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Speaker 1: It's easy to talk about Pickts doing so great in Dallas. Bit,

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Speaker 1: the real story is how bad the Steelers' offense is.

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Speaker 1: And like I said, Dallas has a better quarterback and

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Speaker 1: has a better offense. It's a bad trade, yeah, but

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Speaker 1: not for why you think I would rather have Pickts

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Speaker 1: in Metcalf? Try that one on for size. I think

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Speaker 1: Pickens is a better why not the Metcalf? I think

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Speaker 1: Metcalf's a bust here. I think he's gonna be stealing

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Speaker 1: money his whole contract here. Pickens is just better. The

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Speaker 1: number to call for calls on the fifteens A three

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Speaker 1: three four one two wxdx. To recap a little bit

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Speaker 1: of what I said earlier, you know what a lot

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Speaker 1: of usual suspects are saying is that the Steelers could

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Speaker 1: win a game based on the other team not being

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Speaker 1: that good. Like Buffalo ain't that good, Detroit ain't that good,

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Speaker 1: Baltimore ain't that good. But the Steelers play Cleveland again

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Speaker 1: with rookie of the year lock two pack Shandor at quarterback,

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Speaker 1: and you know what the Browns are gonna be saying

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Speaker 1: with sheendeor madiare running a while, dude, when it's Pittsburgh

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Speaker 1: Week for the Browns. They're gonna be saying the Steelers

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Speaker 1: ain't that good, and they'll be right in Buffalo on Sunday.

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Speaker 1: The Bills ain't that good, but they got Josh Allen,

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Speaker 1: they got to cook it running back, and the Bill's

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Speaker 1: remaining roster is not worse than the Steelers. So anyway,

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Speaker 1: you get your calls in now. God, I don't know

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Speaker 1: if I'm gonna be able to finish the show. I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna be honest. This hurts so f ing bad, so

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Speaker 1: fing bad, my god. Ugh, anyway, Colin, now help me out.

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Speaker 1: I don't know what I'll do if I look at

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Speaker 1: the board and there were no calls because it's Black Friday,

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Speaker 1: which is not a racial thing. That number again, eight

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Speaker 1: three three four one dot Mark.

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Speaker 2: Madden, what do you what? What do you want?

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Speaker 3: Damn it?

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Speaker 1: The exit one nine. It's the audience participation segment that's

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Speaker 1: sweeping the nation. It's the Pittsburgh sports talk sensation. It

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Speaker 1: is calls on the fifteens dial now four one two,

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Speaker 1: eight three three w x d X. Don't forget we

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Speaker 1: got Steve Mears. Columbus Bluejacket is played by play Guy.

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Speaker 1: He will be joining me at the bottom of the

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Speaker 1: hour Pittsburgh at the Blue Jackets. Tonight, come watch the

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Speaker 1: game with me at Dino's in Latrope. Let's go to

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Speaker 1: our good friend Dino Velvedino. You're on with double M.

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Speaker 4: Hey, Mark, you let me take your money, but Joy

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Speaker 4: let me take your picture.

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Speaker 1: Those are two different kinds of trust.

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Speaker 2: Hey.

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Speaker 4: Uh so, driving back from Florida, lifted some of your

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Speaker 4: shows and catching up on some and I heard that

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Speaker 4: Jim Rome opened a show with the Devo podcast where

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Speaker 4: Devo was screaming and ranting and raving about Threll. Austin

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Speaker 4: Steelers defense is trash, the coaches are trash, the scheme

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Speaker 4: is trash.

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Speaker 2: So, I mean, national media is definitely picking up on it.

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Speaker 4: And uh, you know, for the first time in a

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Speaker 4: long time, Jim Rum is starting to lean towards maybe

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Speaker 4: it's time for uh you know, Mike Tomlin and the

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Speaker 4: Steelers the part ways.

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Speaker 1: I mean, well, here here's where here's where Harrison was

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Speaker 1: a little bit disingenuous though Dino he said or Loustin

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Speaker 1: was at fault. It's Mike Tomin that runs the defense,

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Speaker 1: and he knows that he just doesn't want to excoriate

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Speaker 1: his buddy coach t.

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Speaker 2: Well, but if it's.

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Speaker 4: Mike Homlan in charge of it through all Austin, if

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Speaker 4: he's not making adjustments, that meats that penemy.

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Speaker 1: Well that's my point. Why not just say Mike Tomlin?

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Speaker 4: Well, I mean they're buddies, right, That's that's probably the

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Speaker 4: reason I was saying.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's safe to say. Do you know

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Speaker 1: the bloom is off Tomlin's rose not as thoroughly as

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Speaker 1: it should be. But maybe we're heading there.

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Speaker 4: And I can't wait to see you on Sunday to

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Speaker 4: Danny kay, Me and the whole crew will be there

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Speaker 4: just like last time. It was a good time and

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Speaker 4: looking forward to seeing you and we'll bring the family out.

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Speaker 1: I'm fired up. Thank you, Dina. We'll see you Sunday.

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Speaker 1: Let's go to Jordan. Jordan, you're all with double M mark.

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Speaker 1: Thanks for taking my call. Right, Well, it's just gonna

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Speaker 1: talk Pengins with you.

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Speaker 4: Mc groarty when and sitting and is he going to

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Speaker 4: go top six bottom six?

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Speaker 1: Where do you see Well, in the long way, I

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Speaker 1: see McGroarty as a middle six, uh, either second line

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Speaker 1: or a third liner. I think he I think ideally

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Speaker 1: he's a great third liner on a good team. But

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Speaker 1: when he comes up, if it's soon, because of the

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Speaker 1: way he's played and the way he's scored at Wilkes,

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Speaker 1: I think he'll jump right on Sid's line for the

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Speaker 1: time being, as long as Raquel's out.

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Speaker 4: Speaking of sids line, I was just thinking how i'd

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Speaker 4: like Kendall as a third lay who Andedy is a

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Speaker 4: third line?

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Speaker 1: I know they like to Hey, your phone's really bad.

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Speaker 1: Let's go to Vincent Columbus, Vinchure and Clareton rather Vince.

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Speaker 1: What's up?

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Speaker 3: You always say that about in game adjudgments? And then

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Speaker 3: one of the Steelers came out and spoke against that.

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Speaker 3: Is that a thing that you know a player can

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Speaker 3: do or is it more of a coach telling him

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Speaker 3: you do X.

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Speaker 1: Else the coach has to make in game adjustments. If

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Speaker 1: the players did it, one player would, the other player wouldn't.

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Speaker 1: Then they would be all over the place. They'd be

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Speaker 1: at sixes and seven. So no, you can't, can't can't

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Speaker 1: do it as an individual. Absolutely not.

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Speaker 3: Okay, all right, I hope you still there, Mark.

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Speaker 1: I probably won't thank you for the call them all

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Speaker 1: right up next we're gonna talk with Steve Meyers Thomas

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Speaker 1: Blue Jackets play by play guy here on the Mark

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Speaker 1: Madden Show one O five to nine. It's The Woody

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Speaker 1: Show weekday mornings at six. Of course, ex music on

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Speaker 1: the X tis the season when you're in the mood

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Speaker 1: for holiday music. Hallween, thank you for making my day.

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Speaker 1: Yeah what you said?

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Speaker 2: The ex at one.

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Speaker 1: We welcome to the program now the Pride of Murraysville.

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Speaker 1: Former play by play man for the Penguin not doing

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Speaker 1: the same with the Combus Blue Jackets. Penguins at the

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Speaker 1: Jackets tonight. Come watch the game with me at Dino's

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Speaker 1: at Latrow. His name is Steve Mears. Mears. These Eastern

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Speaker 1: Conference standings are nuts, aren't they? Nine points from top

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Speaker 1: to bottom. Are all the team's good or are they

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Speaker 1: all bad? Yeah?

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Speaker 2: I don't know, it's if it's one or the other.

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Speaker 2: I think you just see a lot of competitive balance

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Speaker 2: and a lot of three point games. I mean, the

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Speaker 2: Blue Jackets are a perfect example. They've played nine of

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Speaker 2: eleven have been literal one goal games, not talking empty netters.

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Speaker 2: One goal games. Seven of the last eight have gone

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Speaker 2: to overtime. So everybody's getting points and yeah, you've got

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Speaker 2: maybe your up for echelon. Teams kind of expected Carolina

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Speaker 2: to do their usual regular season thing. New Jersey's been

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Speaker 2: a bit of a surprise. You got all the injuries

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Speaker 2: in Florida. I think people expected them to be better

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Speaker 2: until the injuries hit. And that is a storyline as well,

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Speaker 2: and I know the Penguins have dealt with it. The

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Speaker 2: Blue Jackets are dealing with it right now. It's this

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Speaker 2: season of attrition because of the condensed schedule. We just

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Speaker 2: had Toronto in here and they had a bunch of

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Speaker 2: guys out. That's the reality of this season. In the

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Speaker 2: NHL that's really tight, and especially in the Eastern Conference.

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Speaker 2: It seems like everybody's getting points every night and we

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Speaker 2: haven't seen that separation yet. But eventually the cream will

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Speaker 2: ride to the top and then some teams just won't

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Speaker 2: be able to overcome the adversity or the injuries.

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Speaker 1: Columbus just one point behind the Penguins right now. And

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Speaker 1: what I like about the Blue Jackets is meer ze.

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Speaker 1: It's a really strong group down in the middle at center,

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Speaker 1: isn't it.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's how it was built and that that was

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Speaker 2: fortified this summer when Don Wadell went out and got

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Speaker 2: Charlie Coyle, and that that's the guy that I think

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Speaker 2: the majority of teams in the NHL could use. A big,

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Speaker 2: right shot center that's played almost a thousand games in

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Speaker 2: the league. He chips in with points here and there,

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Speaker 2: not gonna score ninety of them, but he's gonna get

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Speaker 2: a big goal here and there, and just wins every

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Speaker 2: face off when in a key moment. He is not

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Speaker 2: gonna make any mistakes where he's gonna cost you, and

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Speaker 2: just a great guy in the locker room. So I

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Speaker 2: thought that was a really shrewd move by Don Widell

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Speaker 2: to go out and get him as the third line center.

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Speaker 2: So you got Monahan at the two seed, and then

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Speaker 2: you got Adam Fantilly, former third overall pick, and he's

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Speaker 2: been starting to heat up late. We definitely a player

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Speaker 2: to watch the night in the game. He's got eleven

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Speaker 2: points in the last eleven games. So that's how you

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Speaker 2: build these teams. Penguins have been doing it for the

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Speaker 2: last couple of decades. Strength down the middle. You want

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Speaker 2: to have that anchor on the blue line. You need

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Speaker 2: a solid number one goaltender, if not two really good ones,

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Speaker 2: and the center position, and that's where Stanley Cups are won.

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Speaker 2: So if you're gonna build a franchise from scratch, you'd

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Speaker 2: be pretty wise to start there.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to stay with fan Tilly for a second.

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Speaker 1: I'm a big fan third overall draft pick in twenty

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Speaker 1: twenty three. I think he's always played real well since

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Speaker 1: surviving in the league Meracy, and I'm glad to see

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Speaker 1: his stats are catching up to his performance because for

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Speaker 1: a while they weren't.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it was for a while there, but and now

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Speaker 2: we're seeing it's a young man's league. It's a young

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Speaker 2: man's game. Now look at the top scores. All of

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Speaker 2: these players kind of from around that draft class, Connor Badard,

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Speaker 2: Leo Carlson, Maclin, Celebrini and now Fantilly who's in that

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Speaker 2: mix as well. These guys are thriving. And then you

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Speaker 2: see Ben Kendall with Pittsburgh. You see Snuggerot in Saint Louis,

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Speaker 2: Matthew Schaeffer on defense for the Islanders. This is a

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Speaker 2: great era right now as far as young towns. They

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Speaker 2: come into the league and they're so well trained, and

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Speaker 2: really the guy who started this whole trend, in my opinion,

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Speaker 2: is Sidney Crosby. I mean, but when it comes to

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Speaker 2: the dedication to the game and how you prepare, every

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Speaker 2: one of these kids, from Fantilly to Badar to Celebris,

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Speaker 2: they all say their idle with Sidney Crosby. So he

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Speaker 2: is set the tone and that's gonna be a huge

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Speaker 2: part of his legacy is the bar that he set

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Speaker 2: for not just play on the ice, but how you

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Speaker 2: approach the position, the job, the off season work that

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Speaker 2: you put in and making sure you're in every possible

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Speaker 2: facet to succeed and every detail is fine tuned. I

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Speaker 2: mean that all points to Sydney Crosby directly. So all

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Speaker 2: these kids that come into the into the game, they're

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Speaker 2: they're taking that approach now, and it used to be

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Speaker 2: a somewhat rare thing, but now it seems like every

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Speaker 2: guy who's that dialed in, and Fantilly is right there

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Speaker 2: at the top of the list. He's on a hot streak.

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Speaker 2: He just needed to get a bigger opportunity here this season.

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Speaker 2: With a slow start this year, but he was basically

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Speaker 2: on the second line and on a second power play.

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Speaker 2: He needed to be on the first line and the

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Speaker 2: first power plan. As soon as he got bumped up,

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Speaker 2: the numbers exploded.

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Speaker 1: Mere's the talk about the Blue Jackets, Russian guys mark

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Speaker 1: Chenko and Varroonkov. I mean, they're just incredible and they produced.

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Speaker 1: They just they know how to collect points. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: I had a great chat this morning with the one

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Speaker 2: and only of Yenny Malkin. I love talking to with

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Speaker 2: you know, double m as you know, because he always

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Speaker 2: gives you good answers. He's funny, and he trained this

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Speaker 2: summer in Russia with Dmitri Varonkov, and Bronkov's English isn't great,

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Speaker 2: so I don't only know him very well, but I

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Speaker 2: can go to Gino and ask about this guy, like

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Speaker 2: what did you learn about him? He said, he's never

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Speaker 2: seen someone put in this much effort off the ice

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Speaker 2: with the summer training like Varonkov did. And he Bronco

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Speaker 2: was challenged by the Blue Jackets. He's kind of out

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Speaker 2: of shape last year, so he put the work and

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Speaker 2: he worked out at the gym and on the ice

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Speaker 2: with Malkin, Ilia Koboltchuk and Carill Caprizo. Think about that

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Speaker 2: group and especially for a young guy like dmitriy Varonkov.

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Speaker 2: The train with those three and it was great, It

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Speaker 2: was great talking with Gino about Arnkovs, some of the

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Speaker 2: things that they did going to the rink at seven

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Speaker 2: am and skating and playing beach volleyball and all the

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Speaker 2: competitions they have, and uh Ron Kuv has been fantastic. Unfortunately,

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Speaker 2: the other guy who really is the superstar is Cirl Marchenko.

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Speaker 2: He's out right now. He's gonna miss a third consecutive game,

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Speaker 2: not a serious injury, but he's the top scorer, he's

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Speaker 2: the best forward for the Blue Jackets. He's dynamic and

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Speaker 2: wants to be a superstar and he's getting there after

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Speaker 2: scoring thirty one last year and off to a great

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Speaker 2: start this season, but unfortunately got a nagging injury so

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Speaker 2: he won't be able to play. But van Kov, yeah,

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Speaker 2: with his size, with his skill set, he has the

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Speaker 2: potential to be a star as well, and you'll see

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Speaker 2: him on the top line with Fantilly.

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Speaker 1: One of my favorite Blue Jacket bar Nune Fantilli and

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Speaker 1: Zach Wreensky. Warensky should have been an Norris Trophy winner

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Speaker 1: by now from the n Angels best defenseman and it

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Speaker 1: sucks because honestly, mears he played for Columbus. He'll never

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Speaker 1: get it. But it's not because he's not good enough.

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Speaker 2: He is. Yeah, and also when you're in the league

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Speaker 2: with Klee mccarr, you're probably not that goes for a

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Speaker 2: lot of guys Miro Hayskin and probably should have one

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Speaker 2: right now in Dallas. There are a couple other good

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Speaker 2: defensemen that have never won it, and Warenski would be won.

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Speaker 2: But it's just the in this era, not just macar

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Speaker 2: but you've got Quinn Hughes. I mean, there's some great

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Speaker 2: defenseman in the game, and Zak is one of them.

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Speaker 2: He was the runner up last year. He had a

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Speaker 2: point per game, and yeah, he is absolutely on fire

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Speaker 2: right now. Four goals in the last six games he played.

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Speaker 2: It leads the league in ice time and just like

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Speaker 2: it seems like he could play the entire game. He's

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Speaker 2: just so calm out there. Uh you know what, Mark,

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Speaker 2: The greatest compliment I can give him now happen to

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Speaker 2: get I've gotten to know him last couple of years,

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Speaker 2: and I've did the World Juniors when he was in

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Speaker 2: Team USA back then. He has a lot of the

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Speaker 2: characteristics of Sydney Crosby off the ice, the leadership, the

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Speaker 2: way he handles everything off the ice, what he sees

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Speaker 2: he never misses anything, charitable, polite and just like great

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Speaker 2: to everybody in the entire building. I see a lot

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Speaker 2: of the scene attributes. That's the best compliment I can

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Speaker 2: give Zach Warnskiw that they're they're very comparable in that regard.

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Speaker 2: Obviously very different players, but off the ice, he reminds

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Speaker 2: me of Sid and that's the best compliment I can

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Speaker 2: give him. And another little thing, he plays so much.

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Speaker 2: He plays defense, doesn't cheat the game, he never gets burned.

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Speaker 2: And then he has no penalty minutes. That's one of

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Speaker 2: the most amazing things. And he plays twenty seven minutes

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Speaker 2: a night against the top players on the other team.

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Speaker 2: He has yet to take a penalty this season. So,

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Speaker 2: without question, one of the best defensemen. And he's in

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Speaker 2: his prime right now and at the moment on quite

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Speaker 2: a hot streak, and he's gearing up for the Olympics,

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Speaker 2: of course with Team USA.

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Speaker 1: We're talking to Steve Mears of the Combus Blue Jackets

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Speaker 1: play by play here on the Home of the Penguins

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Speaker 1: one oh five nine. Mears, he like I said, you're

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Speaker 1: a Pittsburgh guy from Murraysville, did play by play for

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Speaker 1: the Penguins. What's your take on the Penguins this year.

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Speaker 2: Oh depends, Yeah, I'm here. I'm looking forward to this

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Speaker 2: game because we saw him earlier and I was right

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Speaker 2: in the middle of the very hot start in October,

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Speaker 2: and now I think reality is kind of set in

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Speaker 2: and there may have been some people that, oh, this

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Speaker 2: team is better than we thought, and maybe it's not

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Speaker 2: quite what it is, which is a rebuild. So I

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Speaker 2: think you have to keep your eye on the ball here,

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Speaker 2: which is the Penguins are rebuilding, and the tricky thing

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Speaker 2: is how do they do that with these legendary superstars

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Speaker 2: who are aging. And you can't be deceived by that

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Speaker 2: eight to two and two start because the plan has

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Speaker 2: to fill be in place. So I still don't see

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Speaker 2: a playoff team. The injuries certainly don't help, but as

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Speaker 2: I said earlier, every team is dealing with that. The

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Speaker 2: most pleasant surprise for me has been goaltending. I was

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Speaker 2: just doing my notes and I see that they're tied

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Speaker 2: for second in the league and team stay percentage, Like

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Speaker 2: who would have ever predicted that? And I like Archer

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Speaker 2: she lobs. I liked him in Vancouver when I saw him,

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Speaker 2: but I definitely didn't imagine here at the end of November,

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Speaker 2: the Penguins would be tied for second in team stave percentage.

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Speaker 2: Jari's gonna go here tonight, and I know he's been

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Speaker 2: good and coming off a nice win in his return,

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Speaker 2: So I think the goaltending for both these teams, Bluejackets

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Speaker 2: and Penguins, has been a pleasant surprise. Jet Grease is

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Speaker 2: gonna go for the Jackets, and I never would have

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Speaker 2: thought even the Blue Jackets, you know, they were at

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Speaker 2: the bottom of goaltending last year and I'm a big

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Speaker 2: fan of Jet Greaves, but I didn't expect them to

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Speaker 2: have the goaltending from both guys that they've gotten to

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Speaker 2: this point in the season. I think that's the most

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Speaker 2: pleasant surprise for me. On the Penguin side, it's always

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Speaker 2: going to do his thing, but and you know, these

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Speaker 2: guys have a lot of pride. They're not just gonna,

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Speaker 2: you know, go through the motions here. And I don't

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Speaker 2: think any team with Sidney Crosby playing the way that

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Speaker 2: he is is gonna be able to bottom out like

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Speaker 2: some people want. And then they talk about Gavin McKenna

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Speaker 2: and get that first overall pick at the lottery magic

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Speaker 2: which they've had in the past in Pittsburgh, but with

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Speaker 2: Sidney Crosby at this stage, the way he's playing, I

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Speaker 2: just don't see that ever being possible because he's a

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Speaker 2: ninety point player in his sleep, so it's just not

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Speaker 2: going to happen.

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Speaker 1: Mere's the speaking of Jari. There's a report Edmund might

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Speaker 1: be interested in training for him, and really you can

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Speaker 1: point at their goaltending. That's probably why they've not won

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Speaker 1: a Cup yet in McDavid era. But I'm not sure

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Speaker 1: Ji's the answer. How about you?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, the thing that makes it very interesting is

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Speaker 2: the connection. Right He I believe still lives in Alberta,

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Speaker 2: in the Edmonton area. He played junior in Edmonton. I

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Speaker 2: want a Memorial Cup. Yeah, so Edmonton oil Kings. He

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Speaker 2: has a lot of ties to that market. We used

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Speaker 2: to always talk about it every time there was a

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Speaker 2: Penguin game at Edmonton. And you know that banner still

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Speaker 2: hangs in the in the rafters at the Oilers Arena,

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Speaker 2: the oil Kings the junior team plays there, So that

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Speaker 2: that is what immediately starts raising some flags like Okay,

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Speaker 2: there might be something here, but yeah, is that a

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Speaker 2: lateral move at bested? It sure sounds like it because

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Speaker 2: the other thing, alway is like who else is out there? Wait?

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Speaker 2: What else is? What are the other option? The one

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Speaker 2: guy that I would be like trying as hard as

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Speaker 2: I could to get if I was a team in

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Speaker 2: need of Goldton is Jucy Sorrows in Nashville. But I

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Speaker 2: don't think they're ready to part with him, even though

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Speaker 2: they're at the bottom of the standings. So what what

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Speaker 2: is out there that is an upgrade, a significant upgrade

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Speaker 2: where you got to give up something and you know

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Speaker 2: you're gonna be better. I'm not sure. I don't, I don't.

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Speaker 2: I just don't know. There's a lot of teams looking

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Speaker 2: for goaltending help right now, and I don't know how

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Speaker 2: you do that, how you pull that off. But it

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Speaker 2: is an interesting rumor, and it is a position of

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Speaker 2: strength for the Penguins because we know about the two

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Speaker 2: guys in Wilkes Ferry, and we know Arthur Sielov's has

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Speaker 2: been solid. Like I talked about earlier, I've always been

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Speaker 2: a big fan of his. So they've got a position

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Speaker 2: of strength here and they'd be wise to use it,

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Speaker 2: and maybe that's the move.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree that it's a tough decision to make.

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Speaker 1: Because the Penguins are right now in a playoff spot

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Speaker 1: and Jerry is playing well. That said, with his contract

380
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Speaker 1: still having two more years to run, and with morishoff

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Speaker 1: the goalie of the future, and that future is not

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Speaker 1: too far off me or see, I probably wouldn't make

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Speaker 1: that trade if I could. And I don't know if

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Speaker 1: Edmonton really feels like Jari's gonna come in and win

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Speaker 1: the cup for him, and I think they feel like

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Speaker 1: they got to do something. And that leads me to

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Speaker 1: my next question. How come there aren't very many good

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Speaker 1: goalies in the league anymore? Not even good goalies never.

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Speaker 2: Mind great, Yeah, we were talking about that earlier. I

390
00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,040
Speaker 2: was talking with Kolbe and Jody Shelley, my partner, about

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Speaker 2: how many truly elite goaltenders are there in the NHL.

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Speaker 2: It's only a handful the elite of the elite, and

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Speaker 2: then you got the next year. But you're right, it

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Speaker 2: isn't a very deep era right now. And I wonder about,

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Speaker 2: like the way the position is taught, how much interest

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Speaker 2: there is different countries. Finland used to be the factory,

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Speaker 2: right and they haven't really produced many goaltenders right now.

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Speaker 2: It's Russia. Russia really focused on that in their hockey program.

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Speaker 2: And look at the great goaltenders that Russia is churning out,

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Speaker 2: from Basilevsky to just Stirk into Soroka so forth. You know,

401
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Speaker 2: French Canada for a long time with Brodeor and Flurry

402
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Speaker 2: and Patrick Waugh. Now that's kind of tapered off. So

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Speaker 2: I do think some of it is cyclical. A lot

404
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Speaker 2: of it is in this game. But that's a great question,

405
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Speaker 2: is so like, why we're not seeing this plesora in

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Speaker 2: this age of finding players in different countries and the

407
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Speaker 2: dedication the goalie coaches that are around in the league,

408
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Speaker 2: the enhancements in as far as camps and in places

409
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Speaker 2: to really train, like why we aren't seeing as high

410
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Speaker 2: quality goaltending. But also at the same time, the shooters

411
00:21:35,480 --> 00:21:38,560
Speaker 2: have never been better in the equipment and so forth,

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Speaker 2: the speed of the game kind of what I talked

413
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Speaker 2: about earlier, the way that these guys train now. So

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Speaker 2: there are so many different factors. But as far as elite,

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Speaker 2: elite goaltenders, there's only a handful right now, and there's

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Speaker 2: a lot of teams that are looking for one. And

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Speaker 2: that's why the Penguins would be best serve to play

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Speaker 2: this card and get as much as they can, because

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Speaker 2: I think not just Edmonton, there's a ton of teams

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Speaker 2: that would would love to have even just a competent goaltender.

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Speaker 2: You don't even need to have the savior come in.

422
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Speaker 2: Just come in and make them saves and you might

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Speaker 2: even be able to go on a long playoff run.

424
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Speaker 2: And it doesn't have to beat Patrick Waller, Domini Koshik.

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Speaker 2: You just need someone who's competent in there.

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Speaker 1: Mercy, who's the team to beat in the East? And

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Speaker 1: I asked that knowing that some of the teams I

428
00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:22,120
Speaker 1: thought might be aren't very good so far.

429
00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:26,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, the we haven't seen Carolina yet. I just think

430
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:29,560
Speaker 2: they're they're doing the usual thing, winning a lot in

431
00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:31,720
Speaker 2: the regular season, then they run out of gas in

432
00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:34,320
Speaker 2: the playoffs. That's what I fully expect. Until I see

433
00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,399
Speaker 2: it with my own eyes and they go on a run,

434
00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:38,720
Speaker 2: That's what I'm gonna expect. That's one of those things

435
00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:40,679
Speaker 2: where you go, I gotta meet too, got me too.

436
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,680
Speaker 2: With Carolina and the other really good team that we

437
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:47,000
Speaker 2: saw this year, first of all, we saw Colorado in

438
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,880
Speaker 2: the West. That made everyone knows they're far and away

439
00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,280
Speaker 2: the best. So far one regulation loss in the East.

440
00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,440
Speaker 2: The best team I've seen is New Jersey. We're gonna

441
00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,800
Speaker 2: see them actually on Monday. Unbelievable at home, nine oh

442
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:00,919
Speaker 2: one to one, I think at home. But I was

443
00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:03,719
Speaker 2: most pleasantly surprised by the way they defended. I think

444
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:05,880
Speaker 2: Jody and I were both talking about it, and he's

445
00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,560
Speaker 2: down at ice level. He really was impressed by the

446
00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:12,800
Speaker 2: way that they played as a cohesive unit and play

447
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,080
Speaker 2: defense and checked. When they're known as like a speed

448
00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:18,719
Speaker 2: team is Jack Hughes and jefsper Pratt and he's got

449
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,560
Speaker 2: they're supposed to go off the rush and kind of

450
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:24,600
Speaker 2: this raffle dazzle with offense. But we were all very

451
00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 2: impressed by the way they defended. That was about a

452
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,600
Speaker 2: month ago. I'm curious to see their game now. Of

453
00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,240
Speaker 2: course they don't have Jack Hughes, but it doesn't really

454
00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,119
Speaker 2: seem to matter. They're winning hockey games, they're winning games

455
00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,760
Speaker 2: in overtime, and they have a lot to prove because

456
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,000
Speaker 2: it's been a couple of disappointing seasons at an early

457
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,639
Speaker 2: exit in the playoffs last year. That was without Jack Hughes.

458
00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,160
Speaker 2: So yeah, I'm curious to see New Jersey in their

459
00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,159
Speaker 2: building and how the Blue Jackets stack up. But for me,

460
00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,159
Speaker 2: the best Eastern Conference team I've seen so far is

461
00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:51,800
Speaker 2: New Jersey.

462
00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:54,639
Speaker 1: Finally, Meerzy. Nobody will get this but you and me,

463
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,200
Speaker 1: maybe a couple others when we did Penn's Live back

464
00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:06,919
Speaker 1: on Internet. But what do you hear from Jean boll.

465
00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,639
Speaker 2: You really had the dust off that clip, you know,

466
00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:06,399
Speaker 2: and play it off.

467
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:10,040
Speaker 1: Then we tried to look it somewhere. I can't find it.

468
00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:15,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's somewhere deep in the annals of your your

469
00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,240
Speaker 2: station and your building. It is somewhere. And yeah, the

470
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:24,040
Speaker 2: legendary Jean Borbeau. You've heard of a slap shot and

471
00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:29,160
Speaker 2: all the great superstars of hockey from the sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties,

472
00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:33,360
Speaker 2: none of them compared to the great Jean Borbeau. Oh

473
00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,080
Speaker 2: my goodness, that was That was one of the funniest moments.

474
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,320
Speaker 2: And correct me if I'm wrong. That was one of

475
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:41,840
Speaker 2: the few times you've ever lost it on the air.

476
00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 2: In all the shows that you've done that Little Penguin

477
00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,120
Speaker 2: Live Show, were a few times where you actually could

478
00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:51,280
Speaker 2: not speak and you had to like step away from

479
00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:52,919
Speaker 2: the microphone. That's saying a lot to me.

480
00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,400
Speaker 1: Quote quote DJ Abissola, who's still the Wheeling Nailers play

481
00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,520
Speaker 1: by play guy, said that Bobby far and I'm got

482
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,639
Speaker 1: in a fight and he won and it wasn't just

483
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:07,199
Speaker 1: against anybody, was against real gravitas Jean Borbau and I

484
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,480
Speaker 1: just I never even laugh a lot period. Me. I

485
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,360
Speaker 1: totally lost my mind. I still don't really know who

486
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,200
Speaker 1: that is. I know he quit in twenty fifteen. That's

487
00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:14,879
Speaker 1: the update I have.

488
00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:17,199
Speaker 2: But like, if you had to like come up with

489
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:22,439
Speaker 2: a clone of a classic minor pro tough guy with

490
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,600
Speaker 2: the perfect name, literally like it sounds like an out

491
00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,359
Speaker 2: of slap shot, Sean Borbau could not have been crafted

492
00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,600
Speaker 2: any better than that moment and that name. So yeah,

493
00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 2: it's that was one of my favorite moments when thinking back,

494
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,880
Speaker 2: which is now like thirteen years ago, which is scary.

495
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,600
Speaker 1: Well, Sean Borbo's the kind of guy that he gets

496
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,400
Speaker 1: one shot in the NHL and somebody like Frankie Rue

497
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,600
Speaker 1: beats the hell out of him, and that's it.

498
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:51,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's another name. While we're talking about throwback Penguin names.

499
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,639
Speaker 2: Very happy Birthday, and I'm sure you've talked about it

500
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:57,480
Speaker 2: quite a bit on your show to the great Eddie Johnson.

501
00:25:57,520 --> 00:25:58,639
Speaker 2: I heard he had a big birthday.

502
00:25:58,680 --> 00:25:59,960
Speaker 1: It was, it was great.

503
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,159
Speaker 2: It's like such a special man. Gotten to spend some

504
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,399
Speaker 2: time with him the last few summers with three ice

505
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,520
Speaker 2: of three on three Pro League. His son is doing

506
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,520
Speaker 2: a great job as a CEO and founder of that

507
00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,120
Speaker 2: league and a lot of Penguin legends coaching. So uh yeah,

508
00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,000
Speaker 2: Happy birthday to EJ. Senior. Happy belated birthday. And I

509
00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,240
Speaker 2: know the birthday celebration was something really special.

510
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,440
Speaker 1: I can tell you for sure, though Mercy that EJ

511
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,520
Speaker 1: would have wanted no part of Jean borbou meersy great stuff.

512
00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,680
Speaker 1: Have fun tomorrow night. We'll see you when the Jackets

513
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:30,080
Speaker 1: come here.

514
00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:33,280
Speaker 2: Appreciate it. Yeah, sounds good. Have a good one.

515
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,480
Speaker 1: That's Steve Mears. I'm mark Man. We got Charlie Batch

516
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,560
Speaker 1: at the top of the hour. One oh five.

517
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,800
Speaker 4: Nights tonight the Pens take on the Blue Jackets.

518
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:44,479
Speaker 2: Game time is seven.

519
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 4: Our coverage starts at six here every game and the

520
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,400
Speaker 4: best coverage right here on your Home of the Pens

521
00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:51,560
Speaker 4: one O five nine.

522
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,240
Speaker 1: E x Hey, Pittsburgh gets Brett Chiesel, come out to