Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins with a gut-punch of a loss on Jagr Night

Starting point is 00:00:00 Celebrate 68 was tremendous on Sunday night, and Pat and I are going to discuss that, plus how the Penguins failed to win for Yarmu Yager 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. Hello, welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast.

Starting point is 00:00:35 I am one of your hosts, Honore Hodes. You can follow me on Twitter at Honor Hodeys. joined by my co-s, Patrick Dampe. You can follow him on Twitter at Center for Wet, and you can follow these shows, Twitter, at L.O. Orn's for Penguins. Of course, thank you all so much for making this your first listen slash watch of the day.

Starting point is 00:00:51 We are free and available on all platforms. And finally, today's episode is brought to you by Sleeper, Downless Sleeper app, and use promo code Locked on NHL to get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleepers, terms of use for detail. So,

Starting point is 00:01:07 Kings 2, Penguins 1, We'll crush the team a little later on for the show. We're going to start the show with some positivity on this wonderful Monday. Celebrate 68 night on Sunday night at PPG Paints Arena was a outstanding success. I had the privilege of being there at PPG for that. And during that ceremony, I'm just going to start with this. I am usually not someone to get emotional at quite a lot of things. I've just never really been an emotional person.

Starting point is 00:01:34 I almost had tears coming down my face a couple of times during that. It was a tremendous ceremony. The Penguins crushed it through and through. I thought Paul Staggerwald did a great job with his speech. I know towards the end of his broadcasting career, people harped on him, but he loves the Penguins, man. You can tell how much he loves this organization.

Starting point is 00:01:55 He did a great job with his speech. I thought Yager himself, his speech showed just who he is as a person. He's serious, but he's also hilarious, kind of like of Genni Malkin in a way, but in terms of just Yager, You know, the line about his girlfriend, you know, she's not old enough to remember what happened in the early 90s was hilarious. Seeing him talk about his mom and he went over there as he was kind of starting to tear up a little bit.

Starting point is 00:02:18 His mom was tearing up. That was great. Talking about his teammates was awesome. I love seeing the joke about Ulf Samuelson. That was great. Seeing him gush over Mario, that was awesome. And just seeing him and Mario reunite again was great. Speaking of Mario again, the ovation that he got when he's,

Starting point is 00:02:37 He came out was awesome. I know I'm kind of jumping out around all over the place with this ceremony. And when Yager came out himself, even before he gave his speech, I loved that the Penguins gave the O to John Barbaro to have him come out to him. I know he's not around anymore, but that was such a great gesture. I loved how Michelle Breyer's son was there for the ceremony. That's another great gesture by the Penguins. They get an A plus plus in my book for this entire ceremony.

Starting point is 00:03:06 They executed it beautifully. The whole weekend in general, I felt like was awesome. Pat, I know you weren't at the arena, but what were your thoughts on the ceremony as you were watching it on television? Because this was a great ceremony. Yeah, I mean, the Penguins organization as a whole deserves the highest of marks in all the praise that they're getting today because it's, I don't want to say that it's difficult to put up a Jersey retirement ceremony.

Starting point is 00:03:36 fact, it's pretty easy. But at the same time, you can make it vanilla, boring, generic, but this was anything but that. This was absolutely perfect. And unlike you, I am not afraid. I don't want to say you are afraid, but I'm not afraid to show emotion. But, you know, I had tears in my eyes throughout the whole thing. It was, it was a, like, as our friend Jesse Marshall said, it was a brisk walk through my childhood, seeing all of those high of Yarmir Yager, seeing all of those legends from the Penguins organization returning to be a part of it. I mean, guys like Kevin Stevens, Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelson, Joey Mullen in those guys defined, you know, my childhood as a hockey fan and seeing them all back together for Yarmir Yager's

Starting point is 00:04:29 Jersey retirement was amazing. And I completely agree with you on the Staggerwald part of it, because you can tell that man lives, breathes, eats and sleeps the Pittsburgh Penguins. And, you know, he was the guy who introduced Yarmier Yager to Pittsburgh, picked him up at the airport, took him to Ross Park Mall, did a story on him when he first got to town. And between him and Mike Lang, it would have been really difficult for an 18-year-old from Eastern Europe to come to a new country, a city he doesn't know, doesn't really have anybody there except his parents. And without those two guys, and then the same thing can be said for a guy like Yuri Herdina,

Starting point is 00:05:14 who the team went and got in the 1991, or 1990-91 season to help him feel more comfortable and get more acclimated to the NHL as well as North America. And overall, it was just, it was a 10 out of 10. They knocked this out of the park. Yager's speech was the exact embodiment of who he is as a person. He was very quick-witted. He was very generous and genuine.

Starting point is 00:05:46 You could tell that you could tell, and he addressed it directly multiple times over the past week, that he had some trepidation that he wouldn't be accepted here in Pittsburgh anymore. He didn't have to worry about that. There were no booze at all. I even said last week when we previewed this, he was going to get an ovation that he had never seen before at PBG. And sure enough, that happened. I saw people crying in the stands around me. And my eyes got watery as well.

Starting point is 00:06:17 But he got an ovation that he very much deserved when he finished up that speech. And you could tell he has said it multiple times about how he loved being a Pittsburgh penguin. when he loved living in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh felt like his second home. You could tell that he very much meant that. Because it's come out in reporting. It's come out in the things he's said that he does harbor a little bit of regret, not coming back in the 2010s to the Penguins when he had his second stint in the NHL

Starting point is 00:06:49 and went to a bunch of different teams. So it's really nice to see 68 up in the rafters and for them to mend fences. because this town loves that man. And I think now at this point, we have seen that time heals all wounds and that he is very much the second best player to ever wear a penguin's uniform. Do respect to the current generation,

Starting point is 00:07:17 I think it's going to be very difficult to put top five together for this team. But I think at this point, we can solidify it and say, Number one is Mario Lemieux and number two is Yarmour Yager. That inch, okay. I love Yarmory Yager very much. I'm still probably by the end of his square. I'm going to put Cindy Crosby at number two.

Starting point is 00:07:38 I think by the time his career is over, he's going to have that spot if he doesn't already. But I think Yager definitely, you can make an argument for number two. And that's a good debate that we could have at some point. I don't know. I also come from the Crosby generation. I know you come from before that. But in my opinion, I would still have. have Sid at number two.

Starting point is 00:07:59 And that's no disrespect to Yager because considering what he's done for this organization, I would just have them that maybe number three, number four. You can even make an argument for Malk and considering what he's done in his prime. But I would still put Sid at number two, at least that's just how I see it. But overall, I mean, yesterday,

Starting point is 00:08:19 and we're going to talk about the game itself in the second segment, was a complete success. From the team coming out wearing mullets, in warm up and then Yager takes a lap with them in warm up with full gear. I don't know why I keep saying Yorm up. I don't know what's going on with me today. But it was awesome. And I mean, just the last thing I want to add to is I'm never a huge fan of replacing banners that you have hanging.

Starting point is 00:08:52 And the Penguins have done this a lot in the past, in the past 10 years. they've redesigned and remodeled their Stanley Cup banners, which I thought was a bit odd, because I loved the original 1991-92 Stanley Cup banners. Same thing with the original 2009 Stanley Cup banner. But they have done a tremendous job replacing them because that's something you cannot miss on. When you replace tradition, you have to get it right. And the redesigned Mario Lemieux and Michelle Brier, Jersey retirement numbers are absolutely beautiful. and they look absolutely tremendous.

Starting point is 00:09:28 So as much as I don't like replacing banners that have been hanging for a long time, the penguins have done a great job replacing those. That was one of the things I noticed when I first got into the arena, I looked up and I said, oh, those do look a little bit different, but then when I really looked at them,

Starting point is 00:09:46 you're right, they looked amazing. And I'm glad that the penguins were able to do right by both those players. And then I'm sure they'll move 68 over there at some point to be probably next to Mario. if I had to guess Pat, because I know Breyer's on the other side. But all in all, this was a great ceremony. And you know what I also loved seeing Yager get a picture with the core?

Starting point is 00:10:06 Got a picture with Sid. Sid's out there wearing a mullet doing his warm up routine, which we all know how. Can we talk about how incredible that is for Yarmour Yager? He got Sidney Crosby to change his warm up routine. I thought that was impossible. Now, you know what Sid's going to be saying now? Damn you, Yager. Now we lost that.

Starting point is 00:10:25 I can't go back to doing that ever again. You know, it was awesome seeing them just get a picture together. You saw Yager Sid and Gino get one in the locker room. You saw Yagerin said get one, Yager and Gino. And then, of course, Yager and Latang, because Latang has been bandboying over him ever since he was a little kid. It was just a great weekend overall. And one thing that you said that I was going to say, you took the words right out of my mouth.

Starting point is 00:10:52 Time really does heal all wounds, man. It was a bit rough in the early. 2010's when he went to the flyers. I was upset, but you know what? It's been over a decade since that happened. Everyone I feel like is over it now. And that's, you know, at this point, you saw what happened on Sunday night. And he got the information that he deserves.

Starting point is 00:11:14 He got an honor that he had been deserving for quite some time. And they executed this to perfection. Agreed. And the final thing I want to say, and this is more. Yager related than it is directly about Yager. Last night felt like a culmination of my Penguins fandom because I said it on Twitter. This had me thinking of where I came from in the Penn's blog days because those guys, the OGs, the OGs, Adam, Derek and Rick, really helped shape my Penguins fandom.

Starting point is 00:11:53 I got to be a part of the blog in its final years, which was really cool and very surreal. But a lot of what those guys did in the early to mid-2000s really shaped a lot of people's fandom. And that felt like a culmination and a celebration of everything they did for the fan base in that time. Because there really was a certain level of disdain for Yarmier-Yager amongst Pittsburghers and Penguins fans. just because of the way the relationship originally ended. And those guys up until he signed with the Flyers did everything they could to remind Pittsburghers, hey, without Yarmier, Yager, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sidney Crosby,

Starting point is 00:12:37 Evgeny Malkin, Chris LaTang, Mark Andre Fleury, Jordan Stahl are not here without him. So as much as you may hate that they had to trade him for financial reasons, do not forget how important he is to this franchise. So now that 68 is in the rafters, it feels like that is. a true mission accomplished. Absolutely, man. I completely agree with everything you said there. They showed the 99 highlights during one of the montages. And again, that just continues to feel so therapeutic for me because if there's one series that I will put on for highlights for Yager, it's not even that's not even the 92 one where I know he was so good against the Blackhawks and

Starting point is 00:13:14 just great in that run overall. It's 99 series because of what it meant to the organization as a whole. But Penguins, A plus plus grade in my book, that was a great ceremony. The line outside of PPG, by the way, it felt like this team was one win away from winning the cup. That's how long the line was. It was just awesome to be there. I felt privileged to be there, honestly. But I think that will do it for this first segment coming up in the second segment. Yes, there was a game that was played and the Penguins lost to the Kings 2 to 1.

Starting point is 00:13:46 Pat and I are going to give our thoughts on that game. But first, we got to tell you all about Camino consulting. How would you like to get to know someone better in an hour than you would in a year? Understanding one another better prevent small misunderstandings from becoming big ongoing fights. After providing more than 20 years of service to small and mid-sized businesses, helping manager groups navigate conflict and onboarding new employees. Camino is offering a digital seminar for families and couples. Is your Valentine's gift of tickets to the game, knock it over as well as you'd hope?

Starting point is 00:14:13 get the couples and family online seminar for 25% off for the month of February using the discount code locked on. Again, that is discount code locked on for 25% off for the rest of the month at commino consulting.ca. Or mention locked on reaching out for a business seminar and receive the first five profiles free. All right here on this episode of the Locked on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes, joined by my host Patrick Dam. So Kings 2, Penguins won, the Penguins lose on 6th.

Starting point is 00:14:45 celebrate 68 night in a game where I'll say it I don't only think the penguins played that well. They really weren't generating anything at five on five. And I hadn't even looked at natural statric until the end of the game. But my eye tests confirm what the stats say, 1.1 expected goals for at five on five. They only had five high danger chances at five on five. And the third period alone, they weren't even trying to generate a four check. They were just trying to skyhook the puck to the red line to keep the kings from scoring. and it worked for about 13 and a half minutes until the Kings tied the game with a little less than six and a half minutes to go.

Starting point is 00:15:19 And then they won the game on a shorthanded goal and we'll crush the power play just a second. But the Penguins couldn't do anything at five on five in this game. And that's troubling to me, especially against a King's team that played the night before, or the day before, I should say they played during the day. They also went to overtime against the Bruins and they had to travel to Pittsburgh for this game. How are you not able to generate a for check against a team that played not even 24 hours prior? That's just really concerning to me, man. Yeah, that you kind of took me right where I wanted to go for this game.

Starting point is 00:15:55 And it's the fact that it's horrible situational awareness from this penguin's team. A one-nothing lead is fine. If you're, if you have a one-nothing lead, but you're still playing your game, you're still forechecking, you're still upping the pressure, and you're just not scoring, that's not a huge deal. happens in the NHL. We've seen it with the penguins for years now. There is a goalie who is a no-name goalie or has struggled, had been struggling going into the game and they find their stride in Pittsburgh, but that wasn't the case here. Yeah, there was some struggling in

Starting point is 00:16:27 net for the Kings, but the Penguins just kind of quit in the third period. In the first two periods, yeah, I don't think they were great either, but they were getting chances. They were generating pressure. They were playing at least well enough to win, and then they just went away from it in the third. The third should have been, fire all your guns, so to speak, because this team was in its fifth period of the weekend, or it's, let's see, that would be their seventh period of the weekend, and they just didn't take it to them, and that's unacceptable. And then you talk about how they lose the game. They lose the game on a short-handed goal. And this is another example of a one goal loss where the team had multiple power play opportunities and got all of one goal.

Starting point is 00:17:17 Their power play went one for five last night. And again, I know people are tired of hearing it. I know the fan base is getting tired of hearing this. And I know our listeners are getting tired of hearing this. But the fact of the matter is, for the faults of this Penguins team, if they just had a league average power play somewhere in the realm of 15%, or 16, 17%, they would be in the discussion to win the Metropolitan Division. And yet here they are, seven points out of the second wildcard spot.

Starting point is 00:17:51 And it's looking more and more likely that for the second year in a row, they are going to miss the playoffs. And I understand the frustration. Crosby's having an incredible year. Evgeny Malkin playing pretty well. Chris LaTang has reinvented himself and become a great two-way defenseman. Everybody's going to hate me for it, but Eric Carlson producing right at his career pace. Yes, he's been terrible on the power play, but so is everybody else.

Starting point is 00:18:20 This team should have, at the very least, a power play that paper overs its issues, because they're getting goaltending from both of their guys. That was an underrated issue from last year. They could not get a save for all their other faults. They could not get a save this year. they've got the league leader in shutouts and they've got a great one being Alex Nadelcovich. And because this power play continues to fail, this team is fighting an uphill battle and is probably going to miss the playoffs. Absolutely. And for the power play last night, it's funny.

Starting point is 00:18:51 Their first two power plays, they actually looked fine. The first one, they were moving the puck well. They were getting good chances on the second one. Cindy Crosby gets the goal to put the penguins up one nothing. it was looking like the game winning goal for most of the game until the Kings tied it and then eventually won it late in the third period. But then after those two power plays, they just went away from what was working. The zone entries were terrible. They were overpassing like it was nothing. And they just went away from having the shoot first mentality. And they still refused to make

Starting point is 00:19:21 a single systematic change to that unit. It is baffling how we are at what game 52 now. And they still do not want to make a single systematic change to that unit. I know I'm not this big shoot it type person that you hear at PBGP and Serena. There were quite a few people that were around me that were saying that, but I actually agreed with them late in that game, especially when they got that chance with five minutes to go in the third period. They were playing paddy cake with one another and not firing the puck to the net. You can't keep overpassing and trying to pass the puck into the net.

Starting point is 00:19:54 And for some reason, they just keep doing that. I don't get it, man. The power play has killed them. all year. I even tweeted it, send this unit to hell. It's just, it's been terrible. And there's been, there's been no actual change to it. And it continues to boggle my mind. And outside of the, the big guns, the Sydney Crosby's, the Evgeny Malkins, Chris LaTang's, and Eric Carlson's, I really hate saying this because I know they're pro athletes and I know I'm just a goofball with a podcast and a column. They don't have any heart.

Starting point is 00:20:29 They don't. That's a game you have to win. I don't care about matchup. It's a sin. It's a sin. I don't care about matchups. I don't care about stats. I don't care about any of that. That's a game you have to win. That is a game you have to win.

Starting point is 00:20:45 And that last power play opportunity where they were content to just pass the puck around and not play with a sense of urgency and not try to score a goal is an example of that. Because that's a killer instinct moment. That is a moment where if you score on that power play to make it two nothing, you bury that King's team. They're done. They're going to go, you know what? We got it out a win against Boston yesterday, arguably one of the best teams in the national hockey league. And we've been on a slide lately.

Starting point is 00:21:14 You know what? This is just isn't our night. Let's just call it and get out of here. And instead, they give the King's life. And then not only do they give the King's life, they give them the lead on a short-handed goal. that is again I hate saying it because it's just a dummy with a podcast but that is a team that this is a team that overall does not have heart and lacks a killer instinct and you tell me that they can make the playoffs I mean I don't want to make in the playoffs that team's going to go

Starting point is 00:21:45 into the first round and whoever they play they're going to get dog walked why would I want to experience that even in a terrible Eastern conference too I don't even know if they're going to win a couple games in that series at this point where I'm Matt for the rest of the season right now. I'm going to tune in to watch Cindy Crosby every night, and I'll obviously get to tune in to give you all content because I'm one of the co-hosts of the show. But I'm mainly tuning in to watch Cindy Crosby do what he's doing because he's just been a freak this season.

Starting point is 00:22:13 I'm going to tune in to watch Chris Teng do his thing. Evgeny Malkin, the core players, Tristan Jari, as well. And speaking of Tristan Jari, I don't personally like the second goal that he gave up. I think he could have had the save there. but I'm also not going to blame him for that loss because he made 10 Bells save after 10 Bell save to keep the Penguins in that lead until they had a bad balance to tie it and then Kempai gets a shorthanded goal. Again, I would like a save there on that second Kempbe goal, but I'm not going to blame him really at all for this game because he was very good throughout.

Starting point is 00:22:46 So the people just blaming Tristan Jari for that loss, go get your head examined to be honest. But in terms of the rest of the season, I'm mainly only going to be watching for the core, especially Cindy Crosby, and of course, again, to give you all great content. But in terms of next year, because I'm already trying to think about that, they need to gut a lot of this forward group if they want any chance of giving this one last go with Crosby and Company. Because at the end of the day, Pat, there are way too many passengers on this team right now. I'm sorry, there just are.

Starting point is 00:23:16 Radley Smith's not doing anything on a nightly basis. Ricard Raquel is not doing anything on a nightly basis. The bottom six is especially not doing anything on a nightly basis, though I did like Matthew Phillips debut game on Sunday. I actually thought he had a couple pretty decent chances. And also he set up a really nice chance, too, that Lars Eller just kind of whiffed on. I believe that was in the second period, if I recall. But there's just nothing going on in the bottom of the lineup.

Starting point is 00:23:39 And they also don't have three defensemen who are worth a game. They have three great defensemen, but they also have three defensemen who aren't very good. So this roster, outside of a few select players, needs to be gutted over the all season. somehow, some way, if this team wants to actually contend for one last year of the Crosby era. That's where I'm at too. The way I can describe it is I am out on the 2020, 23, 24 Pittsburgh Penguins, but I'm still very much in on where this franchise is. I think they've got a great general manager.

Starting point is 00:24:15 I know a lot of people aren't a huge fan of Kyle Dubus right now, and I totally understand that. But I still think he can do a. a lot to reshape this roster and make it better this offseason. And Crosby, Malkin, Lattang, Carlson are still all very, very good. Now it's just a matter of getting them some help. And I think that's very doable this off season. So I'm just out on this version of the Penguins.

Starting point is 00:24:41 Maybe they can change my mind over the next couple weeks, but there have not been a lot of signs of that. So, I mean, at this point, you got to go, you have to look at next, start looking ahead to next season because this team is barely even a playoff contender, let alone a Stanley Cup contender. And I can't believe I'm even saying this right now. But at this point, honestly, why not sell off some assets? I mean, I've been against that all season.

Starting point is 00:25:09 You know it. Everyone listening or watching this show knows it. I've been big on, you know, either standing pat or buying the deadline. But with how they continue to fall out of the race, why not sell off a little bit and get what you can for a couple of these guys. I'm still not sure what they're going to do with Jake Gensel. I mean, they could sell them off, but I don't know how good of a return you're going to get. But at terms of you of some of these other guys, maybe like Adelkevich, if they're

Starting point is 00:25:33 fully out of it by then, maybe you can get a second or third-round pick for him. I mean, I think a team would definitely take Lars Ellery. He was traded last year at the deadline by the capitals. I believe they actually got a second-round pick back for him. So a team you know would want him, would Riley Smith want to go back to Vegas? I mean, they have options to deal some players if this continues to get worse. but at this point, that's Ryan Mattman. I mean, with how this is going and how unlikely it is, at least right now,

Starting point is 00:25:56 that they make a late season run to the playoffs, why not sell off a little bit and just kind of retool for next year? You'll have some more cap space over the summer to make more changes to this roster. But I think that will do it for the second segment. Coming up to end the show, Pat and I are going to look at the week ahead for this team as they have three more home games this upcoming week and then weekend before they head out to Western Canada for that. very long and very grueling trip that I think is coming from the Penguins.

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Starting point is 00:27:38 I'm one of your hosts on our hoodies, joined by my co-patrick Dam. So terms of the rest of the schedule this week, the New York Islanders come to town on Tuesday. And for those that forgot, the Islanders played a stadium series game and met life on Sunday against the Rangers. and it was 4 to 1 in favor of the islanders, and they collapsed pretty badly. They did get a loser point, so that's their 14th loser point of the season. Their 22 wins are 28th in the league, but there are four points out of a playoff spot because of their 14 loser points this season. The NHL point system, again, is truly hilarious in every single way.

Starting point is 00:28:10 But this is an islander's team that the penguins have beaten twice already this season. They beat them on the island, and they beat them in Pittsburgh. That's still a winnable game, I would say, for the Penguins. I don't think the Islanders are any good. later this week, you have the Montreal Canadiens. The Penguins have already beaten them twice this year. They'll go for the season sweep in Pittsburgh on Thursday. And then, Pat, the fourth and final meeting against the Philadelphia Flyers this upcoming weekend.

Starting point is 00:28:32 That'll close out the homestand, and then they'll go to Western Canada, play Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, I believe a game against Seattle is also in there as well. So big week ahead here. If this team has any chance of climbing back into this, I'll keep saying it. It should have started two weeks ago. It has to start on Tuesday. Probably not going to start on Tuesday, but that's kind of where we're at at this point. Again, I'm still going to tune in to watch Sydney Crosby and the core, but it's probably not going to happen in terms of a race.

Starting point is 00:29:04 But if it is, I mean, it's got to start yesterday, man. I know not all records are made the same. And like you said, the Islanders have 14 loser points this season. But as much as these games are winnable, let's also keep something in mind here. The rebuilding not supposed to be competitive quite yet Montreal Canadians are three points back of the penguins.

Starting point is 00:29:31 Canadians have 52 points. Penguins have 55. They have exactly one more loser point than the penguins with eight. So it's not like the islanders who just keep losing an overtime and getting themselves a loser point. It's a team that is doing about the same as the penguins.

Starting point is 00:29:47 The only difference between the penguins and the Canadians is the Canadians can't get a save. Canadians have a minus 41 goal differential. Penguins are still plus 12. But at the same time, the Montreal Canadians and the Pittsburgh Penguins have the same record in their last 10, 3, 6, and 1. So, again, it's really, it sucks to say,

Starting point is 00:30:08 but maybe this Penguins team just isn't good. And this is a game where if you want to start changing the perception of your team in this season, the islanders and Canadians are two teams you have to beat. You just do because you're chasing the islanders and the standings and the Montreal Canadians aren't far behind you either. So how far back do you want to slide? At this point, like you said, it had to start two weeks ago and it hasn't yet.

Starting point is 00:30:36 If this team wants to do literally anything at all in the remainder of this season, you can't lose to either of these teams. You just can't. If you lose to one or both of them and you're Kyle Dubus, You're looking at the trade deadline and going, okay, we're selling because this team ain't making the playoffs because they don't deserve to make the playoffs. And we're going to find out who this team is over the next three games. We really are because the islanders and Canadians are both sliding. They are both not very good.

Starting point is 00:31:06 And you should on paper beat them, but we have seen how much that counts for anything this season. And then we're going to find out if you can play against a supposedly actual good team and a divisional rival in the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday. who are now all of four points out of second place in the metro. They are solidifying their spot in the top three in the Metropolitan Division. And at this point, if you want to prove you can make it to the playoffs or at the very least make a legitimate run to the playoffs, that's another team. You should beat. Agreed.

Starting point is 00:31:40 And it's funny, you know, they beat the Blackhawks, you know, last week and going into this game against the Kings. I'm like, okay, there is an opportunity here for the Penguins. It looked like they were going to win that game for quite a while until they collapsed late in the third period. But I was saying to myself when I was watching this, okay, if you can win that game against the Kings and then maybe beat a struggling Ironers team or struggling Canadian team, you could potentially be, you know, have a four-game winning streak heading into that game against Flyers. Obviously it didn't happen. But I was thinking to myself, there was a major opportunity here, especially with this homestand.

Starting point is 00:32:10 And I still think there is, I mean, a pretty big one if you're able to somehow win these next three games and have some momentum heading into Western. Canada where you'll play the Canucks and then the Oilers, obviously. But again, they've shown no reason why you should count on them to win, honestly, any of these games. I mean, yeah, maybe the Islanders twice this season, but the Penguins have also not been good this season at all. Let's have that conversation, Pat. This is not a good team right now, and I don't think they've really been that good of a

Starting point is 00:32:40 team all season. I said last week, they have two winning tricks of three or more games. They've won three in a row once, and they've won five. I haven't wrote once. Other than that, their longest wiening streak is two. That's not the makings of a good team. I'm sorry.

Starting point is 00:32:54 We are right back to the end of the Ray Shiro era penguins. That's a great comparison for that. I love that. Then you said that. Where it is two lines and a whole bunch of nothing. The third line is fine. The fourth line is fine. But even last night,

Starting point is 00:33:13 I even tweeted this, it would be nice of someone other than Cindy Crosby and his line wanted to generate a lick of offense. And Evgeny Malkin, I thought was okay last night, but he still wasn't that good. He's not getting help from his linemates, but the Penguins, they were never threatening when those other three lines were on the ice.

Starting point is 00:33:33 It's just Sidney Crosby's line right now, especially even with Jake out. Yeah. And again, Malkin gets a pass a little bit from me. I know a lot of people aren't going to like that, but too bad. Malkin has not had consistent or good wingers since October. He just hasn't. And at this point, he's not a guy, he's not, again, not an insult. He's

Starting point is 00:33:56 not Sidney Crosby. He can't carry a line on his own anymore. He just can't. He's 37. He's got a ton of hard miles on his body. He's still extremely talented and still very much a force offensively, but he's not what he was even five years ago. So he has to have help and he just doesn't. And then you have Latang Carlson and Pedersen, three really good degrade defensemen. And then you have three defensemen who are somewhere between Godawful and just complete passengers. So again, it's the end of the race hero penguins. That's right back to where we are. It is an extremely shallow roster outside of the big names.

Starting point is 00:34:34 And unfortunately, even in a cap league, that's not how you win anymore. You have to have contributors in your middle six on offense. and you have to have at the very least two really good pairings in a pairing that doesn't kill you. And they don't have that. And to come full circle, that is why they're going to have to gut, I think, a good chunk of this team over the summer or at least try to. They'll have cap space to make some significant additions, I feel like to this team, one of which I do feel like has to be another true top four defenseman. Ryan Graves, I'm sorry, he's not that guy through the first year of his contract. Is he ever going to turn it in that guy?

Starting point is 00:35:10 I mean, maybe, probably not. If I had to guess, he just hasn't been good. I still think they really need that. And then they need to completely remake a lot of their bottom six as well. And to your point about a guinea Malkin, he needs finishers on his line, man. At the end of the day, that is what he needs. He needs finishers on his line and someone that can go into the dirty areas and get him the puck so that he can make some magic happen.

Starting point is 00:35:34 But he doesn't have either of those two things on his line right now. At the very least, at the very least. what go ahead and say at the very least he needs what you were saying there at the end he needs somebody that is going to help drive play yes he he doesn't he doesn't need another james neal he doesn't need some sort of big time goal score it would be nice and i'm not going to say no to it it would certainly be a great addition if they could do it but at the same time he needs somebody who can help him drive play he doesn't have that right now all of the offense from the second line is coming from him and even at 37 he's doing an admirable job, but he's just not able to do it all anymore. Right. I was thinking just like the best of both worlds, you know, someone who can be a finisher and someone who can get into the dirty areas, get the puck out of the boards, and then get the puck to him so he can make his magic happen.

Starting point is 00:36:26 And the penguin, and Malkin especially, excuse me, he just doesn't have any of those types of players on his line right now. And that's another reason why this team is just getting crushed this year. I think that'll do it for this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Thank you all so much for listening to slash watching this episode of the show. Pat and I will be back with another episode for you all on Tuesday to preview this game against the Islanders. And then Wednesday, we will recap that game. And then Thursday, get you all set for the Canadians game.

Starting point is 00:36:56 Friday, recap that one, get you all set for the Flyers game this upcoming weekend. And, of course, get you all set up for the Western Canada trip, which is right after that. But again, thank you all so much for tuning in. We really appreciate it. We'll be back on two. day.

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