Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins take on old friend Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

The Penguins will meet their old friend Jake Guentzel and a resurgent Tampa Bay Lightning team on Tuesday night in Florida. Patrick and Hunter get you ready for what should be an exciting game between two teams who have quite a shared history. Despite the Penguins' struggles the past couple of seasons, they continue to play a great Tampa team very tough, and they get into how they can find a win down south. Then, Sidney Crosby continues to laugh at the aging curve. They break down some numbers that put into perspective how truly great the captain has been the past few seasons. Finally, the Penguins will have two more games this week, one in Buffalo and then back home against Ottawa. They quickly touch on what to expect in the week ahead. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.5-Hour ENERGYHead to 5-hourENERGY.com to find over 15 flavors to choose from, including Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, and Peach-Mango. Need one now? Grab a 5-hour ENERGY shot at your local grocery or convenience store—they’re everywhere! Stock up today and stay energized. IndeedNow, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to Indeed.com/LOCKEDON right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.Trade CoffeeGet 40% off your first order with Trade at drinktrade.com/lockedonnhl. Wonderful PistachiosGet snackin’ and get crackin’ with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more! 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. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins! 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.

Today on Locked-on Penguins, the Penguins finish up their Florida road trip against Jake Gensel in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sidney Crosby continues to defy the aging curve and we get you set for the rest of the week. All that and more 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. Hello and welcome back to another edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Patrick Damp. You can follow me across all social media platforms at Synonym 4 Wet. Joined as always by my co-host, 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. underscore Penguins. And of course, as always, we appreciate you making us part of your daily work. routine. Don't forget that we are free and available wherever you get your podcast as well as YouTube and the Roku channel. Plus, if you follow us on YouTube, don't forget to hit that notification button. That way you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes. Before we get started today, today's episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first

purchase. The penguins are back in action tonight. They will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amelie Arena and we will see our old friend Jake Gensel and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who once again are among one of the best teams in the National Hockey League, made a bunch of big splashes at the trade deadline. And all of a sudden, they are a player in the Atlantic division looking like they could go on a run here in eclipse, both the Toronto of Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers for that top spot in the Atlantic, once again, looking like a true Stanley Cup contender. But let's start Hunter with our good friend who continues to just obliterate the narrative that

he was nothing but a product of Sidney Crosby. And that is Jake Gensel, another phenomenal year for the kid. He's got 34 goals, 33 assists in 67. points in 69 games. He continues to just show that he is one of the best American goal scores of the modern era and is just a force no matter where he goes. Of course, you've got the big names, as always on Tampa Bay, just doing what they do. Nikita Kuturov, 98 points in 66 games, 30 goals, 68 assists.

Brandon Hagel, another good year for him, 32 goals, 45 assists. 77 points and the man himself, Braden Point, with a good slash line of 34 goals, 34 assists, and 68 points. So this is a Tampa Bay team that realized going into the deadline that they were pretty top-heavy. They pretty much had those four names, Kutrov Hagle Point and Gensel, needed to get some help elsewhere. So they go out and get a few good names to help them out. And what do you know, once again, they are among the best in the league. And of course, we would be remiss if we did not mention the man in the net, Andre Vazolevsky, 33 wins this year and a 920 save percentage.

He is among the best goalies in the world right now. So this is going to be a very formidable task for the penguins on Tuesday night in Tampa Bay. But no matter how good the Tampa Bay Lightning are, no matter where the Pittsburgh Penguins are, including this season, the Penguins always seem to play the Lightning very tough. So Hunter, you look at tonight's game, you look at how stacked this Tampa Bay team is, mix it with how well the penguins have been playing for the past couple of weeks. And this should be a pretty good game. It's going to be a fun game. The Penguins have lost both meetings through the Lightning this year, though the Penguins have played them. Pretty tough, I would say, in both games. They've had winning chances in both of them,

but just weren't able to come out on the right side. In recent years, though, you're right. Like, usually the Penguins, Pat, they play the lightning tougher than some of the other teams in the conference. Say, for example, Boston, they've struggled a bit more against the Bruins in recent years, especially in Boston. But, you know, these last several years now, like, they played Tampa really well. I mean, I have the numbers in front of me here for just recent history. The Penguins are six and two and one in their last nine against Tampa.

Also, they are seven and three and one in their last 11 against Tampa. Again, people, I know they've lost the two meetings this year against the lightning, but at least these last few seasons, they are always up to play Lightning. The Penguins have also won four of their last five games in Amley Arena, dating back to October of 2021. So this is a building that they've had a lot of success in over the last few years. But this is going to be one of the tougher challenges. down the stretch, especially with how Tampa Bay is playing right now.

You look at the standings. They are in a dog fight for the top spot in the Atlanta. Florida is at 89 points. Toronto's at 87. Tampa's at 85. Tampa, they won five the last time. They've lost a couple in a row, but they're still playing better hockey as a whole.

This year, when you compare it to last year, because last year, I was like, yeah, they're good, but it felt like they were running out of steam a bit. Like it felt like they were a step below some of the other top contenders in the Eastern Conference. This year, I think they're one of the two or three best teams in this conference. It's them, Florida and Washington when they're fully healthy. And as I've said in the show, a lot over the last few weeks, Washington is probably only going to have to face one of them in the conference final

because Tampa and Florida are going to beat the hell out of each other either in the first or second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I like that you brought out Vasilevsky, had a bit of a down year last year, only a 900 state percentage. This year, you said it. 920. He's also top 10 in goals, state above expected. He's sixth overall 18.7 with goals state above expected. This is prime Andre Vasilevsky. He is fully back after a bit of a down year last year. And when he's playing like this, good luck beating him four out of seven times in a playoff series. And you also said that when it came to Tampa's Ford Group, we saw them twice before

they made their big moves at the deadline where John manager Julian Rizbaugh does not care about Picks, literally, he's the meme, F them picks. Not allowed to say that word on the podcast, of course, because we're PG on here, but you all know you're catching my drift with what that means. But he gets Yanni Gord, he gets Bjork Strand, he plugs them in on the third line. And look at that top nine now, man. They have that super line up top with Point Kutrov and Gensel. They have Hegel and Sorelli on their second line with Nick Paul, who's also having a good year.

And then you can put Bjork Shran and Yanni Gord on your third line. that is a formidable top nine that can go against anyone in the Eastern Conference. Yeah, their fourth line is not much right home about, you know, with Luke Glenn Denning and Darren Radish and all that. But still, their top nine looks so much better right now compared to what it did. Defensively, I still think they're not as deep as I would like them to be. Headman is still good. I like Moser. McDonough is having another good year.

But I don't think it's going to matter as much just because their four group has been so good this year, especially up front, and now that third line. The pain was doing this game. It all starts with that disgusting top line, as I've said. Jake Gensel is having another amazing year. He was great at the Four Nations face off. More people finally got to see Pat what we were seeing for a long time in Pittsburgh. And it's like, yeah, he can play with anyone.

It doesn't matter. He'll still produce. He's that good of a player. Nikudikuturov, he is a freaking, he's insane. Like I just, that's the only word I can describe him. He is insane. He's that good. Braden point, one of the best clutch players, not just in the Eastern Conference,

but in the entire NHL. He's going to be great when the playoffs come around. I'm curious to see what Mike Sullivan does against that line. Does he go with the Carlson pairing or does he go with the Latang pairing? Honestly, I think he might have to go with the Carlson pairing, if you ask me. I just, with how Latang has played this year, I think you probably be better off going with the Carlson-Timmons pairing, which is what it looks like. they're going to do tonight based on what we saw at the morning skate. But that's the big test for

tonight. And then with Vasilevsky, you know, it's like any of these great goalies that they've gone up against, especially some, you know, I'll use Shostorkin as an example, got to get traffic, got to get bodies in front of him. His movement is so superb that if you're not getting traffic in front of them, it'll take a perfect shot to beat him. You have to be very chaotic in front of the net to really impede him because he's every time he's seen the puck this year pat he's basically stopping it he's he's having that good of a year he's having an elite year as expected because he continues to be one of the best goalies to ever do it but this is a night where you got to hope that the penguins historical trend at least in the sydney crosbie era

where they can somehow make these top tier vesna candidate goalies look pedestrian we have it all throughout this era of penguins hockey, they'll go out and play some no-name journeyman backup and he'll look like prime carry price. But then when they play the Henrik Lundquist, Andre Vasiliske's, the actual carry price, they make them look human. And it's just something that even in these last couple years where the penguins have been struggling, they have been able to do that as well. Speaking of goalies, we're probably going to see Tristan, Jari again tonight. He has earned another start with the way he's played the last couple weeks. And for Jari, he likes playing the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Historically very good against them, six four and one record in 10 games, 2.54 GA and a 920 save percentage. So he has been pretty good against the lightning. He also, you may recall, at one point, scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning. So this is a team that Jari historically is pretty good against, regardless of who they've got in their lineup. And you look at his body of work since returning from Wilkes-Barre. And he looks like, at least for now, I don't want to speak in future terms or, say, roll out the mission accomplished banner. But for now, he looks like he has figured it out.

And if I'm Mike Sullivan, you continue to play him until it looks like he hasn't figured it out. and this will be a huge test for him, a huge test for the penguins. So you might as well put him in the net, see what he can do and go from there. 100%. I would start him tonight. I'm actually just trying to confirm this right now via social media. Yes, Tristan Jari has been confirmed as the starter. Pat Josh Getsoff actually just tweeted it.

As we are recording, we love when that news comes out while we are recording today's episode. So yes, Jari will start tonight. And that is the right call. He's been playing very well since coming up for Wilkesbury. what this means for his long-term future with the franchise. I'm still not really sure. Like, I still don't think they can trust him long-term,

but you still have to keep playing him down the stretch here to see, at the very least, if he can rebuild some of that value that he had in the past. So, again, maybe, just maybe, in the slightest chance, you could potentially deal him over the off-season to a team that may need a fresh start. And go on also you would give him a fresh start as well, because, again, like to me, I don't know, man. I just don't think they're going to trust him long term, but as of right now, you still got to play him,

and this is the right move for the Penguins. One more thing. Could be a big night for the penalty killed tonight. We'll see. Tampa Bay has the fifth best power play in the league. Really big test tonight. They zip that puck around with such authority. Nikita Kutrov, he is so good at outthinking you on the power play.

He's so good with his puck movement, his vision. He'll fire no look passes like he has eyes in the back of his head, truly. He is so good on that unit. Gensel obviously a pure sniper. They have headman up there who can move the puck very well. Obviously, you know, they can put Brandon Hagle up there. They want Braiden Point is a great player, especially from that bumper spot. If they want to put him there, you have to be on a high alert,

especially when Tampa gets those power plays because they're, movement, it's going to fool the penguins penalty killer. So it's going to be a big test for that unit. It has to be a lot of discipline tonight on all sides of the puck, whether it's penalty kill, power play five on five, because this is a very talented, very fast team and it'll be a massive challenge for the penguins. Another player that we of course will have our eyes on tonight is the captain, Sidney Crosby, two points away from clinching history for the most consecutive point per game seasons. And we will get into that and a little bit more about Sydney Crosby when we come back.

But we've got to first tell you about a couple sponsors. So stick with us. We'll do some Crosby talk in the second segment. But first we've got to tell you about today's first sponsor. And that is Fandall. March Madness is here. And Fandle is giving you the chance to get in on the action like never before. Right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when you bet your first.

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And if you do love cracking open those shells for that satisfying crunch, the in-shell option is always a classic favorite. So get snacking and get cracking with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit wonderful pistachios.com to learn more. Welcome back to the Tuesday edition of Locked-on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp alongside Hunter Hodes as always. And as I said, right before we threw to break, Sidney Crosby, two points away from clinching his 20th consecutive point per game season. That would break Wayne Gretzky's record of 19.

And I understand and I don't know if we have any capitals. fans that listen to this show. If we do, God bless you. I don't know what you're doing here, but we appreciate you for doing that. And I bet also, it said also shares that record with Wayne. So they're tied, but not for much longer. Hopefully we get the history tonight. But I will, I don't want to sound like I am denigrating Ovechkin's chase of the goals record. I will say, I will put 10 toes in the ground right now and say that I think it's probably a little bit more impressive what Sidney Crosby is about to do just because listen the goals record it's a sexy one and it's not by a lot.

It's not like I'm saying like Crosby's all the way up here. Screw you OVie. You're all the way down here. It's like there's that much room between them. But it's a level of consistency that I think needs to be appreciated because we're talking about a league that we have seen chew up and spit out elite talent after six, seven, eight years. You can just name guys. You can do the meme of dudes will just sit around and name old players and be happy. Of guys who had hot runs for five, six, seven years and then we're never heard from again. Sidney Crosby is going to produce at a point per game pace for 20 straight years. That's absolutely insane.

Again, I'm not denigrating what Alex Ovechkin is doing. Breaking a once thought untouchable goals record, unbelievable. But to be able to consistently play at this level the way both of them have, because again, to continue this little point I'm making, Alex Ovechkin is touching a record that nobody ever thought was going to be touched. And when he came into the league for the majority of his time, not only was scoring down, Alex Ovechkin had to play against actual goalies.

He wasn't just taking 70 foot slap shots that stayed on the ice and somehow went in. He's actually had to score goals. So it's two guys, and this is where I'll wrap up with this, it's two guys who came into the league together and had absolutely unreasonable. expectations placed upon them. And not only did they meet those expectations, they exceeded them.

It's so funny that you say that because I literally had that in mind before you just said it. You're right. They have exceeded every single expectation. Ovecian will go down as one of the top 10 greatest players to ever play this game. I will stand by that. I think he will go down also as the greatest goal scored this league has ever seen. Some people will disagree with that.

Some people will say, you know, Mario when he was in his prime. Some people will say Wayne Gretzky. Some people will say other people. I will stand on Alex Ovechkin when it is all said and done. I still think San Jacenian. He's a better all-round player. But that's a different discussion for a different day. My thing is, it's just awesome that we're seeing both of these players chase down to insane records.

You know, Ovechkin. No one ever thought that he will be able to break the goal record. when he first came in the league. He's now about to do it probably by the end of this regular season. If he doesn't get it by the end of this regular season, I'd be stunned, and he would probably do it right at the beginning of next season. I still have that mid-April game against the capitals

circled on my calendar because it's getting to that point in the next few weeks where he could be one goal away heading to the Penguins' final game in the season, and it would be fitting if he scored in Pittsburgh, and I think he would get one hell of an ovation from Penguins fans there. by the way. But with Crosby, you know, chasing down the point per game record, something that, you know, also us as Penguins fans,

we didn't think that was possible when he came into the league. But, you know, he's way more than exceeded expectations. He's going to go down as a top five player to ever play the game. And I love how Cid is playing right now because he knows where this team is in those standings. He knows that they're not going to make the playoffs. But you know what? He's treating every single shift like it's game.

game seven of the Stanley Cup final, and he's telling teams, you want to beat me? Well, I'm going to give you my all every single time. And I love it. I really do. He has been on such a heater since the Four Nations break. And the craziest part, Pat, he's probably not fully healthy. Remember, he was battling a pretty annoying injury going into the Four Nations faceoff break. It looked like he was barely even shooting out there for Team Canada.

Still was great in that tournament, by the way. and he's been even better since coming back from the tournament, and he's still banged up. So it goes to show how much of a legend he is, how much he truly cares. And I can't wait until he breaks his record. I can't wait until he passes Mario for the most points in Penguin's franchise history. Mario, remember, 1,723 points. Crosby's at 1,674. He is going to pass him next season.

that's also going to be one heck of at night. And again, man, like, I know they're not making the playoffs this year, but for me, watching Cindy Crosby play like this on a nightly basis at age 37, that's a success for me, man. And as I said on the Monday episode, you know, Danny was the first to tweet it. He is tied for the five on five lead in points with Leon Drysidal with 51 at age 37. That's ridiculous. To your point, from our pal Josh Yohey this morning in the athletic,

this is what a psychopath, Sidney Crosby is. From Josh's story, the Penguins coaching staff in front office told him to take some time off if necessary, following the Four Nations face off. He did not take them off on the offer. Crosby shrugged his shoulders when I suggested he surely was dealing with fatigue. He explained, yes, he was tired, but the fatigue wouldn't.

hit him until he took some time off quote so i'm just going to keep going end quote so this is a guy who's like yeah i'm tired but the fatigue will really hit me when i'm done so like i can't imagine having that mindset that's how great he is and the main thing i wanted to mention in this segment i have to give another person who has been like Sidney Crosby on an absolute heat heater lately, and that's Adam Gretz. If you don't follow him on social media, if you don't read his work, if you don't subscribe to his substack, you are doing it absolutely wrong because he is really on an absolute heater. But for Pensburg, he ran some of the numbers of what Sid is doing right now, and it's remarkable. So his age 35 season, 93.

points. Sixth most for a player in their age 35 season. The only names ahead of him, Gretzky, Jean Rattel, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Marty St. Louis. St. Louis is the only only player who did it post-1995. Age 36, 94 points. Second most ever for a player in their age 36-season. Only player with more. Wayne Gretzky at 97 in 96-97. This year, 78. That. That already is good enough for ninth most at a player at age 37 on pace once again to get 90 plus he would be just the fifth player to ever do that and on that list joe sackick johnny buck mary o'mew and wayne gretsky so he's 12 points in 10 games to get 90 points this year with the way he's playing right now buddy i like his chances i think he's going to hit 90

it would be i would be genuinely stunned if he didn't because the way he's playing but again shout out to grets who is just doing phenomenal work on a heater just like Sidney Krause. He's awesome. The main thing that you have to look at from this is that, yeah, does all this stuff continue the discussion of is he one of the best players to ever do it? Of course. But along with that, he's just making an absolute mockery of the aging curve.

Because we have all been saying it with gritted teeth in a little bit scared of, well, that fall off. That fall off is coming. that he's going to hit that wall and he just laughs in our face and keeps on going. It almost is kind of like LeBron with how he's aged Pat. And also some people may not like it. It's kind of like Brady in a way. Like those are the two comparisons that come to mind right away from me with this.

Yeah. It's in in to make the LeBron comparison, similar type of deal. Guy who comes into a league with absolutely unreal. realistic expectation and not only meets them, but completely and totally exceeds them. And it speaks to just how generational of a player he is, how lucky we have been to get to watch him all these years and for the next couple. And who knows how much longer he'll go.

I know the reporting is he wants to play till he's 40, but knowing the pace that he has continued at these last couple years, years, wouldn't be shocked to see him play past age 40. But that is going to do it for our second segment. When we come back, there will be other games to be played this week. But we are going to continue to keep an eye on Sidney Crosby and his chase for history. But before we come back, we've got to tell you about our last sponsor. And that is game time.

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What time is it? It's game time. All right, welcome back to the Tuesday edition of Locked-on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp alongside Hunter Hodeys. And yes, the Penguins will play the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in what should be a fantastic matchup down there in Florida. But there will be two other games to be played this week. Bit of a slower week per se for the Penguins as they close out the month of March. They've got the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo on Thursday.

Then they'll get a couple of days off, return home, and have a Sunday afternoon-ish game against the Ottawa Senators at 5 o'clock and kind of a tale of two games for the Penguins the rest of the week. Obviously, the Buffalo Sabres, they are in the basement of the Eastern Conference, 62 points. Again, really struggling to get out of the starting blocks on their rebuild once again. And then there's the surprise a little bit of the Ottawa Senators who, while they really don't have much of a threat to get into the top three of the Atlantic, They currently, as we record this on Tuesday afternoon, hold the first wild card spot in the east with 79 points ahead of the Montreal Canadians.

They have finally looked like they have taken that next step in their rebuild. And what do you know, who's one of the main drivers behind it? But one of the Kutruck brothers, Brady Kachuk, just looking like an absolute menace. But this is what we have wanted to see from the senators the last couple of years. they've finally taken that step. Then there's Buffalo. So you look at these two games and you figure you got to beat Buffalo just because that is a woeful team that just cannot figure it out. And then Sunday, you're going to be locked in a battle because this is a team that's fighting to hold on to a pretty heavily contested playoff spot.

No, 100%. The Buffalo game, the Penguins have beaten the Sabres both times this year. You got to win that game when you look at the standings. Obviously Buffalo 28, 35, and 6. in the Eastern Conference, the 62 points. There are seven points behind the Penguins. They are on a fast track to get one of the top four players in the draft, whether it's Mesa, Schaefer, Maritone, or Higgins.

And obviously, it's going to be a big help for the Sabres. Hopefully, if they can ever figure this thing out. Tage Thompson, he's having another incredible year. Should have been on Team USA at the Foreign Asian Space off, but you know what, whatever. Hopefully he'll be on the Olympic team next year. He's always a threat every time he's out there. Rasmus Dahlene, when healthy, he is still one of the best defense.

been on the planet. Still want to see a little bit more from Owen Power, but I still think he's coming into his own a bit. They made the Dylan Cousins trade, of course. But still, even though Buffalo is not good this year, they still have quite a bit of high-end talent on this team. So the Penguins will have to be careful with that. Ottawa, I said anything into the season.

If they did not make the playoffs this year, would not be surprised if they traded Brady Good Shop. Might have been a hot take to some, but it was now or never, considering how much talent they have. They've been kind of flirting with the playoffs these last couple of years. This year, though, Pat, it looks like they're finally going to break that drought and get in. As of right now, 37, 27 and 5, good for 79 points in the sinnings that are in the first wildcard spot right now.

If the playoffs were to start today, they would take on the Florida Panthers. And by the way, that would be an awesome series. The Chuck Brothers is going against each other. Just a bunch of rats facing off. Ottawa is, I know Florida is the king of rats in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa's right behind them with the way the senators play here, people. And you look in recent games here, Pat, the Penguins have lost six in a row against the senators. Also, seven of their last eight, they have not beaten the senators since they beat them four to one on January of 2023.

Yeah. It's been that long. It's been a while. they've been bad against Ottawa these last few seasons. So this will be, once again, another big test for them. Because the two games this season, I liked how they played in the first one, didn't get the luck in overtime. Second one, though, that was one of their worst losses of the season.

That was a big game standings-wise because the Penguins had, to their credit, they had climbed back into it a little bit at the time before they went on a pretty big slide after that. And it was such a big game. And then they got absolutely destroyed. in January, you know, five nothing. Like, they got obliterated in that game. Again, they lost three to two in December of, you know, last year,

but still it was this season. It was an overtime game. But that game after in Pittsburgh, they played like absolute crap. So again, man, they got to be on high alert for that one with how Ottawa's play right now, man. Otto has been great lately. And Linus Olmark went healthy. He's been damn good.

It was a little bit of a slow start. But once he found his footing. he showed that, oh, yeah, those years in Boston, they weren't a fluke at all. Absolutely. And we'll obviously do a full preview on this on our Friday edition to get you ready for that on for the Sunday game. But I will say this. It comes back to the thing I said a while back about the Ottawa senators. They finally picked a direction and ran with it.

For a while, they couldn't figure out who they wanted to be. Did they want to be like Florida where they're a talented team that plays a ratty style? Do they want to be a finesse team? Do they want to be a defensive team? They picked the direction. they went with it and what do you know, they're right there in the mix. So you absolutely love to see that for Ottawa, a team that you can have your takes about, but considering how poor their previous ownership was and how loyal that fan base has been

throughout it, you love to see fan bases like that finally get rewarded for their loyalty. But that'll do it for our Tuesday edition of Locked-on Penguins. Hunter and I will be back with a brand new episode for you on Wednesday, Recapping this game that we've got tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning and breaking down any other news, hopefully talking about a brand new Sydney Crosby record. But for now, I'm Patrick Damp. That's Hunter Hodes. Thank you, as always for tuning in.

And we will be back on Wednesday.