Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins absolutely SMOTHER the Flames for a big two points!

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

Despite the absences of Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson, the Penguins were able to earn a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames! Patrick and Hunter begin the show recapping a very professional victory by the Penguins on Wednesday night in Calgary. Thanks to simple, smart hockey, the Penguins were able to shut down the Flames' attack and earn two crucial points in the standings. (0:00) Thanks to the Penguins' win and some help from other teams, they now sit second in the division - so is this team really good? Patrick and Hunter seem to think so, but how far can they take this? (11:53) Finally, the Penguins will face a team they have not matched up well against in the past few years, the Edmonton Oilers. How can they slow down the Oilers' attack, minimize McDavid, and turn this into a great road trip? They get into that to close out the show! (24:40)Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/lockedon right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. So before tip-off, check the FanDuel app and see what’s dropping during NBA Happy Hour — every Friday from 6 to 7:30 PM Eastern. A little basketball, a little action, and a whole lot of Friday energy.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

No Chris LaTang, no Eric Carlson, no problem for the Pittsburgh Penguins. A big 4-to-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Hunter and I are going to recap that game as well as get you set for tonight's matchup against the Edmonton Oilers right after this. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back to another edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Patrick Damp.

You can follow me across all social media platforms at Synonym 4 Wet, joined as always by the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can follow him on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can give our show's Twitter account a follow at L-O-U-U-Score Penguins. You can find us on Instagram at Locked-on underscore Penguins and TikTok. at Locked on Penguins. Of course, as always, we appreciate you making us part of your daily routine. Don't forget that we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts as well as YouTube.

And if you're following us on YouTube, which you should be. Make sure you hit the notification button. That way you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes. Pardon the pun, ladies and gentlemen, but the Pittsburgh. penguins smothered the Calgary flames on Wednesday night in a four to one victory. We were a little weary going into this one with the news that Chris Latang was day to day, a game time decision. We were unsure if he was going to play.

Given his excellent play over the past couple of weeks, it loomed large over this game. And given the way that the penguins had kind of a sloppy, slow start the last time these two teams met, there was a little bit of trepidation going into this one that they might let a very valuable two points slip away. They did the exact opposite. They were the better team for 60 minutes. They played a tremendously disciplined defensive game, got contributions from Evgeny Malkin, Igor Chinikov, Brian Rust, and Tommy Novak. Just a really good effort that puts them in a great position as they get set to close out this. Western swing over the next few days.

I can't lie, Pat, when I first saw the defensive pairings in this game, I'm like, man, this looks similar to what they had in 2017 without Crystal Tang. And the penguins paid a nice homage to that team because they put up a defensive clinic against the Calgary Flames. They absolutely smothered them for 60 minutes. There were a few times when the Flames did at least try to push back. There was a couple of times, especially in the second period where the flames have the Penguins trapped in their own end.

but even during that time, I felt the penguins did such a great job of limiting Calgary to the outside, not allowing them to get to those high danger areas. The flames finished this game with only five high danger chances at five on five. I can't give enough credit to the six defensemen that were on the ice. All of them played especially great, including Parker Wadderspoon. I thought this was one of his best games of the season. Jackson Ivaney, I thought was good. Ryan Shea outside of a couple gaff.

on the power play, which, by the way, that unit really needs Eric Carlson back. But outside of that, he was especially great at 5 on 5. I thought Kulak played well. Again, all the defensemen played really well in this game. And I just loved how they kept everything simple. When you're down, your top two defensemen, it's imperative that you make quick decisions. You're very simple. You don't try to do too much.

That's exactly what the penguins did. They just kept everything very easy, very simple. their zone exits were very nice, very clean, and they kind of allowed the forwards to do most of the work. And you saw that was on display last night, man. They absolutely took it to Calgary in this game. I've got him all can get things started with an awesome goal. And he made all that happen, by the way.

He was an absolute bully in the offensive zone for checking, getting to lose pucks, gets a nice deflection. His celebration was obviously great, but he made that goal happen because he, was such a puck hound and he was such a bully in the offensive zone. Igor Chinochokov, I don't know what else you can say about that release, man. There is no goaltender on the planet that is stopping that thing. I could watch him release the puck a hundred times a game.

It won't get old. And probably the last time I'm going to complain about a second round pick being involved in that type of trade. He's been. I mean, I will say this. I think it's an old sports cliche that gets overused way too much, though there is plenty of examples where it does work, but there's way more where it doesn't with the whole, he just, you know, he needs a change of scenery. He's, he's just got to go somewhere else.

Igor Chinikov clearly needed a change of scenery because I remember even back over the summer when the report surface that he wanted to trade out of Columbus, you and I were wary. We were like, you know, if you can get them for cheap, if you can find a way, it's probably going to be difficult in division, but then you look at the way he's performed recently. It's probably just, he's probably not as good as they expected him to be. It's probably not going to work. He shows up here and he has been a completely different player. He's lighting up.

Again, four goals in 11 games. He's very consistent with Tommy Novak and Afghani Malkin. His skating has been through the roof. Again, we touched on his release. He's been really good since coming over. And he gives the Penguins in Elbin with his release that, they just don't have for some of their other players. Like I can't say enough about how well he has played since coming over from Columbus.

He also just looks so refreshed since that trade. So again, I know I came on here when the trade happened, Pat. I push back a little bit on the second round pick being included. I'm just going to shut up about that. You know, he's been there. I know that I did push back against you, but I didn't totally disagree. I mean, it was a big risk. And there's obviously still a lot of seasons.

left. This could just be a hot streak, but early returns have been great. I also think another part of it is that he's playing with Hvgeny Malkin. And yes, is Malkin what he was even a few years ago? No, but compare him to the type of talent that Columbus has. There really isn't anybody of that caliber on the blue jackets, though they do have a lot of young talent. We can't dismiss that. They're going to be a team that hopefully in the next couple years starts to improve and hopefully the penguins continue to improve and we can finally have a real true penguins blue jackets rivalry but at least for now chinikov has been great speaking of that line Tommy novac that is your guy and yeah it's only nine goals on the season but it's more than just the production

He has been tremendous this season. And he is doing something that I want to see a lot of these second chance and even some of these younger players do for the next couple of years. They need to make Dan Mews in Kyle Dubus's job extremely difficult because we know there are a couple players waiting in the wings, whether it's some of the young guys in Wokes Bear, Rector McGority coming back. he is making his case to tell the coaching staff and management, don't you dare move me off this line? 100%. And Dustin Wolf has a family, Pat.

I mean, good God. Tommy Novak absolutely undressed him with that move. And I saw a lot of weird takes about this player heading into the air. There were some people that weren't sure where he was going to fit in a lineup, heck even during the season, especially at the beginning. I saw some calls from fans to scratch him, which I thought was nuts. I did say he needed to be better,

but I never once said that he needed to be scratched. I always felt that was insane. He's always been a super crafty, Jackaball trades player with very underrated hands. And you saw all of that on display on Wednesday against the flames. Displaymaking, that's where it's at. But don't you dare forget about his release, man. He has some silky hands that are really underrated.

And you're also seeing, and I wrote about this for the Huckiness, news before the season, you're seeing that chemistry between Novak and Malkin as well. I was reading Josh Ewey's piece before we started recording. You know, Malkin told the coaching staff for the summer, he wanted to get a chance to play with Novak. You know, I even wrote during the off season that I think it would make a lot of sense when you mesh their play styles together.

And sure enough, it's working really well. And when you have that finisher on the line in Igor Chenekov, it's no wonder that the second line is cooking right now. Now, I think at some point you might see I've getting Malkin moved back to center. and Novak to the wing, especially when Malkin, I think, is more ready to do face-offs. I think one of the reasons he's still on the wing is because he's maybe not comfortable doing face-offs. But that line, regardless, is cooking, man. And Tommy has been awesome.

You can play him anywhere in your top nine. You can play him on your second power play. He has been awesome this year. And I can't say enough about how well he played on Wednesday. He is certainly up there as one of the best performers against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. but we have got so much more that we need to break down from this victory by the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving them a 2-0 record on this road trip up to this point. And we will do that when we get back right after this.

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Obviously, Arter Shilovs will start tonight against the Oilers. We will preview that game in just a little bit. But another really solid outing for him, 9-40 saves, 947, excuse me, save percentage, gets another win, looks absolutely rock-solid, makes the saves he needs to make. And just, I have to give him a lot of credit because when he first got here, obviously you give any newly acquired player a bit of a grace period. We often forget as sports prognosticators that these are human beings. And when you get traded, especially from Western Canada to Pennsylvania,

it's a little bit of a culture shock, a little bit of an adjustment period is needed. But for the last month, he really has settled into a groove. He's a very steady, very poised goaltender. And right now, I continue to say that I think he has taken the mantle as the Penguins 1A. Yes, he has. And I actually agreed with DeMuze's decision to start him against Calgary. You start your better goaltender against the weaker team, especially on the first half of a back-to-back.

You know the second half is going to be really tough against an oil other team that has given you fits over the last few years. So go with your strongest lineup that you can with your best goaltender against Calgary before you can go to your 1B goaltender against Edmondson. And again, I'm not trying to grab on She-Laws. I think he has been better as of late. But I just felt like it was the right call to go with Skinner just because he's been a little bit better than She-Lovs as of late.

And he was really good in this game, as you said. made the saves he needed to make. He always looked comfortable. He continues to look very confident in the crease. There was that sequence during the game pat where the flames had the penguins pinned in their own zone for a felt like 60 to 90 seconds. And he was just sitting there without a goal stick. It was in the corner. Yeah, the flames were helping him out by shooting the puck wide a few times. But he was still having to sit there for over a minute because the penguins could not clear the puck. They eventually were able to do that. But still even off of the couple attempts that went wide. he still was able to make a couple of saves during that sequence. I was surprised the flames did not score during that time

because they really had the penguins on their heels on that shift. But again, it's another really strong start. And he's been good for the last, what is it now, three and a half weeks, basically. We're approaching a month now, just really strong play from Stuart Skinner. So I can't say enough about that. I know a lot of people wanted to see him start tonight,

a homecoming for Eminson, Tristan Jari, starting against his former team tonight. against the penguins, but you need points taken when you can. You're 2 and 0 now to start the road trip. This game tonight is almost like house money in a way, because even if you lose, you still have an opportunity to go 3 and 1 on this trip on Sunday against a very bad Vancouver team. So I am totally good with Archer Sheloves starting in this one.

I think it made all the sense in the world. So great job for Skinner. We discussed Evgeny Malkin. I thought that line was great. Chino Kov's release. Brian Rust gets the goal. It's funny, that wrap-around, Pat, I actually thought he was going to score

as he was wrapping it around because there was room on that short side. Dustin Wolf was very slow getting across. I thought he was going to score that way. Puck still ended up going in the back of the net, so no harm, no foul. But I thought he had a little bit of room on that short side because he was a little slow getting across.

Nice job by the Penguins to really crash the net there. It was originally given to Sid, but it was then given to Brian Russ. So we discussed Tommy Novak. We discussed the defensive. effort. I just think all in all, this was such a very professional performance. And it goes to show that, well, yes, the flames are not very good. That's clear. This is a good hockey team right now, man. And they are now second place in the Metropolitan Division. And as I tweeted last night, I'll say it here,

there is a legit chance that this team gets home ice in the Stanley Cup playoffs if they get in. I can't believe I just said that considering our expectations going into the season. But they're tie with the islanders with a game in hand. There are five points up on the caps with two games in hand on them, and they're four points up on the Flyers. They had a great night last night. I can tell you who didn't have a good night, though, and that was Garnett Hathaway. Yeah, we don't need to spend too much time.

We can let our pals over on Locked on Flyers talk about that. That was not great, as one would say, but let's also not put the cart too far ahead of the horse here and talk about having game one, round one. at PPG Paints Arena. We've got what they have one hell of a schedule coming up once the Olympics are past us. I just brought it out there for everyone. We're at the end of January, there's a legit chance, but there's so a long way to go. I just wanted to put it out there for everyone.

And I'm not disagreeing. There is a legitimate chance for it. But there is something that you said that I do think is a good sticking point in something that's worth talking about right now. Yes, the Calgary Flames are not a very good team. You could see after some of the goals by the penguins and some of the better shifts that they had. The body language of the flames was that of we're just not a good team. We're not going to be able to pull this out.

We're not going to be able to make a comeback. But I think a lot more of it is that this is, I think this is just a good hockey team in Pittsburgh. And is it a team that I'm going to sit here and say can go on a run? I'm still deeply, deeply skeptical because you look at a lot of the other competition across the league. They're not going to stack up to, say, Colorado or Dallas or some of the other teams in the east. But I look at the way this team has played over the last month. And there were moments early in the season where I went, okay, new coach, some new faces, some younger players. players, they've got that early season sugar rush.

You know, there's this new excitement, this new feel. But after a couple of weeks, you've got to dig in and play. It's when it becomes the regular season. And they had that little dip in November and December, but they have bounced right back. And I look at a lot of the things that they're doing. And it's all sustainable. Yeah.

They're playing really solid hockey. The thing that impressed me most about the game last night, and you hinted at it earlier in the show, they kept it extremely simple. You didn't have Latang, you have not had Carlson for a few games, they weren't trying to do too much. High percentage passes out of the defensive zone. They weren't trying to do too much in the offensive zone. They took what the flames gave them, and they capitalized when they needed to. these are all hallmarks of a team that are doing things that the longer this season goes,

barring injury, barring some sort of slump. I don't really see it stopping. I said this to J.D. Young of Locked on Sharks last night because he tweeted me a really funny tweet. He was like, I don't know how they're doing this. And I just simply said, like, they're just kicking team's asses at the end of the day. That is what they have been doing in a lot of these wins. and there is nothing fluky about it.

They're not on a PDO vendor. They're not on a goaltending vendor. They are just kicking people's asses. The process is there. The data continues to show that this team is above average in Shauna Thames Per 60, expected goal share, scoring chances, high danger chances.

Their defensive metrics also continue to improve. And they're playing like a good team that is capable of making the Stanley Cup playoffs. There is nothing fluky about what they are doing. And that I think is the best part about this season so far is that they're also just so much fun to watch compared to the last couple of years. You and I have said that a lot. That they're a breath of fresh air. I can't say enough about the job that Dammeus is doing.

If he is able to guide this team to the playoffs, I think he is going to get consideration for Jack Adams. I don't think he is going to win it because when you see what John Cooper is doing and when you see what Jared Bednar is doing in their respective places, Colorado and Tampa, I think they probably are going to have better cases, but I do think Damn News is going to get consideration. And I do think you will also see Kyle Dubis get GM of the year consideration as my co-host Kelsey Sir Max wrote for the hockey news. Well, my co-writer, I should say, Kelsey Sirmex wrote for the hockey news. Pardon me on that.

But again, man, it's just they're so fun to watch. Everything about the process is very much there. And they're getting the results. We'll see if it can carry over tonight against a team. team that has kind of been their boogeyman over the last few years, Pat. So that's a nice little segue to the final segment. Yeah, I appreciate you taking the segue, but unfortunately, old damp here has got to hit the brakes and turn the wheel real quick because I got to respond to the Kyle Dubus part of it.

I don't really know if there's another GM in the league right now that you can say has a better case than Kyle Dubus simply and I know that we're going to get the comments, you're glazing Kyle Dubus, you're putting the black and gold goggles on and yada yada. But take this from a 1,000 foot view. This team was not expected to be good. They weren't expected to be horrible. They weren't going to be bottom of the barrel, Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, even though a lot of people wanted that. Some people thought they were. Some people. But then they have been not just in

the playoff race. They have been in the race for a top three spot in the metro pretty much the entire season, save for a few weeks. You couple that with they've got so many draft picks. They've got a rapidly improved farm system. And on top of all of that, they have got some of the most cap space in the entire league. This is a really damn good blueprint. It shouldn't end up working out for the rest of the league of how you can take a team that had years and years of success and keep them going without really having to scale that far back.

Now, granted, missed the playoffs the last couple years. They've had some slips and stumbles, but I would take this. over five, six, seven years of, don't worry, it's coming. Don't worry, it's coming. Don't worry, it's coming. Oh, we're almost there. We're almost there.

Granted, this could all fall apart within the next couple of weeks, but should they stay on this track, I do think that both Muse and Dubus are going to have their names on ballots come at the end of the year when we get closer to the NHL awards. So they both deserve a ton of credit for this season. 100%. Let's just see again, We got, this will be game 50 tonight.

After tonight, you have 32 games left. Let's see if you can keep it up. You know, going into the Olympic break is going to be huge. They have seven more games left before the Olympic break. Let's see how they go into that because when the annual season resumes at the end of February, I'm just, I'm going to be curious to see. Are they going to stay in that top three spot in the metro? Are they going to, you know, fall off a little bit?

Again, time will tell. But, hey, ever since the Christmas. break. This team has been firing on all cylinders looking like the team we saw for the first month, month and a half of the season. And I'm having a blast. Like this is a lot of fun to watch. And here's the hoping that it will continue tonight because the penguins are right back in action against as Hunter said, one of their boogeymen, the Edmonton Oilers. They will take them on tonight. And Hunter and I are going to get you prepared for that game when we come back right after this. closing out the Thursday edition of

of Locked-on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp, joined by the one and only Hunter Hodes. Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, 9 o'clock tonight, more late-night hockey for that sicko that I do this show with when the penguins take on the Oilers. And there's no two ways about this. The penguins have not matched up well against the Edmonton Oilers in the past few years, but go ahead and get in line, Pittsburgh Penguins. You are one of many teams who have not matched up well against the Edmonton Oilers. There's a reason they have been to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals. There is a reason that they have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference

for the last few years. And it all starts with number 97, the super weapon, Connor McDavid, the unquestionable best player on the planet. But probably not going to be without the Robin to his Batman, Leon Drysitle. Yeah, it does not look like Leon is going to be playing in this game. He is still attending to a family matter in Germany. So again, all the best to him as he continues to deal with that situation. He's been on a leave of absence for a little bit.

But I will say this is a major loss for the Oilers. We all know how great tricycle is, 25 goals, 67 points in 48 games. He gives the Oilers, you know, that one-two legendary punch down the middle. They can also put him with McDavid if they want to in their trailing in games. they love doing that, but not having Leon for this game is going to be really tough, considering how great he has been this year. But you said it, man, Conor McDavid, best player on the planet, it's going to take every player on the ice to slow him down.

I mean, he's putting up video game numbers again this year. 30 goals, 85 points in 51 games. When he gets a burst of speed coming up the ice, good luck. We saw it in Pittsburgh last month when the Oilers won 6 to 4. there's just not much you can do when he gets ahead of steam on you. Literally, good luck everybody else. That really is how it is because he's just such a weapon and the numerous ways that he can beat you.

So especially if they don't have Latang or Carlson again tonight, TBD on that, DM is going to speak to the media. I think around 7 p.m. Eastern time for his pregame, so we'll have to see if Latang or Carlson are viable options for this one. but if they're not, it's going to take a full team effort from all the defensemen. We're going to have to see the blueprint

what we saw last night on Wednesday against Edmonton. You're going to have to keep things very simple, very quick, especially when McDavid is out there. But even without him, Zach Hyman's been getting hot as of late, six goals in his last six games,

the Tappin Merchant, as I like to call him around the net, but he's still been very good as of late. We all know how great Bouchard is from the point offensively, that is. He's not good in his own zone, but offensively, he is very good.

Ryan Newton Hopkins, 40 points in 42 games this year. All right discussed Hyman. You know, Pod Colson has 12 goals and 23 points this year. But again, man, if you're not slowing down Connor McDavid, you're not going to do a good job to win this game. I do want to see the PK also continue to play well. PK has been awesome over the last few weeks, but they got burned pretty badly against that Oilers power play back in December

when Connor and Leon just did their thing. And I know Leon's not going to, going to be out there, it looks like, for this one, but they still got Connor, they still got Bouchard, they still got Hymann, they still got Nugent Hopkins. They can still zip that puck around like it's no one's business. So I think the PK, definitely a big one tonight. And I do want to see the power play, of course, improve. And then old friend Tristan Jari, rattle his cage a little bit. You know, we've seen when you get in his grow a little bit here gets off his game a little bit. If you can get to him early also, you and I have talked about that a lot when he was a penguin.

And if you get to him early, maybe he has an off night. There you go. So just a few keys for this one. But especially on the second half of a back-to-back with travel, it all comes down to playing simple, playing very clean. Like just honestly like you did last night, but even more so, especially on the second half of a back-to-back. That's the biggest key is you played last night.

You got a big win. You have essentially rendered this game not meaningless because any time points are available, you want to continue to stack them. especially when you're playing a Western conference team, but still in a battle for the Eastern Conference when it is so log jammed. But at the end of the day, this does have to be borderline boring hockey tonight.

You have to just do everything simple, everything basic. Don't try to do too much. Don't try to make the complicated pass. Take the easy play. And the thing is, I say this every time. time the penguins or any team plays a team like Edmonton. I'm going to do my usual crossover comparison here to basketball where it's the Shaq and Kobe Lakers.

The only difference now is you've got Kobe and not Shaq with dry sidel out. The usual idea is you know that one of those two are going to get their cookies. You know that one of those two is going to put up points. you can't let the other also kill you. So while you know McDavid is going to do McDavid things, you really have to do what I also like to call the Brian Dumlin defense of him. When Brian Dumlin was at his best as a penguin, he basically looked at McDavid and went,

you want to skate a million miles on the outside, you go right ahead. You want to skate yourself all the way into the corner. You can have the corner. I'm not going to let you have the middle of the ice. You can let McDavid do circles around the offensive zone. Keep them out of the middle. Make sure you're not losing track of anybody who might get open.

And if he burns you because he's Connor McDavid, tip that cap. You're Connor McDavid. You do it to everybody. But don't give him anything easy. Let him have to make him have to earn it. And you beat me to it. The guy in net, Tristan Jari.

You make him give up a soft one. You get in his kitchen a little bit. We've seen it for quite some time. He doesn't really like that. So while it is not a who cares, whatever happens, happens game, given that they started this trip really well, you're playing with a little bit of house money tonight. If you can get a point or two out of this, even better.

But they have served themselves well to the point where this isn't that much of a must win game. Right. Like you go 3 and 1 on this trip, you beat Vancouver, you lose to Edmonton. Okay. No harm, no foul. You still got six out of eight points overall, and that's a successful trip. But say, Pat, you get a point tonight. Say you still lose an overtime, but then you beat Vancouver. 3.0 and 1, 7 out of 8 points. Yeah, I know. Technically, you're still 3 and 1 overall, but you got 7 at 8 points. That's also huge. So, yeah, this game tonight is a little bit of bonus. If you win it, obviously that's even better because you're going up against a team that is going to make the playoffs and you're playing against the best player on the planet. But it's still going to be by far the toughest game of this

trip, considering the situation, considering who they're going up against. So I'm just curious to see how they look. If you lose, not the end of the world, just as long as you beat Vancouver on Sunday. They did snap their 11-game losing streak to Washington last night. So we don't have to worry about that one on Sunday, Pat, where the Vancouver would be on a potential 12 to 13 game losing they'd be playing the penguins. No, they got that off their backs. They've won a game. So, no harm, no foul. But this is still a game where, again, discipline is going to be really key in this one. And I do want to see Archer Shilov's play even more consistent at the start of games. We talked about how well he has played at the end of games, making some big same saves, excuse me, in the third, in overtime,

but just bring that same consistency to the start of the first period. He does that. I think he can be aligned to hopefully have an even better night tonight. And I will close the show on this. Yes, we're saying all this stuff about points and situations and all that, but going up against the two-time Western Conference champion, see how you stack up. Yeah, a little bit of pride. See where you're at. If you can take it to this Edmonton team, that can give you a lift going into the last

couple weeks before the Olympic break. But we will see what happens tonight against the Edmonton Oilers 9 o'clock. Eastern time at Rogers Place in Edmonton. You can catch the game on SportsNet, Pittsburgh. And when it's done on Friday, Hunter and I are going to be back to recap it, get you set for the Sunday game against the Canucks, and fan take Friday is back. So keep your eyes on our YouTube channel.

We'll have a new pullout and the comments will be open for you to drop your hot takes, questions, and everything in between. So stay tuned for that. But for now, for Hunter, I am Patrick Damp. Thank you as always for tuning in and we will be back on Friday.