Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Locked On Penguins 4/22- A little bit of everything!

Episode Date: April 23, 2020

In this episode of Locked On Penguins, Hunter shares his thoughts on the report that the NHL is considering 4-6 cities to play games in later in the year and if it's feasible, plus he continues his best moments of the season segment with a Pens-Caps thriller. Finally, he finishes up by talking about Kris Letang's magic during the 2016 Stanley Cup Final as the Penguins are replaying that game tonight. 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 Wednesday night evening edition of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes, follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. I hope you all are doing well. Before we get to today's best moment or, yeah, of the season, there was some interesting news that came from some of the insiders, the national insiders from last night with Elliot Friedman. Pierre LeBrun has also been talking about our Greg Wazzynski, VSPN, has been, has been, been talking about it.

Also, just before we get into that, if you guys absolutely hated my live read of that Earth 2 Penguins Flyers series, like I said, please tell me, you know, I may not be doing that ever again, considering it was just, it came up on the fly, but I thought it was absolutely

hilarious how that series ended, but like I said, I know the Penguins will be playing in another two Earth two series, Jesus, coming soon, so I probably won't be doing anything for that. It probably begins the capitals, but I just don't want to relive that moment, considering that it was just bad. I'm sure many of you guys hated it.

But if you didn't hate it, also let me know. But anyways, getting back on track. So, like I said, Gregor's Genet, Elliot Friedman, they basically have said the NHL is not doing the neutral site thing or planning on it. A new plan has basically been brought up to say they're looking at maybe four to six NHL arenas where they can play games. this is so far in advance. I think it was like June or July. I think the report was July, where you know that the Pacific teams can play up in.

I think Edmonton was in a discussed city. The central Minnesota has been a discussed city for the Metro Raleigh, down where the hurricanes play has been a disgust city. The Atlantic apparently has been a TBD. But I really don't think they would be playing anywhere in Florida if you considering Florida is just a whack state in general. If you listen to this podcast from the state of Florida,

thank you so much for doing that. very, very weird. Toronto, I really wouldn't see that. And then Boston, I think Boston's been a big hive up there too. It would maybe have to be somewhere like Ottawa, even though they're out of it. Maybe Detroit, I don't know, but I have no idea. This is all, it's all very fluid. That's probably the best word that I can describe it as.

And, you know, it's an idea for now, you know. They're going to have to see how these next few weeks play out. You know, we all know, like I said earlier, this is going to be way, weighing in advance, you know, July, August, September. And I think, like, if you're going to do that route and you're going to do the four to six NHL cities where, you know, the coronavirus is not like a hot spot there or, you know, you just, you have to make sure that there's so much planning that goes into it and just making sure that, you know, the biggest question, you know, what if it's a player test positive? then your whole operation is just destroyed because, you know, you really can't play. I mean, I don't think they would be able to play if a player or two are even more actually test positive in this place, even though it's considered not a hot spot. It's just, I don't know, there's maybe some positives to it, but there's also some negatives to it.

The one negative, I think they want to finish out the regular season. I really don't think that's possible. Maybe you can play five to six more regular season games, but I'm sorry. You're not going to get 882 games out of this. especially if this idea is to be done in July, which is three months away. I can't believe it's July is already three months away. We're almost up to May, folks, considering, you know, we're almost, well, if you really think about, I was thinking about late July is three months away, but we're almost to May 1st.

So it's almost two months away to start of July, which is just absolutely boggues my mind, but like I said, I think what you would have to do is what I've said on this podcast before with my idea, you should just start the playoffs. 20-22 teams, you get the bubble teams in, like the Minnesota Wild, or, you know, the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders and McCallery Flames out west. You know, you don't need a team with Chicago Blackhawks in there or the Montreal Canadians. Those teams were just not that good.

You should award the teams that were really, really close to being in the spot. And, you know, just make it a play in game. And, you know, I do like the idea of three games. games a day, you know, I mean, there'll be something different, you know, maybe like a 12 p.m. 3 p.m., 6 p.m. kind of thing. Though, like I said, you got to make sure everything is squared away with this that's planning, you know, obviously there ain't going to be fans for these games. Even in people I've seen reports may be in a limited capacity, there could be a little bit of fans. Guys, there's not going to be any fans at these games. I would be stunned if even 20 fans will be

allowed into the games. It's just going to be the players, the staff, the coat, like, of the coaching staff, general managers and just the equipment staff and all those people, the game day operations for the arena. I think that's enough for the time. But, you know, do I see this happening? Honestly, I'm at the point right now where I don't even think they're going to restart the season. I think they're just going to have to punt on it and just get towards next year.

I mean, I'm hopeful that this could work, but, you know, we just, we got to see a lot of progress, guys. You know, there's too much at stake right now. Gary Bettman basically said it best tonight to Ron McLean. And, you know, it's not best for, it's not, it's not often where I'll actually agree with the Gary Betman quote, considering I'm not one of his biggest fans. But I did like that, he said to Ron McLean, this isn't a race. The stakes are too important. That's a really, really good quote from him, you know, just basically sums it up right there. He says, yeah, they remain hopeful they can finish the season.

He says everything we're going to do will be for the right reasons at the right time. So, I mean, yeah, this is well, well, well, well, out in advance. I really don't see it happening, but, you know, this would be, it seems realistic that it potentially could happen. It seems probably the best realistic way that it could happen with the three games a day. No fans for NHL cities in arenas where they're not, they're not hotspots where the cases have gone down tremendously to hopefully none at all. That's obviously, that's what we need. I mean, I think to hopefully start this back up, but, you know, we're just, this is going to. going to be so far on my man's i know i sound like um i'm on repeat mode here but you know that's just

that's just what's going to take at this point there's also the report today about potentially the draft still taking place in june that that would be really really interesting considering um the teams with the picks uh the pittsper traded away their first round pick you know for jason zulker the conditional first round pick what happens with that pick you know jim rutherford was also quoted this week from the penguin's tastely saying you know he's a little bit concerned about that pick they give up to get patrick well oh i believe it was what a third round pick in the draft for this year you know, I mean, I mean, what happens with that? You know, there's a lot of questions they need to answer for the NHL draft.

If you want to have it in June, I mean, obviously it's probably be virtual. Like the NFL draft is going to be this weekend, which I can't believe the NFL draft starts tomorrow. That kind of crept up on us pretty quick. But, you know, that's going to be virtual. I'm sure the NHL is going to be monitoring that very closely to see if they can take some of the ideas from that and incorporate it to their own NHL draft, which could take place. during the summer. But apparently,

Pierre LeBron's article on the athletic, a lot of GMs and executives were pretty against the June draft considering the season is most likely still going to be delayed at that point. But yeah, there's just going to be a lot,

like they said, there's just a lot of questions going on with these two ideas with the June draft and the idea for the four NHL cities for the season. Just, you know, they're going to have to monitor this very, very closely during these next few weeks as we now get to almost a month and a half

We're getting close. It's pretty crazy, guys. We're almost a month and a half in to this pause. And still, yeah, no answers, just more questions. And that's just how it's going to be. For the foreseeable future, we probably won't have good enough answers until June, maybe even longer. This is just, you know, as long as we just hopefully keep social distancing,

it's going to help and we will get through this. I know that. But I just wanted to share my thoughts on the NHL situation with the idea that they proposed and the same for the NHL draft. taking place in June. Definitely not in favor of that. It could really screw around, you know, what do you do with the salary cap?

And then the contracts that expire, obviously, they're probably not going to expire on June 1st. They're going to probably push back free agency, but still with the picks and all that, you know, what do you do with that? It's just going to be a massive mess. And, yeah, chaos. You know, I love chaos,

and it'll be interesting to see what happens there. All right, so for this segment, we can continue our best moments, our game of the season for this week. Of course, we did the amazing comeback from the Penguins against the Islanders on Monday, where they came back from 3-0-0-down. They stopped the Islanders' 10-game winning streak. They didn't stop their point-strike, but the Islanders' point-street was eventually halted at 17 games,

but still that was a comeback for the ages for the Penguins, just a massive win. And we'll continue with another massive win today when they placed the Washington Capitals for the first time during the season. It was on Super Bowl Sunday. Just a fantastic game. That was peak Penguins Capitals hockey. I still think it was super, super weird that these two teams played for the first time on February 3rd. It just never happens.

It's well over halfway through the season. And you're telling me the Penguins and Capitals had to play each other that late in the season. It just doesn't have, you know, there's more than halfway of the season. Don almost had a three-quarters mark by that point. And the Penguins of Capital still had four games left to play. Of course, they only get to play three. But, you know, it started in typical Penguins Capitals fashion. Capitals took the lead on a Lars Eller, just a bomb.

I remember people were blaming Matt Murray for that goal. It was just a rocket of a shot off of a broken play. I really do not understand why people were blaming Matt Murray, but you know, Matt Murray has his own haters for whatever reason. And, you know, just to be fair, I was harsh on Matt Murray for a bunch of the season when he was struggling. I'm not. I don't play favorites here, you know, when a player is playing good, I'll tell you guys, as I've done it on this podcast and my article so often,

and if a player plays like shit, I'll also say it. I don't play favorites here. That's just weird. But the Penguins are actually able to score, answer, score, whatever you want to say, right after with a Sam Lafferty goal, which I will play for you guys right here. Just a beautiful shot, top shelf pass brain,

Hopi, here it is. And of course that comes, I think it was right after his call-up. I think there was another injury that the Penguins had. I'm going to have to go back and remember. but yeah he scores in it was his first taste of penguins capitals he gets his first goal on however many games just a monster goal coming off that um eller goal against mad marie and um that's right it was ilia samsonov in net not um braiden holpey uh it was i always that that was i think the one thing that i forget

from this game it was brayton hoppy was not a net and you know there's not many oftentimes during this last decade that you can say that braden holpey was not in net for a penguins capitals game but this was one of them, this came to when Braden Holpey was really, really struggling for the Capitals. And I think everyone knows that Braden Holby will not be back for the Capitals. When Free Agency starts, if it's like past July, November, who knows at this point, because he was just being, he was just really, really bad. But I think this game, it was just, other than, you know, we'll play more of the Penguins' goals from this game. But it was just the Penguins, I thought, dominated the play for the first two periods.

And, you know, they do that quite often, I think, against the Capitals. And then you always have that late Capitol surge in the third period, where they take over a period, and then it's just shot after shot, after shot. You know, the 2017 series between those two teams, it's not quite to that level where the Penguins would dominate two periods in a row against Capitals. How I thought they were honestly dominated against them for most of that series. The Penguins were just so opportunistic. But there would be times where the Penguins were dominant in that series, but then it would just be wave after, wave,

after wave of the Capitol is just coming at them and at them. And it was just ridiculous. I still can't believe Mark Andre Fleury stood on his head that series. He was just absolutely unbelievable. But to get back to this game, the second goal for this game came just a few couple minutes later. Just a beautiful pass from Gino, as I will play this clip for you guys here. This was the second goal of the game. And then John Marino was able to work his magic with a gorgeous pass as well.

Here is Malkin dropping it off. Marino brings it on. Marino with a shot. A netto scramble or a combination to cross. Yeah, it looked like he... So, just John Marino, there's an excellent rookie season. Yeah, he did. He finally did an interview with, I think, the pens inside scoop

and a bunch of the Penguins media. Yesterday he was talking about his season. We may get to that later in this episode. But just a nice, almost like a no-look pass by Malkin. Marino was just so patient with the puck as he was all season, fires it to the net, Hornquist is doing,

right in front of the net where he's doing his usual business and just puts it past Samsonov. It's always fun to see Patrick Hornquist score against the Capitals because their fans just get annoyed by his presence, you know, I've always, I don't know if I've said it

on this podcast before, but when I always think of Patrick Horquist in front of the net, he just reminds me so much of a Tomas Holmstrom kind of guy. He just, he reminds me so much of him, just the way Holmstrom pissed off everyone in front of the net.

It was really just a, to behold with it. And just that goal was just evidence of that. You know, I think the Cavils were really a little pissed off. The Hornquist is doing his thing. But, you know, I think every team just gets pissed off with him. But I'm just a really nice pass by Marino, man. This hiatus really, really stinks because I do want,

I did want to see more of John Reno. But also the good part is that this gave his injury more time to heal. He did say in his interview yesterday, I guess we'll talk about it now a little bit, that if they were able to play right now, he would not be wearing the full face mask, which I think any player would tell you that they do not like wearing that. I know you have to wear that when your little kid playing and you know, Peeley, Bantam hockey, you know, all the way up through college. But, you know, then it's not really required. After that, I think any player would tell you that they prefer not wearing the full face mask.

I know when I played, I didn't like it. But, you know, to get back to the game here, the Penguins would score again in the second period, just to almost have a little bit of a broken play. I'll play for you guys right here. punched on by Carlson and right around in front of James Scott. It's just, it was pretty funny. Crosby just fires it to the net. It comes right out.

The Capitol Olympic player had a stick on it, and then it goes right to Simone, and he just fires it five holes on the same tone to make a three-one. And, you know, always great to see Dominic Simone on the scoreboard. But, you know, this game, you know, it just like a, it just really, really took off in the third period, as it was just wave after wave of Capitals chances,

Matt Murray just standing on his head. And, you know, this was such a massive start for Matt Murray, because this was one of his prove-it games. You know, Mike Sullivan, he goes to him in the big game, the first game against Capitals this season, basically saying, hey, you've been my guy in two massive playoff runs. I'm going to go to you here. I know you've struggled a lot.

I'm going to go to you here, and you need to do what you need to do. And he did it. I mean, I know Cousnetsaw was able to score to make it. three to two in the third period, I think it was six minutes. But, you know, the game was really sealed off of this outstanding, awesome Brandon Tannup goal, which I will play right here. Battles there.

Aston Reese able to step three with it. Jostled back off. It came on out to Tannup. A deflection that hopped into the net and the Penguins have a two goal lead again. This was coming off, like I said, just waves of capital's chances late in the game. and then Brandon Tanna, it almost reminds me of, I think, of the goal from the 2009 series between these two teams where Semyon Varlamov, like, lost the puck in the air. It goes off like part of his glove and in the net. This was what it almost looked like, except it was only from about 10, 15 feet out.

Simsonov, I think, he just literally lost the puck in midair, and just he flubbed one in, as Doc Emmerich said, to make it 4 to 2. Arzell was able to have another gorgeous goal to make it 4-3, and then, you know, that was just all she wrote. but that game was just so much fun. You know, I think that was also the game. I do remember where Cindy Crosby grabbed T.J.O.S. Stick on the bench. It was just making a meme out of himself. Always, you know, it's always fun when a player likes to mess with T.J. OSHA.

I know some people are like a little, you know, Sid was just, you know, Sid trolls. You know, Crosby just likes to do that, I guess, at times. And, you know, I know that probably doesn't help his reputation as some like to say, but, you know, what it was funny. But, you know, Matt Murray, just making a save after save. and, you know, Ilya Samsonov was just marvelous in that game, too. The Penguins had a lot of chances as did the Capitals,

and, you know, that game could have been a lot more high scoring if both goaltenders just were spectacular, I thought. But, yeah, just one of the games of the year for the Penguins, one of the wins of the year. You can tell how much it meant to them with all the celebrations after the goal. When it cut to the bench for the fourth goal, the players were hugging and, you know, just celebrating as if they want a playoff game.

And, you know, that's what those kind of games are late in the season. February, you're only a couple months away from, stand like a playoff, though I know, of course, they didn't happen this season and probably won't happen until next season at the earliest, but still just really, really great game. You know, I love when these two teams get together. And, you know, if there's a playoffs at some point this year, maybe we'll get that. But, you know, if not, I'm sure we'll see them back in action for next season when hopefully this pandemic allows it so we can get some sports back. But yeah, we'll have another moment coming this Friday, but these two moments so far,

the Islanders come back and the Capitals, Penguins game have been my two biggest moments of the season, I thought. All right, so we're back here. Also, just wanted to put this out here. It was not the game, was not February 3rd. It was February 2nd. Yes, I'm dumb. I cannot read.

I actually did not have my glasses on for that, so I apologize, but yes, Super Bowl Sunday was February 2nd, not February 3rd. I just wanted to put that out there. You know, I'm just a massive moron. But for this last segment, I did see for the Penguins they were putting out, they were playing tonight the Stanley Cup final game six game between the Penguins and the sharks.

They were playing. I retweeted the clip that had Crystal Tangs just absolutely the shift of his life when they made a two to one. The game winning goal, of course, in the Stanley Cup final to win in the Stanley Cup in 2016. You know, I even tweeted about that tonight. You know, that was that was not only the game of Chris LaTang's life, playing career, you know, just that was this, the year of his life, man. I was just when Chris LaTang was on top, when he was so dominant, it was just an absolute menace under Mike Sullivan.

I still hate that he was not a Norse finalist that season. I thought he 100% deserved it with how he was just dominant at both ends of the rank. I know he missed a little bit of time earlier in that season, and then he was suspended for the game four, playoff game against the Capitals after a bad hit one of the Capitals players and yes I do remember it was suspended but I love that the Penguins

are doing this and you know they get to go down memory lane and just basically live tweet the game six you know that that Chris a tangold man it's just I remember being in the car for my graduation for that well coming back from my high school graduation yeah that actually occurred on my high school graduation night

and remember listening to it and on the radio and you know the car just went berserk with my mom and I and it was just you know I was able to come home for the third period watch that while just basically almost shitting a brick I would say just absolutely marvelous um I I can't say enough great things about that Stanley Cup run man because it was just it was one to remember you know like this that that that chrysletang um goal like I said like I said before his whole run was just magnificent you know I if it I I know Sidney Crosby got the Khan-Smith, and I would have given it to Phil Kessel,

but I think Krista Tang would have, if they would have given it to Chris LaTang, I would not have been mad. I think he 100% deserved it if it didn't go to Phil Kessel. I think my order would have gone Kessel-Latang, Crosby. Hell, maybe even Matt Murray, but I know Krosby was also very dominant that one, too, but just, yeah, that's really all I can say about that. It's absolutely still insane to this day that the sharks were held, I think, what, three shots overall in that third period,

that penguin's one, two, two, neutral zone trap was just suffocating. Just absolutely suffocating the sharks. I think it was, yeah, like I said, it was below three, I think it was only around one or two. I know they had at least one shot, but it was, I think it was very, very late in the period. The sharks were just not very, barely even getting into the offensive zone.

It was just basically one and died. I absolutely loved how the Penguins were playing defensively that run. And, you know, it just, when I was watching that third period, I was just like, you know, there's no way they're losing this game. There's no way, I know when you're slipping behind the Penguins defense here with the way they are neutral zone trapping them. You know, that's just, that's the Penguins blueprint for when they want to play defense.

And I know Mike Sullivan knows that too, especially with the unit they have now, even though the unit is not the same. But I think that will wrap up this edition of the Long-Ton Penguins podcast. I appreciate you guys still tuning in during this pandemic and everything what's going on. trust me, I really, really do. You guys take time out of your day to listen to me. Blabber about anything for 20 minutes, usually, and I mostly when I just embarrass myself. Well, sometimes I have some cool things to say, but a lot of times I just embarrass myself.

But like I said, I really, really do appreciate it. You guys really do mean the world to me that you guys listen to those podcasts. You know, what have another moment coming on Friday. I think I have an idea of what I'm going to do for it. There's really, some really, really good options for it. But we will talk to you all then. me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. Keep staying safe. Keep practicing social distancing. And, you know, we will, we will get through this together.

Like I said, I hope you guys enjoy this episode. And we will back with you on Friday for another episode. All right. Talk to you guys then.