Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 3/18- Cam comes back on from self-quarantining

Episode Date: March 19, 2020

In today's episode of Locked On Penguins, Cam returns to the show and helps Hunter continue his series of some of the biggest Penguin series' of the 2010's as they talk about the 2013 defeat to the Boston Bruins. They then rank some of the best Penguin games that they've seen live as Cam definitely has the better of the games. 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, welcome to a Wednesday night evening for a pretty late evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes, follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows Twitter at L-O-U-U-U-U-Squarenguins. Just as I was actually saying that, my dog decides to chase his tail all the way around for about 30 seconds, but even though he's one-year-old, I don't know why he does this, but I figured we all should know. But anyways, we are now what, into day six, almost day seven now of the quarantine, sub-quarantine. I figured we'd bring back a very usual guest. You know, I always love to have him on, and besides, he likes coming on anyway. Cam, not that fair from Penguins' Twitter. Thanks for much coming on, man, and, you know, helping me keep in this podcast going as, you know, we're almost a full.

It's been over a week now since the Penguins have played in the game, since a lot of NHL teams have played. And, yeah, it's been about, like I said, it's been a week. Yeah, thank you for bringing me back on. it's definitely been a little turn for the worst since the last time I've talked to you but yeah I mean I just I actually work at an indoor soccer facility and they had to close doors on Monday that's why and your college is closed too yeah we I actually just had my first online class like virtual classroom today and that was pretty interesting so only three people showed up Three people.

Did anyone use their webcams or just microphones? I was the only one who used the webcam. Well, yeah, you have to show off your penguins and steward's room. Yeah, all my penguins gear that's behind me at my setup. But, yeah, it's really weird in quarantine. And, yeah, and I'm just stuck looking at Penguins highlights. And I think that's what we're going to be talking about here, talking about some past playoff games and some of our favorite.

in the games we've been to. Yeah, that's going to be one of the topics of discussion. You know, first off, you know, I think I'll continue my biggest penguin playoff series is from the 2010s. Today, we're going to be focusing on another very dreadful one, but still, it was pretty big at the time, considering the penguins were one, or four wins away from going into the Stanley Cup final. This was a series I was actually supposed to attend to.

For those that I don't know, I was supposed to go to game five of the 2013 Penguins Ruin series. I think everyone knows what happened, especially in game four when there was the one-nothing loss. Yeah, that was not a fun time. I think I had basically just gotten out of high school. What year was I? I'm trying to think. I think I was a freshman in high

school that year. 2013. We're the same like age. Yeah, we are. Yeah. That sounds about right. I was about, yeah, I know I was 15. So I think I was a freshman in high school that year. Yeah. God, I just, I just came

I think that was seven freaking years ago. Time flies. Yeah, time flies. But, yeah, Cam, I think I told you that, too. I was supposed to go to that. Game five, we had the tickets lined up. I think, oh, yeah, man, they'll win a game. They did not, two goals in four games.

Tuka Rask was basically 980 in the four games. And I think that series was basically just, you know, like I said about the Penguins Flyers won in 2012, how the Penguins just mostly, they lost their way. And, you know, you know, it's bad when Cindy Crosby, almost fights in Dano Charo, who is a 7-foot-5 Neanderthal. He was, especially when he was in this prime. That dude was just a giant.

And then, of course, you know, they were just, they were doing so many things to piss all the penguins. And that was just, yeah, I thought they honestly lost their way more in that series than they did against the Flyers. But that might be a hot take. But, no, I mean, you're right, though, because, I mean, the frustration was setting in by game two. And you could tell that Crosby, like, had enough of Charra.

as antics and there was just I forgot which game it was but there was that brawl at the end of the game and it kind of set in like the pen to me at that point I was like man the pens aren't going to win this series

I mean it was pure domination on the Bruins then I didn't expect a sweep but I did expect like maybe at game six you know what I mean or game five but yeah that was that was one of the ugliest series I think

I can remember. I remember game one. I mean, it was close for a while. I think the Penguins hit a post early on. And then, you know, the Bruins scored a couple goals. And then it just went on a downworld spiral from there. I think, what was it? Evgeny Malkin fought Patrice Bergeron in that game.

Yeah. Which is, I never thought those two guys would drop the gloves with each other. Matt Cook had that brutal hit on McQuaid in game one. Do you remember that? I do. Yeah, it's nothing out of the ordinary for him considering he had a bunch of those throughout his career. The funny thing is about Matt Cook.

I was a big fan of him when he wasn't being an idiot, but he was just so overshadowed by him just being stupid because he didn't need to do that, considering he was a good depth player on the third line. Everyone, I think some people will probably forget that he was on the line with Jordan Stahl and Tyler Kennedy for the 2009 run and then thereafter with Stahl. And of course, that 2012-13 season was the first.

season without Jordan Stahl. And, of course, his replacement gets the only goal in game two. He gets one of the two only goals that the Penguin scored in that series. I think it was right after the Bruins made a 3-0, he comes down the right wing. It was like his vintage spot if he had one, and he risked it passed to Carras to make a 3-1. But then it didn't matter because Tomas Bo Kuhn was pulled in that game and then Mark Andre Fleury continued to.

play like the really, really bad Mark Andre Fleury was against the hours. That was like the really bad time and like not excluding this year because this up to this point this year, he hasn't had a good season so far. But there was a lot of questions at that point about Mark Andre Fleury and his game and what his future was like for the penguins. And I mean, when you're relying on Tomas Fulcun and in the. playoffs it's I mean it's not good you don't forget how good he was that year I don't think um you know of course it wasn't probably an easy decision for dan Bilesma to go to him you know considering how much flurry was loved by everyone but you know when your goal he's playing like dog shit he's playing

like dog shit and you know he was really really he was the penguins were really lucky to get past the islanders even with him playing like that they just had so much high-end talent and oh yeah forgetting the bach of was almost just as bad um I think people forget that he was I think he was sub-900 for that series too. And then, Ottawa, it didn't really matter who was in debt for that series. They blitzed them so bad.

But, yeah, I just, you know, I wish Vokun would have stayed extra, a little longer. Because, you know, I think there could have been, people probably could have made the argument that he could have started that next season for the Penguins, considering.

Yeah, but from that, going on, his career didn't really. Yeah, he had the blood clots, I think, right? Right, yeah. Yeah, this was, oh, that's unfortunate that his career was caught short because of that. Because he was always so stellar.

Same way with DePuy, out DePuy. Unfortunately, had to end his career. Yeah. Yeah, that's, those types of things are very scary, especially with,

I mean, for everyone, but when you see it in the, um, the sports community into an athlete, um, it's,

it's very shocking and, um, you know, another funny, yeah, go ahead, go ahead. No,

no, go ahead. And then I was thinking, Yeah, another, like, interesting memory from that series. Well, it was also kind of funny. I'm kind of sad, too. I shouldn't poke too much fun at it. You know, Bruins fans and all the media, you know, oh, my God, Gregory Campbell's like a war hero.

Remember when he sacrificed himself on that, um, slapper when he broke his leg? Oh, my God. He got up. Oh, my God. He got up. He's skating. I was like, wow, man. Like, great.

I don't know how he's doing this, but, man, he was, like, made into this local warlord. I'm almost like, it was like a Ulysses-S. Grant kind of thing from the, of a war and it was just like what was funny about this year too was Yager was on the Bruins this year and wasn't it in 2012 he was on Philadelphia

yeah you got away with that hooking call on Malkin in overtime which was just I remember I that game was funny because it goes into overtime 1-1 and my mom was like you have finals the next day you're not going to get to stay

up I said okay I bet I come downstairs to my bait I they all go to bed. I'm like, screw this. I'm going down to the basement. Um, turn it on.

Um, I'm like, I just, I watch the whole thing. You know, you do that. Even when you're 15, six,

almost 16 years old, you do that. You sneak in. Yeah. Absolutely. I didn't give a crap. If I got, you know,

put, got in trouble, I got in trouble, but, well, that's, I mean, when I was growing up,

I, I, I played baseball and just getting a little off trap here. But, I mean, And I played for the Phillies, like a local Phillies team. And so I was a Phillies fan at that time.

And I got, I just, I snuck downstairs in 2008 when they went to the World Series. And that was my like first taste of like, of a team I was rooting for them winning a championship, you know. And then soon enough, you know, Steelers won their Super Bowl. And then Penguins went on to do their thing in 2009. but, you know, I was, that was one of the funest times in my childhood was just like when there was those big games and it was, it was that time of night where you're like, all right, you got to go to bed, but I mean, the games were so entertaining. You just had to see him. Yeah, it was a no. Yeah, absolutely.

That was like honestly the best part of my childhood when I would just sneak downstairs. You know, if I got in trouble, I got in trouble, I'll deal with my mom the next morning. but yeah that penalty that yager got away with and the i think it was the double i think it went to double over time and then i think it was bergeron that scored the game it was yeah it was yeah it was and then i just remember i think i'd seen malkin pretty miffed after that because you know the hanguins were about to think beyond a scoring chance but yeah i just remember that was the nail in the coffin yeah that that game three it was just like it was because they they put up a good fight up to that point prior because the game two was just dreadful blood up yeah so was game one

and you know i think right after that game going to double overtime it was just like yeah we can't beat these guys and i think game four it was just like that was a close game too they just they were they were done to the last was just uh and it still it still irks me but you know what they got two goals in 17 seconds um at the end of that run when the black hawk They were down one, tied it, and then they got the game winner with like, what was it, like 30 seconds, like less than 30 seconds left or something like that, which I thought was just hysterical of that. You know, it was one of the biggest things of that era was everyone was expecting a penguin's blockhouse. Yeah, everyone was waiting for it. For years.

Yep. For those couple of years. And it never happened, which is kind of funny to look back. It was a big, yeah. I think that's a big regret that a lot of people probably wish that it would have happened was, you know, to see. The guys with almost multiple Stanley Cups go up against the team that has only won one. I think at the time, I think they had, they both had one. If I'm not, yeah, if I'm not mistaken, they both had one.

So that would have been just, it would have been awesome, you know, if both of those guys had a couple cups. And the history would have been, like, it would have been flipped. I wish, you know what I mean? Yeah, I wish those two teams duked it out in the Stanley Cup final at least once. Yeah, I think we were robbed. I'm a bad, though. I also think the Penguins have also played pretty bad. the Blackhawks in most recent seasons.

But in a sense, I think, you know, at the time, the 2013 series was rough for the Penguins and fans. Absolutely. But it kind of hit that reset button and that realization to the owners like Lemieux. And it was like, okay, we need a, you know, a new step. And it really didn't kick it until 2014, 2015. Yeah, the funny thing is, though, is that Ray Shiro gave Dan Baezma an extension after that threw in the suite, which was just hilarious.

Abysmal. Yeah, I couldn't. It was like those two playoff runs in ratio. It was like, yeah, I'm just going to give you an extension. You know, I guess that's his big thing is that he's too loyal to a coach. I remember I think I was like just getting on to Twitter at that time. And the takes were hot. That's one way to put it.

The takes were very sad. See, I joined, I joined Twitter right around 2015. It was like right at that. It was right. It was before Sullivan got hired. Okay. So there was that time where Hagelin got that overtime goal. um against the penguins and um it's kind of funny how the how that changed but it was i mean it was

it was a low point for the franchise up to that point and oh absolutely um it was a great you know it was great to have jim rutherford come in and obviously the story was written but um there was so much more that could have happened in those those couple playoff series for the penguins i think. Yeah, no, especially for the, yeah, it's 1,813 run, yeah, because honestly, like, when they just, I remember I was down in my basement, you know,

for that game 5 win, when I think was, yeah, James Neal had the hat trick, and when you just basically embarrassed the whole Ottawa Senators team that day, you know, I just, I sat there, I'm like, okay, I think this is, this is, they're going to be the next year they go, and then, now I was beating all these predictions, like, oh, my God, you know,

they're being predicted to win, oh my, but, you know what, that was, I think, the year that And they had the Penguins' legend, Brendan Morrow. Don't forget about that. Yeah, two second round picks for Douglas Murray, baby. But, um, uh,

Ray Shiro, that just was not necessary. But, um, that was the first year I was just like, yeah, just, you know,

I know I was 15 of the time, but you can't pay any attention to what people are saying. Going back to the Douglas Murray thing, it's not comparing it to at all, but it's, especially with this whole coronavirus thing going on with the league, where does that leave Patrick Marlow for, for the penguins?

This is, is that can be a wasted third round pick, you know? Yeah, I'm hoping not well. We're going to have to see what the league does with the season. You know, I talked about it on all my episode yesterday, Cam, that the idea was floated around that basically was starting it back in late July. I was talking about how they gives the injured players a chance to return, Jake Gensel, especially.

But that's, I think that's probably the most realistic option. Yeah, I just, in my mind, I see this whole thing, like, if it does go to that. Whoever wins the Stanley Cup, I just, I think NHL fans are going to look at that team and be like, well, he didn't really win it, like, the traditional way. And there's going to be, like, a different look on this, this year's Cup winner. You know what I mean? Yeah, especially if they, like, shorten the playoff series, you know, I was talking about yesterday. best of five, maybe for the first couple rounds,

best of seven for the next one. Hell, you could start the playoffs with almost two play-in series for each conference, best of three, and then start the playoffs with the 16 teams, like the 8 versus 9, 7 versus 10. I think that would be actually. Pritchin gives the league something new to try out, see if it would work in the future.

But... If the season continues... Yes. The metro... The winter's coming out of the metro. I'm booking it. I mean, there's, I don't see anyone out of the West that could really, you know, put up a fight against a metro team. I mean, right before this whole coronavirus thing, the Flyers were putting on a show.

Honestly, I think the Bruins. A healthy Penguins team is, you know, really good, but. People overlook the Bruins, I think. I think they would beat Washington. I think they would beat Philly. Pittsburgh, it's a tough call. I would honestly think that they would beat Pittsburgh since they're like the one of the, I think, the only teams that can actually get Pittsburgh off their game, even with Mike Sullivan being the head coach.

Because usually that doesn't happen, has not happened. Under him very often, of course, it happened under Dan Bosman since we just got finished with that discussion. And they still have the Cornerstone players from that 2013 series as well. Yes. So, I mean, obviously, it's a whole different team. Yeah, just like the core players, you mean. Right, right, yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

And, all right, Cam, so, you know. All right, Cam, so you alluded to this early on, you know, very, very early on in the show. I guess, you know, we'll rank our favorite Penguins games that we've been to. I know that I know there's something that you've been to. I guess I'll let you take the floor. I'm not sure if you're going to start with the 2016 Rangers series or the other one that I'm thinking of. Man, I don't know. So my first ever Penguins game, it was in 2008, actually.

And I went to a Steeler game at 1 o'clock, and then there was the Penguin game at 7 o'clock. It was against the Maple Leafs, but they lost. But just that first, no matter if win or lose, that first game you go to is unforgettable. And I know it was kind of meaningless at the time, but they were wearing the powdered blues, which are one of my favorite jerseys of the penguins, personally. I know a lot of people disagree with that, but I love the powder blues. Yeah, I just could never get behind the blue jerseys. It's just... I don't like the ones from when they played in Hinesfield.

Okay, that's fair. I liked the 2008 ones, so, but... Yeah, that game, the stadium series game, against the Flyers, the first one. Oh. That one was really fun. It was so weird because it was like, it was warm that whole week. and then it started like it was like 70s and then it started like snow flurries during the game

which was insane and I was wearing shorts so like Crosby had a heck of a game um you know it was fun seeing Colin and all those guys on the ice at the time and yeah that was my second I'd say and then game two of the 2016 series was unforgettable yeah it was the uh the

the um you was like a chate final or was the way okay yeah you went yeah you were you had you got basically almost front road tickets to the connor sherry goal i remember you all no well no so i won the tickets from the um penguins twitter yeah we were in the lumee suite and the goal was on our side and i i've told you before but the whole roof just felt like it was going to just blow off i've never heard that of a stadium him or anything like that. So loud, it was just, it's crazy.

Yeah, that was, that was ridiculous. Oh, man, I remember probably waking up the neighbors down the street, but you know what, whatever. It was, that was our senior year of high school. So, yeah, I was the very well and the best, that's probably the best graduation gift or whatever get. I don't even know if I'm going to get a graduation gift this year for, for my college, if my college actually has its commencement, which I don't think is going to happen this

year, unfortunately, which. It was, it was so. funny though like so when I got the announcement because I live in Virginia we both live in Virginia but when I got the DM from the from the penguins I was like it was like

three days away I'm like oh crap you know this like I got exams this week so I was like hey dad I just won two free sweet tickets to the Stanley Cup finals and he didn't believe me he's like nah

you're joking with me but I showed him and he was like man this is once in a lifetime you know and it was uh you know we never know when we're going to see the penguins again in the stanling cup you know yeah it could be this year next year or it could be you know 20 years from that you never know so you just you got to cherish these moments yeah no absolutely and that um you i know you have the picture I hung up on your wall of Connor Sherry That was the Goal at game 5 against the Rangers

Where no no no no no that was um which one which goal was it It was so it was game two against the Rangers Oh yeah it's the um Kessel goal right Right yeah it was the Kess it was a pass from daily It was Benina to Daily to Yes They lost that game but it was it was so much fun Yeah I think you have that that post point

If any of the listeners right now ever get the chance to see a playoff game in person in Pittsburgh, it's awesome. There's no other. It's unbelievable. Well, yeah, hopefully I can go this year if the season gets, you know, if it gets out of their hiatus in the suspension. Yeah. Oh, my mom's birthday is actually in July. So, you know, that would be a good way to surprise her, I think, you know, if she's listening to this, She probably already knows, but I don't think she really listens to this podcast.

At least I don't think so. But anyways, but yeah, you said you have that hung up on your wall, that goal because it was right next to you. Yeah, it was funny because, so we had the glass seats, and this was my graduation gift from my dad. And we were sitting right next to a photographer, and the photographers switch sides every period. I don't know if you ever knew this. And so the first period, he sat by us, and we were talking. and then he swapped to the second period when that goal happened

and then the third period he came back and he showed us on his camera and he's like, I got this awesome picture of you guys and it was Kessal Daly and Benino literally right in front of us and we were like pounding on the glass

and I probably shouldn't be saying this but we contacted the photographer and the NHL owns the right to all the photos and all that, but we had to throw some money under the table, per se, to get that photo from a photographer. But, yeah.

Yeah, I'm going to go after this episode, I'm going to go back and actually watch that go and see if I can see you guys. I'm not sure if I've actually noticed you guys there, but I'm going to have to look more carefully. For me, let's see here. I saw the cool, it was the 2017 series. I came, season I came up for a game during spring break. I think they went down 3-0 to a really bad Buffalo team.

A bunch of Sabres fans at the game. And then all of a sudden, you know, I think Hornquist made it 3-1. Malkin made it 3-2 with a massive slap shot with his signature spot on the power play. Then I'm like, okay, they're going to blow the doors off his team coming up. Then they tied it. And then I think with less than three minutes left, Connor Sherry got the goal to make it four to three. And then the roof just, you know, it came. It was a regular season game, but the roof just basically came.

off because that comeback was just outstanding. I saw the game last season at the... It's not the Verizon Center anymore in D.C. It's the Capital One Arena. They change it. Yeah, it's like the second time. They've changed that, unfortunately. That was the game, I think,

it was right after the Penguins got Marcus Pedersen or something. I think it was Murray was a netback game. That was the game where the Capitals had like two pucks that almost had the game Matt virtually just barely did not go across the goal line. I think it was a 2-1 final, where Matt Murray was just sensational. I think Crosby ended up getting one of the goals. That game was, you know,

those games in D.C. are always fun, especially when you're shooting by a bunch of Caps fans, and then I got to go to the steps. So that's just, that's so much fun. Yeah, I told you about the 2012 Flyers series I went to, and I got beer pour. on me by a drunk Flyers fan. Yeah, that's, um,

that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, brotherly love for everyone at listen to this podcast.

Yeah, Philadelphia. Um, you know, we're not gonna, um, bag on them too, too much this,

um, episode, but, um, I'm, my, my first Penguins game actually came,

I think this was, I was insanely young. Apparently, my mom's size, I really don't remember it. I think this was, um, before Sidney Crosby got there,

I think it was when Rico. Yeah, Rico Fah was the best player. I think it was during the 3-04 season when they were just terrible. You basically could go into Pittsburgh. I think my mom was telling me and you could get tickets for not even like 30 bucks because the team was just so dreadful.

They ended up, I think, losing the game 3-0, I think. I'm going to actually have to go up and ask her after this episode. But, yeah, I don't remember it too, too much since considering I was only, what, six or seven years old? I know I remember being there though

But the ag glue is just gorgeous man I miss it I wish I got to go to a playoff game there Because it was That place was truly special I miss it still to this day Considering how loud it got Hang on I'm actually

I actually So I save every program That from the Penguin games I get to So I just I'm trying to Okay So I have the one from that Toronto series But I actually I went to the game December 27th of 2007

and guess who's on the cover of the ice time? Gary Roberts. Gary Roberts, nice. It was Penguins Capitals was the first game I went. Yeah, so. Yeah, I wish I said. I was very young at that time. So I'm surprised, you know, I don't really remember it, but.

Yeah, I wish I, I wish I say, mine, man. I really, really do. But I think that might do it for this episode of Lock on Penguins. Cammer really do appreciate you coming on. This was a little bit last minute. But, you know, we were thinking about doing this episode for a while now, you know, just talking about our favorite games that we've went into. You know, thank you for talking about that painful Penguins Bruins series. I know that's probably not the easiest series to talk about considering what happened. I really do appreciate it, man. Yeah, no problem. Thank you for having me and thank you to the listeners.

I know this is a difficult time for hockey fans, not only hockey fans, but just everyone across the world right now. And I know everyone's been pushing it, but clean hygiene with washing your hands and everything. We just had a family friend who just tested positive. So it's definitely, you know, affecting us. personally now. So, you know, it's tough. And I know how tough it is for everyone else out there and with work and everything. So just everyone stays safe. And just hope for the best and just keep looking forward. Yeah, absolutely. I really hope your family friend is okay. I hope everyone is okay. Yeah, like Cam's say, keep washing your hands. Good hygiene. Stay inside. You know,

so I'm sure people saw that video today. I'm just going to keep roasting people from, I think it was a CBS news. Don't go out if you don't need to. Yeah. I mean, seriously. I mean, don't do it. These people were down in on Florida and they were like, yeah, if I get Corona, I get Corona and I'm like, okay, you know, these people are just not saying, I'm not going to.

Just one thing to touch on that. I know this isn't a coronavirus podcast. Yeah. You know, I have an 89-year-old grandfather in Florida and it's like, it's the arrogance of people like that with with their, if I get the. the coronavirus, I get it. It's just, you know, think about other people, not just yourself for once.

And this is about everyone, the whole world, not just you. So I'll just leave it at that. Absolutely. Yeah. And, you know, shout out to also at the end of this podcast. For those that don't listen to this the other show, you know, locked on NHL and the fantasy hockey.

Well, I know the fantasy one is not as big right now, because of course there's not a lot of games playing, but they still on Steelers too this is a good time to listen to them yes I've been listening Chris Carter he does an awesome job over there please do it awesome time awesome time to tune in with um free agency and Tom Brady going to Tampa that's insane so um check him out yeah glad he's away from the uh the Steelers but yes uh check out check out the locked on NHL National show um it comes out each week um very it's a very good

real run show locked on Steers you know Chris, if you ever listen to this, you do a really, really good job. Just keep it up. You guys can just listen to that, especially if you guys are big Stewards fans. And like Cam said, it is very, very busy time with. I love listening to his show. He does a great job. He's really, really good.

You do too, Hunter. I really, okay, I appreciate that. That's very good. But, yeah, thank you guys so much for listening. We'll have another episode coming tomorrow, and I will talk to you all then.