It took over three years, but the Penguins have turned their team around
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What led to the Penguins' decline over the past three years?
Ottawa Senators in town to play the Penguins. It's quite something to watch these. You know, we were talking in the context of the Steelers earlier and how they're sort of running in place. The Penguins sort of stripped it down in some ways, not completely by any means, but they got bad. Let's put it that way. They got pretty bad for a year. They missed the playoffs for three, and now they appear to be building it back up.
While still maintaining guys who have been part of the success.
Yeah, and then you look at a team like the Senators, for example, coming to town tonight. Where are they? What have they been doing?
They're not bad. Yeah, they're not good. They're not good. They're right in the middle, sort of. I think they have 59 points.
But that's a team that has torn it down before, and it never really amounted to anything.
No, because I think they misallocated what they were doing, and they drafted guys. They have some good young talent. Don't get me wrong on that team. They do. But they need more of it.
How are the Penguins rebuilding their team this season?
Yeah.
But it's a tough thing to try to put together, and that's why I think these Penguins right now, you know, a lot of it is free agent signings that Dubas made, and it's Dan Mews coaching them. But I don't think anyone thought Brad Zoe was going to be a, you know, he'll be a 20-plus goal scorer. I don't think people thought Mantha, even though he's had it before, was going to be that good this quick. He has 40 points in 52 games. They brought in that fourth line over the last year and a half, and it's been terrific. All of this stuff, Tommy Novak, a nice add, Wotherspoon. Nobody could have expected all these guys. And Ryan Shea, by the way, is a plus 22. When was the last Penguin defenseman who was that high this early?
Normally the Penguins give up a lot of goals in the Mike Sullivan days. They shoot out bandwagon hockey. But Ryan Shea's been very good.
Social media's biggest loser, brought to you by Awaken 180 Weight Loss. Visit them at awaken180weightloss.com. Usually it's Malzi. Who will it be today, Limits? Great question, isn't it?
Social media, so... I think I could be called social media's biggest loser today because in the headline when I said, Signetti is coming to Pittsburgh, I feel like some people probably jumped up in their cars and thought that it was Kurt Signetti. Yeah. And I said, it was actually Frank Signetti.
You did that on purpose, huh? You threw that little dangling item out there. It was just a little tease, Bob.
Yeah. Just a little tease.
I caught your attention. Plus, you didn't catch the Ottinger mistake we made last week.
No, even though you three were having the conversation and I was producing and not enjoying it. What's cooking?
Brought to you by your local Geico rep, Tim Hester. Thank you, Mr. Hester. Very kindly.
What role do free agent signings play in the Penguins' success?
Bob, did you see where Barry Trotz is retiring? Yeah, long career. Good career. It's going to stay until a new GM is found down there in Nashville. Do you know I played bubble hockey with him in Tokyo? Wow, what a story that is. It is a story.
That's a story for sure.
The Penguins were opening their season in Tokyo. You remember that in 2000?
Who are the standout players contributing to the Penguins' turnaround?
Yarmir Yager was on that team. Little Kip Miller here. Little Jan Herdina there.
That was right after the Czech won a gold medal in the Olympics in 98.
Yuri Slager here. Little Bob Boogner there.
Was that Konstantin's team?
No, that was, was it Hlinka? Ivan Hlinka, yeah. Was it Hlinka? I think so. So we wound up in a bar, well, several bars in Tokyo, and there was Barry Trotz, and he was playing bubble hockey, and I said I got winner, and it was Barry Trotz. Do you know what the final score of that game was, Bob? Wrong. Four to one, I beat Barry Trotz. Pretty good. Well, he's a coach. I know. He was trying to do the left wing lock. Nice.
What makes Ryan Shea a notable player for the Penguins this season?
limits don't you wish you were alive for that in tokyo yeah i mean that must have been pretty cool to be able to go to another country to explore and visit where the penguins are playing that's not canada where they frequently play it was incredible it's neat when they said on the flight that we're above i think they said we're above antarctica bob yeah that was not a good feeling were you cold not cold just strike me as someone who wouldn't like you don't like to fly i bet
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What led to the Penguins' decline over the past three years?
0:00–0:56
2
How are the Penguins rebuilding their team this season?
0:56–2:31
3
What role do free agent signings play in the Penguins' success?
2:31–2:50
4
Who are the standout players contributing to the Penguins' turnaround?
2:50–3:33
5
What makes Ryan Shea a notable player for the Penguins this season?
3:33–5:49
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from The Pomp And Joe Show
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