Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - What are the most haunted and spookiest moments in Penguins history?

Episode Date: October 30, 2020

Canada officially announced their roster for the World Junior Championships and one very notable Pittsburgh Penguin player has officially made it. That would be Samuel Poulin, who's projected to be in the top six of their lineup. Is that tournament almost like a tryout for him to see if he can play on the Penguins this season? Hunter discusses that, plus just how stacked Team Canada is, going into these World Juniors. Could the Rangers send Alexis Lafreniere or even Kaapo Kakko over? There's the possibility of that as well. After that, since it's Halloween eve, Hunter goes into some of the most haunted moments in Penguins history. Which playoff series losses are up there? Which trade (or trades) still haunt Penguins fans to this day? All that, plus many more haunted plays on this episode of Locked On Penguins.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BuiltGoVisit BuiltGO.com and use promo code “LOCKED,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order. 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 to this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow the shows, Twitter, at L-O-O-N-Sore Penguins. Happy early Halloween to everyone. If anyone that listens to this podcast is going trick-or-treating tomorrow, so basically anyone that's 12 years or younger, just please be safe while doing it. And to anyone that's handing out candy tomorrow night, that gets trick-or-treates, please be safe doing it.

I think in our neighborhood, you have to go to your driveway and set up, like, a table or something. and I think you just like toss it to them. I think that's honestly what it is. I'm not really sure. I have to ask my mom about it. But anyways, hope you all have had a great week. There's a big weekend coming up,

of course, for the sports, you know, especially in this city, the Steelers, have a monster game with the Ravens. Virginia Tech plays Louisville.

Today was a good day with Mandelorian Friday, but of course this is a Penguins podcast. And for today's episode, we are going to touch on some World Junior stuff. Canada announced their big roster yesterday. Was it their actual, I think it was their roster invite,

or just the roster in general. But, you know, it's a pretty stacked list that could get even more stacked if some players, you know, like Lafranier or, hell, even Capo Caco could potentially go over if the Rangers let them. So this has the potential to be a pretty stacked junior's tournament. We'll be touching on that now. And then the next step, we're going to talk about some of the most scariest and haunted moments in franchise history.

It doesn't even have to be during the Sydney Crownsby of Guinea-Malkeneer. We're going to go way back during the Lemieux era, potentially even before that, talk about some really just scary. moments that happened with this franchise. You know, yes, we'll touch on David Volick, but that'll happen in the next segment. And that honestly may just make up two segments just because of how long the list is. But Canada

did announce their World Junior's roster. Only one Penguin Prospect is on it. I mean, you guys could probably guess it. It is Sam Poulin. He's probably going to be in their top six, if I'm not mistaken. I was actually talking to King Clarki the other day of Penguins Twitter who knows a lot more

about prospects than I do. But I mean, him and potentially Hendrix Lop Pierre could be on the line together. He really wanted Hendricks LaPierre to go to the Penguins. I mean, I think a bunch of people did, but of course he did end up going to the capitals with a lot of injury history behind that. But still, that would be a lot of fun to watch. I mean, this lineup for Canada, though, if you just go down this roster, it's just so staff.

Quentin Byfield, Dylan Cousins, the Blackhawks are loaning Kirby Doc there. I mean, Seth Jarvis, Peyton Krebs, Connor McMichael of the Caps. I mean, the Caps are definitely going to loan him there. even though I think McMichael may potentially have a spot in the capitals lineup. I'm Cole Perfetti, Jack Quinn, Ryan Suzuki, you look at their defense, Bowen Byron, Jamie Drysdale, Thomas Harley, Ryan O'Rourke, Donovan Sabrango, Jordan Spence, Devon Levy, Taylor Gauthier as their goal-tending. This is just such a stack team.

And, you know, the best part is, this World Junior's Championship would all honestly could get even more stacked. Because the New York Rangers could totally let Lafranier go to Canada during this, because I don't even think the season is going to be started by this point. I think that the tournament is expected to be late December or something like that. So, I mean, it gets some extra hockey. Of course, you do have the injury risk for it, though, I mean, I think they should still do it because it gets the young players just more playing time before they step into the NHL.

You know, Kako to Finland, and then you potentially could have New Jersey loans Jack Hughes, to the United States. I mean, this is really lining up to be a super tournament. That's if the Rangers and Devils decide to do that. But I still think this is Canada's tournament to lose. I mean, just look how stacked they are in the roster of the names I just listed. I don't think the United States are winning it. I don't think Finland's going to win it. I don't think Russia's going to win it. You know, Switzerland, Sweden, all the other countries that are in it, you know, this is Canada's tournament to lose. Just with how stacked they are, with how good of prospects that they can field in, year in and year out, it's just not fair.

said, I'm really excited to see Sam Poulin play hopefully in the top six. I mean, they can play him anywhere in the lineup. Hell, you can have Sam Poulin on your fourth line. It would be like, oh my God, like, it's just like, it's just not fair. You know, it's almost like seeing Canada at the Olympics, and we are going to get the NHL players returning to the Olympics in the next Winter Olympics. It's going to be awesome. When is it? I think it's 2022 or something like that. I think that was actually the deal with the return to play was that the NHL players are allowed to participate in the next winter Olympics. So, like I said, it's a lot. It's basically just a big parallel with Canada at the Olympics.

I mean, you can put Cindy Crosby as your second line center and Connor McDavid as your first line center. Your third line center there is Jonathan Taves and then your fourth line center. You can put Austin Matthews, John Tavaris, I mean, Jamie Ben potentially. There's so many options for Canada. I mean, it's going to be ridiculous to see how it is at the Olympics.

So this is probably like the one big year while I'll actually pay a lot of attention to the world juniors. I just don't watch the, a lot of times just because I don't know a lot of the prospects that are there. I don't get involved with a lot of prospect talk. But the fact that I do know a lot of the names this year, I'm actually paying attention to them, just because of how loaded this draft class was, so to speak.

I mean, I'm really excited to follow it and just see which team ends up winning it. Again, I think it's going to be Canada. And I really want to see how Poulin does when he does go there. I mean, especially, you know, it could be like a preview for the Penguins to see what they're going to be getting from him if he does. does make the team out of training camp. I think there's a greater than 50% chance that he does make this team, especially with Aston Reese out until February or March. I mean, I don't think Lafferty is going to get a spot. I would put Pooleyn in the lineup over Sam Lafferty. But, you know,

it's going to be a very competitive training camp for the Penguins. And like I said, it's basically like a showcase to the coaching staff and the management to see what Poolew can do with some of the best young players in the world. A lot of players that, you know, have not played in NHL Well, virtually none of them have played an NHL games yet. So I don't really know why I'm saying that. But still, like I said, it's just a big test, and I'm excited to actually watch it. So that tournament happens right around Christmas time. I think it ends January 1st, January 2nd or something like that.

So basically, they're going to have it end right as the NHL comes back. But I also think the NHL is going to push back their start point to February along with the AHL. I just don't see how the NHL it's going to be feasible that it's going to be January. I just don't see it with how, you know, the numbers keep surging across the country right now. I mean, the U.S. just keeps setting records day in and day out with some of the highest coronavirus cases in the world. I just do not see how it's going to be January 1st. I just really, really don't see it.

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for this relaunch. You go to buildbar.com and use promo code locked on and you'll get 20% off your next order that has promo code locked on for 20% off at builtbar.com. All right, welcome back to this episode of the Locked on Penguins podcast. So let's get weird. Let's get spooky. Let's talk about some of the most scariest moments in Penguins history. I mean, there's a bunch to choose from. I mean, obviously one of the biggest ones, David Volick, you know, the Islanders against

the Penguins. Obviously, the people that know me, I am 23 years old in two weeks. I did not see that play live. I was not born to see it. My mom showed it to me when I was a little kid to start to get me into the franchise just because she wanted to see, like, to show me one of the biggest heartbreaking moments in Penguin's history. I've seen highlights of it on TV all the time when they play the Islanders. I do not wish to see it again.

That is truly one of the worst moments in Penguin's history. That 92-93 team was probably their best team in franchise history with how stacked they were. The fact that they blew that 3-1 series to the Islanders was just utterly terrible. I'll never forget David. I'll never forgive Voloch for that because I think the Penguins steam roll in the Eastern Conference Finals and I honestly think they win the Stanley Cup that year

because I think it was against Colorado if I'm not mistaken in the final. I'm going to have to double check on that, but I believe it was Colorado. So yeah, that one was awful. I mean, if you want to talk about a playoff series that's spooky, that 2012 series against the Flyers, one of the most embarrassing

moments for the Penguins franchise I think in their history. Just the fights, the gooning it up every single game. James Neal running around like someone killed his mother or something. That headshot on Sean Couturey was one of the worst, honestly, it's one of the worst hits I've ever seen a Penguin make. That was just disgusting. I was right after, it was a couple years later, of course, that he was traded. You know, I was perfectly fine that they traded him. I honestly wanted Neil gone at that point just because he was just costing the Penguins games.

I get the fact that he was a 40 goal score for this franchise, but he was just utterly terrible in that series. I don't know why. the Penguins decided to lose their way. I mean, Dan Bilesnog was just bad as a coach during that year. Mark Andre Fleury didn't help matters with his sub-below-replacement-level goal-ting. I mean, they win that with just even below-average gold-hanging, hell, even average, because Berz Gala was, like, below 900 for that six-game series as well. But still, I mean, just a very embarrassing moment in the franchise's history.

And I was actually reading this article from the Athletic to, I think Joshua and Rob Rossi. They also did a couple haunted things as well. I totally forgot about this moment. October 13, 2011. This definitely makes the list. Aaron Ashum, he knocks out Jay Beagle in that fight. At that point, I was fine with fighting. I mean, I was also like, when was this?

October 13. So I was still 13 at the time, almost 14. So I think I was in eighth grade that year. It's fine with fighting. You know, I'm a little kid. She's still just a teenager, I guess. But, you know, I didn't realize how bad, you know, the concussion problems were at that point.

I just remember after that fight, he basically just put the sleep, put the sleep motion on, and he just, like, it was like the motion that he was just knocked out. I just, I absolutely loved that, but, you know, looking at it in hindsight, that was a pretty brutal fight. It was just a brutal punch, too, because it was just a one punch. I mean, the same could be said for, um, Brand Johnson versus Rick Di Pietro. I think it was from that same year. Uh, they start fighting at the center ice. Brent Johnson just suckered one punches, uh, Rick Di Pietro.

And that's basically it for his career, because I think he only played a few more games after that. And I think he just, yeah, he was not the same after that. It was a brutal fight for him. Yeah, his career basically ended that day. That was a pretty spooking moment. And then, you know, you have that awful fight up on Long Island at the Nassau Colisean with freaking Trevor Gillies. I mean, I think I can speak for a lot of you that listen to the show, including myself. I think probably people wanted to murder him on the ice with how he was just chasing after people with blood.

I mean, what he did to Max Talbot especially, I think he came off the bench a few times. to sucker punch someone. And I think someone ran a story on that. I think it was this past year or last year, and he still feels no remorse about it to this day. Dude's a piece of shit. Honestly, all the Islanders goons during that game are just all pieces of shit.

I will never forget that night. Just how bad of the game was just because Brent Johnson's sucker-putch Rick D.Pi-Pi-Her, they had to go out and just fight everyone they saw it. It was honestly one of the worst hockey games I ever watched. I mean, I think my mom honestly, probably through the remote at the TV or something. But I remember I was just screaming in my family room, just a bunch of stuff that I am not allowed to repeat on this podcast.

That's for sure I would probably never be allowed to be doing this podcast again. So that's for sure. But still, that's one of the worst moments of like this past decade, absolutely. You know, another one, you know, that series against Boston in 2013, the Penguins again lost their way in such a way that it was just, it was comical to watch. I mean, they blitzed through the Islanders and six games. I mean, the Islanders, it was a tougher series.

and I think people, it was just more tough, I think, than people thought it was going to be, I guess, is the way I should put it. They still were able to get past them. And then they blitzed the senators in five games. They had no chance. And then, you go up against a Bruins team. Everyone's like, oh, yeah, man, we're going to go to the Stanley Cup final. This team is stacked. And then the Bruins just make them look like a pee-wee team.

And that four-game sweep, I mean, Tomas Vokun, he was playing good for basically that entire series. And they still couldn't even swarming. I remember those, like, two goals in four games that he allowed. one of them was Chris Kuinis, the other one was Brandon Sutter. I still don't know how I remember that seven years later, but I do. And, you know, it was at that point that I definitely wanted Shiro and Balsma gone. I was Stunday brought both in the back. I just couldn't believe, I think they announced that press conference for Ray Shiro after the season.

It was like, oh my God, he's finally going to fire Dan Baelsma, give the dude an extension. It's like, if you're going to give the guy an extension for two of the worst postseason losses that this franchise has seen in quite a while, I mean, okay, Ray, if you want to die on that, that hill you can he obviously did pay the price for it because he was out of his job after the next season when they blew the three one series lead to the new york rangers and i wouldn't classify that as like a haunted spooky moment because i think a lot of us were glad that they lost that i mean looking at it in hindsight they got two stanley cups after it they got sid and gino now have three they're chasing a fourth one but you know it's you're looking back at i mean if they had won that series i mean who knows what they look like today do they have more cubs do

they win that Stanley Cup that year? I mean, they probably get past Montreal, but do they win against Los Angeles in that cup final? I don't know. I truly don't. So it's pretty crazy looking back at, you know, I guess kind of being thankful that they lost it. I remember going into that game. I was like, I'm going to root for them to win, but if they lose, I'm not going to be as mad as I was the previous two seasons because those were just, that was just embarrassing. This one's not as embarrassing. It was just like, wow, I mean, Hendrik Longquist just turned it to God for three games and you know sometimes shit happens but i'm another haunt uh just a haunted spooky moment i mean this one's kind of funny but it's also just scary as well the penguins got blown out and that was

michel terrian speech you know they're so soft you know maybe maxine talbot five foot eight i i don't link up that speech it's just an amazing speech by michel terrian i think it was you know it was a pathetic performance this was right as cindy crosman was getting malcolm were coming into their prime years. And, you know, it was still a pretty haunted moment just because of how bad they played. I don't remember the team that they played. And again, it might have been New Jersey, but, you know, it was just, that speech was just, that was scary just because of how mad he was. And I remember, like, just the reporters were asking all these questions and he just, like, he wasn't having it. He was just snapping at the players. And, you know, that just, that speech was just

awesome. I mean, we also can't forget Matt Cook's hit that made him basically changed the way he played. I mean, that was honestly one of the most, and it's another one of the most embarrassing. embarrassing hits that I've ever seen while watching this team. I think it was on Ryan McDonough, 2010, 2011, something like that. And, I mean, the NHL gave it, it was it a 10 or 20 game suspension? I'm not to have to have to look that up real quick. Let me see here. Okay, so it was March 20th, 2011.

Yeah, so it was a 10 game suspension. And I think the Penguins actually released a statement after these suspensions saying they support the NHL in doing it. Matt Cook needs to change the way he plays or he's out of here. He was just on a constant role of just injuring players for the sake of injuring them. I mean, I get that he was a big catalyst in the Penguin Stanley Cup run with that Cookstall Kennedy line in 2009, but, you know, he was just a giant douche on the ice, you know, especially with hits like that, just a total unnecessary hit, garbage is another way

to describe it. And, you know, after that, to his credit, he did change, but, you know, that's one of the most embarrassing hits that I've ever seen, a couple with James Neal shenanigans in 2012 in franchise history. And then, you know, another one that will keep you haunted, you know, Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz in these years' playoffs. I mean, it wasn't that they were on the ice for the goals against Montreal Canadians. They were actively causing them. You go back to game three. They're up three to one. Justin Schultz can't even tie up. I think it was Max Domi's stick to make it a three-two game.

I mean, Jack Johnson just barfing all over himself in the defensive zone like it's nothing. Remember in game one, of course, they're below the goal line. I think all five forwards are just lost. And then Jeff Petrieuette just gets a wide open chance in the slotberries. It pass Matt Murray. And it's just like, what are Schultz and Johnson doing there? You know, thank God they're gone. I know the third pairing is now Matheson and Cici.

And we might have some nightmares of our own that we can talk about for next Halloween, especially with regards to Cody Cici. But, you know, right now, just what a tired fire that Jack Johnson experiment was. It was almost every night you were seeing a spooky moment for him that just makes you just scarred for life. And it was just, you know, thank God the Jack Johnson is over. I will say that. And you know as well, how can we forget about the 1996? loss against the Florida Panthers.

You know, they were just trapping their way to the Stanley Cup final. I mean, they ended up losing, of course. And also, this is my mistake. I said the 92-93 final when talking about how the 93 penguins were the greatest team in franchise history. Of course, that was the Los Angeles Kings, and that Stanley Cup final. I totally mixed up the Avalanche and the Kings during the Stanley Cup final. The Avalanche made it in 96.

The Kings made it in 93. And, you know, the Penguins would have not have lost to the Islanders. I think we would have seen Gretzky versus Lemieux in the Stanley Cup final for probably the only time franchise history, I still wish we could have gotten that. And then in the 96, if they would have been the four Panthers, we would have gotten Penguins avalanche. So that's my apologies on that. I can't believe I mixed that up.

That's just embarrassing to me that I did that, but you know, we all move on. We all make mistakes. So, I mean, yeah, that Panthers were just so talented that year. Lemieux was still at the height of his power. And the Panthers were just a terrible team. I mean, that trap that they ran was just brutal watch. I mean, I've gone back and watched highlights of that series. And I just, I still can't believe they lost that series.

Again, I wasn't alive to watch it. It was, you know, a year before I was born. But just, man, what a gut-wrenching loss. Easily still haunts a lot of Penguins fans from the 90s and the 80s that were around to see it. You know, a lot of people that are my age, of course, we're not able to see it. But, you know, just going back and seeing the highlights on TV and on YouTube, it's just, I can understand why it haunts so many Penguins fans to this day. I mean, there's just no way they should have lost that series. I'm getting away from a series, you know, if you want to talk about actual moments in some of these series, you know,

you go back to the 2012 one that I touch on. Danny Breyer is offside. I mean, I just, I will never get over that. Howell ref missed that call when he was like 50 feet off sides was just a joke. An utter freaking joke. I mean, I'm glad that they brought the off sides challenge. And after that, though, there is problems with the offside challenge. It is not a perfect system.

It probably will never be a perfect system with off sides. I mean, you can definitely convince me that they should take away off sides. in some situations for the rule. But in this one, I mean, that dude was just, like I said, he was 50 feet off sides. How a ref missed that was just embarrassing. Change the outcome of that game, to be honest. I think the Penguins win that game if Pierre, if he is called off sides there and they don't score. Because I think it was second period, honestly towards the late stages of the end of it,

and he scored, which put them a three to one going into the third period. And then, you know, when that happened, of course, the Flyers get lucky. Then you honestly just knew that they were going to blow the lead in the third period because Mark Andre Fleury was just terrible in that period and then the overtime. I remember when that game went into overtime, like, yeah, they're just not winning this game. I would be stunned if they did.

Of course, they did, and they went on to lose an embarrassing fashion. And then another big moment during that area, you know, the 2013 win when I think Malkin was hooked by Yager, which led to the Bergeron goal in double overtime. I'll never get over that. How a ref missed that call. But, you know, that's just typical postseason officiating.

So, you know, I guess it's whatever at this point. And then, you know, I'll never understand how Cindy Crosby lost the heart. trophy during the 2012-2013 season. Yes, I understand Obetchkin went on a heater with goals towards that last month of the season when Crosby was hurt, but it took until the last day of the regular season for Marty St. Louis to pass him in points.

He had such a big lead. I mean, he missed, I think it was like the final 12 games. It took someone 12 games to overtake him in points that year with that broken jaw. Just because Brooks Orpick accidentally broke his jaw, Sid loses the hardrope because Obatchkin decided to get hot for the last month of the season. It was, the Hart Trophy voting was just awful that year. I don't still know how Sid did not wicket bad. So that, that will always haunt me a bit. And of course, you know, Sid's big confession, you know, he probably has over 1,400 points at this point. He probably

has close to 1,500 points at this point if he was not concussed for over a year, a year and a half. I'll just, I'll never forget David's Deccle for that hit. And then, you know, Victor Hedman for just pushing him into the boards like that, just had to miss a year, year and a half. It just, ugh, I can't even think about it. It just makes me sick. then if you want to talk some haunted trades before we do end this episode. I mean, you can talk about Jim Rutherford's a lot in the last couple of years. Ryan Reeves, you know, haunted from the star, just utterly terrible. Douglas Murray for two second round picks is still one of the worst trades I've ever seen. Ray Shiro, I will never forgive you for that. I know he had that awesome

goal in the playoffs against the Islanders, but still, I mean, two second round picks for Douglas frickin' Murray. I mean, come on at this point. I'm still trying to think of more from like the Ray Shiro day. I mean, you could talk about plenty from the days before ratio there. I mean, the Yager trade to Washington was just trash. They traded Alexei Kovalev. And again, trash. But, you know, I also kind of blame their shitty owner at the time before Lemieux came in.

It was Howard Baldwin yet. That guy sucks. You know, he was just responsible for, I think, a lot of those trades just because I don't even think he could afford to pay those players, if I'm not mistaken. But still, I mean, those trades were just utterly garbage. And then, of course, guys, how can we forget the Marcus Naslin to Vancouver? for Stojinov. I mean, that's just, that's in one of the five worst trades

of Penguin's history. I don't know what the hell they were thinking at that time. I mean, Nassel, he would go on to score 395 career NHL goals, played 12 seasons with Vancouver. I mean, this other guy

scored two goals in four assists, was forced to retire. I mean, honestly, I know Jim Rutherford has screwed up a lot in his tenure here. This is still worse than anything he's ever done. I would put this way over Jack Johnson.

I mean, like I said, the Yager trade to Washington for three prospects, garbage. Zubov for Kevin Hatcher. That trade was, that still gives me the creeps to this day. The Glenn Murray trade. I mean, like I said, I mean, they traded Kovalev. So, yeah, I mean, there's just a Mount Rushmore of a bunch of awful trades even well before.

Jim Rutherford got here with Ryan Reeves and Eric Reed Branson and, you know, just trading Jamie Alexiak back for no reason and all that stuff. So I think that will conclude today's episode with a bunch of haunted and scary memories that has happened to this franchise. I hope you really all enjoyed listening to it, especially if you all love pain like me. You know, I just, there's always a good episode where you can just feel the pain of just a lot, all of these bad trades, bad signings, bad losses, bad moments in some of those losses, just all that. We'll be back next week. Starting next week, we'll have three episodes a week for the whole month of November. Maybe the same for December. I'll let you guys know when they

get that schedule. But until then, go Hokies this weekend, go Stewards as they try to get 27 to know. And I will talk to you all. on Monday, and then we'll have an episode Wednesday and Friday. So talk to you all then.