Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 1/9- Vegas Game Recap, Patric Hornqvist's Resurgence, Kris Letang, plus trade talk

Episode Date: January 9, 2020

In this episode of Locked On Penguins, Hunter recaps the game against the Vegas Golden Knights where the Penguins got outplayed, but hung up for the win. He talks about Patric Hornqvist being rejuvenated, Kris Letang's outstanding performance, Brandon Tanev, and winger trade talk! 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 Thursday edition of Locked on Penguins podcast. I'm, of course, your host, Hunter Hodes, follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the show on Twitter at L.O underscore Penguins. And Penguins, you know, just they got another win, of course, on Tuesday night in the Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada, 4 to 3 over the Vegas Golden Knights. There are a few arenas that I probably have my top five, top six arenas that would like to go to. I think T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas would be up high up there because the way it sounded like on TV, it sounded like a playoff atmosphere in January. It looks like just a ton of fun. You know, now I'm 22. I can go to Vegas and gamble and whatever.

It actually makes sense for me to go. I've always wanted to go to Vegas for as long as I can remember. Hopefully at some point over these next couple years, I can make it happen and go out there for a game in Vegas because, you know, that their fan base out there is rabid. It's wild. And yeah, it just sounded like a, a flip. one playoff game there on Tuesday night. The Penguins, of course, as I get the 4-3 win over the Golden Knights. They did not look like it was going to be like that for a while.

The Penguins, they were out-playing Vegas for probably maybe the first 10 minutes of the game. Then thereafter, I think, for the last 40-45 minutes, especially in the third period and a lot of it, most of the second period, penguins were just brutally outplayed. I haven't really seen the Penguins get that outplayed in the game virtually all season. they were outshot 34 to 16. If I remember correctly, it's not very often that you see the penguins get less than 20 shots on goal and also allow almost 40 shots on goal in the same game.

That's got to be, it's a very, very rare occurrence for this season. Vegas was just coming in waves, hemming the penguins in their own zone. And, you know, props Trishinjari, because he was just virtually outstanding this whole game. Like I said, you know, after my episode on Tuesday, you know, he wasn't worried about Jari. The Penguins were gassed on Sunday night against the Panthers.

And, you know, I was pretty right because he came out there. The Penguins, they had their legs more, but of course they are a player. But Jari looked much sharper. He was tracking the puck. And my God, he just plays the puck so well on his stick. He's got to be one of the best puck handling goaltenders in the league, if not be bashed. There's not many up there that can do what he does and just playing the puck. Behind the net, going up to the defensemen or the forwards with it.

I think at some point he's probably going to attempt to score a goal. I think he's done it once or twice, but it's probably coming again at some point. And it would be surprising, honestly, if he did get a goal, considering how good he's playing. And he also got, folks, he also, of course, got into the All-Star game. Congratulations, Zajari. He got in place of Jonas Corpusala, who will be out, I think, for a month to a month and a half with an injury. And Chris LaTang replaced Jake Gensel in the All-Star game. So two Penguins go to the All-Star game.

I was surprised. One of those, one is Brian Russer, Bannie Malkin, Malkin, who's obviously played, I think, at a heart trophy pace

this season. And then Brian Ruster has just been outstanding. I was surprised one of them wasn't on it, but still, congratulations to Lattang and Ruster that.

But back to the game. You know, I really, I just, this was a massive, massive bounce back for Chris Lattang, I think.

I love Joshi's article after the game. It was kind of for the Latang stands or the Latang Colt, as we call ourselves, who love Chris LaTang. What a marvelous game he had. Nothing to complain about.

It was really good defensively. There were plays that, you know, that they were hemmed in their own zone, but it wasn't because of Chris La Teng, it was because of his partner that was pinching at the wrong times. And, of course, that's Jack Johnson, and just making bad defensive plays and just all over the ice. You know, he can't be playing top pair of minutes, but hopefully, Schultz coming back in a couple weeks, they'll bump him down, and I think

Doomland should be back. I think by hopefully the end of the month, they're the start. of February, which is, well, getting closer than you might think. It's already January 9th, which is pretty crazy to think about. But, you know, probably 26 minutes on Tuesday night, flawless in both zones. His stretch pass to Brandon Tanna to get the fourth goal, which the Penguins desperately needed, was absolutely unbelievable to pass it from all the way inside his own zone to basically the opposite blue line, or honestly, he was right before the blue line.

And then Tanna just makes a hell of a move to go backhand. forehand evade Mark Ande Florey's Pokcheque and Florey, you know, one of the best goaltenders of the generation in the shootout and probably a shootout, not a shootout

of breakaways, probably one of the best goaltenders of the generation or breakaways and probably ever he's able to beat Flurry forehand side to make it four to that goal was just so massive. But yeah, Chris LaTang is just unbelievable game,

you know, that's exactly what you want to see from someone who's been struggling a little bit these past couple weeks, you know. Like I said on Tuesday, You know, you can have a discussion about let's hang without, like, you know, you know, saying, oh, my God, he sucks, you know. Every player goes through a rut once in a while, you know.

He can have, you know, three quarters of his season and probably more, maybe 85% of his season be flawless. And maybe that other 15% is just, you know what? It's bad, you know, but, you know, he's played very good this season for the most part. He's been very, very good in his career with the Penguins. And that game just showed you why he's so important to this. team. His possession, I know his possession is not that good with Jack Johnson, but away from

Jack Johnson, it's around 58%. They control more chances when he's on the ice as to when he's off the ice. They allow fewer chances defensively when he's on the ice compared to when he's not on the ice. He's just so positive to the team. He's just so much fun to watch. I love watching him play a game. And, you know, I've read so many times, you know, he's one of the hardest working players.

He takes pride. I guess I'm Tuesday. He takes pride in the way he. plays. You know, you know how much it means to him. Even when he messes up, you can see the dissatisfaction on his face. I just remember looking at the exit interviews last year after the series, swoop against the Islanders, and he was pretty defensive. You know, he was like, you know, you don't want him to make a mistake. Okay, I won't make a mistake. I'll be fully free mistaken. He was just being a little sarcastic about it, which is funny, but he was niffed with his player. And, you know,

it's great that this was a huge balance back game for him. And I can't be any more happier for him. It was just awesome. But also, what else? Brandon Tanev, guys, I'm running out of things to say. I can thank Jeff again for having me be wrong about Brandon Tanna. That's another goal for Brandon Tanev on this season. I think that bumps his total up to, let me check real quick. I think he's up to 10 now, if I'm not mistaken.

Oh, no, no, one away. 20 points in 43 games. Last year, for the Winfell Jets, he had 29 points. points in 80 games. He's already at 20 points halfway through the season, so I think he may shatter that record, but his career high obviously was 14 goals with when Ed Hegg. I think he'll

be able to break that this season, but his goal on that breakaway was just spectacular. Excuse me. One of the Penguins' best penalty killers on that penalty kill at the end of the game when Malkin took that penalty was perhaps the Bengland's pest penalty kill of the season. Shea Theodore was coming in almost by the slot.

He looked like he had a clear angle for a potential goal, and Tana just gets in front of it and blocks it. And you know what? That was just absolutely awesome. You know, he's one of their best penalty killers. He can block shots. You know, he's blocked a lot of shots this season. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten hurt yet. It's extended to the penguin's injury bug. But he just, he does everything so well. And, you know, I know that, you know, the term may not be the best, you know, six years, whatever, but you know, at this point, who's really going to care six years down the line when Crosby and Malkin are just almost

retired at this point. But, um, what a sign? he's been. I can't say anything more about it, honestly. You know, I think him, that fourth line that he's probably going to play on with Blue Gurman and Ashton Reese, when everyone gets healthy besides Jake Ansel. That fourth line is going to drive people fits, folks. That fourth line is going to be, I think, one of the best fourth lines in the league. Yeah, even better than the Islanders' infamous both fourth line and hockey with Calcutterbug Casey's Azikas and Matt Martin.

Thech! This line actually has a bunch more skill than that line, but also I always like to that because that line was never the best fourth line hockey. It just made a bunch of made-up crack from Islander's hands. But, yeah, that was just, you know, awesome. Great. He's just, he's spectacular. I don't know what else to say about him.

He's only going to keep getting better and better, I think, this season. I haven't really said a bad thing about him all season. So, yeah, that was just really, really good games from both those players. And we'll also keep talking about who else I thought played really well coming up after this break. I also thought, folks, coming up now, I guess I don't know why I keep stuttering my words, about, um, Evgeny Malkin and another really, really good game from him at. I'm goal to open the game. Oh, wow, what a backhand boy, that was, just obliterated that puck from a little, about, I think it was, about 15 feet out.

Just blew it past Lurie after a big scramble in front. That's got to be one of Malkin's best backhands of his career, definitely the best one of the season. It was a vintage Malkin backhand. I don't know how he got that much. juice and zip on it, but I don't question of getting Malkin anymore with how much he's done in his career. Now, that goal was just, wow, that was awesome. I thought he was really, really good throughout the game.

I know he's been taking a little more penalties than normal, which is a little bit annoying, considering he's been mostly really, really good at not taking as many penalties as he did last season, but still his last handful of games, he's been taking a little bit more penalties. He's got to get away from that. Got to stop taking penalties, but I thought overall,

you know, he's been really good defensively in his own zone this season, That was another really good goal. And, you know, he just keeps building on another great season. And it looks like he's going to be getting his number one centerback, Cindy Crosby, folks, who is looking like I think that he's going to come back against the Carotter Lablanch. Skated again yesterday. I know they didn't do line rushes, but it was an optional skate. They have a full practice today.

I'll be curious to see. I'm sure he'll be there. If he takes line rushes and is on the power plan, whatever, expect to see him in the lineup tomorrow night. There's always, I know a lot of Penguins fans that come out for the game of in Colorado since there's a good contingent of Penguins fans out there. Good chance, folks, that if you're listening to this out in Colorado, if any of you guys are out there, he'll be back tomorrow night.

I think so. I definitely think so at this point. And I'll be such a welcome return. What a stretch of they navigated without him. So good news on Cindy Crosby. Back to the game, though. Patrick Hornquist, guys, gets his 10th goal of the season. And he's only played, folks, in 25 games.

That's crazy to me that he has 10 goals in 25 games. It's just been a whole, another level for Patrick Hornquist this season. And, you know, I've said it so many times. I'm going to keep saying it. When he's healthy, he can produce like this. The biggest thing is these past couple of seasons, he's got to stop getting hurt. I know the concussions have been, you know, some freak events. Some of the injuries have as well.

But, you know, it really just screws up his game. But now that he's fully healthy, he's producing like he once was early and screwed the penguins. And it's really just been a renaissance season for the penguins. And it's great to see Hornquist, you know, his play kind of dunking on some haters going into the season that, oh, well, you know, I don't know if he fits in the Penguins' top 12 forwards or not. And, I mean, it definitely fits in their top nine now, at least. I know he probably's not a first-line winger anymore.

Maybe not a second-land winger. But you could probably put him up there at some point for a little portion of the time. But still, he's still a very, very good player. If he stays healthy for the rest of the season, I can see him getting close to 20 goals or maybe even over 20 goals. He's just on a really big hot streak right now. You know, if he keeps playing him like this, the more the better, because he does make $5 million per year. But he's just, he's getting back to his game.

He's being a menace in front of the net, the goal that he scored in a Vegas game. He was at the front of the net, just got in a rebound, put it past Lurie when he had no chance. Just I'm a really, really great goal for Hornquist. And, you know, that's exactly what it's his bread and butter. And, you know, great to see him playing now because, you know, he definitely deserves it. After all the injuries that he's gone through the past couple of seasons, he just needs to stay healthy. we hope, I mean, I hope that he stays healthy for the rest of the season, that's for sure. Also, who scored in this game?

Dominic Cahoon gets his 10th goal of the season. I think he's almost on pace to shatter. I mean, his career high from last season. I'm trying to figure out what his, how many goals he had last season. Yeah, 13. So, yeah, with the Chicago Blackhawks last season who were pretty bad offensively, 13 goals, 37 points in 82 games. Already halfway through the season, folks,

10 goals, 23 points in 42 games. And that was also after he basically like almost missed the first 10 games in the season, considering how bad it was, it was almost as like he was like hurt for the first 10 games. He just wasn't there. But ever since then, you know, just another goal for him. It was on the second power play unit. John Marino gets another assist on it.

But still, he's definitely on page to shatter that 13 goal mark that he had in a full season last year. wouldn't surprise me if he gets close to 20 this season or perhaps gets over 20, considering he has 10 through 42. And just, you know, what a player that Dominic Cahuna has become. He's just, like I see, he's just been a different player ever since those first 10 games where he snapped out of his funk right after that where he scored his first one. And he's just, you know, this is going to go down, I think, is one of Jim Rutherford's best moves

as his tenure as Penguins G.M. It just, you know, this trade just keeps looking better and better. I can't believe the Penguins only gave him. up Olimata for him. Just consider that. And Oli Mata barely even scores. And it's just, it's pretty crazy to think that, you know, they just, they got him only for Olimata. And he know, his defense has also just not been as good as it was. He's skating has slowed down. But I mean, yeah, I just, I can't believe that they got, you know, this amount of production for just Olimata. That's got to go down as probably one of them, Stan Bowman's, I'd say, worst trades of his Bacock's career, even though

he's been trending down a lot in the past couple of seasons. And also the Blycox has just not been good. But yeah, just another game, another goal for Dominic Cahoon. I just can't wait to keep watching it brought the rest of the season. He's just been another one of Pittsburgh's unsung heroes. I think the Penguins at this point, I need to look at their stat page to see how many players that they had that already have 10 goals or more this season. And having now just pulled it up. So of course Jake Gensel, but he's out of year 20 goals of Yenny Malkin. So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

six players right now. Sydney will, well, seven, actually seven players right now with 10 or more goals. Probably by the end of the season, it will be about nine, considering Brandon Tannas at nine. He'll be getting there, so he'll be eight. And then Cindy Crosby, he has five goals, but I mean, he still has a half the season basically left to get five more goals, which he obviously well. It's a, it's, it's Sydney Crosby, folks. But yeah, it's pretty crazy how there's so many penguins that already have 10 or more goals the season and we're not even halfway through.

Other players who I can see getting it. Potentially, Dominic Simone, if he gets more goal scoring luck, he has four goals only. Teddy Bluger has five. He could potentially maybe get five more through the second half. Zach Arsson-Rees has five goals. He's a 43 games. Sam Lafrey, I don't think we'll get there.

But those are the players I think I could see potentially getting 10 goals. I don't think Nick Buk Stub will be able to do. He's only played in 10 games, even though his return is nearing. But he's just been just not been a real fan. I could see the Penguins. potentially trading. And then compared to last season, where the Penguins only had,

let's take a look to see how many players that has at least 10 or more goals last season. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Let me make sure, is that it? Yeah, so eight players only last season that had it, and we're already half a week of the season and seven players, seven goals. Seven players of this penguin season

already have 10 or more goals, and they're on pace. definitely break that record from last season. We're not even halfway through it, which I find that to be completely insane. That's just, that's just spectacular. So, folks, I figured for those lags segment, since there's obviously not too much, too much going on right now, but I was watching NH on NBC last night. I was watching bits and pieces of the Penguins game, the Flyers Capitals game,

which I was rooting for the asteroid to hit because both teams can just, you know, get lost at this point. But before the game, Bob McKenzie was talking about the Penguins, He thought that there's a lot of the chance that Cindy Crosby comes back this week or he doesn't think it seems likely though. I mean, this is for everything that what I've been reading, it sounds like he is going to come back,

so I don't know what Bob was talking about that, but he also went into some trade talk, and, you know, he did confirm as well as Elliot Friedman did in his 31 thoughts, that Penguins are now really looking at some forwards, now that Jake Gensel's out for the rest of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs, and now that they have six more million to play with

in salary cap space, because if Jake Gensel does come back to the playoffs, it doesn't matter because there's no, salary cap in the playoffs. So Penguins could go after some potential high-breaking forwards. He thinks that the Penguins could be interested in Tyler Toffoli and his price tag may only be

a second-round pick that he's been told or if there's more bidding. It could be a second-round pick plus a prospect. I do like Tyler Toffoli. I know he generates a lot of shots. You know, his expected goals is fine. I also know that he plays on the offensively bear in

LA Kings, which is, you know, they're not good offensively. I think he would fit in pretty well here. I just, when I hear all these names floating around, like I just feel like Jim Rutherford is going to pull something out of his ass and trade for a player that no one is going to think of. You know, he did this last season with Nick Bukstad and Jared McCann. You know, he signed Brandon Tanna out of nowhere this season.

I don't think anyone saw that coming. He traded for some reason for Aero Good Branson, of course. Last trade deadline for Tanner Pearson out of nowhere. The Phil Kessel deal, I feel like, came a little bit out of nowhere, since I don't really think he was linked to the penguins a lot. You know, it's just, he just, he works in the shadows a lot. I think he comes up with players that not a lot of people they actually come up with. I know the name Brandon Sade has been flown out, flown around out there.

I read the reports that, you know, the penguins have, you know, really wanted to bring him home after missing out on him a few times, trading for him, that she went and he went to Columbus. The penguins were in on that. I think Jim Rutherford even confirmed that in a press conference before he went to Columbus that, yeah, you know, we were trying again. But that was, of course, a week later, of course, they end up with Phil Kessel, so it was kind of a mute point. But, yeah, I mean, it's just, I feel like it's going to be a top six winger that, you know, comes out of nowhere.

I don't really know, have any names at this point. I know there's obviously people that want Jason Zucker to come, and he's going to be returning to practice. I think that would be a hell of a fit. I know Jim Rutherford tried to acquire him over the all season in exchange for Phil Kessel, and if Jack Johnson is going to be shipped out in that deal, I would still wish that trade would have went through it, because Jason Zucker is a hell of a winger. Definitely would have been much better than Alex Gau Cheny. I still think Gauchennik is going to get traded,

whether it's in the deal for a winger or it's in a separate salary dump deal to free up almost $5 million more in cap. Consider that, folks. If they dumped Gau Chenyuk to a team, they can have almost $10 to $11 million in salary cap space freed up to out and get a winger. And, you know, that's not really been the norm for the penguins, considering they're always, always, always,

always up against the cap. But yeah, I mean, I've seen all the rumors, you know, I've still on Twitter Day, Mike Hoffman, you know, really good goal score, but outside of that, you know, it doesn't really, you know, do too much. He also, he hasn't scored as well as he did when he was in Ottawa. He's kind of trended down a little bit.

So that would be a little bit on my lower list of players, but, you know, I've seen the Tofoy on Chris Crider. He would be my top guy, I think, to go get. I love the way Crider plays. He's just a menace in front of the net. He drives opponents crazy. He's a really good goal score, great playmaker. The only thing is, you know, would the Rangers want to trade him inside the Metropolitan Division?

Have my doubts on that, I think. I don't really think that they would do that, and I think the price for Crider would be sky high. We also have to see if the Rangers are still kind of in the playoff race, though I don't think they expect to be. They're also going to have to deal with their three-golly situation is. I don't think they're going to trade Henrik Lundquist. He's going to want to retire there. It could be Georgia, they may. Trace, since they just called up their other

HL goalie, who got his first Antichel win, and of course, against Colorado Avalanche, which will be the Penguins' next opponent this Friday night, 9 o'clock Eastern at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. That's another arena where I would love to go, especially when they play the little, the Mario sign, when they call off a... When the Avalanche go off a penalty,

they do the Mario, the Mario sound from those Mario's night. It's just really, really funny. But, yeah, I mean, that's really all I have for Locked on Penguins. today. I still want to know hopefully there's more names that I can think of that the penguins could acquire as we get closer to the deadline. Trade Talk is really going to ramp up really soon now, folks. We're getting closer and close to the deadline. I think the deadline this year is let me check. I think it's, yeah, February 24th, so, you know, one, two, three, four, five. So about

seven weeks away is about six and a half weeks, I think, at this point. So thank you guys so much for listening to Locked-on Penguins, and we'll talk to you all soon.