Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - This day in Penguins history, plus some biggest pet peeves about the sport and more!

Episode Date: May 13, 2020

We're back this week and it's another day in Penguins history! Today Hunter touches on how we had the final game at Mellon Arena this day ten years ago and plays a clip to show just how loud that arena was in case anyone forgot. Hunter also talks about an interview Sidney Crosby did with Darren Dreger of TSN and how he prefers the 24 team playoff format, plus John Scott did a open-ended question on Twitter today about a pet-peeve that people have with the NHL so Hunter gives his thoughts on that! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello, welcome back to Locked-on Penguins for this Tuesday, May 12th of 2020. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter at L-O-W-Wanguins. Today's episode is again brought to you by Bill Pard. Just remember, guys, $10 off your first order at Billapar.com with a promo code locked on. That's for quite a while now. But this is my first episode, being a official college graduate as I finished up my last final on Monday.

So that's really, really cool. For those that have listened to that have reached out to me congratulating. Thank you so much. I really do appreciate all the kind thoughts. Definitely a weird moment in my life that I'm not going to be having a school anytime soon. But, you know, got to take that next step sometime. So, like I said, I do really appreciate everyone reaching out and just offering their kind words and everything like that. Before we get to this day in Penguin's history, we've had a lot of that lately.

Breaking Penguin's story that just came out right now. some very sad news, I should say. Penguins have announced furloughs for employees. They're basically going to be placing several employees on furlough due course of the pandemic, which has halted play. This is coming from Seth Warbaugh from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. He says the team has indicated that the unpaid furloughs will last four months beginning June 1st, and they'll continue to receive full health benefits,

and will be eligible for unemployment and stimulus benefits. Yeah, in my thoughts, you know, everyone, I'm sure we'll agree, that sucks in every possible way. That absolutely blows. I'm really hoping that these employees will come back when this pandemic is all over and that we can get back to a sense of normalcy in our lives. But, you know, this news stinks, you know, especially reading David Morehouse's quote in Seth's article, basically. These decisions are extremely difficult, but they are necessary for us to endure this crisis and to be. be able to resume our position as one of the best teams in sports whenever hockey returns. My hope is that hockey will resume in the relatively near future and that will be back operating with an increased staff.

I also read from Matt Denzel who writes for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and he basically had a quote from Morehouse saying, you know, this is one of the most difficult things that I've ever had to do in my career. So yeah, that's just like I said, I've said it twice already. It sucks. That news is never news you want to hear. just for any companies it's not it doesn't matter if it's the penguins or if it's just a small company or another bigger corporation it sucks when people are more more people are just getting

laid off during this because there's just there's no end in sight and it's just it's just continuing to drag and drag and drag it's just yeah um i feel terrible for everyone involved and i like i said i really do hope that um they're able to come back to the team after this is um all over and have their jobs back because you know this just It's just, this just sucks, man. So I just wanted to share that news and just to share my thoughts on that. So moving away from that, we do have our This Day in Penguin's History segment here to talk about. Of course, over the weekend, we had May 10th, which very popular day among Penguins fans,

as it's basically National Washington Capitol's Elimination Day. We had Nick Benino in 2016, eliminated Capitals in that famous Game 6 game with the Benino call from the Hockey Night and Punjabi, which that will forever be in my head. And then we had Mr. Elimination, Brian Russell, make the capitals along with Mark Andre Fleury, his save on Alex O'Ebeckin, and then him just doing you know what with his stick, and then Patrick Hornquist making it 2-0, and so that was in 2017. And then, so for yesterday, we had the Game 6 overtime game against New York Islanders from

2013. That was the clincher in the Penguins' first run series against the Islanders. I still remember where I was for that, sitting down here in my basement, where I'm reporting right now. I even tweeted out when I saw the clip. You know, I said, I can still hear the screen I put out in my basement when this puck went in. And it was, let's just say it was very, very loud. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't come knock on my door.

That was Penguins' first series win in, I think, yeah, since 2009, 2010. Yeah, it was, it had been a while since the Penguins won a playoff series, a few seasons. So that was just really, really, really fun. to watch back that goal, you know, just, like I said, you know, I just, that goal just has a lot of meanings, you know, it was their first playoff series wins since 2009, 2010. As my friend Marcus said to me in the replies, Best Penguins team of our era not to win the Cup,

he thinks that they're better than 2008. Yeah, I think I would agree that. That 2013 Penguins team was just so sad. You know, it sucks that Mark Andre Fleury had a meltdown. In the first one against the outlanders, you know, Tomas Likun was able to come in, and then, of course, it just sucked that. the series against the Bruins happen.

You know, we talked about that in our what-if, and, you know, we're going to have more what-ifs in franchise history coming this week. Sheldon Smith of Penguin's Twitter will be a guest on the podcast coming this Thursday. It will be his first appearance on the podcast. So really, really happy to get his insight coming this week. I really can't wait for that. But switching forward to today for this day in Penguin's history, this day in 2001, the Penguins lost to the Devil's 3 to 1

in the opening game of their Eastern Conference final. we all know the penguins lost that game in five games and then one really big one today 2010 the Penguins lost to the Canadians 5-2 in game 7 it was the final game ever at Mellon Arena yeah that game

everything just went wrong in that game I remember watching that game I'm like come on man and just one nothing and then two nothing and then Camilleri gets one of three nothing and then it's four nothing and Mark And Mark Andretho he had just one of the worst games in his playoff tenure as a penguin that was just absolutely

pathetic and then the penguins be able to make it 4-1 and then stall scores to make it 4 to 2 and this is right before the second intermission so i was like okay i think the penguins had a four-on-three power play coming out into the third period so the penguins could have made it again but you know that that third period there was just nothing going on and we all know what happened and the score was 5 and 2 just everything like i said everything that could have went wrong and that game went wrong it was a shame that melancher had to go out that day um jessey marshall had a really really good tweet this morning um that i retweeted you know what He basically just said, you know, 10 years ago today, we all walked out of Mellon Arena for the last time.

This is probably going to sound weird to some people. I never got a chance to go to the Aglue. Never, ever, ever got a chance. I wish I could have. I have many, many regrets in my life. But one of the biggest ones up there is never getting an opportunity to go to Mellon Arena. I just, I never was able to get tickets. My mom never really took me to a game there.

My mom, of course, went there many times because, you know, she grew up with Hengland's fan and everything. But, you know, just not being able to go to Melon Arena, I'll always kick myself after that. You're just hearing the scenes of the crowd, just cheering so loudly, you know, just seeing it on TV. It's just, it's a sight to behold, man. It really was. It's one of those old time classic hockey barns that you just, you can never get tired of. And, you know, just illustrate my point on just how loud this arena can get. You know, I'm just going to play a short clip here after the, this was the Sydney Crosby goal against the Red Wings in Game for the,

2009 still we could final up with the penguins up three to two. That awesome two-on-one goal Malkin giving it to Crosby. And just it's going to probably sound loud when you guys listen to this. You'll maybe turn down your ball in just a little bit. But just listen to how loud this arena is for almost a full minute after this goal is let in. So just hear this. I'm going to play this for about, you know, maybe 45 seconds, two minutes. So here it goes.

Everybody is out of their seat. There's momentum. There's momentum. There's in case four. It's just, it just, it does not get better than that. I'm sorry if that was just very loud for some people, but just, you don't, do you ever, do we ever get that in PBG Paints Arena to this day? No, you honestly don't really get that in a lot of NHL arenas today.

Just, oh, man, I miss Melan Arena every day and just, you know, it just, it looks so different now when you walk to that area, because Melan Arena, of course, no longer there, hasn't been there for some time now. It's just, the area looks so different. And that's just, that's what still gets me this day, because I would always walk to watch the games on my TV. You see the big screen. You see Melan Arena right there.

And the whole area just looks so different now. And it's just, you know, the nostalgia is still there. And I miss Melan Arena each and every day because it was not very often in the playoffs where a team would just walk in there and beat the penguins. There just was not. And, you know, I did not know that the game seven happened today. Like I said, that game seven was just absolutely brutal in every possible way. And, you know, I hope you guys were able to listen to that crowd at Mellon Arena because it is truly a sight to behold when I was seeing that live on television.

It just gives you goosebumps when you hear it. It really, really does. But all right. So with that said, guys, it is time to talk about built bars. So they are tasty. They are protein bars that taste like a candy bar. 16 amazing flavors, eight chocolate nut flavors. Eight chocolate nut-free flavors.

They are bars that are covered in 100% chocolate. They are soft. And they are very, very easy to choose. they are also healthy. They are low calorie, low sugar, high protein, high fiber. I was able to try a few more flavors this weekend. I very much enjoyed them. My favorite flavor, though, is still the peanut butter brownie,

20 grams of protein, 170 calories, three grams of sugar and three grams of net carbs. And as I said, in the beginning of the show, we are doing an offer. Go to buildbar.com and use promo code locked on, and you'll get $10 off. Your first order, use promo code locked on for $10 off at builtbar.com. So just wanted to relay a little.

all that information to you guys. And we keep on doing it for the remainder this week and for the foreseeable future as well. So on the other news in Penguin Land today, Darren Dregor was able to have Cindy Crosby on the Dregor Cafe to talk about the playoffs and what his ideal format would be. Sid basically told Dregor he still prefers the 2014 playoff format. I'll actually play this clip for you guys right now on the podcast,

which was posted by T.S.N. earlier today. and it was also on YouTube, so I'll play it right here for you guys. With a 2014 format, as long as you're playing four rounds of the playoffs and not an NCAA tournament type of format. Yeah, I mean, I'd prefer that. And there's so many factors, right? Like the safety of players is number one. And if you're able to establish that, then you want to keep the integrity of what the playoffs have been for a long, long time.

It's difficult to win the Stanley. Cup and you want to win it, you know, the right way. And that's, you know, four, best four or seven series. So that's how we know it. And, you know, with a time like this, you know, we're all open to ideas and formats and things like that, but you hope that we can, we can keep that. So there it is from Wise Words himself from the Penguins Captain Cindy Crosby. Also, one thing about this video that I really much enjoy, even during a season hiatus, Sydney Crosby's playoff beard is in full effect. He does not change up his routine. This dude is a super sister's dude unlike any other that I've ever seen.

I did not expect him to have any sort of beard going. But, you know, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, especially during this time when, you know, he's been, you know, going to four Stanley Cup finals, you know, he's pretty used to having a playoff beard at this time. So I thought that was really cool. But, you know, 24 teams. I do think that's probably what's going to happen, though I'm not, like I said, I'm not really too keen, you know, in Montreal and Chicago getting in. Maybe they can lower down to 20 teams with a seven versus teams. had in an eight versus nine, so a team like Montreal or Chicago doesn't get in, because I don't

really think either of those teams deserved to get in. We also had more news from Derriger today. They had an insider training on TSN. He basically said that the actual they're working with the Players Association and the return to play community to finalize protocols for Phase 2 within the next two weeks. For those that do not know about Phase 2, that's basically just allowing training facilities, like practice facilities to open up, but only skating to be allowed in like small groups. groups, you still have to social distance and everything.

They were hoping to get this done by mid-May, which is right now towards the late portions of May. So that's in a couple weeks. So like the tweet says, you know, in the next couple of weeks, which is right around Memorial Day weekend. So that's, I think, the goal for what they're looking at right now, at least. And also that full-aw conversation with Sidney Crosby and Daring-Dregor is going to air tomorrow. I think it will be up on YouTube and it'll air on TSN. Apparently, that was just a small preview clip of it.

So that was still a good clip from Cindy Crosby. It was good to hear from him. you know, he's still quarantined in Pittsburgh and everything. He did not go back to Nova Scotia or anything like that. So, you know, good news that he still would do it well. And that, you know, he's still rocking the playoff here, baby, even though there's no season right now and there might not be a season until November or December. Who knows at this point?

Also, I was announced the other day, top team video nominee from the, for the fan choice words for the NHL of Alex Lattang, Chris Lattang's son, is up for it. So please go ahead and vote for Alexander Lattang because the key. weightness overload for him is just absolutely it's awesome you know if he doesn't win there's something seriously wrong with the system so yes go and vote for that i can't believe i actually just said that and i have this on my podcast at this time of year but you know desperate times call for desperate measures and that is one of the some of the penguins news that has come out in recent days here they're also redoing the uh the 91 Stanley Cup final and i think it was uh yesterday

in penguin's history they won the wales championship yeah they did tweet it out yesterday yeah who's on, yeah, this day, 1991, and, you know, we all know what happens next as they're airing the 91, Stanley Cup final. So if you guys have nothing to do, which I'm sure you guys don't have a lot to do during these nights when we're at home quarantining. Turn that on. I think they'll be airing game to tomorrow night on AT&T Sports Night, and the Penguins also have said that there will be a stream link to stream this game. I'm definitely interested in watching that because I have not watched back a lot of those 91. I've not watched back those games in a while, so that would be really cool to do. So like I said, if you guys have nothing new tomorrow, definitely tune that on.

They'll be doing the 91-standlika final, and I'm sure next up will be 92, and then I don't know what they're going to do. I know they're probably not going to air 2009, 2016, and 2017 Mac. Maybe they'll just take people's suggestions and, you know, air like a really cool comeback from a regular season game, or they'll do a comeback in an awesome playoff game that wasn't like a Stanley Cup final game, maybe a conference championship game or a first round or second round game. I think that would be really, really cool for the Penguins to do as well.

So for this last segment, we'll be closing out this episode with some, a really cool tweet today from John Scott, of course, a little NFL player and MVP of the All-Star game. We cannot remember that. I still can't believe that happened. Remember when people were just voting for him as like it basically a sick joke and then he actually was able to, was got on the All-Star team and was, wasn't he made captain, I think, which is just one awesome story for John Scott. But anywho, so basically he asked, you know, what is your biggest hockey-related pet peeve? So for mine, if you guys didn't see it, I put the delay of game penalties in so many ways, just stupid. I have always been a hater of that call. I think it is completely ludicrous that that is a penalty. Oh my God, you put the puck into a play-by-action. Oh, yep, two-minute minor penalty.

I mean, like, are we really going to call that a penalty, man? I mean, come on. Of course, you know, the biggest memory from that is what happened in the game against the Capitals and Game 6, where the Penguins almost blew that game. Thank God for Nick Mino in overtime. We touched on that earlier. in this episode, you know, really, really thank God for Nick Minina with that goal because that would have been a, you know, just look, you could have looked back on that game a lot differently

if I'm the Penguins find a way to lose that, you know, just the three in a row delay game penalties. It's just, it's just dumb because like almost every time it's, it's an accident. And it's like, come on, man. Like, there's just really no need to have that as a penalty. I wish they would just abolish that. And my other one is, you know, let's not forget when the ref wants to inflate their ego and just kick players out of the faceoff circle, just drop the damn puck. That is also one of my

massive, massive pet peeves of this game. It's just the officials in general. I've never been a fan of NHL officiating. I'm sure if you guys listen to this podcast, you probably are not a fan of NHL officiating either.

I don't know how you really can be. Their officials are just absolutely awful in every single way. But it's just the refusal to just drop the puck. You have two guys that, they come in, they have the puck out, they'll basically tease dropping it

and one guy will put his stick down and the ref will be like, oh, you're out. And it's like, what are we doing here? I don't. I really, really do not understand what the hell we're doing here. And then if the other player does it, he'll kick him out too. And then two new guys will come in. And then the funny part is, if another guy gets kicked out, it's a penalty.

And it's all because the ref I think wants to just inflate their ego. It's like, just drop the damn puck. No one is there that wants to see you. I just really don't understand why they have to do that. No one wants to watch you tease to drop the puck. Just drop the puck on the first opportunity, and it really, really is not that big of a deal. Other people that commented,

Matt Chaff, 4-1-2, Chad, a friend of the podcast, you know, basically he had his, you know, the ref's not calling blame penalties because either a team already got a few powerplays or it's overtime or at the end of the game. Called the game the same way the entire game. If I didn't run out of characters, that was all honestly going to be another one of mine as well.

one of my favorite classic ones was when it was the Islanders versus the Panthers in the playoffs series the Islanders of course won this game and Trochek was basically coming down almost had a full 11th net he was tripped blatantly tripped

no penalty and of course we all know what happened the islanders were able to tie the game and then winning in an overtime and it was just like Rev like are you just not going to call this if this were like in the first period

or the second period it wouldn't 100% be called but you know it's like they pick and shoes what penalties to call at the end of the games. And, you know, I'm all for sometimes, you know, wedding the teams play. I 100% understand that.

But, you know, you can't just ignore blatant penalties because it's swallow your whistles. I hate that about this sport. It's just, it's so annoying. Call the game fair for both teams. Call penalties when you see them. Don't ignore blatant penalties. It's just, it's ridiculous.

And everyone sees it. That's the funniest thing about it. Everyone sees these blatant penalties going uncalled. But then, you know, you have like, statements from the commissioner and Bill Daley. and they're just like, oh yeah, there's no officiating problem in the week. It's like, oh, really? I would love, I beg to differ.

I think there's a pretty big officiating problem with how they just swallow the ristles and they don't call penalties. And, you know, they'll call someone the most tiki-tacky penalties, but, and then, like I said, they'll just ignore the blatant ones. It just, it really does not make any sense. I know I sound like I'm on repeat mode at this point, but I can spend a whole episode just talking about NHL officiating because it truly is just awful in every single way. I'm just reading some more replies right now as I just scroll through

this tweet. Someone said Jack Edwards, of course, the NESM Bruins announcer who, you know, he's had his fair share of hiccups along the way. Fans begging all the glass in the wave. You know, the wave, the wave sucks for any sporting event. I will die on that hail every single day of the week. The wave sucks. Anyone that does the wave during a sporting event should not be allowed in. I will totally say that. Someone said three on three overtime. That's just, oh, this one's also good from Jack Forder, Jack underscore Forder. People who yells shoot every time your team has the puck. Yes.

Any one of those people that yells shoot when they have the puck, leave the arena. I hate when people do that. You know, that's only basically apical when your team is maybe on like a five on three or something like that. And it's basically been a full minute and they haven't gotten a shot on that. Then it's basically okay maybe to yell shoot once. But, you know, all the other times, please don't yell that. It's just very, very, very annoying. Someone just said, Pierre McGuire talking.

that's that's that's that's really really good the loser point um Gary Betman retaliation after a clean hit yeah that that's a good one to the shootout but yeah the retaliation after clean hit that's a good one too and yeah I think that's I'll just wrap it up with that those were some really really good answers to that question from John Scott I was really glad that he asked that it was really cool to see some what um some other fans are saying you know we'll be back with more tomorrow for lockdown penguins this league we'll do more franchise what ifs tomorrow then of course on Thursday we'll We'll have Sheldon Smith come on to talk about some of his biggest franchise,

What Ifs for the Penguins. And, you know, just, I don't want to pick his brain about it. You know, I've already shared some of mine. I just really want to pick his brain about it and see what are some of his biggest ones. So thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. And also thank you for the kind wishes about the graduation. Everything it really does mean a lot. So we will be back tomorrow on Wednesday.

I just cannot talk today. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's the time. I don't know. I just cannot talk today. So I'm just going to sign out now. Follow me on Twitter. Out on Toadotis follow the show's Twitter at L.O. underscore Penguins. And we will be back tomorrow with another episode. Take care, seeing, everyone.