Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Mike Sullivan has changed up some of the lines...
Episode Date: April 20, 2022It's another off day but the Penguins did have practice on Tuesday as they returned to the rink after a couple of days off. Hunter goes into some of the practice updates and a look at the new lines th...at Mike Sullivan had in store. Is this a preview of what to expect in the playoffs? Hunter ponders that thought and wonders if this weekend will be the time that Brian Boyle comes out of the lineup. Is that the right call? Hunter gives some pros and cons to that situation for HCMS before moving to the defensive pairs. He praises Sullivan for putting Dumoulin back with Letang (even though he should have time off) after going into just how bad the Dumoulin-Marino pairing was. He touches on why these pairs are probably what you all will see come playoff time before getting into the Penguins' possible playoff opponents. He ranks who he'd rather play between the Rangers, Hurricanes. and Panthers before ending the show with a #SidForHartFinalist campaign. No, he won't win it, but he should have a very good case to be a finalist based on what he's done this year. All that, plus much more on this episode of Locked On Penguins.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!HelloFreshGo to HelloFresh.com/lockedon16 and use code lockedon16 for up to 16 free meals AND 3 free gifts.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Shady RaysEXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR LISTENERS, HEAD TO SHADYRAYS.COM AND USE CODE LOCKEDON TO GET FIFTY PERCENT OFF TWO OR MORE PAIRS OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES.Athletic GreensAthletic Greens is going to give you a FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase. All you have to do is visit athleticgreens.com/NHLNETWORK. 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.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Happy Tuesday. It's another day off for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but of course they were back at practice today,
and they had some new line combinations, especially for the defensive pairings. We're going to get to that,
and I'll give my thoughts on some of those as we head down the stretch here. Five games left in the regular season.
Also going to maybe take a little look at the standing, see what's going on, and, of course, get into my opinion,
ranking the playoff opponents by who I would rather face, number one at the top, and then the third one.
is obviously the least amount crew I want to face.
That's all come up for today's episode of the Locked on Penguins podcast.
Your Locked on Penguins.
Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Part of the Locked on podcast network.
Your team every day.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Locked on Penguins podcast.
I am your host, Hunter Hodes.
Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes.
Follow the shows Twitter at L.O.
Arsenal, thank you all so much for making this year
first listen of the day.
So it's definitely still a little weird.
Usually by now, the Penguins have played at least another game.
But this five-day break definitely tests, you know, I think everyone,
but I think it's good that the team still has a few days off.
You know, I always come here, prepare with Conz every well.
I'm not going to come out here and say I have nothing to talk about.
That's just, you know, the season is still going.
Even during the off season, I'm not going to say that.
I always will have content.
prepared for people.
That said, so let's get into some of the practice updates that we saw today for the Penguins, that is.
So they had about a 55-minute session, so basically close to an hour.
And they had a fully healthy forward lineup, which is nice.
Obviously, of Guinea-Malkin.
He is suspended for one more game on Thursday against Boston.
He will be able to play the final four games once that suspension is lifted.
So top 12 forwards, it looks like right now,
Gensold and Crosby and Raquel.
I am very glad that Mike Sullivan is continuing to use that line.
I think that's probably going to be the top line
hitting into the playoffs, rightfully so.
Raquel has been just awesome.
Ever since he was elevated up to, you know,
especially when Brian Rust was out sick,
excuse me, you know, Raquel just, you know,
their underlying numbers.
Did not miss a big, you know,
he's had plenty of glorious chances to either.
he set up or that he has scored.
He just seems such like a natural fit for Sydney Crosby's line.
And obviously we all know the chemistry that Jake and Sid have together.
So I'm glad that Mike is continuing to have that first line together.
Zulker, Malk, and Rust, it looks like that is going to be the second line when the
playoffs were around.
I have no problem with that as well.
You know, those top two lines, those could be a first line.
Those could be first lines on honestly any team.
To be honest with you, you know, Brian Rust.
He can play with either Sid or Gino, I think.
rust. I mean, I think Malkin probably needs rust more than Sidd does just because, you know, he's a
pure finisher for that line. But, you know, he's also a good playmaker that can get Malkin the puck when he
wants it. And, you know, when Fgeny Malkin is humming with the puck, you know, there's very few players
in this league that can stop him. So I'm glad that Mike, that Mike, excuse me, is, you know, continuing
to have Brian on that line. And then Jason Zucker is always such a natural fit for Gino's line,
a very good forechecker, decent defensively.
It has a nice finishing touch when it's on.
Playing making abilities also good, too.
So I really like those top two lines.
Bottom six.
Denton Hining with Jeff Carter and Casperry Kappen.
I think that's a fine third line.
Heinen has 17 goals.
You have that in a third line role.
That's very good.
Jeff Carter's close to 20 goals,
even though he hasn't been that good recently.
Kisperi Kappen, you know, he's been a better, I guess,
as of late, still not good.
enough to where he was last year, but, you know, they're not going to put him.
I'm in the top six.
I just, that's not happening here.
So that's fine with me.
But the fourth line, it looks like when the playoffs were around, so they're supposed to
start now in two weeks, Brian Boyle, at least how it leads to me is going to be the
odd man out.
Mike DeFabel had the lines this morning.
Rodriguez on the left wing on the fourth line, Teddy Blugher centering it.
Brock McGinn on the right wing with Brian Boyle, also rotating in.
So like I said, that reads like to me that I think Boyle is going to be the 13th forward.
I understand the cries for people that want him in the line.
He's been a hell of a story.
He has double-digit goals.
He has out, I think he has exceeded basically all of our expectations this year.
And, you know, that's great.
You know, I mean, I didn't think he was really going to do anything.
He made me look to be a complete dumbass.
You know, and I'm totally fine when admitting I am wrong.
I have no problem in doing it.
You know, I like parts of the media that, you know, they'll try to move the goal post
and change their stance and all that.
No, I mean, I have the take.
I thought it was going to be true.
And then I'm not being true.
I look like an idiot.
So, but, you know, McGinn has looked pretty good since coming back from the injury.
You know, he had that goal against the Islanders.
I know, I know he looked really good on the penalty kill, excuse me, was getting some
chances as well these last couple of games. His underlying numbers have been much better compared
to where he was before he had that hand slash risk injury. He deserves to stay in the lineup.
I'm going to shut down my neck because I have the discord notification coming up.
I apologize about that. But yeah, I don't think Brock should be taken out of the lineup.
I know Mike Sullivan really likes his penalty killing ability. Again, you know, he's been decent
production-wise and, you know, again, his underlying something pretty good since he came
back. Now, other players on that fourth line, Evan Rodriguez, for as much as he's been dumped on
by fans, you know, recently just because his production has not been there, he's also close to 20
goals that Mike Sullivan is not going to take that player at the lineup, especially one that,
you know, he can definitely heat up if he wants to in the playoffs. Who knows? Maybe he could
have another heater that he had earlier in the season. Is it likely? Probably not,
not but did anyone expect him to be that good early on in the season? No, I especially didn't. No one in
the Penguins media did. I don't think any of the fans did either. So, you know, I don't think he's
going to be taking him out of the line of. And, you know, as for, you know, a series against any of the
three playoff teams, which I'm going to get to in my next segment, you know, Rangers, Carolina,
and Florida, because it's probably going to be one of those three teams of the Penguins open up
against on the road. I don't think Boyle is a good fit in those years, especially the team like
the Panthers who can roll four lines against you defensively. They're very deep.
I know Brobowski's not that good, but you know, you need all the scores that you can get
in the lineup and who are also quick. I just, I think Boyle's foot speed would be very much
exposed against the Panthers and even more so against Carolina. You know,
Carolina has given the Penguins a lot of fits. This season, I think of all the teams that
Pittsburgh has played this year, they're probably one of three that's basically outplayed them
almost every time.
Again, I'm going to get more deeper into this coming up in my next segment.
But, and, you know, with Count Carolina as well, you know, they can also run four lines at you.
Defensively, they're very sharp.
I know Frederick Anderson may not be ready for the playoffs.
If he is, you know, that's even more of a difference maker.
I just think, you know, his lack of foot speed would also be exposed against a Rod Brindamor squad.
That is also built on speed and skill.
Maybe they can get away with it a bit against the Rangers.
but even then with how much a safe game that the Rangers play,
I think it would be a bad idea to have Boyle on the ice most of that series.
Now, can a Justin's be made during a playoff series?
Absolutely.
You see coaches do it all the time.
One guy comes in, one guy comes out.
Heck, sometimes it's two or three guys come in, two or three guys come out.
Some guys move up and down the lineup, change the lines, all that.
So, you know, do I expect Brian Boyle to be a healthy scrans for all seven-ins?
those games, all seven potential possible games against whoever they play, probably not.
I think he will draw on at some point, but I think, you know, for game one, game two,
Boyle can and should be the odd man out.
And it looks like that's going to be the case based off the practice lines today.
Defensively, Brian Dumlin is back with Krista Tang.
And I understand it's going to make some people upset.
But the fact of the matter is the Brian Dumlin, John Marino pairing was Dogwater,
as the kids like to say.
of the eight defensive pairings for the Piss for Penguins that have played over 100 plus minutes at 5E5 this year,
they are the only pairing that ranked below 50% in shot attempts for.
So, of course, the scoring chances in high danger.
It was an absolutely brutal pairing.
Mike Sullivan had seen enough.
John Marino's offensive game was not coming out at all while he was paired with Dumlin,
and he decided to make a change, and, you know, I'm fine with it.
In a perfect world, you want Brian Dunlin to probably be a healthy scratch,
for at least a couple of these games because honestly they don't mean much because they're already in the playoffs.
You're going to have to play whatever good team, whatever team the Penguins face is going to be really fucking good.
So at the end of the day, these games really don't mean so much.
But again, you know, they're not just going to openly tank them for the tank of taking them.
So I understand why Brian Duman is going to get some reps in to see if he can, you know, change this around going into the playoffs.
But still, I think in a perfect world, you would like to see him bench for a gamer,
or two, just to see, you know, if that's what he needs to really get his mojo back.
But, you know, Brian Duman usually does his best work with Crystal Tang.
I'm not surprised that Mike put him back with him.
And then Matheson was with Ruiedel.
Again, I'm fine with that.
They've used Matheson in Reno at times.
They used Matheson with Lentang at times, which has been a pretty decent pairing of the underlying numbers and they're very strong.
But, you know, Mike is just trying to tinker with the lineup.
This is the time to do it with five games left in the regular season before the games.
really start to matter. Pedersen was with Marino.
And Nathan Bullio was with Mark Freeman.
This was his first practice with the Penguins were a no contact sweater.
Again, he's probably not going to get in the lineup once the playoffs are here.
But so, so sorry about that.
I thought my dog, my puppy over here was getting up.
So apologies about that.
So those are the practice lines today.
Again, 55 minute session.
That's what the 5E5 looked like.
And, you know, again, I'm fine with basically all of them forward.
forward wise this team is still really deep they can go up against basically any team in the league
with that kind of forward depth just look at the production that they've gotten from most of those guys
almost all those players have double-digit goals this year so i mean that's obviously very good
defensively i still think if they're mainly fine i know some people are down on them but you know
when they all are on their game it's a pretty good you know it's a pretty good defensive unit
so i'll be curious to see if that can be the case uh come playoff
time. I'm fine with Doom Moon going back on Letang's
pairing. Again, I still would like to see him scratch
at some point, but you know, that's just I think whatever
at this point. Coming up in the next segment, I'm going
to go into the three very likely playoff matchups for the penguins.
You all have a 33% chance of being right
and give my pros and cons for the penguins, you know, playing them
versus not playing them. But before we get to that,
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All right, I'm back here on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast.
I am your host, Hunter Hodes.
Remember to follow me on Twitter.
Hunter Hodes, follow this, shows Twitter, at L.O. and Store Penguins.
So let's get into this topic that I have prepared.
So, you know, it's going to be the New York Rangers, the Carolina Hurricanes, or the
Four Panthers at this point.
You know, Penguins, they're either going to be a Matt 2-3 spot or they're going to
probably be a second wildcard spot.
You know, the Bruins, they won tonight in overtime.
There are now two points out of and they may have a game in hand.
I want the Penguins.
So Pittsburgh is going to have to win that game on Thursday.
The Bruins will, again, the Bruns will then have a game in hand on them,
and the standings will be tied if Pittsburgh does win that in regulation.
So even if Pittsburgh, again, they do get the first wildcard spot,
that's going to be against the Metro team.
So, again, they're either going to get one of the two metro teams,
Carolina or New York, or they're going to get the winner of the Atlantic
in the second wild card spot and play the four panthers.
So I've given this a lot of thought.
I still think the Rangers are probably their best matchup.
It sounds weird because they lost reality.
four. But, you know, the Rangers don't score a lot, but it's hard to say it. It's just because
all these matchups are going to be so tough. I mean, you're talking about millimeters at this
point for me liking one over another. But the Penguins, you know, I think when they have
their forward lineup healthy, they're deeper than them. Defensively, I think they have a better
six-minute unit than the Rangers. Goaltending is the only place where I would truly give
New York, the edge.
When talking about special teams units, I would take the Rangers power play right now
or the Penguins Power Play.
Penalty Kill, I would probably take the Penguins penalty kill.
But I still think if the Penguins, you know, they forecheck hard,
they cut down some of the errors defensively.
They get pretty good goaltending.
If Trish and Jari is able to come back,
I still think the Penguins can beat the Rangers in a seven-game series.
You know, everyone was picking the Penguins last year against the Islanders.
They went six and two against the regular season.
Oh, yeah, the Islanders got.
no shot, terrible matchup, Islanders beat them in six games.
The playoffs are a whole different ballgame.
Everyone goes down to a goose egg.
It is zero, zero.
You throw out the regular season.
No one cares about how you played against a team during those 82 games.
Case and point, I'll give you an example.
In 2013, the Penguins steamrolled those first two teams, the Islanders and the Ottawa
senators, they meet the Boston Bruins who they went three and no against in the regular season.
and everyone's picking the Penguins go to the final.
They're finally going to play the Blackhawks,
have the Stanley Cup final for the ages,
Kane and Taves versus Sid and Gino,
all this stuff, right?
Boston goes out there and sweeps them.
Again, I don't think a sweep would happen
if these two teams were playing the playoffs.
I'm just making the point that the regular season
goes out the window when a team plays another team in the playoffs.
It has no bearing on how that series isn't going to go
unless it's just a total, you know,
like you saw last show when Colorado played basically,
St. Louis. I mean, that was just a joke, just because Colorado was worlds better than them.
But, you know, it would be very tight checking. The Rangers play a very defensive style of hockey.
You know, they four check really well to Paneran's been incredible.
It's been a judge. Chris Kreider's at 50 goals somehow. Adam Fox is great. I know Igor Shosturkin
had that little mouth thing towards Mark Freeman. That I'm sure will be hanging on the Penguin's
wall every time they go out for practice and for games. But I still think that's probably the best
matchup for the penguins, even though they'll have to face the best goaltender in the world
right now in the first round.
I just, you know, the penguins have played Carolina worse than the other three teams.
They would be my third, they would be actually number three.
I would have the Panthers at number two.
And I guess I'll get into that right now for as much as the Panthers scare me.
And trust me, they do.
Their forwards can also match up against any team in the league.
They're probably going to get Aaron Echblod back.
they're ridiculously talented.
Sergei Barovsky's been really bad for these last couple of months.
The Sabresenage is definitely cratered.
He's never been a good playoff, goaltender.
The Sabersenage, I think, in the playoffs is right around 896, 897.
He's played really bad against the Penguins.
I would give the Penguins the edge there.
If the Penguins can get into his head a little bit,
that would be a little bit interesting.
But I still think it's a tough matchup anyway, you slice it,
just because I would be afraid for my life for the Panthers coming down the rush
almost every time.
I think Pittsburgh played Florida really well in the regular season.
They took three out of six points.
They probably should have taken five out of six.
In the game that they lost down in some ways,
they had a four to lead with less than 10 minutes left.
Florida comes back to tie it,
and then they win it in overtime.
You know, the other one, the Penguins, I think,
won in the extra session,
and then the other one in Pittsburgh,
Florida won by a goal.
And that was a very close game.
I thought the Penguins were outplaying them for most of that game.
You know, I think that will be a closer series.
and some people, I think it would.
That's for sure, at least in my opinion.
But there's still a team I wouldn't want to face it.
I don't want the penguins to play any three of these teams.
It really is just picker poison.
Carolina, they have outskated the penguins all year long.
They carry the play against them all year long.
I think they're probably one of the teams that's deeper than the penguins.
Defensive, they're a bit better.
They have the edge and goaltitting in Frederick Anderson, if he's healthy.
I just do not like that match up at all.
I've seen this take on Penguins' Twitter and some other places that they want to play Carolina.
They haven't been that good lately and all that.
I do not want any part of playing Carolina.
I think it would be a great series.
I think it would go six to seven games.
I just don't think the Penguins would win that series.
I'll put that out here right now.
I would love to be wrong.
Obviously, I would celebrate being wrong, to be honest with you.
But just with how good Carolina has been this year and, you know, with how great their forwards are and all that.
Their special teams, too.
Robert Rinder Moore is an excellent coach.
that's just the team I want the least.
So it's definitely the Rangers at the top by a very slim margin
just because I think the Penguins can outskate them
that they've outplayed them in a couple of the games here,
even if they didn't get the result at times,
especially in the second one that was in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins lost that game, three to two.
I thought that was a 50-50 game that could have gone either way.
The Penguins definitely outplayed them in spurts.
The Rangers did the same.
Penguins just didn't get the result.
So this easily could have been a 50-50 split
this year.
That's what a lot of these series is,
that's what they're going to be.
They're coin flips.
You know, the East is a continent.
I don't think anyone would be surprised
if any team who plays a team
in the first rounder in the East wins.
Other than I think,
I would be, I guess, a little surprised
that the Penguins be the Hurricanes.
I wouldn't be too surprised
if they beat the Panthers
just because, you know,
that team just seems like it's prime for an upset.
I don't know if they can continue
this ridiculous
pace that they're on. They play like the 2016 Penguins, but they have formal goal team.
The Rangers, you know, they don't have a lot of playoff experience that I kind of think,
you know, in a way that's a little overrated. But I still think the Penguins are deeper than
them. But, you know, if that series would also be a coin flip, would anyone be surprised if
either the Penguins or Rangers win that series? No, I don't think so at all. So again,
I would have Rangers at number one, for Panthers at number two, and Carolina Hurricanes at number
three. There are no other teams right now that the Penguins can really face in the first
ground. So you have a 33.3% chance of being right at the end of the day. So we'll see the season
ends right now in about a week and a half. Penguins have five games left in that time.
So we will see very soon who that will be. So a little more to get to for this episode of Locked
on Penguins podcast, if I can find this here. But before we get to our last segment,
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All right, well, back on this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast.
I am your host, Hunter Hoadie.
He's going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow this show, is Twitter at L.O.
Arnold's score penguins.
So one thing that has been intriguing me lately is that Sidney Crosby has probably not
been getting as much heart trophy love as he deserves.
He's hit the point pace that he's on right now.
If this were an 82 game season and he had been, well, if he hadn't missed a good chunk of time to start of the season,
he would be on an 80, on a 100 plus point pace.
That is how good he has been this year.
80 points in 64 freaking games.
He would be well over 100 right now if he had played in the 13 games that he missed.
I mean, I think that's just how I see it at this point.
And the fact that he is on a 100-plus point pace,
and even though he's not going to hit 100 points in season,
just goes to show how good he is.
And, you know, he's doing this at both ends of the rank.
His defensive metrics have been pretty good this year.
Goals screen-wise, he's almost at 30 goals.
His playmaking ability is still second to none.
He would be on my Hart Trophy ballot if I had a vote.
I would probably have him top four, top five.
I would probably still give the award to Matthews,
on dry settles right there. I think O'Betchkins had a hell of a year.
Igor Shosturkin. Johnny Guzro, obviously, Jonathan Huberdo.
This is probably one of the hardest hard trophy ballots that, you know, PhWA could ever have.
But, you know, if I had a vote, and I know I do the, obviously, I do a podcast on Penguins,
I would have sit in my top five. Again, I probably would not have them as a finalist.
But I would have him certainly in the discussion to be a finalist.
This is one of the best seasons I think I've ever watched from Sidney Crosby and the fact that he's doing this in his mid-30s.
It's insane.
You know, we are so blessed to watch this guy, do what he does on a nightly basis.
Everyone is going to miss him when he has gone.
You know, he's already over 1,400 points if he hadn't missed all that time with the concussions.
He'd be knocking on the door with over 1,600 points right now, probably closing in on 1,700.
He'd probably be very close to Raking Marya Lemieux's all-time Penguins record.
I believe it's 1,700.
23 off the top of my head.
So just ridiculous stuff from Sid.
I can't say enough, to be honest with you, you know.
And in other news, you know, check the standings.
It's getting close, guys.
I'll say that, Gaines.
You know, the capitals are one point behind McPenguins.
They also have a game in hand.
They win tomorrow in Vegas.
They're a point up with five both teams have five games left.
Lucky for the penguins, the schedule favors them down the stretch.
three of three of their final five games are against non-playoff teams, including two this weekend
against the Philadelphia Flyers and the Detroit Red Wings. Those have to be wins.
Even with the goaltending situation, you can't lose to those two teams.
They're basically just waiting for the season to be over at this point.
Dylan Larkin is out for the Red Wings. The Flyers are figuratively and literally tanking.
They've lost over 50 games this year. You cannot lose that game. I don't care if it's in Philadelphia.
Blue Jackets are the final game.
with the regular season.
They're not that good either.
Edmondson, even though they're going to be a playoff team,
that can potentially be a win at PBG.
And then this balloting game, I think, is winnable too.
All five of these games for the Penguins are very winnable down the stretch.
So they are able to take care of business here and somehow go 10 for 10 or even go 9 out of 10.
That should be enough for them to clinch a top three spot in the Metro.
But Penguins better be careful here.
They had an eight or a nine point lead, just about a week and a half ago on the Capitals.
That is now evaporated.
It is nearly a one point lead for.
third. And there is a very real chance that the Penguins will open up the playoffs down into sunrise
playing the Florida Panthers. So it's going to be an exciting finish to see who is going to
play who here with the team. Now, if the Penguins are able to beat the Bruins on Thursday,
there's a potential that they could get the first Wildcard spot. I know the Bruins will have
still a game in hand on the Penguins, but I'll have to see what their schedule is here down the
stretch. So the Penguins can finish in a one of three spots at this point. They can get third.
they can get the first wildcard spot
or they can get the second wild card spot.
All remains to be seen.
So that will do it for this episode
of the Lockdown Penguins podcast.
Thank you all so much for listening to this episode
of another episode coming for you all on Wednesday.
We're going to preview that game on Thursday
against the Boston ruins
and touch on a couple of other topics that I have planned.
And then Thursday,
we're going to do a full game recap for that game against Boston
and Friday we're going to preview the weekend ahead for the Penguins.
So again, thank you all so much for listening to this episode.
I'll talk to you all on Wednesday.
Thank you.
