Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins begin April with a TOUGH test in Tampa!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pittsburgh Penguins made it through the crazy gauntlet that was the month of March. And their reward to start April is the Tampa Bay Lightning. We're going to get you set for another big game for the Pittsburgh Penguins on this edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. You're Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome in 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 4Wet. Joined as always by my co-host, the one and only Hunter Hodes.

Starting point is 00:00:50 You can follow him on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Our Twitter account is LO underscore Penguins. We're on Instagram at Locked-on underscore Penguins, and we're even on TikTok at at Locked-on Penguins. Of course, as always, we appreciate you making us part of your daily routine. Don't forget, we are free and available, wherever you get your podcast as well as YouTube. And if you're following us on YouTube, which you should be. Make sure you've hit the notification button.

Starting point is 00:01:20 That way you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes. The Penguins find themselves in second place in the Metropolitan Division. after a hectic, crazy, challenging, ridiculous month of March. And for their troubles, they're heading down south to play the Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. So they're not quite out of it just yet. But this will be another big test for the Pittsburgh Penguins as we inch even closer to the Stanley Cup playoffs, which if you said back in October,

Starting point is 00:02:01 that this team would not only be in a playoff spot to start April, but potentially getting first round home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Go ahead and hit us with those powerball numbers. We're going to need them because this economy ain't great, but that's not what we're here to talk about. So this is really going to show us, Hunter, how good is this Penguins team? Are they taking advantage of a metro division that's not as strong as the Atlantic division?

Starting point is 00:02:30 or are they for real and let's just get this right the hell out of the way. Nikita friggin Kuturov. 68 games, 40 goals, 81 assists, 121 points. Yeah, he's good. Yeah, he's nasty, man. And he was just named the first star for the month of March. And for good reason, six multi-point games during. that month. I know you could have easily made a case for Eric Carlson to be named the first star, considering

Starting point is 00:03:06 what he did, no Crosby for a lot of March, no Malk, and also Kutrovman, nine goals and 26 points in 14 games. He's been on another level this season, and he continues to play, like in my opinion, the Hart Trophy MVP, I think he should win it right now. I do think if the sharks get in, Macklin Celebrity is going to get a lot of votes, and it'd be cool if he won it, but I don't think he's going to edge out Kutrov this year. I think Kutrov is going to win it. McDavid always has a case. McKinnon always has a case, but I think it's Kutrovs to lose still right now, and he has been the MVP of that team. Continues to be ridiculous, both at five-on-five and on the power play. Old friend Jake Gensel, Pat. He has also been great this

Starting point is 00:03:50 year, 36 goals, 81 points, and 74 games. Lightning don't have Brandon Hagle tonight, though. He mispracticed yesterday. John Cooper said that he was doubtful, wasn't on the ice for the Skate doesn't look like he's going to go. And that's a huge loss. He's been their third best goal scored this year. Also has the third most points, 35 and 73, respectively. So that's a big one. They still have Brayden point back healthy, though.

Starting point is 00:04:12 And when he's on, he's fantastic. 17 goals and 46 points in 56 games. And how about this? Their best defenseman this year has not been Victor Hedman. And he is still away from the team. I hope everything is all right with him. He's been awesome for so long. But he has not been their best defenseman this year.

Starting point is 00:04:28 That is Darren Radish. on $975,000. That's all he's making this year. And his stats this year, 20 goals and 66 points and 67 games. He is going to get paid this off season. Some team is going to give him a lot of term and a lot of cash because he has been awesome.

Starting point is 00:04:46 He's been the number one defenseman this season. You've got to watch out from him on the blue line. Anthony Sorrelli, two-way force, really good defensively. Also give you the offense. This is a dynamic team. and they're great offensively, of course. You don't want to try to go blow for blow with them,

Starting point is 00:05:02 but they also can defend. And if it doesn't stop there, Andre Vasselowski is getting the start in gold, and why wouldn't he? He's been one of the best goaltenders in the league this season. Top five this year among all goaltenders in goals saved above expected with 22.2. And his same percentage, if I have my notes correct,

Starting point is 00:05:23 yes, 912 for this season. Vaselovsky, back to his usual. self. Who knew? I mean, he's disgusting, man. And, you know, earlier this season, when the lightning beat the Penguins 2 to 1 in the shootout, Vasilevsky was the biggest reason why I felt the Penguins lost that game. The Lightning and Penguins, I thought in regulation, played a pretty 50-50 game. I thought the Penguins were a little bit better in overtime. Vasilevsky was just robbing them chance after chance. And he has that ability. He is one of the best goaltenders in the league. So this is a team that despite no haggle, despite no headman, they're very deep, they're very fast, they can score it well,

Starting point is 00:06:02 they can defend well, and they have a world-class goaltender. It's going to be a really tough game, but we've seen the Penguins play better defensively this week. They're defending the house a bit better. They're keeping teams to the outside, and yeah, I know the lightning are a better team than the Islanders and the Red Wings, but if you bring that sort of game plan to this game against Tampa, you're going to have a decent shot at coming out of here with two more big points. Your playoff odds go up to 98% if you win this one. Now, they only go down in 92 if you lose. So this game, it's almost like a bonus in a way because you have the Panthers coming to town this weekend and that team is really banged up. But if you win it, still big and it gets you closer to the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:06:45 This game for all intents and purposes, it's not meaningless. So let's make sure that's very clear. I hate that we got a caveat everything in this day and age, but again, that's a different argument for a different day. But this game isn't meaningless per se, but it is more of a measuring stick than anything because Tampa is locked in a battle with the Buffalo Sabres for the Atlantic Division. You just went through their roster, the numbers, how they're built, how they play. They are a genuinely great team. They are one of maybe two or three teams that I have as actual true blue contenders in this Stanley Cup race. You look at the rest of the league and there's only a handful of teams I'm looking at right now as contenders. I can't believe this is coming out of my mouth.

Starting point is 00:07:39 Buffalo, pretty much all top three in the Atlantic. Buffalo, Tampa, Montreal. I put all three of them as Stanley Cup contenders. obviously Colorado and Dallas. I'll say Edmonton in the Pacific, but the Pacific is a pillow fight, like their captain said. But when their captain is the super weapon,

Starting point is 00:07:59 you've always got a shot. But for the Penguins tonight. Minnesota, Carolina, I'd throw those two in there too. Minnesota's falling off a little bit, I think they're still playing well, or they're still well built, and I still think they've got a lot there,

Starting point is 00:08:13 but they've kind of fallen by the wayside the last couple of weeks. they're lucky that they're in the West because they've got 94 points, put them in the east. They're dead in the heat with that. But I digress. But anyway, back to the point, Tampa's a really great team. And we have kind of been saying it on this show. We don't really know what to make of this Penguins team.

Starting point is 00:08:38 They're obviously better than we expected. We both are of the belief that they are going to get this done. and they are going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. But the big question looming over them is how good are they really? And looking at some of the teams they've beaten, some of the teams they've lost to, it's still hard to get a handle on that. But if you go down to Tampa,

Starting point is 00:09:03 who is in a dog fight for the Atlantic Division and you snatch two clean points away from them, especially considering over the last few years, even when this Penguins team has been not very good, they have found ways to match up well against Tampa Bay. Now you've got a deeper roster, you've got more momentum. Again, you go down to Tampa Bay,

Starting point is 00:09:28 snatch two clean points from a contending team, a lot of ears and eyes are really going to perk up about this Penguins team. Yeah, I think the best way to describe this win, if they get it, would be it's another statement win. And it's a message sent to the rest of the NHH. saying, hey, we're really good and we're basically almost a playoff walk at this point. We are going to hopefully get in and we can potentially do some damage a little bit.

Starting point is 00:09:57 The Penguins have played the Lightning really tough this year, and they always play the Lightning tough. This is a team specifically that they always get up for. I know I say this now and God forbid they get blown out later. Don't come back here if they get blown out, please. But history suggests that that's not going to happen. They are usually always up for these games. and Tampa Bay. I mean, Penguins have not, they have points in nine or their last 12 against

Starting point is 00:10:18 Tampa Bay. They're seven, three, and two in those games. They are also eight, four, and two in their last 14 games against the Lightning. Also, they've won five of their last seven in Tampa. They've gotten three out of a possible four points this year. That first game, we all both know. That was a wild back and forth game. Penguins go up three nothing. The Lightning take it to them for the entire third period. Malkin gets the game winning goal late. There's the disallowed goal. And then the second game, I kind of felt was way more 50-50. Penguins have a slight edge in overtime. Lightning winning a shootout when they have the better shootout finishers. Let's be real here because the Penguins have been awful on shootouts. And they have the better goaltender in Basilewski. But both these games

Starting point is 00:11:00 have been a lot of fun to watch. I expect the same tonight. The Penguins, again, they always wake up for this game against Tampa. And I'm excited to see. So again, you win this one, it's another big statement and another message sent to the rest of the NHL saying, hey, we're really good and we're coming for one of those playoff spots in the Eastern conference. A couple other keys. Well, one other key, I do want to say, actually, you know what? Let's save that for the second second. Yeah, I was about to interrupt you on that one. That's, that's the locked on penguin's brain sinking up there. But yeah, the penguins did have morning skate before this game down in Tampa Bay, Florida. We're going to take a look at the lineup.

Starting point is 00:11:40 get into our keys to victory and a lot more to go, including, but you're going to have to wait for this one. Our boy, Kyle Dubus, dropped a disc track. So don't you go anywhere. We got plenty more to get into right after this. Before we do that, though, we've got our first sponsor, and that is our friends at game time. There is nothing like being in the arena for an NHL game,

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Starting point is 00:13:59 right alongside Hunter Hodes and the Penguins. They were at work this morning in Florida ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. And not a lot of changes to the lineup this time around. Brian Rust was taking line rush. is once again with Igor Chinikov and Sidney Crosby. I don't know why my brain farted on that one. That line is pretty good.

Starting point is 00:14:21 But as we know, Rust missed the last game late scratch against Detroit. Didn't hear a whole ton about it. But now appears that he is back everywhere else. Pretty typical of what we expected. Second line of Ben Kindle with Evgeny Malkin and Tommy Novak. Third line, Ricard Raquel, between Justin Briseau. and Anthony Mantha, fourth line,

Starting point is 00:14:45 Elmer Soder Blom, Connor Doer, Noah Chari, and then no changes to the defense. Watherspoon Carlson, Gerard LaTang, Shea Clifton, and in the net,

Starting point is 00:14:55 the man himself, the guy who we have been saying probably should get the extended look here and appears he is Stu. That's the right call. Between the pipes tonight in Tampa.

Starting point is 00:15:08 Very right call. Didn't mean to interrupt you there at the end, but very deserved, was great against. the Red Wings made some key saves when the Red Wings were trying to push a little bit at the start of the second year. Even after they made it a 3-1 game, the Red Wings were taking it to the Penguins ever so slightly, though the Penguins, they regained and control that game about halfway through the second especially when Justin Brzo got his first goal in quite a few weeks. But even after that,

Starting point is 00:15:32 I still felt Skinner made some big saves. The one on DeBrinkit was pretty good. That was a really strong start. And he deserves to get this one here in Tampa. If he plays well again here, I start him on Saturday in the first half of the back-to-back against the Panthers, then I go She-Lawks. Now, if he falters, you can go She-Lov Saturday, Skinner Sunday. They're both going to get starts this weekend. It just depends on which order they go. But you're starting to see that as of right now, Skinner is more of the 1A compared to She-Lovs being the 1B.

Starting point is 00:16:05 And if the playoffs were to start right now, I think they would go Skinner in net for game one. We have to see how the last couple weeks go. but if that stays the same, I think we all know who's going to start in game one, assuming this team does clinch their way into the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 21-22 season. Good to see Brian Russ back, only a one-game absence. You know, didn't seem serious. He came out for warm-ups, tested it out, said, hey, just going to get a little treatment

Starting point is 00:16:32 for it. Looks like he's good to go. I know some fans are a little upset that Igor Chenekov is with Crosby. I've seen this some of the takes bad. Oh, he's stolen another one of the beginning of Malcon's winning. linger's and you know i understand because chinikov and malkin they have formed amazing chemistry but muses just trying to find some other combinations like say it doesn't fully work i'm sure he'll put schenikov right back with malkin and novac and they'll probably bump rkel up to play with rost and

Starting point is 00:17:02 crosby and all that good stuff by the way recal ral rlein center today so they're going to continue to give him more reps to that position rakel continues to play great for this team so they're just and continue to play him at center. But they're testing out a few new things in the lineup. So I'm not super mad about it. Speaking of Tommy Novak, by the way, as the president of the Tommy Novak fan club, because I have pushed back against a lot of the doubters of him,

Starting point is 00:17:28 he does need to be a lot better. He's not playing well the last couple of weeks. I want to see more out of them. I think he's just been a little too hesitant when he has the puck. He's been deferring too often. He has underrated release. I want him to use it. more. We all know how good of a playmaker he has been throughout this season. Well, mostly, I know

Starting point is 00:17:47 there have been times where he has gone through, you know, treches like this, but for the most part, I've liked his playmaking ability. And I understand he wants to use that when he has the puck, but be selfish. Use your release when you have the chance. I like his chemistry with Malkin. I just want to see more from him overall. So not too many other notes about the lineup. Everything else is pretty standard. I want to see if Gerard and Lattang can have a third good game in a row. here i like latang's game especially these last two and another note the penalty kill i want to see that unit play better tonight it's still it feels like it's giving up a goal per game at this point you face a lightning power play that i'm stunned they're only 14th in the n hl considering the

Starting point is 00:18:27 super weapon that they have pat with kuturov point gensel they can put radish up there headman when he's available but he's not available right now no i'm just surprised that they're only 14th this year but their pk is third so that's a big test for the penguin's power play. The thing I will say is at least for the Tampa power play that I think is maybe the reason is they have surprisingly for how good they are this year, they have had a rash of injuries up and down the lineup. There have been a lot of guys who have a ton of points and are extremely valuable to them in and out of the lineup. And while at five on five, it's pretty, I don't want to say easy. It's not the right word, but it's easier to play a style

Starting point is 00:19:12 that is going to keep your head above water, keep you winning games, keep you in a good spot. But the tradeoff is usually your power play isn't as good because you're forfeiting some top tier talent on your power play. So that to me could be the reason. But it is still going to be a massive challenge for the Penguins PK, because still going into this game,

Starting point is 00:19:35 they are relatively healthy, the Tampa Bay Lightning. So you're going to see a lot of talent on that power play. So you got to be really ready to go. I'm with you as well on the Tommy Novak side of it because you may be the president of the Novak fan club. I'm sitting to your right as the vice president. I have been a fan of him since they got him. But there's no two ways about it.

Starting point is 00:19:58 He has been, I hate to use this word because it sounds like I'm putting him down, but he has been pretty ineffective the last few weeks. You know, it's my cliche that I use quite often. I start to get worried about top six players when the chances stop coming. I don't worry when the production falls off because everybody, with the exception of a handful of players in the history of the NHL, go through slumps, go through streaks. They have some down moments where they don't score.

Starting point is 00:20:30 What worries me is when chances start drying up. And for Tommy Novak, there have not been that many chances lately in something that stood out in his game before he became a penguin, And since he has been a penguin with the exception of the last few weeks, he generated offense. He generated chances. And you just watched it and went, they're going to come,

Starting point is 00:20:51 the points are going to come, the goals are going to come. He's just, he's got to get there. He's got to get back to that. And I think going with Kindle and Malkin tonight will be a nice jolt for him, because we saw he has some damn good chemistry with Evgeny Malkin. And little old 18 year old Ben Kindle is apparently just Mr.

Starting point is 00:21:11 Fixer. it in this lineup. You put them with someone, they start playing better. So here we go, Ben, another test for you to make sure that this kid is playing well. Let's start here, though, with some keys to victory. Let's get into that. It is time for it. Boy, I promise everyone who's listening, this is a new episode. It is Thursday, April 2nd, 2026. Tampa has a really good goalie, You know what they have to do, Hunter? They've got to take his eyes away and try to score some greasy goals because if this really good goalie sees uncontested shots, he's going to stop them.

Starting point is 00:21:53 Yeah, I mean, it was similar to what we were talking about earlier this week when it came to Ilya Seroacon, where, you know, in that first period, you know, they had some chances in the latter half of that period, but he was gobbling them up just because he wasn't facing a lot of traffic. He could easily see them. But that first goal, especially by Elmer Soder Blom, traffic in front, greasy goal right in front of the net. Him and Nolachari did a lot of dirty work there, and he took one past him.

Starting point is 00:22:18 And then Anthony Mantha gets two really nice goals with the patent hit Manta move. We all know that. A bomb from Ryan Shea, a little bit of traffic in front there. So getting some of those greasy goals, getting some of the traffic in front of them, taking away his eyes, getting him to go side to side. I know how insane his movement is. I mean, he's probably the most athletic goaltender we have right now still in the NHL. But you've got to get bodies in front of them, man.

Starting point is 00:22:45 Because if he sees the puck, 95% the time he is stopping it. So even more so, the same keys I had with Sorokin apply here on Andre Basilevsky. And we saw that in the second matchup when he was stoning the penguins throughout that game. It took a picture, perfect shot, remember, from Evgeny Malkin to beat him in that game. So you're going to have to really work hard for your offense here against him. another key, of course, not turning this game into a track meet. That's just not going to work against Tampa Bay with the firepower that they have,

Starting point is 00:23:16 especially on their top line that consists of Kuturov Point. And Gensel, Sirelli is on their second line. He's, again, he's been really good offensively this year, but he also is good in his own zone. Yeah, I know they don't have Hegel, but it's still a Tampa team that they're deep. All right, touched on the top guys, including Braden Point. You got Goncalvis, who has 11 goals, Bjork Tran, who has 11 goals. you know, Yanni Gord, of course, is there.

Starting point is 00:23:42 So again, they got some guys who can put the puck in the back of the net outside of the top guys. So got to stay vigilant there. All right, discussed the simple, clean game. They got to play defensively. Clean breakouts. I discuss special teams. You know, I feel like that's it for most of my keys to victory for tonight. Yeah, those are all good.

Starting point is 00:24:01 The other thing is this is one that I'll bring up that is less X's and O's more intangible. but you know you're an underdog going into this game. You know that a lot of people are going to watch this game and think, and I don't mean this from Penguins fans. We Penguins fans have been watching this team do a lot of really unexpected stuff this year. And I feel confident in saying that a lot of us Penguins fans have really started to believe in this group more than we were even a couple of weeks ago. But you know that a lot of people are going to look at this game and go, it's the Penguins and the Lightning.

Starting point is 00:24:36 This one's for the Tampa Bay Lightning. They got this. Go in, have that little chip on your shoulder, have that little doubt in your head that people still don't respect us. People still don't think we're a legit team. Stuff that down their throat, especially because you brought it up. The last game these two teams played,

Starting point is 00:24:58 the only reason the Penguins lost, and I know that they have been terrible in shootouts this year, that is a shootout loss. that I'm not using the shootout stuff as an excuse because it's Andre Vasilevsky who is one of if not the greatest goaltender in the league right now. And they dominated that overtime, which is insane to say about the Pittsburgh Penguins versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Tampa Bay Lightning and three on three overtime are a cheat code.

Starting point is 00:25:29 Yeah. And the penguins dominated that three on three overtime. And Andre Vaselowski said, no, you're not scoring. So that's pretty much the only reason. You know you can hang with this team. You know you can play at a level this team plays as well. So keep that confidence, keep that swagger, go in there, show everybody you're for real. Because we've got a little over two weeks until the Stanley Cup playoffs start.

Starting point is 00:25:54 And it still feels like a lot of people, a lot of teams, a lot of places aren't really counting the Pittsburgh Penguins as one of the teams. So you got that motivation right there. you should use it to your advantage. But it's the Penguins and the Lightning. 7 o'clock tonight. Game will be as far as I can tell, unless my reading is gone. It'll be on Sportsnet, Pittsburgh,

Starting point is 00:26:18 so you can catch the game there. And obviously Hunter and I will be back on our Friday episode to recap it. But that doesn't mean that the Thursday edition of Locked on Penguins is done. Kyle Dubus decided to get in the studio, turn the mic on, and drop on.

Starting point is 00:26:35 disc track on one of their prospects. We are going to talk about that and you aren't going to want to miss it. So stay with us. We'll be right back right after this. But we've got one more sponsor to get to and that is Robin Hood. What if sports were traded like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robin Hood prediction markets. It's not you against the house.

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Starting point is 00:28:19 because the news came out that Penguins prospect forward Cruz Lucius, he was acquired in the 2022 trade with the Carolina Hurricanes that involved Jake Gensel. He has pretty much informed the team that he is not going to be signing with them. he is going to go to free agency. And I am not going to summarize. I am not going to paraphrase. I am going to read Kyle Dubus's quote, word for word, and to keep the theme of calling him a battle rapper, bar for bar.

Starting point is 00:29:00 Quote, I think passing up the chance to get into the American League and develop there, it would have been a month already now, but obviously next few months, especially when your college team doesn't qualify for anything, it's a big miss. But that's his decision and his right. We'll just move on to the next. This is going to be for me and in some listeners, if you know, you know moment.

Starting point is 00:29:35 Kyle Dubus threw it back to the 1990s WWF, Degeneration X, and basically said to Cruz Lucius, I got two words for you. And if you know, you know. I knew that reference was coming. I was just hoping you weren't going to say the two words there. Can't say that on this show.

Starting point is 00:29:57 No, we can't say that on the show. I can't. Yeah, we are PG-13 here. But we're not going to say it. But yeah, based on that quote, and also I can read the rest of it here, Lucius and his agents informed us that he was not going to be signing in Pittsburgh for a few reasons that are up to him to share. It's a personal thing for him. We felt that we had a great opportunity for him and the proof is in the pudding on the development side.

Starting point is 00:30:19 The players are entitled to make their decision and I don't think we're at the position here anymore where we have to beg people to come. Good on you, Kyle Dubus. And sure, you know, he's trying to be as diplomatic as he can with this answer. but, and this is just me speaking, I think he is a bit miffed by that. They offered him a contract. They spoke with him and his agent. It sounds like multiple times I listened to the full GM show today. And Cruz Lucia said, hey, I don't want to come here.

Starting point is 00:30:47 I don't think this makes sense for me. And he's going to become a free agent here in mid-August when his rights expire on August 15th. He'll be free to sign with any other team. Now, had he signed with the Penguins, he would have had a month to play in Wilkes-Byr. right to help them, you know, get into the HL playoffs, which they have clinched now, but, you know, try to get the number two seed in their division, play in those playoff games, depending on who they play in the Calder Cup playoffs, and then potentially, you know, use that momentum going into next season

Starting point is 00:31:18 where he could potentially be a small, dark horse to make the team. Now that's not happening. He's going to go to a different team, but, you know, I totally get where Dubas is coming from. He doesn't want to have to beg someone to sign here if they don't want to sign here. okay, you move on to the next and you focus on the other prospects that, you know, are closest signing their ELCs already have. So I'm like Bill Zonan, who he admitted on the GM show that Zonan had interest from college teams and he said, no, I don't want to do that.

Starting point is 00:31:45 I want to sign here right now. He's in his playoffs right now in the queue and he's going to try to go on a Memorial Cup run. Excuse me. He's playing great, by the way, I believe he has eight points in his first three playoff games. And it's funny, you know the team they're playing against, Gabriel Degg's team in the queue.

Starting point is 00:32:03 That poor goaltender has just been lit up on his team this year. Well, speaking of, speaking of Degg, him and Brunich are now both eligible to go to Wokespaer because their teams have been knocked out. So Deg's team, I think, still has one more game, right? Unless they. No, both of them do have their teams were knocked out of their series last night, according to Taylor Hoss of D.K.

Starting point is 00:32:24 I knew Brunix was. I forgot that Degs was. So my mistake. But still, you're right about Zonan. He has been crushing it in the queue and in in pursuit of the Memorial Cup. I'll also say this. If you're still sticking with us, I'd probably left this way too late. But from Lucius's point, I get it.

Starting point is 00:32:46 Like, here's the thing. Lucius is a solid prospect. I do think he's got an NHL future, but it's far from guaranteed. Here's the thing. suddenly the penguins prospect pipeline is getting pretty full and if you're lucius you're looking at that and going that's going to be a tougher road to hoe and i really want to try to get myself into the pros sooner rather than later especially at his age Pittsburgh might not be the best fit anymore that might be the case i can i can understand a case on that where he wants to get here

Starting point is 00:33:23 as quick as possible maybe he thinks the penguins don't have that avenue for him and he wants to go to a team where maybe he can, you know, be there right away. Again, good on him. Whatever the reason is, I'm sure we're going to get it at some point down the line. You know, I wish the best for him. But yeah, you could tell throughout that answer on the GM show that Kyle Dubus was not happy about it, but he tried to be, you know, as, again, diplomatic as possible. And yeah, Bill's on and finished that series, by the way, Pat, a goal in nine points in four games. He had eight points in his first three, finished that series with nine and four. So his team is moving on. Again, poor Gabriel Deg. That team was just giving up so many chances

Starting point is 00:34:02 this year. He did everything he could on his junior team. And you did say it for Harrison Brunick. Yes, his team Cam Loops, they were officially knocked out. So he can join Wilkesbury whenever. I do expect that one to happen. I think he is going to join Wilkesbury for the end run here. And hopefully he gets some playoff games for them. That would be huge for them. But just had to touch on that because it was sassy from Kyle Dubus, but also it was the correct answer by Kyle Dubus on that one. But that is going to do it for our Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Hunter and I will be back on Friday to get you set for the weekend back-to-back as well as recap this game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. So make sure you're tuning in for that and make sure you're sticking with us as the Penguins push closer to the

Starting point is 00:34:55 the Stanley Cup playoffs. But for now, for Hunter Hodes, I am Patrick Damp. Thank you, as always, for tuning in. And we will be back on Friday.

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