Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - The Penguins curse in Raleigh lives on despite a GUTSY effort!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The curse of Carolina continues, despite a great effort by the Pittsburgh Penguins, they fall 6 to 5 in overtime. We're going to recap that game 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 in to the Thursday 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 for Wet.

Starting point is 00:00:39 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. You can find us on Instagram at Locked On underscore Penguins, as well as 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 and on YouTube. Plus, if you follow us on YouTube, be sure to hit the notification button. That way you can be among the first to know when we drop our daily Monday through Friday episodes.

Starting point is 00:01:20 Before we get rolling here, today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. A lot to talk about on this one. obviously Sidney Crosby's return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup, a wild game in Carolina. And I also got an interview with the coach of the team who scored the viral fake Michigan goal. But before we get into any of that, six to five in overtime, the Penguins lose an absolutely gutsy effort by the Penguins, though. There is a whole lot to like.

Starting point is 00:02:00 They get a point out of it. they get a point in a game where they probably didn't play their best for a lot of the game. Another moment in Raleigh where they steal a point that they probably didn't deserve. But at the end of the day, the curse of Carolina remains in place. They still have not been able to get a win in Carolina for quite some time. And Hunter, I think I know where you want to start with this one. so I'm just going to let you off the leash. What do you got going on?

Starting point is 00:02:36 What a hockey game first and foremost. That's probably in terms of entertainment value, the game of this season from both teams. It felt like the penguins were potentially going to steal not just one point back, but two points. They were really close to winning that game in regulation. What can you do when the puck bounces like that? Kandre Miller, harmless shot towards the goal,

Starting point is 00:02:57 looked like it bounced a couple of times. Stuart Skinner is not going to stop that. And by the way, man, speaking of Stuart Skinner, everyone on this team owes him about 30 steak dinners tonight. People are going to look at it,

Starting point is 00:03:10 you know, the box scores and be like, oh, he gave up six goals. What are you talking about? Trust me, people. Stuart Skinner was awesome in this game. There is not a single goal that I can really be like,

Starting point is 00:03:22 oh, he should have probably had that. The Penguins just weren't playing well defensively in front of him at all. He had, And listen, 99 games out of 100, 38 saves from your goaltender is usually enough. Yes, 100%. Like that third period was just so chaotic.

Starting point is 00:03:41 I mean, he only given up two goals going into that third. And then it was just pure chaos right from the opening puck drop for that final frame. The power plays, the penguins got, the way the hurricanes responded, and the penguins responded, and the penguins take the lead with less than five minutes to go. Carolina ties it with less than three minutes to go. Again, the entertainment value was really off the charts. But I still felt like overall effort-wise, Pat, I still loved the heart. I loved the grit.

Starting point is 00:04:11 I love the tenacity. But they got to play better defense in front of Stewart Skinner. That was not good enough in this game. They also weren't handling the puck well at all. They felt like they were kind of handling like a grenade. They could not even string together two consecutive passes for a lot of this game. Carolina was really sitting at the blue line, daring them to forecheck for most of this game. And the Penguins just really couldn't break through it at all.

Starting point is 00:04:36 They did a couple of times, for example, Rickell, the play that he made on Jalen Chapfield down low. He made that Crosby goal happen. Very, very well done. But other than that, in a couple other instances, there wasn't a lot of plays download that is where I'm like, okay, they're getting to their cycle game, they're working at low to high. there just was a lot of one and guns in this one. But again, I loved the heart. I loved the overall effort.

Starting point is 00:05:02 This team has some stones, man. They really do. And getting a point out of this game is big. I'm not going to be, you know, super negative on the show. I don't think you are going to be either. I don't think a lot of fans should be either. You got six out of ten points on this road trip. Considering who you were without for a good chunk of it,

Starting point is 00:05:21 obviously the players that came back towards the end of it, going to one and two, we're getting six out of ten points. To me, that is a successful trip as you come home. Yeah, you put it in context. Six out of ten on this road trip is nothing to be ashamed of. There's some points here and there, I think, that are left on the table. But really, at this point, you're nitpicking if that's what you're going for. And you hit on the biggest theme.

Starting point is 00:05:47 You can question a lot of things about this Penguins team. Is the depth for real? when will the goal tending fall off? Is the defense actually that good? Whatever you want to go with. All are fair questions. But the one thing you simply cannot question about this Penguins team is hard. This team battles.

Starting point is 00:06:09 This team does not quit. And we're going to get into it in the second segment, some of the officiating, some of the way the hurricanes play. But even putting all of that to the side, let me just take you through. this. We go into the third period. It's two to one Carolina. Eric Carlson ties it at two. Not long after he ties it, Carolina takes the lead again. It's three to two. Brian Rust, unbelievable individual effort ties it at three. Not very long after that. Logan Stankovin makes it four to three, Carolina. Eric Carlson then gives you a four four tie. Ben Kindle then gives you

Starting point is 00:06:51 the lead and then two minutes after you get the lead fluky bounce from a keon-dre miller shot ties it but the penguins in all of those instances it would have been so easy to lay down and give up man we cannot win in this frigging building every time we come here we lose but they kept pulling themselves up they kept punching back and they get a point and yeah we're in a time of year where moral victories can buy you a cup of coffee and not much else. But I'll say it again. They keep their heads above water. They keep playing at this pace.

Starting point is 00:07:32 They're going to make the playoffs. And guess what doesn't happen in the playoffs? Three on three overtime or shootouts. Yep. And can I just say, Pat, it's Eric Carlson's world right now. And we are just living in it. His performance tonight. I mean, this is

Starting point is 00:07:51 2017 level Eric Carlson that we are watching right now. And for those that remember, he was playing on one leg for the Ottawa Sanders and the playoffs and was one of the best players in the entire Stanley Cup playoffs that year.

Starting point is 00:08:08 That is the version of Eric Carlson that I feel like we are getting right now. When he uncorks the puck for that first goal, it is a sight to behold. The next one, his keep of the blue line with the skate was insane. then he just said, see you to Sebastian Aho. What a move. And then just rifled it right past Freddie Anderson. He is playing at an elite level right now. And, you know, there's a lot of reasons

Starting point is 00:08:33 why I want this team to get in. But one of the top ones is so I can see playoff Eric Carlson again. It's been a while since he made the playoffs overall on any team. And he is just on another level. he was in my opinion pat the best player on the ice for the penguins tonight outside of stuart skinner who was making insane save after insane save let me throw this out there for you this was eric carlson's second straight three point game and this was his fifth multi point game in his last six eric carlson is playing an unbelievable brand of hockey he is and i i i I hinted at this at an earlier episode this week, and now I'm just going to straight up say it.

Starting point is 00:09:21 He is the Penguins MVP this year. He has been their best player. It's not particularly, well, it is particularly close because when Sidney Crosby is on, he's Sidney Crosby. But as of the last month or so, it is Eric Carlson's team.

Starting point is 00:09:36 He's leading it. He's leading by example, too, because I'll bring it up again. It happened against Colorado. It happened. And we're recording this on Thursday. night or Wednesday night right after the game. So we're going to say tonight a lot, by the way. This was the kind of game where once again, if Eric Carlson got exposed defensively,

Starting point is 00:09:58 all of us would have sat here and gone, yeah, it's Carolina. That's, it's going to happen to a defenseman like Eric Carlson. Was he perfect defensively? No, the Penguins as a whole were not great defensively tonight. But he had a lot of company, and I wouldn't say he was terrible defensively. No, he wasn't. I thought he was on his A game, most of the game. If there is definitely another negative I wanted to point out outside the 5-1-3 goal bat, the power play was disgustingly bad in this one, giving up a shorthanded goal, not even 20 seconds into your first power play. Not great, Bob. And I really don't know what's going on there off the face off. I saw people trying to really, you know, crush Gino for that one. I don't really know what you want him to do there. He's not going to

Starting point is 00:10:42 catch up to Martinook there. I think Carlson was hoping he was going to play it a bit more safe, but that whole face off was way too chaotic for that was just a, it just looked like a miscommunication between the two of them. They both went to the wrong spot and it just bit them at the worst time. So again, the power play was not good tonight. But one thing that was pretty good, the captain was back in the lineup for the first time. In 11 games, we will talk about Sydney Crosby's return. And yeah, we're going to have to go a little negative on the Carolina hurricanes. We will do that when we come back right after this.

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Starting point is 00:12:51 Need to hire. This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. Back here on the Thursday edition of Locked-on Penguins, I'm Patrick Damp right alongside Hunter Hodes. And Sidney Crosby, he is back in the Penguins lineup. And he made his presence felt pretty much right away. played a solid game, got himself on the scoreboard with a goal, his 28th of the season to tie the game at one apiece. He also assisted on Eric Carlson, one of Eric Carlson's goals and did not look out of place whatsoever.

Starting point is 00:13:31 This looked like ho-hum, Sidney Crosby's back. I will say, even though he did not look totally out of place, you can tell shaking the rust off ever so slightly in a way that only happened. happens with Sidney Crosby, where him shaking the rust off for most players, pretty good night for Sidney Crosby. You know that there's a little bit more there that he's going to get to over the next couple of weeks. Yeah, I'm not concerned at all, anyone who is, I'm not really sure what you're looking for. I thought he was really good in this game. And the goal that he scored vintage prosby goal, I'm going to take him 10 out of 10 times to beat Freddie Anderson in that position. So I absolutely loved that.

Starting point is 00:14:15 A couple other sequences where he had a couple of good chances. Puck just didn't go in the back of the net. There was that one later on in the third path that hit the post on Freddie Anderson was really close to scoring there. But again, I thought as the game went on, he got better and better. He and Sv Svcchnikov got into it a little bit. He saw Sid was laughing at him as Svciccob was going to the box because he was assessed an extra minor penalty.

Starting point is 00:14:40 in. All right, Pat, you want it? Let's discuss it. Listen, this was going to be the transition. He takes a penalty in the third period for tripping Sebastian Aho. Now, here's the thing that got me about that penalty. Letter of the law, yeah, it's a trip. Hey, Garrett Rank did get the call right, but I'm going to hand it back to you. There's two things about that penalty on Cid. One, Ajo sold that in a moment. I'm going to make my daily wrestling reference. He sold that trip like the Rock selling a stone cold stunner.

Starting point is 00:15:19 He was just, he went flying on it. And then along with that, the crowd at Lenovo Center, and I'm sure the Carolina bench went nuts. And you could have counted three to four Mississippies for rank or whichever the officials it was to put their arm up. And it's what I said after the last. time the penguins and hurricanes got together. I respect the way the hurricanes play the game.

Starting point is 00:15:49 I may not like it. It may not be my favorite brand of hockey, but it's disciplined, it's smart, and it has been effective for quite some time. The selling of calls, the yelling at officials, the barking at officials,

Starting point is 00:16:03 they don't need to do it. They're that good of a team. Their speed, their skill, their tenacity, will draw penalties. It will force teams to take penalties. It's going to lead to hooks, holds, trips, because you're going to beat guys wide. You're going to beat guys to the inside and they're going to have to take penalties. This team is annoying in the way they play. They don't need to be annoying in the way they conduct themselves. It is funny because this is now the second

Starting point is 00:16:38 straight game that these two teams have played where Taylor Hall has just been diving for calls. I haven't seen Taylor Hall die before these last two games. I feel like this is something that's relatively new. And I'm not, you know, trying to fill my diaper or anything here. It's just funny how he's just diving like Tim Stutzelow is out here for the Ottawa Senators. And, you know, credit to him, you know, he's been getting calls when doing it. But some of the other calls they got were also a bit soft. I will say the penguins did have, you know, a good amount of power plays in this game.

Starting point is 00:17:11 And, you know, the one that Sid took, letter of the law, it is a penalty. Just call it when it actually happens and don't wait three to four seconds for it. There was a couple sequences in overtime pat that I didn't like where Aho was holding Malkin stick, no call. Kendall gets that mini breakaway. Great save by Anderson. Kindle's getting hooked there, by the way. No call there either.

Starting point is 00:17:33 Again, I'm not blaming officiating for the loss. I'm not, again, I'm not trying to fill my diaper here or anything like that. I'm just saying, you know, there continues to be inconsistency with the way things are called in these high stakes games. This is an NHL-centric problem. And it isn't not just a penguin's thing. You could probably go to a lot of the locked on other podcasts with the other teams. They'll probably be saying the same thing. This is an NHL-centric problem.

Starting point is 00:17:58 They just don't really care about how bad the officiating has gotten. Again, I thought this was a wonderful hockey game, back-and-forth action. I don't know how Penguins fans are going to do this in the playoffs if this team gets in just with the way this went. But, you know, for as bad as they played for a good chunk of this game, they still were able to get a point. And they were only a few minutes away from stealing a win that would have been basically improbable just with the way they were playing. So again, a lot of guts, a lot of heart, some really strong performances, especially from Carlson. Stuart Skinner was once again really good. love the fourth line as well.

Starting point is 00:18:38 They were generating a lot of chances. I don't know how Noah Charity didn't score a couple in this game. I thought Soder Blom was also okay. But again, as for the negatives, I don't like the way they defended on a lot of Carolina goals. They were just missing easy assignments as a whole. And then I'll put them here too, Pat. Crystal Tang has got to be better.

Starting point is 00:18:59 He just did not have a good game. And overtime tries to go one on three there, loses the puck. Carolina takes possession. all that other stuff ensues. He just needs to be more consistent over. I thought he was honestly a bit better against Colorado, but then you see a performance like this. And man,

Starting point is 00:19:18 it's just tough watching him right now as someone again who was loved this player for a very long time. Yeah, I wasn't going to bring up Latang because it's the same critiques we've had for the past couple of weeks. One more can we say. I mean, like it's not us letting him off the hook.

Starting point is 00:19:35 It's not us ignoring it. It's not pretending it doesn't exist. It's just we've had this conversation a bunch now. And there's just, like you said, there's not anything left to say. I'll add this before we get to what is going to be one of my favorite parts of today's episode. I think the script flipped a little bit this time around from last week. I think last week, the officiating put their finger on the scale. I think that between Rod yelling and screaming and abusing officials and then the way the calls

Starting point is 00:20:06 went. It impacted the game. This time around, it was pretty inconsistent on both sides and it didn't really have an impact on the game. It was just your typical NHL officiating inconsistencies. It's annoying. It's a problem that the league needs to figure out. And hey, guess what? Here's the good news. These teams are going to meet again in just a few days. Winnipeg on Saturday at PPG paints Arena and then Carolina for the final matchup of the season at 3 o'clock on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. And obviously Hunter and I are going to make sure you're set for all of that. But we're not done here today.

Starting point is 00:20:50 Coming up after this break, I interviewed the man who drew up one of the coolest plays you are ever going to see in hockey. my good friend and head coach of the Penguin Cup champion Penn Trafford Warriors Brian Zagoric joins me on the show right after this. So stay tuned for that. It's one hell of an interview. You're really going to enjoy it. We'll get into that when we come back right after this. Before that, though, we've got one more sponsor to get to, and that is our friends at game time.

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Starting point is 00:22:31 That's code L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N for $20 off. Download on the GameTime app today, and remember it's gamedime.com. com. Joining me on the Locked-on Penguins podcast is a man you probably have not heard of yet, but if you haven't, you will very soon. And full disclosure to our audience. Coach Brian Zagoric here has been a friend of mine for more than a decade. We played hockey together growing up, but now he is a Penguin Cup champion,

Starting point is 00:23:10 the head coach of the Penn Trafford Warriors who just defeated the Hemfield Spartans in the Penguin Cup final. And before I let Brian talk, if you have not seen this fake Michigan goal, and you are watching us here on YouTube, Make sure you got your phone, your laptop, whatever, right in front of you because you're about to see it right now. Take a look at this absolute work of art. Absolutely incredible stuff. BJ, I'm just going to pass it over to you, my good friend.

Starting point is 00:23:58 And because I texted you, Flex, not long after the game, to be like, wow, calling that play in a final. That's ballsy. Is that what you, I was going to say. Is that exactly what you said? I don't know. Okay, you hit it. You hit the nail on the head. Yeah. Thanks for having me, man. I really appreciate it. This is great. Yeah, that play, I honestly, I don't think I'll ever get sick of watching that video, to be honest with you. And credit to Rachel Thatcher, Rachel Thatcher Media, she's covered us for last couple years, proud to Pentrafford alum. You know, it was so funny. My wife and I that night, we were like, man, the video on the broadcast was fine, you know, but it just doesn't really do it justice.

Starting point is 00:24:38 And I just had this light ball, like, text Rachel, see what Rachel saw, see if, see if she got it, you know. And then she immediately sent the raw footage. And it was just like, wow, I'm amazing. And then you saw this low-mo video and it was just amazing. So, yeah, I mean, the play itself, like, honestly, it was a product of a couple things, Pat. Like, our practices have been very intense for the past, all of March, basically. we told ourselves after game 20 that our practices need to be games right they need to be as intense as possible we need to win practice um on thursdays win practice on mondays and then win the playoff

Starting point is 00:25:16 game and they keep it going right so our practices have been very intense and our you know and we ended pretty much every practice with power play and uh that was no different on sunday afternoon we had practice before the pens cup we had we were practicing power play you constantly tell the kids were just kind of like zoning out a bit they were just like okay we're right like let's do this thing and I just thought you know let's practice some let's work on something that I've been thinking about so why the fig Michigan was because you know kind of the scouting report on the goalie was side to side right like some goalies have you know five whole they struggle with five hole they struggle with the glove whatever we thought if we get this goalie who's a hell

Starting point is 00:25:54 of a goalie had a hell of a season pretty much a hell of a game too to be honest with you I thought we could have had a couple more but you know we thought if we could get him to commit to one side right get him through a side and then stay there that was going to be open up for us, you know, especially if we got to play down low. So we're going on PowerPlay. Kids got a little bit stale. And I'm like, and I call the Power Play unit over. I'm like, hey, we're going to run this fake Michigan right now.

Starting point is 00:26:16 Brock's going to go behind a net. Jordan's going to go into the slot. Jordan's going to yell Michigan, Michigan. Brock's going to start it. Ben's going to skate right by. Brock will dummy at Ben. He'll pick it up and dump it. And then when it works on Ty Funk, who I think is the best school in high school hockey right now,

Starting point is 00:26:33 we honestly all went nuts and we're like it's going to work on anybody in any game so i just couldn't resist the play call was friday um f for fake michigan f for friday you know we did another play um i guess we still have more games i shouldn't say anything but um you don't want to give away those trade secrets yeah right you guys do have more to go but yeah i mean i'll say this sorry to interrupt you be now you're good watching that game on monday both goaltenders whether it was you guys or him field that was as far as high school hockey goes that was a goal tending battle because i'm sitting here in this exact room that i'm sitting in interview and you know i got the the penguins game on one screen i got your guys game on the other and i'm just riveted by what you guys are doing and

Starting point is 00:27:22 i wanted to ask you about this too because i you and i have been friends for a long time we have been involved with Pittsburgh hockey for longer than I think either of us can count. And this win for you guys was the first Penguin Cup championship in Penn Trafford hockey history. And again, you and I grew up playing together. Penn Trafford was always a program people were aware of because you guys were always really good. Me as a Penn Hills kid, I was sitting there like Squidward and the meme of Squidward in the window looking down at SpongeBob and Patrick Frolicking because I didn't have a team. But I was genuinely shocked to learn that this was the first championship you guys never won. What does that mean to you as both the head coach

Starting point is 00:28:15 and an alumni? Yeah, it means everything, Pat. I mean, it's different, right? It's not like, you know, being my coaches inherited a dynasty and it was like, hey, keep this going, right? We were trying to gives the mountaintop. We've been close. Other teams have been close. They've had their eras, right? But for whatever reason, it just never came. So it just means everything. It makes it that much more special, you know. I moved back to Penn Township, which is, you know, Penn Shafford a couple years ago. And they have the two signs outside the high school with all the WIPP eels on it, you know, the two different entrances. And I just thought, man, how great would it be to get hockey on there, right? And that was the summer I took the head coaching job. So that was a

Starting point is 00:28:56 goal of mine. It was like, let's get that ice hockey, you know, 2025, 2026, whatever, however long it takes, let's get it on that board there and get a banner in the gym for these kids for this program. So it just means everything to me. And like you said, as an alumni, I played here, still with a lot of close friends from Penn Trafford. And it just seemed like we've always been there. We've always been a healthy program for sure. Um, it's everybody involved. But for whatever reason we couldn't get it. So that honestly was the first thing I thought of when that buzzer hit was first time ever. Like it's done. The curse is broken. whatever you want to call it like we're there we made it to the mountaintop so now this one is going to be

Starting point is 00:29:31 a little more for me and you rather than our listeners but it'll give everyone kind of an insight to how tight you and i are we grew up together talk all the time you'll see me before my beer league games on monday and call me fat and slow because it's not entirely incorrect but i always remember because you and I played together in won a state championship in travel with the Allegheny Badgers in 2009. Do you remember before that state championship game what you said to me in the locker room by any chance? I don't know. Honestly, it might have been like a Wu-Tang Clan. That was the one time you didn't drop a Wu-Tang reference,

Starting point is 00:30:16 but you looked at me and said, man, I just want to be three hours from now so I know the outcome. And helping you on the bench this season is another one of our teammates from that team, Nate Simon. I want to know what that means to you guys together to win again, but as coaches rather than players. Surreal, man. Surreal. It feels like yesterday when us three were lifting banners and I had a ton of badgers guys text me afterwards, guys I haven't talked to in years just to say, what's up, and

Starting point is 00:30:48 congratulate everybody. So it meant everything, dude. And that's a feeling that I haven't had since 2009, right? I haven't, obviously, I haven't lived in a banner since then in any other capacity. So, so many, like it was like a feeling that I missed. You know what I mean? And it was like, oh, this is what this feels like again, right? Like, I've been in the Penn's Cup as an assistant and we lost.

Starting point is 00:31:06 And, you know, last year as at the head coach, we lost in semifinals, despite having a great season. So this was, you could win as much as you want in the regular season. But when you win a trophy, when you win a banner, like there's a feeling that you're like, oh, this is that familiar feeling. This is why you do this thing. So it was amazing to do it with Nate that, you know, somebody who I played with and, you know,

Starting point is 00:31:28 our names are on banners at Palmer with yours. Like it made it that much more special, right? So and we found ourselves talking all, using phrases that your dad had gave to us along the way. I mean, it was just like they would come out and not even realize I was saying it. And then stop and be like, oh, yeah, you know, that's what Coach Dampos taught us. So just an amazing full circle journey for sure.

Starting point is 00:31:49 So I'm not going to make our listeners here on Locked on Penguins take a walk down the glory days with us. I just had to get that one out. You have to buy some beer if you want those stories. Yeah, yeah. You got to meet us somewhere, grab a beer, and we'll bore you with those later. But this is the Locked-on Penguins podcast. You are a hockey coach. We are hockey guys.

Starting point is 00:32:09 So I'll give you the floor here a couple minutes. Obviously, this is being recorded before the Penguins Hurricanes game on Wednesday night. Sidney Crosby set to return. Hunter and I just went over all of that on our Wednesday episode. But you're somebody who I have all the respect in the world as a hockey mind for. So I will say not to pump your tires too much. Seeing you win a championship as a coach was not a surprise. It was damn exciting. And I'm damn proud.

Starting point is 00:32:41 But I was like, yeah, that's the guy who would do it. But watching the penguins this year, we all kind of thought they're going to suck. Maybe not suck. but they'll be competitive, then they'll sell off, and they'll be looking for Gavin McKenna. Instead, here we are talking about if they're going to make the playoffs or not. What have you seen from the Penguins this year so far that it is impressing you or what your thoughts are on them? Yeah, yeah, I mean, where to start.

Starting point is 00:33:04 I mean, you start with Dubus and everything he's done right. I mean, Chinikoff for a bag of puck, Samantha, for a laundry machine, for a washing machine. like, you know, the goal we trade, getting Jeff Skinner in a second round pick for, like it just, you can start there. You can go to damn use as a coach, right? We've got to call them out. Like, there's just no doubt that this team seems way more energized to play games. They definitely, they led the league, I feel like in a while for first goal scored, right?

Starting point is 00:33:33 Like, they're coming out gunning in the majority of games. They're playing such a strong defensive structure and turning that in an opportunity. right whereas in the last couple years of the great mike solven era unfortunately you might have saw them be up the defenseman be out of position a little too much or a little undisciplined um so you can credit to muse um i mean and then you watch the game uh the avalanche game and it looked like 2009 of guinea malcon against the carolina hurricanes in the eastern conference final right like that was that was insane so you obviously have to call oh we haven't even mentioned sydney crosbie right like you have to call out those two guys who obviously are doing their thing still i

Starting point is 00:34:09 think so it's just a combination i honestly i think that not to be biased here i think that mews just brought such a great vibe to the locker room and such a refreshed like atmosphere and message the team just stuck to it right they had a a bunch of guys kind of like major league right where they had a bunch of casts off and guys were trying to prove it right mantha brazo novac right um and trinikov even though he you know is a high profile guy he still had something to prove and was in a place that he apparently didn't seem wanted, right? So you get all these guys, Jeff Skinner. I mean, this is the goalie that went to the Stanley Cup two years in a row,

Starting point is 00:34:44 and apparently he was the problem, like he was the cast, he was the guy who got sent away. So having a locker room full of guys who we need to prove something, having a young, energetic coach who you know is just grinding and grinding and grinding and giving his all, trying to set a new tone there, if you will. I don't know the culture needs reset or anything like that, but, you know, he's trying to set new standards as a refresh the standards. And then Dubus, who is doing everything you can to put them, to make them competitive now with also a focus on the future.

Starting point is 00:35:12 I just think it's, I just think they've gel. The synergy has been there between top to bottom. So there can't be one thing. If it was one thing, you would say, oh, it's this guy scoring, you know, 110 point pace, but the team's going to be below 500, right? Like the Sharks are the Blackhawks have been for the last five years. But, yeah, it's just everybody committed, I think. And there's just a, you tell me, I think there's a 2017, 2016, 2009, vibe. to him. Like, it's just, you love the root for them again. I don't know if I'd go that far,

Starting point is 00:35:41 but I definitely not on the ice, but you just feel it, right? The fun is back. It's fun to watch them again. It's fun to root for them again. You're looking forward to watching games. They're not a grind like they have been the last couple of years. And they are vindicating my preseason hot take. I said that they were going to be in the race until like the last month of the season. And then eventually they would level out. But who knows, maybe by the end of this one, they keep themselves in the race for the division. Obviously, if you're listening to this on Thursday, you know what happened in Raleigh.

Starting point is 00:36:15 We don't have crystal balls. We can't see what happens in the future. But BJ, my man, this, I appreciate you doing this. You're listening to this on Thursday. And by the time Thursday and Friday in the weekend and everything come, you're going to see this guy everywhere. You're going to see them on Sportsnet Pittsburgh. you're going to see him to SportsNet in Canada.

Starting point is 00:36:35 Probably going to see him on Barstool. You'll probably see him on Yohe's podcast. But I just want everybody to know. You got them first here on Locked-on Penguins. It just didn't air first. So keep that in mind when you're listening to Locked-on Penguins. But again, man, congratulations. Nobody deserves it more than you do.

Starting point is 00:36:54 You're one of my best friends. I couldn't be more proud of you. And it's a moment you and the boys absolutely earned and deserved. But that is going to do it. it for the Thursday edition of Locked-on Penguins. Hunter and I will be back with a brand new episode for you on Friday. We'll get you set for the weekend back-to-back and keep an eye on our social channels. We are going to have another edition of Fan Take Friday. So give us your hot takes, your questions, whatever other goofy stuff you want to drop in the comments. That'll be up

Starting point is 00:37:26 on Friday morning. But for now, for Hunter Hodes, I'm Patrick Damp. Thanks to BJ Zagorg for joining us. We will talk to you on Friday.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - The Penguins curse in Raleigh lives on despite a GUTSY effort!

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