes to do his business before February, sometimes in the beginning of February. So I wouldn't be surprised to see him move come in the next couple weeks

knowing Jim Rutherford's trade history. But yeah, I mean, the good part is I think they'll have $6 million in salary to free up. They're going to put Gensel on long-term IR. I really don't think it matters. When the playoff rolls around about cap hits and all that, considering it's the playoffs, I'd have to double check, though, but for regular season-wise, he won't be back, so that's six more million to work with.

And so, which is, which is, I'd say it's really, really good at this point. But, yeah, when we come back, I think we'll talk about the game tonight for the penguins and about the sharks. And they've just, they've been pretty brutal this year. All right. So, yeah, Cam, I teased it before the break, of course, but the penguins will play the San Jose sharks at the first time tonight. What a fall from grace by the San Jose Sharks.

this season and they have just been absolutely brutal. Not in a playoff spot. I knew that the end was coming. There was a tweet yesterday, Cam, I saw this. It was pretty interesting. Their contracts, Logan Gatured, he's 31 in March. He has seven years left on his deal. Evander Cain, 29 this summer, is five years left.

Eric Carlson is seven years left. He's 30. Brent Burns is 35. He has five years left. Martin Jones is 30 next week and he has four years left. And all these cap hits are basically six in the last. or higher. What a disaster, Cam? Yeah, they really thought they had the core, especially after they went to the cup final with

the Penguins. I personally thought they had the team to really be a threat in the Pacific for years to come, but obviously that's not the case right now. Carlson, when they acquired him, he was pretty quiet initially, and then he finally turned it around a little bit. But Yeah, right now they're ranked 30th and goals against 29th on the power play. But the bright spot for that team, which is really surprising, is their first in the penalty kill. And, you know, the Penguins got to watch out for that tonight. Yeah, the Penguins have been good with not allowing shorthanded goals this season.

I think it was, was it last season in the season before where they were allowing like a league. I think it was last season they were allowing a league high shorthanded goals. And they corrected that this season. They've been much better with that. But, I mean, yeah, the Sharks goal-tending. it's you know I think what they do with their goal-tending is almost like the definition of insanity you know they keep doing the same thing over and over again and they expect different results and that's what they've been doing with Martin Jones and Aaron Dell and they have been

they've been bad to say the least yeah Martin Jones man you know I was a big fan of them when they went head head against penguins you know I thought he was going to be one of the league's best, but it's, it's been a very odd season for Martin Jones. And then Arandell, yeah, it's just, it's, they really don't know who to lean to this year. Yeah, it's just, yeah, I think, and I think their big problem is Doug Wilson, their general manager, has been too loyal to a lot of these core players. Like, I think, like, you can, you do, like, he can realize that you don't need to sign every one of your players that are close to 30 to, like, five to eight year contracts, because now your team is in a massive, massive cap hell.

They're basically cooked to this season. They already fired their coach. I mean, I don't, it says, I definitely did not see their fall from grace coming this quick. I knew it would come, but, I mean, I didn't really think it would come this quick, especially considering, you know, they beat Vegas last year in the playoffs,

though. I mean, it was kind of a little debatable with how they did it, with that awful five-minute major call that happened. Oh, yeah. Game six. that was, they had no business winning that game. I think, I think, um, Vegas would have won. I think it was game six.

I think it was game seven, actually. Yeah, I do believe it was game seven. Yeah, Vegas would have won that game if that penalty was not called, if it was just a team in a minor. But, um, yeah, it's just, this is a winnable game, definitely for the penguins. Um, I'm not, I think Martin Jones is starting tonight. I'd have to go check, um, one of the beat writers to make sure. But, um, yeah, this is a game, Cam.

I think that the, uh, the penguins should be able to win. easily i think um i would have even tried to put matt murray and just to give a little morale booster again you know trying to build build those winds form but it just a strange season for the sharps i mean burns is a minus 23 i mean give what you know what you think with plus or minus yeah i've heard the yeah it's not the best but but still i mean it's it seems like a lot they have a lot of minus players on their roster right now. Yeah, and I don't really like, like you said, plus minus, you know, it's not like really good stat to like judge a hockey player,

but I mean, when you are a minus 23, I think that deserves to be heard about because that, like, that's just not just bad. That's just really, really bad. Especially for a Norris trophy winner in Brent Burns. It's just, it's a very odd season. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So the penguins, they should be able to win this game, like I said, Martin Jones, like we talked about, not very good.

I think he's around 900, sub-900 this season. The Penguins should be able to light him up, even though they're without a few players still. But, and then the road ahead for the Penguins, I think this weekend they go to Montreal. I think that they have a, I think it's the back-to-back this weekend, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, it is.

They have Montreal on Saturday at 7 o'clock. Sunday, they come home to play the Panthers. And then next week starts one of my personal favorite road trips can. They go to Vegas. Colorado and then Arizona. Those are a lot of fun road trips because, you know, you get to stay up late and watch the Penguins. Yeah, I was trying to look at trying to get tickets for the Vegas game going out to Vegas. That would be great.

But when I went in for my birthday, May 26th this past year, it wasn't even hockey season for Vegas. I mean, the hockey just, you know, ended. and they were still hyped about the Golden Knights. Yeah. So hockey is alive in the desert. I mean, you go off into the airport, and they're selling jerseys. It's crazy. Yeah, they're very crazy for their team.

Don't you forget that city is also getting the Oakland Raiders. The next season, they're leaving Oakland for the Vegas stadium, so that's going to be pretty fun as well. But I think tonight's game, I don't think it's just on 18C Sports then and the NBC Sports, California. I'm just double-checking. Yeah, it's not an... It's 80s night, too. Yes, it is. I wish I could go to that game.

I'd wear my 80s mullet that I had that I wore for Halloween, maybe. Who knows? Yeah, I see they're giving away Rubik's cubes as well. Damn right, yeah. I hope to see some people there dressed up as, like, Slash or something. I think that would be really, really funny. Or just, like, some interesting. I'll be curious to watch the game and see what people are dressed up as,

especially Dan Potash. He always... Yes, I was just about to say that. It's always interesting. see Dan's costumes for the... His ugly sweater was probably the best. I think it was Jake Gensel's face. Yes, yeah.

One of my favorites of all time was when he was Darth Mall for Star Wars Night. That was a great one. But, yeah, Dan's a great guy. Yeah, yeah, it definitely was. But, yeah, I hope you guys enjoy this episode of Locked on Penguins. Cam was a pleasure having you back. We're definitely going to have to do this more going forward. I appreciate all the hockey.

talked out we had. It was great to have you on. Appreciate it. Happy New Year to everybody and best of luck. Hope everyone sticks to resolutions. So I hope. Can't wait to be back. Yeah, definitely can. Thank you guys so much for listening

to this episode of Locked-on Penguins and we'll talk tomorrow. Probably have a recap of the game and then preview this week, this another weekend of back-to-back games for the Penguins. So talk to you all soon.