Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - The Battle of Pennsylvania RETURNS with Penguins-Flyers in round one!

Episode Date: April 14, 2026

It's official! The Penguins and Flyers will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Patrick and Hunter begin the show by taking a look at Monday night's action, which gave us our answer o...f who the Penguins will face in the first round, and it is none other than their rivals from eastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Flyers. They take a quick look at the series on the surface, the players, the narratives, and what to expect from one of the best rivalries in hockey. (0:00) Then, they recap the season series between the Penguins and Flyers, which saw both teams split 2-2. However, what may be a bit of a wrench in the machine for the Flyers is the fact that both of their wins came in shootouts. (14:40) Finally, the Penguins' season comes to a close tonight in St. Louis, and while most of the regulars will be resting, collegiate free agent signing Jake Livanavage is expected to make his NHL debut! (27:30) Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. Rugiet Get 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhl Rugiet. Performance medicine for men. Rocket MoneyLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join athttp://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON   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.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 You can skip the energy drinks. You can skip your morning coffee because you could be plenty amped up with the Battle of Pennsylvania in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Hunter and I begin our previews of the first round against the Penguins and Flyers, as well as get you set for game 82 of the regular season right after this. You're locked on penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked on Podcast Network. your team every day. Welcome back to another edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am one of your hosts, Patrick Damp. You can follow me across all social media platforms at Synonym 4Wet.
Starting point is 00:00:50 Joined as always by the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can follow him on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can give our show's Twitter account a follow at L.O. underscore Penguins. You can find us on Instagram at Lockedon underscore Penguins. and TikTok at Locked-on Penguins. Of course, as always, we appreciate you making us part of your daily routine. Don't forget, we are free and available wherever you get your podcasts as well as YouTube. And if you follow us on YouTube, make sure you've hit the notification button,
Starting point is 00:01:24 especially with the playoffs right around the corner, so you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes. to quote W.W. Monday Night Raw General Manager Adam Pierce, it is official. The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers,
Starting point is 00:01:45 the Battle of Pennsylvania in the first round. The Battle of Pennsylvania gets a new chapter. The first chapter since 2018 when the Penguins dispatched the Flyers in six games. But we are going to have so much stuff to talk about to get you set for that series throughout the rest of the week. Keep an eye out.
Starting point is 00:02:08 We're definitely going to do a crossover edition with Locked-on Flyers to get their perspective on what's going on in Philadelphia and what to expect from them. We're obviously going to talk to a couple of people here locally to get you set. And later on in the week, we will have a full series preview on that. And of course, on today's episode, we know you're not here. for it, but there is one more game to be played this season, and that's tonight against the St. Louis Blues in St. Louis. We will finish the show with a quick preview of that. But let's start with Monday night in what was a mutually beneficial game for the Carolina Hurricanes and the Philadelphia
Starting point is 00:02:51 Flyers. The Flyers win three to two in a shootout. That gets them the third spot in the Metropolitan Division making this matchup official. The Carolina Hurricanes get a point, which means they have clinched the top seed in the east throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. So they will have home ice advantage in the first, second and third rounds should they get there. And it, like I said, solidifies our Penguins Flyers matchup. And it just takes away from team chaos, which we were rooting for so hard. we wanted to see tonight be a totally chaotic night in the NHL.
Starting point is 00:03:31 But games 82 for a lot of these teams, they're just going to be meaningless. But you know what? There's nothing better to get your blood flow in return to the playoffs than to see the Philadelphia Flyers waiting for you in the first round. I wouldn't want it any other way. SIDS return to the playoffs. He gets to play the team that he hates the most. the Philadelphia Flyers.
Starting point is 00:03:58 Again, you can't write it any better than that. Sure, a final Crosby-Ovechkin series would have been storybook, but when I look at a matchup versus the Capitals versus a matchup against the Flyers, I know, famous last words, I'd rather play the Flyers than the Caps. The Caps have the better goalie. They're a really good 5-on-5 team. I think they're a bit better than their record indicates the Flyers. Don't get me wrong.
Starting point is 00:04:23 I still think this is going to be a tough series. I don't think it's going to be a cakewalk. But I think at least on paper going into this, the penguins match up really well against the flyers. I think they are deeper than Philly, especially up front. They have the star power also, even though they're a bit older, they still have it. You know, goaltending, I'd give that edge to Philly,
Starting point is 00:04:45 just with Dan Vladar. He's had a really good year. But, hey, we've seen Stuart Skinner rise up at times in the playoffs. So I could still see him potentially out playing Dan Vladar. defensively, the Flyers are third and expected goals against this year, and you're going up against a Penguins team that is third in goals for among the entire league. That's going to be a really fun chess match. And finally, Pat, I am really excited.
Starting point is 00:05:07 I don't know if I said this on the show before, but I am really excited to see what Dan News does in this first series. He gets to fully focus on one team, tactical adjustments, prepping, seeing which line is going to go out against which line on the Flyers. I am really stoked to see how he does as a rookie head coach. I felt the same way about Mike Sullivan when he was making his playoff debut with the Penguins a decade ago. Now we get to see it here with Dan Muse. You know, again, at the risk of getting old takes exposed, I like the Penguins going into this series. I think at least on paper, they are the better team, but you still got to go out there and you've got to win this thing.
Starting point is 00:05:45 And it's going to be a lot of fun, man. I really can't wait for this series. Again, one more thing as well. this rivalry has been so dormant for so long. It needs to get reignited here. And I want to see the blood flowing a little bit more. Trevor Zegris, we all know he's going to get it under the penguin's skin. He's been doing that throughout the season series here.
Starting point is 00:06:07 It's going to get fun. But it's well beyond time for Penguins Flyers to establish itself as one of the top rivalries in hockey because it has not been that for the last eight years. It's been a while since we have had. real penguins flyers rivalry even the 2018 series there were definitely villains there were definitely guys who annoyed you but the benchmark is the mid 2000s all the way up to 2012 when this rivalry was a blood feud it was two teams that absolutely could not stand one another and you brought up Trevor Zegris, there are some guys on the flyers.
Starting point is 00:06:51 There are some people on the penguins who they're not going to be afraid to stir things up. They're not going to be afraid to get in the kitchen of the other team and really try to get under their skin. So the ingredients are there for this to be a spark that reignites the penguins flyers rivalry. The one thing I will say that is really interesting. and more so than anything else to me is that this is a return for both fan bases because the penguins haven't been in the playoffs since 2022. I know that's not in the grand scheme all that long, but for a team that made it to 16 consecutive Stanley Cup playoffs,
Starting point is 00:07:38 it's a bit of a drought. The Philadelphia Flyers haven't been in the playoffs since the 2020 COVID Cup. So this is a return for them. And I don't want anybody to think that I am handing it to Philadelphia. I'm not doing the whole you got to hand it to them thing. But these are two extraordinarily passionate fan bases. They are two franchises that in the modern era have provided so many great moments, so many stars, so many marquee moments.
Starting point is 00:08:12 in the NHL just feels better when these two teams are in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And it could not set up a better narrative for where we are. Because you've got the old guard for the Pittsburgh Penguins in Crosby, Malkin, Latang, Carlson, going back to the postseason. And then you've got a team in Philadelphia that is in a transitional period themselves. They've got a lot of younger players. They've got a lot of players coming up through their system. And they hope that this is the bedrock of what is going to be the next generation for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Starting point is 00:08:53 So even putting aside the X's and O's, the matchups, narratively, this is a really intriguing first round series. Yeah, and I want to see how a lot of their young players experience playoff hockey for the first time. We're growing up against a veteran team in the Penguins. this team has loads of playoff experience. Obviously the big three. Eric Carlson's been there quite a bit. Brian Rust, Rickel's been there a few times.
Starting point is 00:09:22 Stuart Skinner has gone to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals. I can keep going to them list if you want, Pat. How does a young team like that go into a playoff series where the refs swallow the whistles? They don't call as many penalties. In the first round, they call the most penalties of any round, but it's still less than what you'd normally see. during regular season game.
Starting point is 00:09:43 How do they adjust to that? Another cool storyline, and we're probably going to bring this up quite a bit. Porter Martone versus Ben Kendall. Martone has been awesome for Philly ever since making his debut. I want to see how he does going up against Ben Kendall,
Starting point is 00:09:57 who has been a rookie sensation for the Penguins this year. And again, I'm excited for Ben Kendall to get his first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs as well. This is only going to help his development as we go deeper into his career. And I will say this.
Starting point is 00:10:11 Obviously, everyone's got to get out here, start hitting the Flyers again. You probably never stopped, but now that they're playing in a playoff series again, you got to kick it in an overdrive. This Flyers team was left for dead about a month ago. They were, Pat, they were nine points out with a month to go, and they still made the playoffs. That's pretty admirable. You just don't see that in the NHL this late in the season,
Starting point is 00:10:33 but they got hot at the right time, and two of the teams in front of them absolutely collapsed. That's all it took. So kudos to them. They got hot. they got in but now we're going to see you know are they you know quote unquote gassed from all those games or how do they have still quite a bit left in the tank there's there's plenty of really good storylines also of course Rick Tocke it going against the team that he played with going
Starting point is 00:11:01 against the team that he's won cups with that's going to be funny you and I talk about pat that guy he's born to be a flyer even though he's won quite a bit here in pince Hey, all the rings on Rick Tockets fingers came in Pittsburgh, not Philadelphia. So he may be a flyer at heart, but he was a champion in Pittsburgh. But that is going to do it for our opening segment. When we come back, we're going to keep the preview going and talk about the season series between the penguins and the flyers to make sure you are caught up on where this matchup stands after 82 games in the regular season.
Starting point is 00:11:39 so stick with us. We've got plenty more to talk about here on the Tuesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. But first, we've got a couple of sponsors. We've got to get to starting with five-hour energy. If you've got a sweet tooth like I do, you know how tough it is to find those perfect treats without all of the sugar. That is why the cotton candy five-hour energy shot brings that nostalgic flavor back in a whole new way. It's the classic cotton candy taste that you remember,
Starting point is 00:12:11 but with tasty caffeine boost and zero sugar. It's quick, easy way to satisfy that sweet craving while keeping things simple and on the go. This is absolutely true about me. I love myself a sweet treat, but I'm already this height. I can't be ingesting sugar all day long. And with me trying to get back into shape
Starting point is 00:12:32 with all those energy drinks that have tons of sugar, all kinds of crazy additives, I'm sticking with five-hour energies cotton candy shop because it's sweet, it's delicious. And before I had to play my Monday Beer League games or go to the gym, it gives me the energy I need to push through the workout or the end of my workout day. It has become my go-to. Bring on the sweetness with cotton candy five-hour energy shots available now at five-hour
Starting point is 00:13:00 energy.com or on Amazon. And we are not done. We've also got to tell you about our friends at Indeed. Workplace chaos, deadlines stacking up, your inbox overflowing, and the one position that you need to fill still sitting open. When the pressure's on and you need to make the right hire, it's a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Indeed, sponsored jobs help you reach the people who actually fit what you're looking for. Skills, experience, location. That way, you're not just hoping the right candidate happens to stumble upon your job post.
Starting point is 00:13:34 And here is a stat that says it all. In the time I have been reading these advertisements, companies like yours have made 27 hires on Indeed, according to their worldwide data. So if you're hiring, spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check all of your boxes with Indeed sponsored jobs. That way you're spending less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check all those boxes, less stress, less time, and more results. when you need the right person to cut through all the chaos, again, it's a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Listeners of this program will get a $75 sponsored jobs credit to help you get your job, the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support locked on penguins by saying you heard about Indeed on this very podcast.
Starting point is 00:14:29 Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. need to hire. This is a job for indeed sponsored jobs. We're back here on the Tuesday edition of Locked-on Penguins. I'm Patrick Damp right alongside Hunter Hodey's chugging along, as we know, our first round opponent. And it is the Philadelphia Flyers. And Hunter, the Penguins and Flyers, they split their season series 2 to 2,
Starting point is 00:15:01 but here's the rub. Philadelphia Flyers got their two victories in a shootout, and the Penguins, they did not. The Penguins were able to get a couple of victories over the Flyers this season. And this has kind of been a complaint through a lot of people going into this playoff series that the Pittsburgh Penguins, they piled up a lot of loser points, which is not untrue. But on the other side of the coin, the Philadelphia Flyers, were absolutely shootout merchants. And guess what?
Starting point is 00:15:37 In the Stanley Cup playoffs, shootouts go away. That is true. The Flyers are 10 and 4 in shootouts this season. They won a shootout last night to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And you're right, their two wins were via the shootout. The last game they played,
Starting point is 00:15:53 Penguins had chances to win that game in overtime. They had a power play late. Yeah, they were without Crosby and Malkin, but they still had a four-on-three power play to fully end overtime. They weren't able to win. it there, Flyers than went in a shootout because normally Trevor Zegris is automatic in shootouts. Like there's just no way you're usually stopping him, though, Brandon Bussy of Carolina did stop him last night. That's one of the rare goaltenders to actually stop Zegris in a shootout.
Starting point is 00:16:19 But two games of the Penguins won. They obviously blew the Flyers out. They beat them ones in Philly. They then beat them here in Pittsburgh. But hey, you get those four games out of the way, we now reset to zero zero in the playoffs. So I'm curious to see how the flyers will look fully in regulation in a seven game series. Again, this is a good defensive team. I said their third in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five on five, only behind Vegas and Ottawa. I talked about how they have had some trouble scoring goals at times the season,
Starting point is 00:16:55 and that's also not uncommon for a Rick Tocket team. I'm curious to see how that goes into the playoff series as well. and that also goes in line with, I want to see the penguins defend better in the playoffs. It's kind of slacked off a little bit down the stretch. There was that really nice stretch pat, you know, going into March where, you know, they were defending the house a lot better.
Starting point is 00:17:16 They were actually improving some of their defensive metrics, but started to slide a little bit as a win through March into April. And yeah, I know you're playing contenders on a night-to-night basis, but I want to see this team defend better in their own zone. We've seen them capable of doing it at times this season. now you really got to do it in the playoffs. And the Flyers, I got some guys that will hurt you. We brought up Martone, we brought up his egress.
Starting point is 00:17:39 Matt Veemichkov is having another really good season. They got Tyson and Forster back. Remember he suffered that really weird-looking injury against the Penguins? Well, he's back now. He has a cannon of a shot. So you have to watch out for him, of course. They still have Christian Gavorek as a playmaker as well. I can keep going down the list, Sean Couturier.
Starting point is 00:17:59 He plays more of a lesser role now compared to where you remember in 2012 and 2018, but we all know he's going to get some of those defensive matchups against the Penguins. You know, they have Sandheim, of course, Jamie Drysdale on their back end to players that I do like quite a bit, in my opinion. And obviously I've talked about Dan Vladar as well.
Starting point is 00:18:21 There's a lot of really fun, intriguing storylines with this series. So excited to see it, man. We're going to have so much more breaking down the X's nose a bit later on this week. we're going to bring on some guests as well. But again, this is kind of like an early look at the series. You know, one of the other losses that the Penguins had, the first shootout loss, that was one of the Penguins' worst games of the season, in my opinion. They were still able to get a point out of that game before losing in the shootout.
Starting point is 00:18:48 It's actually one of the rare off-er-Carlson games as well. And that's something we should also bring up, man. This is Eric Carlson's first time in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2018-19. The Flyers will have to deal with playoff Eric Carlson, who we all know, Pat. he goes off when the playoffs start usually he really does and we're going to obviously like you said go a lot deeper over the next few days in this on this series because we're under the we're under the assumption it's going to start sometime this weekend I don't see how it wouldn't the Stanley cup playoffs are set to start on Saturday we don't know if the penguins will be on Saturday or Sunday if I were a betting
Starting point is 00:19:24 man I was thinking about this last night after the the series was made official it actually actually wouldn't surprise me if they hold off till Sunday. And I will say this. I'm hearing that it's going to be Saturday. The rumor right now, and this is, again, people, a rumor that I have heard, the rumor is that it will be 2 p.m. on Saturday. Now, these things are fluid. They can change, especially, for example, if Montreal gets home ice, I can see hockey
Starting point is 00:19:52 night in Canada really wanting that to be the Saturday night game just because the bell center. Come on, that's obvious. But the rumor right now, from what I have been told, is that it would be Saturday. at 2 p.m. But let's see if that changes. And to what I was starting into there was I also do think there might be a bit of a scheduling foresight on the NHL's part. We all know what's happening next week in Pittsburgh, the NFL draft. This place is going to be a zoo. So it wouldn't shock me if they decided to go for
Starting point is 00:20:25 Sunday. That way, if this series goes the distance, if it goes to seven, you're just completely taking the NFL draft in Pittsburgh out of the equation. So that way, if it does have to return to Pittsburgh for a game seven, you're just, or you're, or even game five, you're just missing the draft. You're just waiting for it to be done. That way, you're not dealing with a bunch of lack of hotel rooms for the Philadelphia Flyers, even though it's an easy trip. You're not dealing with all of the traffic around the infrastructure or the city.
Starting point is 00:21:00 so fans can get to the game, the teams can get to the game, but obviously we will see. Now, back to the actual games themselves. The thing that I'm most curious to see here is, and I know that no one is mistaking, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2025, 2025, 2006, and the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025, in 26 as juggernauts, but it kind of is the unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Because the Philadelphia Flyers play really well defensively. Dan Vladar has been a revelation for them. He has been really good down the stretch. They don't give up a lot of goals, but they don't score a lot of goals either. The penguins, they give up some goals,
Starting point is 00:21:51 but they score a lot of goals. They are one of the top goals for teams in the, the NHL. So I'm really curious to see how this matchup shakes out because I could see a world where we somehow get a bunch of five to four, six to five, seven to six games, or we get a bunch of one nothing, two to one games because these are two teams who are essentially mirror images of one another. It's so funny you say that because we haven't really seen a lot of these one-nothing two-one games for the penguins this year. Like they haven't really played in a lot of those, mainly because Pat, A, they've scored a lot of goals this season. And B, they've been giving up goals as well. So I'd be a little surprised
Starting point is 00:22:39 if we got a lot of those two-one, one-nothing games in this series. I think it's more likely you get, you know, at least a three, two, four, three, five, four games. I mean, you were breaking up six, five, seven, six. We saw, you know, quite a few of those in the 2012 series. I don't want to bring up too much more about that series, obviously, because it's bad memory for all the Penguins fans here. But I just don't know if you're going to see a lot of those two one games, especially with the game that the Penguins play in the way that Dan Hughes wants them to play. Oh, you're still going to have to stop Travis connecting on the flyers. He's a rat, but he's also really good at what he does. Owen Tippett is closing in on 30 goals if he hits it potentially tonight. He has a really
Starting point is 00:23:18 good release. So those are two players. You also have to really watch out for in terms of, you no pure goal scoring ability. I already brought up Meachov. I brought up Zegris. Noah Cates has been a pretty solid depth option for them this year as well. They still have Cam York on their back end as well. So they have some guys that can do some damage here.
Starting point is 00:23:35 Again, on paper, I still like the Penguins going into the series. I think they are deeper. But in my opinion right now, I don't think this is going to be, you know, a cakewalk. I think the Penguins, in my opinion, they would be the favorites, even over Washington.
Starting point is 00:23:50 They would be the favorites over any of these teams that they would play. I think against Washington, it would be a slight favorite, but against Columbus, Philadelphia, it grows a little bit more, especially when you look at both teams on paper. However, this is why you play the games. You got to go out there and you got to win them. So we're going to have a lot more coming up here, but I am really, really hyped for this. Again, I wouldn't want it any other way. And I'm sure Sidney Crosby probably wouldn't either.
Starting point is 00:24:17 He has tortured this team and their fans throughout his career. and I think it might be time for him to teach those guys one more lesson before he calls it a career and rides off into the sunset. One more round against the Flyers. Come on now. You just know when this team is preparing the rest of this week. At one point, Sidney Crosby is going to be at the front of the room with a PowerPoint presentation, which that shows my age. Apparently they're called decks now and not power points, but I digress. and he's just pointing at it like this team we hate them everyone everyone oh oh you know this
Starting point is 00:24:57 no no you hate him you hate him now okay you got it understood okay let's go but like hunters said we are going to have so much more on this series we are your place for penguins flyers coverage this week so make sure you're subscribed make sure you've got the notifications on make sure you're following us on social media because we got plenty to talk about. But before we get to the playoffs, there is one more game to be played in this regular season. And it is tonight against the St. Louis Blues. And here's the rub. We're getting an NHL debut tonight for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hunter and I are going to tell you about that when we come back right after this. Before we do, though, we've got one more sponsor to get to and that is rocket money. If you've ever opened your bank account and thought,
Starting point is 00:25:54 where did all of my money go? You're not alone. Keeping track of subscriptions, spending in bills, it can get overwhelming fast. And that is where rocket money comes in, helping you take control of your finances all in one place. It tracks your subscriptions in one spot and it can help you cancel the ones that you don't use with just a few taps. It automatically categorizes. It automatically categorizes your spending so you can actually see where your money is going and you're able to set budgets get alerts and stay on top of all of your upcoming bills it just makes everything feel a lot more organized and it gives you a clearer picture of your day-to-day finances rocket money it's a personal finance app like i've said the biggest thing for me was the unwanted subscriptions
Starting point is 00:26:41 because you might not have picked up on this but i'm a very typical millennial i've got a bunch of subscriptions, streaming services, music, you name it. I've signed up for a million free trials and then forgotten about them and gone, wait a minute, when did I sign up for this? And Rocket Money has helped me get rid of those. It's helped me save money. It's helped me work on my savings and keep my budget in order as I decide to become more of an adult and not just a goofball who posts on social media about hockey.
Starting point is 00:27:13 Rocket Money has been absolutely huge for me. So let Rocket Money help you. reach your financial goals faster at rocketmoney.com slash locked on. That's rocketmoney.com slash locked on. We're back here on the Tuesday edition of Locked on Penguins closing it out. I'm Patrick Damp right alongside Hunter Hodes and as excited as we are for the return to the Stanley Cup playoffs. We do have to play game 82, which quick note on that.
Starting point is 00:27:46 I don't know if you've remembered this Hunter. I got reminded of this earlier this week. Next year, we're going to have to say game 84. Yeah. The season's expanding to 84 games next year, but that is a way down the road problem. We got to talk about penguins and blues tonight at 930 on ESPN at the Enterprise Center. And we missed this when we got excited about the final two Penguins Capitals games. But the Penguins did make a collegiate free agent signing late last week.
Starting point is 00:28:18 out of North Dakota. They got defenseman. Jake Livanovich. Yes, I looked up his tape from North Dakota to make sure I got his name right. And if their play-by-play guy was correct, Jake Livanovich is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the blues because while this flew under the radar, the penguins did say when they signed him, he wasn't reporting to Wheeling, wasn't reporting to Wilkes Bear. he was reporting to Pittsburgh and they're starting his ELC this year.
Starting point is 00:28:54 So he is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the blues. Yeah, that's what it looks like. And they're going to have the morning skate here coming up in about an hour. Remember people this is a 9.30 p.m. game tonight. Good for all you late night sickos like me. The game will be on sports net Pittsburgh. But if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, it will be on ESPN. It is a national game tonight on ESPN.
Starting point is 00:29:18 And after that, of course, Stanley Cup playoffs start this weekend. But I'm excited for Jake Livenovic to make his debut. So past three seasons played at the University of North Dakota, finished this past season with five goals and 25 points in 39 games. Each of these three seasons, he finished with at least 25 points. And I looked up his tape right away, Pat, the skating just really stands out. He is really quick on his feet. It's the bread and butter of his game.
Starting point is 00:29:45 He is an electric skater. he's also a solid playmaker from what I saw like he defers the puck a lot he doesn't have as much of a shoot-vers mentality as you see other other defensemen on the penguins have for example he's more of a playmaker he'll walk the blue line well it's funny when you watch him play and this is a very and I mean a very loose comparison so please don't act like I am comparing him directly to this player I just get very many Lane Hudson vibes with the way that he plays again I don't think he's going to turn into Lane Hudson or anything like that. The play style is just similar. The way that he walks the blue line, the way that he skates in the offensive zone, he's really going to break in the puck out. He's a good playmaker. Again, those are the attributes of his game that I really liked.
Starting point is 00:30:34 And, you know, in terms of the college re-agency signings, I think this is one of the better players that was available this year and the Penguins were able to get him. And it's another example of Kyle Dubus looking to give a young player like this, a shot. And if he does get in, we're going to find out the morning skate. I'll be excited to watch him tonight. You're not going to see a lot of the regulars. And you shouldn't. Like, Cindy Crosby, I doubt he plays. Evgeny Malkin, Chris LaTang, Eric Carlson, Brian Russ. I don't think they will play either. I'd be surprised if Ben Kendo played. And honestly, Pat, I wouldn't even play Rickel either.
Starting point is 00:31:07 Like, he's been that important to the Penguins, especially as of late. If you want to say the same for Parker Watherspoon, if he shouldn't play, that's fine. It doesn't look like right. now that it's going to be Marashon just because he hasn't been called up. I think it would probably be Shilovs that starts this game. Between the two, I'm just making an educated guess here. I think they're going to give this final start to Artie, and then they'll prepare Skinner, I think, for game one of the playoffs. But, you know, this game is meaningless for both teams.
Starting point is 00:31:38 Penguins are going to the playoffs, the Blues. They have been eliminated. If you want to get a look at potentially Robert Thomas, because he'll be available this summer potentially for trade. You can look at that because, according to Elliott Freeman, the Penguins were kicking the tires on him to trade deadline. Maybe they try to look at that again in the summer. I love Robert Thomas. I think he's a great player.
Starting point is 00:31:57 But this will be another opportunity, Pat, for some of these younger players to make another impression. You and I talk about how we didn't see enough from Willie Coivinen this past weekend. Same thing goes to Raka McGority. Can we see more from them? Obviously, Levinovic, if he makes his debut, that's someone who I'm going to be circling as well. at the end of the day, there's really not going to be too much that you can glean from this game. Would it be nice if they won? Sure.
Starting point is 00:32:26 But I don't want fans overreacting if they lose this and be like, oh my God, they're on a three-game losing streak going into playoffs. It'll be fine. Trust me, this team is going to go balls to the wall for game one. Once it starts this weekend, they're going to be healthier, my opinion. I just don't want to see too many overreactions to a game tonight. that literally does not mean a thing. Right. We're not going to spend a ton of time on this because I said it at the top of the show.
Starting point is 00:32:54 No one is here to hear analysis of a meaningless game. The penguins are in the playoffs. They know their first round opponent. This game is the absolute definition of meaningless. You said it. Blues are out. Penguins are in. Neither team has anything to play for.
Starting point is 00:33:12 This is ceremonial at best. And it's almost like a preseason game in a way, Pat. More or less. And you hit on the point that I was going to bring up. There's going to be a lot of non-regulars in the lineup for the penguins. And it's going to be players who are going to be battling for a spot on this team next season. And you have to treat this almost like a preseason game in the sense that you are auditioning for the coaching staff. You are auditioning for management.
Starting point is 00:33:42 I'm not saying that you've got to treat this like game seven. of the Stanley Cup final and balls to the wall, put your body on the line. But you've got to give them something, a moment, a couple of shifts, a couple of runs, some points here and there. Just show the management that once this season comes to an end, whenever it comes to an end, end of the first round, second round, whatever the penguin season comes to its conclusion, that when they're preparing this summer for training camp for next year, for next year, that you're someone that should be considered to be on the 26, 27 Pittsburgh Penguins,
Starting point is 00:34:22 because this is an opportunity for you to do that. So once again, 930 in St. Louis on ESPN if you're around the country, Sportsnet, Pittsburgh. If you are in Pittsburgh, Hunter and I will briefly recap this game on our Wednesday edition, but we will continue the previews. of penguins, flyers, Stanley Cup playoffs, round one. But that is going to do it for the Tuesday edition of Locked-on Penguins. For Hunter Hodes, I am Patrick Damp. Thank you, as always, for tuning in, and we will be back on Wednesday.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.