Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 4/16-Cam comes back on, plus Tyler (iFishyHD) makes his debut!

Episode Date: April 17, 2020

In this episode of Locked On Penguins, Cam and Tyler come on the show to talk about that 2015-2016 Penguins season. The 3 discuss Phil Kessel and his impact on the team, Matt Murray's emergence, the Tampa series, and so much more! 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 this edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter at L-O-U-U-U-Square. We're back for another episode this week to talk about the 2015-16 season of being one of the best seasons in Penguins history. And we also have two guests to bring on for the podcast today. One, he's already been on here plenty of times, but we have someone new who has not been on.

I'll start with him first. Tyler. HDHD on Twitter for those who do not know. Tyler, how are you doing, buddy? And what have you been doing during this quarantine to just stay safe? I'm doing great. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me on.

But it's kind of sad because I work at Walmart. And I feel like that's such a cesspool. And then I say I'm quarantining the rest of the time. But I hope everybody who can stay at home is. Yeah. I can imagine, honestly, work, honestly I really can't imagine working there, especially during this time. Do you have to wear a mask every day to there? Starting this Sunday in Pennsylvania, everybody who's still working, I believe, has to wear one.

Oh, geez. And where, what, what are you at? Like South Hills, North Hills area? Or like outside the city? I'm outside the city. I'm actually about 90 minutes away. I live in the neighboring county, Westmoreland County. I got you. Yeah. I was just, I was trying to work. remember what you told me? I just, I kind of forgot. But yeah, that's good. It's good that starting this Sunday they're going to make everyone, all the workers there start to wear masks. I really, really hope that people that are the customers that are going in there are starting to wear mask. I went in the grocery store yesterday. And it was like, it was like literally, I'm trying to find like the comparison for it. It was like walking into Mordor and seeing all the people wear masks from Lord of the

rings because like they don't want to get lava on their faces or something. But it's for good reason. but yeah, you made a Lord of the Rings reference here, so but whatever. But we also have Cam, not that fair. Like I said, he's been on the podcast many times. Cam, how are you doing, sir? What have you been doing during this quarantine since we last spoke? It's been wild. A couple weeks ago, I got laid off my job just because of the whole coronavirus,

but I just got a new job as a graphic designer. And that's been keeping me busy, and I'm working at home. So just been watching a little penguin's games. You know, I just actually started photoshopping some jersey swaps for some players, which I'm having a fun time. I did see that on your Instagram last night. Very well done. Thank you. You've always been a very good photographer.

And I'm sure Photoshop is basically like baby stuff to you since you're so good at it. Yeah, I'm learning, but, you know, good time to practice. Yeah, you'll be there in no time. So like I said in the early seconds of the podcast, we're going to be discussing. the 2015-16 season. Cam, I'll start with you. What's the one word that you think of when you think of that 2015-16 penguin season? Give me one word.

Man, that's tough. Remarkable because, you know, it was at that half point of the season where you didn't really know where the penguins were going, you know, with the hiring of Mike Sullivan. And then they just went on that crazy stretch towards the end. It almost seemed like almost this season, except for the whole coach situation. But this season or that season, they were playing unreal hockey with HBK line. It was remarkable. Yeah, that's, yeah, I completely agree.

Tyler, what about you? Give me one word that you can describe for that season. I just want to say, like, redeeming. I don't really know the word, but what I mean by that is it was so long before we won another one after 2009 for having two of the best generational talents we've seen in this league in so long. And like Cam said, the comeback and everything, like we didn't see the team being the way they were at the beginning of the year based off just their play. And then you really watched them turn it around. Yeah, you guys, yeah, you make a great point there, especially. at the mid-December mark.

I talked about this on my first episode on this week when I was solo. Just basically, I remember after that king, I think it was against the Kings where they lost in the shootout. It was like, what, December 11th or something? And I was just like, yeah, if they don't fire Mike Johnston.

But after the game, I think there's going to be some real problems. Luckily, Jim Rutherford, I guess he saw that it was coming from a mile away, considering the team was just playing really bad. And then you have one of the best trades that Jim Rutherford has ever made. He's always been a much better trader than his free agent signings, like Jack Johnson,

but we're not going to talk about Jack Johnson on this podcast today. But just that trade for Trevor Daly just, I think that was the one, the big one with the Carl Agar one, that just sparked this team so much after Mike Sullivan got hired. Cam? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and then the Phil Kessel trade in the offseason.

really set the tone. Even though the team wasn't, you know, catching it up until that half point of the season, but back to what Tyler was saying, I mean, it almost seemed like they were carrying over from the season prior. And there was just that, you know, that that moved in the locker room that, you know, something wasn't right.

And one of the most underrated trades, in my opinion, was the Patrick Cornquist trade. And that was made the season prior for James Neal. and I think that's often overlooked because that was almost the beginning of setting that championship team and, you know, what they were able to do. Yeah, I always remember that when I first saw that trade, I was like, eh, I guess I need to watch a little more patterned hornquist. Yeah, I was proved wrong pretty easily by that because I guess I was also looking at how James Neal scored 40, but he really hasn't done that since on of Gany Malcon's wing. But I think that set the tone for the team, like, hey, look, this is, we're going in a different direction. Things haven't been working.

Orrinx, oh, sorry. No, go ahead. Horncris, yeah, I really like what you said there because I feel like when Horncfist, like, when you look at him the offseason before, like, he played in a language jersey, the trade was pretty blob. But you really saw him bring a whole new pedigree to the team, and he has such a drive to win. and he's one of the biggest reasons, you know, why we had so much success since the trade, even with all the other things that have run on. I'm sure that brought a voice in the locker room as well,

because I just, it was a sense of leadership as well, because James Neal just, I don't know, just from where he was, and, you know, being the goal score, didn't seem it was, I don't know, from my advantage point, a team player. but yeah I mean

Hornquist definitely changed the way the Penguins played and you know yeah yeah cams out of stuff

to say about that but no I agree I was getting tired of James Neal to be honest with you I really started to go sour on him after that Flyers series when he completely embarrassed himself

just by head hunting basically the whole time I don't know if you guys remember this before we get back to the season. They did that hashtag Ask Neal on Twitter. And yeah, that was not a fun time because all the jokes basically just wrote themselves. But to get back on track here, this can go for any of you guys. I also talked about this, you know, what Phil Kessel was able to do that season. You know, he was everything the Penguins hoped he would be and just so much more. And seeing how he produced

in the playoffs and just down the stretch. And, you know, I said, I think he should have won the Kahn Smythe that year. I will always stand on that. You know, I still like that, though, that people still get mad that Sidney Crosby won that year just because he hadn't won a Kahn Smyth, I guess, and the other one. But just, like I said, this goes for any of you guys. How just amazing just was Phil Kessel that year? Oh, man.

Phil, he was just a whole different element to the team that I think we were dying for. You know, after so many years of watching Cosby and Malkin try to really carry some teams through playoff runs, it was nice to have that third scoring element. And the HBK line, like Cam touched on earlier, was just so good down the stretching in the playoffs that we definitely couldn't have done it without that line. And Phil, obviously. Yeah, and I remember in the, offseason we acquired Phil.

Like everyone was like, oh, is he going with Crosby? No, he's going to work better with Malkin. It was back and forth. And, you know, as we stated earlier with, you know, how the season began, it wasn't, it was, the chemistry wasn't there. And finally, when they acquired Hagelin and all that stuff came in together, no one expected Phil on the third line, but they had a, you know, well-balanced four lines of offense.

And it just, it definitely. you know, created the recipe of a championship team. They were just relentless. And, you know, like, when I asked at the beginning what word I would, for you guys, just give a word for that team, you know, for me it's just domination. Just because that whole playoff run, it was just, you know, they kicked the Rangers' ass and the Rangers,

they had basically no business being in that series with them. And that was like, you knew this run was going to be different when they beat the Rangers. Because the Rangers were the Thorn. on the Penguins side for those past couple years when things weren't going good for them. They had, Henrik Lundquist was due to get beat up on an elimination game by the Penguins, I would say. But that's, yeah, no, I understand really what you're saying. But where was I?

I honestly lost my train of thought. But, Cam, when did you honestly, like, before the playoffs, when did you, could you sentence that, okay, this team actually looks like a Stanley Cup contender, because when I noticed it when, I think it was March 21st, I think was the date, or 22nd. And they were playing the capitals in Pittsburgh. They got out to that really hot start, then the capitals came back to tie it, and then the penguins just blew them out the gasket, 6 to 2, I think, was with the finals 4, 6.3.

And that was when I was like, okay, I think we have something cooking here. Yeah, there was one game. it was against the Red Wings it was in Detroit and that game they were just relentless and it was Detroit I get it but it was just like

a team just looked complete and I'm like okay this this could actually turn into something and I can't really remember it was like six to two or something like that but I think they put up seven on them or something that was six or seven

yeah it was seven to two yeah that was the last year the Red Wings made the playoffs guys so just always remember that but Tyler what about what about you when could you sense that like this this this looks a lot different than normal years right before the red wings we played the devils and lost zero to three but before that was when they they had the stretch where they beat every single opponent in their division and that was just such a you know it was really like you said earlier dalman and it was unreal

watching them just go through those teams like that you know they beat the they beat the islanders in a shoot and we beat the cap six two like i guess if i had to pick a game in specific it'd probably be that capitals game but that stretch was just you know dominant yeah it was just relentless after relentless then you know you have the series against the capitals where i mean you know they're lucky it didn't end in five games there the cap the caps had a nice game five though before and then um okay so i guess we'll bring this out one of you guys can talk about this um basically being The most scared I ever was during that run, if I ever was scared, was, of course, the game six, three delay of game penalties in a row.

I still don't know how they won that game. I really, really don't. Yeah, I was on the edge of my seat that whole game. I mean, especially when those three delay of games, I was like, oh, my God, they're throwing away the game, they're throwing away the series. But, you know, that team had the mindset. hey, you know, we're going to get through this. They were a relentless team, and, man, they persevered.

I mean, it was, that was definitely the high point of that run, and you knew something special, so. I don't know what Tyler thought of it, but. Yeah. Tyler, what do you think of that? The Capitol series was intense, but I think the most butt-clenching game I had was the morning waking up for game seven against Tampa.

Yeah. Oh, my God. Two of my stomach was just, oh yeah, 5-2 in game six, yeah. I mean, it was just that game, and the Tampa is so good, man. It's unreal, they haven't had more success. Last year getting swept by Columbus, but, oh, man, they're such a good team. Yeah, the thing with that Tampa series, I mean, yeah, Tampa was really, really good that year. Hell, they did.

They took Pittsburgh to seven games without Stephen's Damcoast for basically every single one, except, of course, game seven, which is pretty remarkable. And, you know, I feel like the series wouldn't have been as close, I don't think, without the play of Andre Vasilowski. I'm not going to lie going into that series. I didn't really know who he was. I thought it was just the Ben Bishop show. But I found out soon enough, of course, who he was. And then, you know, when he's went on and got paid and be one of the best starters in the league.

I had no idea that he was basically being groomed at the time to take over for Ben Bishop, who went and got paid by the Dallas Stars. He got a ton of money. but well it was also really interesting because you know with the whole flory marais situation and just to see how you have these two young goalies going head in the fight in the eastern conference finals it was just something you don't see all the time and it was definitely entertaining to say the least yeah and then of course that we had the the famous tweet from dom from the athletic you know who the fuck is brian russ and um what a what a great uh time to be on a um a hero because

I don't think anyone expected that. Sit in the kids, man. That whole, you know, Connor Sherry and Tom Kunackle, all those guys came up and stepped up big in the right time. Yeah, no, I agree.

And then, Cam, we'll get back to the Tampa series and a second, but, Cam, you've said it on the podcast before, you were able to go to game two of the final, weren't you? Yeah. I mean, I was lucky enough,

you know, one of the tickets, and it was just like, that's just a memorable game that I'll never forget. And the atmosphere was like no other. And when Sherry, you know, shot that puck and the net, it was just the roof was going to blow off, you know? I've never heard console at the time named console. But, yeah, I mean, it was insane. Yeah, no, it was, it looked.

And I remember that, um, the Phil Kesselville, where he, like, fumbled the puck, and it went over a stick and it was just like the whole crowd like got up and was like pissed but then it turned right around and scored and it was hilarious it was so fun to watch yeah no no i completely and and heck you know going back to the uh the Tampa the series one of the biggest things i remember is you know Tampa was honestly lucky to win that game for especially coming out with the uh the four nothing in the third period and then the penguins i still know you know Tyler i still don't even know how they didn't tie that game with with like seven minutes left in the game considering all the chances they had.

I was just like, okay, yeah, there's, on a, like, even though they lost game five, I was like, there's no way they're losing this series after having a third period like that. Oh, I know. And then the game after that, the three, four overtime loss to put us down three, two. Yeah. The whole Tampa series was just such a swing, man. If you look at the scores that they were so close. Yeah.

And I feel like there's such two good teams that match up on. paper so well and you really saw that on the ice how fast they play yeah no i can believe i would have loved as you know if if we ever get a season this season i would like actually love to see a tampa pittsburg eastern conference final just to see uh all that talent go at especially with gensel back and then with uh zooker and everything i feel like i feel and especially i think stamcoes be back for it too so well yeah it'll literally be all the talent in the world um for that series so that would be um really really cool and then you know for the sharks i'll know about you guys but the sharks were honestly lucky to not have lost in five there.

I still can't believe the penguins lost that game five to the sharks, especially, you know, they take them out in game one, game two was really, really close. They honest, they were very lucky. Sharks were honestly very lucky to win game three, considering the penguins were up in most of that game. Tough game four. And then, you know, the Martin Jones game of all Martin Jones game.

This was before he was just really, really bad. and you guys can answer this. But, yeah, I still can't believe they didn't win the Cup in Pittsburgh that day. You know, I think they really, when you said about game five, I think the penguins are just cursed. They'll never win it home. Yeah, everybody wished for it. The crowd outside was just insane.

They were probably just really, I think I've read before, they were probably, I think they were just really, really nervous outside. And, you know, the play of Evgeny Malkin, that whole playoff run, too, coming off that Elbow surgery, guys, that was just, I think he was better the next year when they went back to back, but still do what he did in 2016 after that major elbow surgery was just nothing short of spectacular, if you ask me. One of the most underrated players in the league, in my opinion. And he continued his playoff tear that he usually goes on.

Yeah. And, yeah. And then, I'll say this one for Tyler. Chris LaTang, dude, that was the best hockey he's ever played in his life. He was a top five defenseman in the league at that entire season. He was honestly top three. I still can't believe he wasn't a Norris finalist. But that game six against San Jose was the game of his life with what he did,

the set up the goal, and then the score a goal. I just, I couldn't. believe how good he was that run. I mean, 15 points in 23 games really speaks for itself. That was, like you said, probably his best season ever. And it's such a shame he never did get a Norris. You know, the stars never aligned for him. Yeah.

I mean, his playing that playoff run was absolutely dominant. And another right defenseman, Justin Shultz, was playing the hockey of his life, too, in that series. Like, the whole defense was so good that you. Yeah, and yeah, no, I completely agree. Justin Schultz, they were able to use him in the right scenario. Third-paring minutes, you don't need to eat too many minutes up. I know he had top pairing, top four minutes the next season.

It was really good at it, and then, of course, just fell off with injuries. But, yeah, that was just the best hockey of his career. He just had that booming shot that you couldn't get enough of. Trevor Daly, you know, talked about it coming over from the Blackhawks. he was just so insanely fast. He brought offense. He was fine in his defensive zone before he fell off going to the Red Wings.

I think this was his final year of his contract. And then I always remember, you know, people being mad at the Ben Lovejoy trade. But, you know, he was actually a steady presence in the defensive zone. I really don't remember anything bad from Ben Lovejoy. That run and all. And then, you know, Brian Dumlin,

is Brian Dumlin. And he's just, he talked about underrated players in this league, Cam, there's not many more defensive than are underrated than him. No, I know. And like you said, that whole defensive, you know, collective group was just unreal. And I loved the game of Ian Cole. He played great that series. Oh, series.

And Derek Puli, I remember came in for a couple games and continued to be Derek Puli. Oh, how could we forget him? I totally I totally forgot about him up until I forgot who got injured but he had to come in for two games It was on, Le Teng got suspended in that Capital series, I recall for the

He did his job though You know, he came in Servicable That's yeah I think he was I think Lothang he hit to it was like a shoulder to the head of Johansson I think

I might have to double check But I know he Got suspended for a game Or was it one or it was one or two games. I think it was actually like one. I think it was just it was the game four. It was the Hornquist overtime winner. Yeah, I'm trying to remember it.

Jeez, it's just been, um, it's been a while, but, um, yeah, that, just that season is a whole. And, you know, of course, we forget the HBK line, you know, someday, sometime. I want, I literally just want like a banner up there with HBK 2016 and just how they just, they torched every

team's defensive pair. You know, it was, it was traded like this enough. I think it was game three against Tampa, no score late in the second period. And Phil Kessel just blew past Victor Hedman like it was nothing. And then Hagelin was able to score on the rebound. And I was just like, what? I honestly couldn't. The speed of that line was insane.

And that's what was killing the other, you know, teams was the speed. And that's what Mike Sullivan preached to the team, you know, with their identity of speed. And, I mean, it was just, they were fine. There were so many goals they were just flying past defensemen. It was just, yeah, unreal. And everyone on, you know, Haglin, Benino, and Kessel did their part. I remember the Kessel, even though it wasn't aligned together, but that power play goal Kessel had in game six, I believe,

or game five or the Lightning Series. Yes. It was game six, yeah. It was the one-d-way. It was at a crucial time, too. So, I mean, all three of those players, just, they won him the cup. Andy, Andy Saucyer, baby, he saved that game with the Jonathan Drewandoff, Sides call.

Don't ever forget that. He's always been really good with his challenges, though. But we'll end with Matt Murray, Tyler, him coming up. That was, you know, those first two years he was in the league, especially the 2015-16 season. Best hockey of his life. I know he's fallen off a bit recently, but. The way he was able to play, man, that was just,

they didn't need Mark Andre Floyd that entire run, which was just crazy. Oh, yeah. No, he was such a smooth-looking goalie. You know, he was really big in the net. And I think, you know, you can kind of see it when a goalie really starts to get hot and they're in the zone. And, you know, hopefully with Matt, it was more skilled than him just being hot.

but he was just so locked in during that playoff run and he really came out and took the job and there was no regret with ever going with Matt at a game it was it was such such a good goal tending and stylistically he's so different from Flurry

it was something different to watch you know yeah and we can't we can't forget about Mr. Game 1 too Jeff Zackoff stepping up for that I mean he yeah I mean he came in for game two which I was at and that wasn't the best but game one he definitely

you know stepped up to the plate and the goat legend like Tyler said he was he was the goat right there in that game yeah I'm sorry can that even though you you were able to see that Phil Kessel celebration in front of you you wouldn't be able to see another Jeff Sackoff wet I'm still jealous that I know

I know aren't you happy you saw his last game in a penguin's uniform I never thought of it like that but now that you say that I wow, I'm going to miss the goat. He definitely is beloved in Pittsburgh, and we'll thank him for that one game. Thank him for that one win. Thank him for game one, not game two.

They were lucky, honestly, in that Tampa series, when they actually went to Flurry in game five, that it didn't come back and bite them in the ass either. That was, that could have went poorly, but, you know, thank God that the other team was able to not lose back. That was the first back-to-back-back. But there was a whole different story in 2016-17, playoffs. But that's for another podcast.

Yeah, that's for another day. We'll talk about how that was probably Markondo Fleury's best playoff run of his life, even though he had 0708, which was really, really good as well. But I think that might do it for this episode. Do you guys have anything else to say about that 2015-16? team just got right ahead. I will forever hate Rob Skidari for that for that season.

But I will thank Rob Skidari for getting us Trevor Daly. But yeah, I mean, that was just, that was probably my favorite team out of all the Stanley Cup winning Penguin teams, in my opinion, just seeing it, you know, the struggle in the beginning and the perseverance and just, yeah, I mean, it was unreal. yeah yeah Tyler go ahead yeah I'm not to agree with Cam that was probably my my favorite season of all time just just the whole story it was you know

the beginning of the year was such a mass and Mike Johnson and everything and coming around and watching them win the cup and especially with Phil in his first year there that was pretty legendary and also I thought it was funny how we talk about Rob Skidari Jim Rutherford was also so fed up with Rob Skidari

he traded him during a game. I remember it was, he was scratched right before the game and it was like, oh, okay, he's just a healthy scratch. Right after the game, oh yeah, trade. I'm like, where did this come from? Brotherford was in the press box just thinking, you know what, I've seen it. It's over. I wish you could say the same thing this season for a certain player, but we're not going to name names. You know, we'll talk about him if this season is a nice guy.

He's a nice guy. Great guy in the room. We'll talk about him if the season never comes back, which, you know, it might, but it also very likely may not with the way this is going. But Tyler, Camel, I do want to thank you guys a lot for coming on this episode of Lockedon Penguins. It was really good to talk to you guys about one of the best seasons in franchise history and how Cindy Crosby and Gany Malcon were able to get their second Stanley Cup. That was a lot of fun. That's always a pleasure. Thank you.

You guys stay safe. everybody listening, stay safe, wash your hands, all that good stuff. Yeah, thanks for having me on, Hunter, and it was good talking to you in Cam. Hope everybody stays safe, washes their hands. Yeah, I will be the third person to say that. Please stay safe, wash your hands. If you do go out, just, you know, six feet apart, please, social distancing. But we'll be back tomorrow with another episode.

I'll figure out what to talk about. I'm sure as I... Yeah, I'll just, I'll figure it out. Thank you guys so much for listening. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show is Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. Follow Cam on Twitter at Not That Fair. And follow Tyler on Twitter at Eye Fishy HD.

I will never get tired of that at. So we will talk to you guys tomorrow.