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<\/p>\nPittsburgh Penguins secure 6th-straight victory after beating former coaches team<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYOU ARE LOOKING LIVE INSIDE P-P-G PAINTS ARENA– WHERE THIS AFTERNOON– THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS HOST– THE NEW YORK RANGERS. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I’M ANDREW STOCKEY– JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE ASHLEY LIOTUS– AND THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPION TYLER KENNEDY. THE PENGUINS HAVE WON FIVE CONSECUTIVE GAMES– AND HAVE POINTS IN EIGHT STRAIGHT. TYLER– IT’S AN EXCITING BRAND OF HOCKEY WE’RE WITNESSING RIGHT NOW. THE BIG NEWS TODAY– THE PENGUINS PLACING DEFENSEMAN KRIS LETANG ON INJURED RESERVE. HE’S EXPECTED TO MISS A MINIMUM OF FOUR WEEKS– WITH A FRACTURE IN HIS FOOT. TYLER– IT’S NEVER GOOD NEWS TO LOSE ONE OF YOUR FRANCHISE PLAYERS– BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT MONTH– THEY ONLY PLAY SIX GAMES AND HAVE THREE WEEKS OFF FOR THE OLYMPICS. WITH SAINT IVANY ALSO OUT– THAT’S TWO OF YOUR RIGHT HANDED DEFENSEMEN UN-AVAILABLE. DO YOU SEE THE PENS MAKING A TRADE TO BOLSTER THE DEFENSE? LET’S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO TODAY’S GAME. MIKE SULLIVAN AND THE NEW YORK DEFENSE? LET’S TURN OUR ATTENTION TO TODAY’S GAME. MIKE SULLIVAN AND THE NEW YORK RANGERS SKATE INTO TOWN. THE NEW YORK RANGERS ARE NOT PLAYING GREAT HOCKEY. THEY JUST DROPPED BOTH ENDS OF A HOME AND HOME TO THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS. THEY’VE LOST FIVE OF THEIR LA THE NEW. THEY LOST SIX GAMES, FLIPPED THE CALENDAR TO 2026. CURIOUS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS? ON PAPER, THEIR LINEUP LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD BE A CONTENDER, BUT IT\u2019S REALLY JUST NOT TRANSLATING TO THE ICE. I THINK YOU\u2019RE THINKING LIKE MIKE SULLIVAN IN THE SUMMER, RIGHT? I THINK HE WAS THINKING, RIGHT. WOW. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS LINEUP, LIKE WITH MY COACHING AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TURN, WE MIGHT HAVE A STANLEY CUP CONTENDER BECAUSE THAT\u2019S THE KIND OF GUYS THEY HAVE IN THE LINEUP. OBVIOUSLY THINGS HAVEN\u2019T MADE SENSE, THINGS HAVEN\u2019T CLICKED. BUT THIS IS A SCARY GAME FOR ME TODAY BECAUSE THEY\u2019RE COMING IN. THERE\u2019S A BUZZ. THEY JUST GOT THEIR — KICKED TWICE IN A ROW. THEY GOT A LOT OF GUYS WITH A LOT OF TIES TO THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. FROM THE THE HEAD COACH TO TWO LOCAL GUYS THAT REALLY ARE LIKE HEART AND SOUL GUYS IN NEW YORK RANGERS. SO THEY\u2019RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT THEY\u2019RE GOING TO PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD. THEY\u2019RE GOING TO TRY TO TURN THEIR SEASON AROUND. STARTING WITH THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. SO THE PENGUINS BETTER BE READY TO ROCK TONIGHT, BECAUSE I KNOW NEW YORK IS. YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO LOCAL GUYS, BY THE WAY, J.T. MILLER, OF COURSE, AND VINCENT TROCHECK. AND I WAS JUST GOING TO QUICKLY MENTION, I MEAN, THIS TEAM EARLY ON IN THE SEASON, CHRIS DRURY, THE GM, SENT OUT THIS LETTER SAYING, FOLKS, WE\u2019RE GOING TO GET THIS CORRECTED. I MEAN, THAT\u2019S LIKE THROWING UP THE WHITE FLAG WAY TOO EARLY. YEAH, AND THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THAT WAS SHOCKING THAT HE DID THAT. RIGHT. AND YOU KIND OF KNEW THAT NOT EVERY YEAR, NOT EVERY TEAM IS GOING TO TRY TO MAKE A PUSH TO THE STANLEY CUP. AND FOR HIM TO SEND OUT SOMETHING SAYING, OH, WE AREN\u2019T GOING WHERE WE SHOULD. YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM\u2019S GOING TO GET BETTER. IT\u2019S VERY SURPRISING AND IT\u2019S VERY IT\u2019S IT SENDS A WEIRD MESSAGE MESSAGE TO LIKE THE PLAYERS AND THE STAFF, EVEN THE, THE FANS, BECAUSE IT\u2019S LIKE, WELL, WE STILL WANT TO PUT OUR, PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE GUYS LIKE J.T. MILLER, PANARIN, ZIBANEJAD. THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT GUYS. AND WHEN YOU SAY THROWING IN THE TOWEL ALREADY, YEAH, IT\u2019S NOT EVEN BEFORE THANKSGIVING. AND THEY WERE DOING THAT. AND THAT\u2019S VERY, VERY SHOCKING FROM A GM IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE. ALL RIGHT. LET\u2019S TALK NOW ABOUT THE RANGERS OTHER ISSUE. I MEAN THEY GOT MIKE SULLIVAN, THE HEAD COACH. AND OBVIOUSLY A NEW PLACE. AND YOU SAY HE HAS ALL THE PIECES. HE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN. BUT THIS TEAM, IT HASN\u2019T TRANSLATED ONTO THE ICE. SO HOW MUCH OF THEIR PROBLEM IS I HATE TO SAY THIS IS MIKE SULLIVAN AND THE COACHING. WELL, I THINK THAT\u2019S A TOUGH QUESTION BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT, YOU NEED GOOD PLAYERS TO WIN. YOU NEED YOU NEED CHEMISTRY. AND IT\u2019S NOT SO MUCH WHEN. JUST THINK OF THE PENGUINS LINEUP. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PENGUINS LINEUP IS, YEAH, AFTER SIDNEY CROSBY, EVGENY MALKIN. THERE IS A LOT OF GUYS THAT AREN\u2019T VERY WELL KNOWN AROUND THE LEAGUE. AND YOU LOOK AT NEW YORK\u2019S LINEUP, IT\u2019S CHEMISTRY. AND FOR SOME REASON, NEW YORK RANGERS HAVE NOT FOUND CHEMISTRY WITHIN THE LINEUP WHERE THEY CAN ROLL LINES LIKE, YOU KNOW, MIKE SULLIVAN IS GOT TO BE FEELING SOME PRESSURE ABOUT TRYING TO TURN THIS TEAM AROUND. BUT IF THE TEAM DOESN\u2019T HAVE CHEMISTRY WITH EACH OTHER, IT\u2019S HARD. AND THAT\u2019S WHEN THINGS START GOING SOUTH. THAT\u2019S WHEN GUYS IN GM START SELLING BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE CHANGES UNTIL THEY FIGURE IT OUT AND IT STARTS WITH USUALLY IT GOES FROM THE PLAYERS TO THE TO THE COACH, TO THE GM OR, YOU KNOW, THE COACH AND GM MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, BUT I ALWAYS FEEL CHEMISTRY MEANS MORE THAN TALENT BECAUSE THERE\u2019S A LOT OF TALENTED PLAYERS, A LOT OF TALENTED TEAMS THAT THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS KICKED THEIR –. AND IT\u2019S BECAUSE THE PENGUINS ARE ROLLING ALL FOUR. THEY\u2019RE GETTING DEPTH SCORING ALL THAT FUN STUFF. RIGHT NOW. MEANTIME, THE PENS, OF COURSE, ARE ON A ROLL. EIGHT POINTS IN EIGHT STRAIGHT ACTUALLY, THROUGH THE MONTH OF JANUARY, THEY\u2019VE ONLY LOST TWO GAMES IN REGULATION, WHICH IS JUST INCREDIBLE. THURSDAY NIGHT OF COURSE, THEY PLAYED RUDE HOST TO THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS. JUST A DOMINANT PERFORMANCE THERE BY THE PENS. CONNOR DWYER SCORED TWICE. ANTHONY MANTHA HAD A GOAL AND TWO ASSISTS. BEN KENDALL SCORED FOR THE THIRD TIME IN HIS LAST TWO GAMES. ARCHER SHIELDS SHE STOPPED 18 OF THE 20 SHOTS THAT CAME HIS WAY SIX TWO. THE FINAL IN A VERY LOPSIDED WIN FOR THE PENGUINS. AND WITH THAT, LET\u2019S TAKE A LOOK AT THE METROPOLITAN DIVISION STANDINGS COMING INTO TODAY\u2019S GAME. THE PENGUINS, CURRENTLY SECOND IN THE METRO IN STATISTICAL TIE WITH THE ISLANDERS, BOTH WITH 65 POINTS. THE PENS HAVE PLAYED TWO FEWER HOCKEY GAMES. KEEP THAT IN MIND PITTSBURGH STILL HAS 30 GAMES LEFT TO PLAY. AS YOU SEE, CAROLINA IS IN FIRST PLACE IN THE METROPOLITAN DIVISION. BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING HERE IS THAT THE PENGUINS ARE SIX POINTS AHEAD OF THE CAPITALS WITH THREE GAMES IN HAND. TOP THREE TEAMS IN EACH DIVISION MAKE THE PLAYOFFS, SO THE PLAYOFFS WERE TODAY. HURRICANES, PENGUINS, ISLANDERS WERE IN. HOW ABOUT THE VISITING RANGERS? 15 POINTS OUT OF THE PENGUINS AND THEN 21 BEHIND FIRST PLACE CAROLINA? ALL RIGHT GUYS, WE TALKED ABOUT MIKE SULLIVAN. YOU KNOW AND HIS IMPACT HE\u2019S HAD THERE. BUT I WANT TO ASK YOUR OPINION ON THE FLIP SIDE. BUT KIND OF THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT HOW MUCH CREDIT DO YOU GIVE HIM FOR WHAT HE\u2019S BEEN ABLE TO DO HIS FIRST SEASON HERE IN PITTSBURGH? IT\u2019S IT\u2019S PRETTY REMARKABLE FROM HONESTLY TURNING KRIS LETANG AND ERIK KARLSSON DID A BETTER PLAYERS, BETTER DEFENSIVE PLAYERS. THEY THEY ARE THE GUYS THAT THEY DIDN\u2019T HURT US LAST YEAR, BUT THEY DIDN\u2019T PLAY UNTIL I THINK THEIR STANDARD AND MUSE CAME IN, CALMED THEM DOWN, TOLD THEM EXACTLY WHAT HE EXPECTED FROM THAT D CORE. AND IT STARTED WITH THOSE GUYS. THOSE GUYS ARE HAVING GREAT YEARS FROM DEFENSIVELY GETTING THE JUST DOING ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT YOU HOPE FROM THOSE TWO GUYS, AND IT STARTS WITH DAN MUSE MAKING SURE THEY KNOW THEY GOT TO PLAY DEFENSE BEFORE OFFENSE AND THEN YOU GO TO FORWARDS. YOU LOOK AT THE PENGUINS LINEUP, WHAT\u2019S MAKING THEM WIN A LOT OF HOCKEY GAMES. CONNOR DWYER HAS GOT 12 GOALS AS A FOURTH LINE GUY. AND WHAT MAKES IT UNBELIEVABLE DAN MUSE IS GIVING GUYS OPPORTUNITY. HE\u2019S NOT LETTING THAT FOURTH LINE SIT THERE AND HAVE FIVE MINUTES OF ICE AND NOT BE AN IMPACT. THIS GUY IS GIVING RESPONSIBILITY TO AN 18 YEAR OLD AND BEN KENDALL AND BEN KENDALL HAS BEEN PLAYING UNBELIEVABLE AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT DAN HUGHES HAS COME IN AND HE\u2019S GIVEN CONFIDENCE THROUGHOUT HIS LINEUP AND THAT IS HUGE FOR A NEW COACH. AND THAT\u2019S REALLY REFRESHING FOR GUYS. MAYBE NOT LIKE SIDNEY CROSBY, BUT ALL THE GUYS THAT ARE THIRD AND FOURTH LINE GUYS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY. AND DAN HUGHES HAS SHOWED SO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN HIS DEPTH, PLAYERS AND CONTROLLING AND GETTING HIS TOP GUYS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE NEEDS FROM HIM. SO HE\u2019S BEEN HE\u2019S BEEN A GAME CHANGER. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, DOES A COACH HAVE A LOT OF SAY AND DOES HE CAN HE CHANGE THE CULTURE OF HOW TEAMS PLAY? YES. HE\u2019S GOT A BIG, BIG FOOTPRINT ON THAT. ALL RIGHT TYLER, MUCH MORE FROM YOU AND FROM YOU ASHLEY AS WELL. COMING UP ON PENGUINS ON FOR PREGAME. BUT WHEN WE COME BACK WE\u2019RE GOING ONE ON ONE WITH 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION CARL HAGELIN. GUYS KNEW THEIR ROLES. GUYS WERE EXCITED TO COME TO THE RINK AND EVERY SINGLE PLAYER DID WHATEVER IT TOOK TO TO BE A WINNER. HORNQVIST MUCH MORE WITH CARL HAGELIN. PART OF THAT FAMED HBK LINE. AND OF COURSE, WE\u2019LL BRING YOU TODAY\u2019S CEREMONY HONORING THE 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS WITH PENGUINS ON FOR PREGAME CONTINUES LIVE FROM PPG PAINTS ARENA. RIGHT HERE TO PPG PAINTS ARENA, YOU\u2019RE WATCHING PENGUINS ON FOR PREGAME AS THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS GET SET TO TAKE ON MIKE SULLIVAN AND HIS NEW YORK RANGERS. OF COURSE, WE ARE HERE TODAY AND THEY ARE HONORING THIS 2016 STANLEY CUP TEAM. ANDREW, YOU GOT A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH CARL HAGELIN EARLIER OR STAND UP RATHER FOR THE A LITTLE PREGAME EVENT THEY HAD EARLIER. BUT TYLER, I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TYPE OF LINE AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER. WELL I THINK THAT WAS HUGE FOR THEM. RIGHT. WHEN YOU THINK OF THE THE 16 PENGUINS, YOU THINK OF DEPTH. YOU THINK OF THAT THIRD LINE BECAUSE THEY WERE A FORCE. PHIL KESSEL WAS ON FIRE. THAT WHOLE TEAM CHEMISTRY, ALL THAT STUFF. AND THEN YOU THINK ABOUT MY YEAR IN ZERO NINE, YOU GOT TO HAVE DEPTH WHEN THE FIRST TWO LINES GET CANCELED OUT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A THREAT ON THE THIRD LINE. AND THAT\u2019S WHAT THAT HBK WAS. THEY WHEN THEY WENT ON THE ICE, THEY WEREN\u2019T JUST HANGING ON, THEY WERE THERE. THEY WERE SCORING BIG GOALS, HUGE GOALS, OVERTIME WINNER GOALS. AND THAT\u2019S WHAT MADE THEM SO CRUCIAL, SO IMPORTANT TO THAT TEAM WAS THAT OFFENSE. THEY BRING THAT EXTRA GEAR TO SECONDARY SCORING. AND EVEN LATELY WHEN YOU THINK OF THE FLORIDA PANTHERS, IT IS THAT DEPTH SCORING THROUGHOUT THE LINEUP AND THAT HBK LINE, I LIKE TO SAY IT WAS THE SECOND BEST THIRD LINE EVER, BUT THEY WERE UNBELIEVABLE. I GOT A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE H AND THE HBK LINE. CARL HAGELIN JUST A SHORT TIME AGO. CARL, FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT\u2019S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE YOU HOISTED LORD STANLEY\u2019S CUP? NO, WE GOT THE EMAIL. MAYBE. WHAT WAS IT SEVEN MONTHS AGO SAYING, HEY, IT\u2019S TEN YEAR REUNION, TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY COMING UP. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU THOUGHT, AM I THAT OLD NOW? BUT I GUESS THAT\u2019S WHAT I AM. BUT IT\u2019S IT\u2019S BEEN GREAT SO FAR. IT\u2019S AWESOME TO SEE ALL THE GUYS. SOME OF THEM I HAVEN\u2019T SEEN IN, YOU KNOW, EIGHT, NINE YEARS. AND IT\u2019S BEEN UNBELIEVABLE. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, I MEAN, YOU GUYS DON\u2019T GET A CHANCE TO REALLY GET TOGETHER. SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AS A GROUP YOU\u2019VE BEEN TOGETHER SINCE THE PARADE, I GUESS. YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. SOME OF THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU PLAY WITH SOME OF THEM THE YEAR AFTER, SOME OF THEM THE YEAR AFTER THAT. AND OTHER GUYS, I MEAN, YOU HAVEN\u2019T SEEN AT ALL SOME, SOME PEOPLE I SEE AROUND BECAUSE I\u2019M STILL INVOLVED IN HOCKEY AND, BUT OTHERS IT\u2019S, IT\u2019S AWESOME TO SEE THEM AS I GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT SEASON. IT DIDN\u2019T START OUT WELL. YOU KIND OF SLUMPED IN THE BEGINNING. CHANGE OF COACHES. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED THAT TURNED THINGS AROUND FOR THIS HOCKEY TEAM? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY HAVING A NEW HEAD COACH IS PART OF IT, BUT THERE HAD TO BE, I ASSUME, A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE AS WELL. YEAH, I MEAN, I WASN\u2019T THERE EARLY ON. I GOT TRADED THERE IN JANUARY AND I THINK I THINK THE TEAM WAS GOOD ENOUGH EARLY ON. THEY JUST DIDN\u2019T FIND THE GROOVE. AND SOMETIMES YOU NEED SOME ADVERSITY EARLY ON TO FIND THAT GROOVE. AND I THINK THAT\u2019S WHAT IT DID AND EVERYTHING JUST CLICKED THERE. AND I THINK IN FEBRUARY GUYS KNEW THEIR ROLES. GUYS WERE EXCITED TO COME TO THE RINK AND EVERY SINGLE PLAYER DID WHATEVER IT TOOK TO TO BE A WINNER. SPEAKING OF CLICKING THE HBK LINE, THAT WAS THE LINE THAT YEAR THAT TURNED EVERYTHING AROUND, BUT I GUESS IT KIND OF FORMED BY ACCIDENT. WASN\u2019T LIKE YOU PLANNED TO HAVE YOU THREE TOGETHER. YOU AND PHIL KESSEL AND NICK BONINO AS A GROUP. I KNOW EXACTLY WHEN I GOT HERE, I PLAYED WITH PHIL AND GINO AND THEN GINO GOT HURT AND THEN SOLID JUST KIND OF PUT ME, PHIL AND BONES TOGETHER AND I THINK OUR FIRST COUPLE GAMES WERE AVERAGE AND THEN WE HAD A GOOD GAME IN DETROIT. I THINK THOSE TWO HAD LIKE 4 OR 5 POINTS EACH. I HAD TWO GOALS AND AFTER THAT IT JUST KIND OF WE PLAYED. WE PLAYED FREE, AS YOU SAY. WE JUST FELT GOOD GOING INTO EVERY SINGLE GAME. HOW ABOUT ALL THE ATTENTION THE HBK LINE GOT? I MEAN, IT BECAME BIGGER THAN THE TEAM IN SOME RESPECTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE ATTENTION YOU GOT LOCALLY AND NATIONWIDE. YEAH, I THINK BACK THEN, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL MEDIA WAS BIG, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS NOW. SO WHEN YOU WERE A PLAYER, YOU DIDN\u2019T THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. YOU WERE SO FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS GOING ON ON THE ICE. BUT, I MEAN, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN WITH THE HBK SANDWICH. HBK COMING TO THE GAMES, I DON\u2019T KNOW, IT WAS AWESOME. LET\u2019S LOOK AT THAT PLAYOFF RUN. I MEAN, IT WAS REMARKABLE. WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU IN THAT RUN TO THE STANLEY CUP? I THINK ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT EVERY SINGLE PLAYER DID, WE HAD A LOT OF COURAGE ON THIS TEAM. WE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD AND WE WEREN\u2019T AFRAID TO LOSE. WE WERE JUST READY TO WIN EVERY GAME. WE DID WHATEVER IT TOOK AND I THINK THOSE THOSE ATTRIBUTES AND QUALITIES ON EVERY SINGLE PLAYER WAS AWESOME. KNOCKING OUT THE CAPITALS IN THAT FINAL GAME OF THAT SERIES, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, THE FEELING, THE EMOTION, NICK SCORING THE GOAL AND JUST HOW THIS PLACE ERUPTED THAT DAY. YEAH, I MEAN, THEY HAD SUCH A GOOD TEAM. I THOUGHT THAT WAS LIKE THE ONE TEAM THAT YOU HAD TO BEAT TO TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO THE STANLEY CUP AND WIN THE STANLEY CUP AND HARD FOUGHT BATTLE AND THEN BONES GETTING THAT THAT GAME WINNER IN OT WAS A RELIEF. FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON\u2019T KNOW WHAT THE FEELING IS LIKE WHEN YOU\u2019VE WORKED SO HARD, YOU\u2019VE GONE THROUGH FOUR PLAYOFF SERIES AND YOU FINALLY ARE ABLE TO LIFT THE CUP. WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE? WHEN YOU\u2019RE THE STANLEY CUP IN YOUR HAND, YOU\u2019RE SKATING AROUND THE ICE? YEAH, I THINK YOUR BRAIN JUST GOES EMPTY AT THE TIME. YOU\u2019RE SO TIRED, BUT YOU\u2019RE SO EXCITED. EVERYTHING YOU WORK FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE, JUST KIND OF YOU CAN YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT AND FEEL IT. AND JUST DOING THAT WITH A GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS WAS SOMETHING YOU NEVER FORGET. AND YOU LOOK BACK TEN YEARS LATER ON THAT MOMENT, IS IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO YOU? DOES IT MEAN EVEN MORE NOW THAN IT DID MAYBE AT THAT TIME? I THINK SO. YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME YOU\u2019RE SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CELEBRATE FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN YOU\u2019RE LIKE, OKAY, WHAT\u2019S NEXT? YOU\u2019RE GOING TO BE LIKE, NOW YOU\u2019RE KIND OF YOU\u2019RE NOT PLAYING ANYMORE. YOU THINK ABOUT THESE MOMENTS, YOU REMINISCE AND IT BRINGS YOU A LOT OF JOY FINALLY, TO BE WITH THESE GUYS ONCE AGAIN. WHAT\u2019S THE FEELING LIKE WHEN YOU\u2019RE IN THAT ROOM? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT? WHAT MEMORIES ARE YOU SHARING? WELL, A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEMORIES. THERE\u2019S A LOT OF JOKES GOING ON AND A LOT OF LAUGHTER. YOU CAN JUST SEE THE POSITIVITY AND THE HOW MUCH FUN EVERYONE IS HAVING. AND IT\u2019S GREAT TO BE AROUND WINNERS. WELL, IT\u2019S GREAT TO HAVE YOU BACK. CONGRATULATIONS ON TEN YEARS AGO AND ENJOY THE DAY. IT REALLY IS YOUR DAY WILL DO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CARL HAGELIN IT\u2019S HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN I SAW THOSE GUYS GATHERING, THEY DON\u2019T LOOK ANY DIFFERENT. THEY LOOK THE SAME. IT\u2019S BEEN TEN YEARS. I LIKE TO THINK THE SAME. I THINK WE LOOK THE SAME AS TEN YEARS AGO. I DON\u2019T KNOW, HE\u2019S GOT GREAT HAIR AND IT HASN\u2019T CHANGED. HE\u2019S. HE LOOKS GREAT. BUT THAT HBK LINE FROM HIM AND KESSEL, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE TWO FASTEST BACK ONE TWO ON THE THIRD LINE I\u2019VE EVER SEEN. AND THAT\u2019S WHAT MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL. ALL RIGHT. WHEN PENGUINS ON FOR PREGAME CONTINUES LIVE FROM THE ARENA. WE\u2019RE GOING TO GO ONE ON ONE WITH ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE HBK LINE NICK BONINO. CAN I ASK FOR YOUR BEST IMPRESSION OF IT? BONINO. BENITO. BONINO, BONINO. THERE YOU GO. NOW AN ASSISTANT COACH OF THE PENGUINS. WE\u2019LL TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT TRANSITION AND HOW HE GOT THE JOB. WHEN WE COME BACK. BANANA. NICK BONINO. THERE YOU GO. THE GREAT HON RYAN SINGH CELEBRATING THE FAMOUS BONINO CALL. GUYS I COUNTED IT IS TEN BONINO BEFORE NICK BONINO. YES, I DID COUNT WHEN I IN MY RESEARCH, MY VERY THOROUGH RESEARCH THERE. NICK BONINO NOW OF COURSE BOUNCING AROUND A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT, BUT NOW HE HAS LANDED BACK HERE IN PITTSBURGH, BUT THIS TIME AS AN ASSISTANT COACH, I GOT A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM EARLIER THIS WEEK TO DIVE INTO IT ALL. TAKE A LISTEN. FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR JOINING US. I GOT TO ASK YOU, HOW MANY TIMES A DAY DO YOU HEAR THE BONINO, BONINO, BONINO CALL. IT\u2019S IT\u2019S LESSENED OVER THE YEARS I THINK RIGHT WHEN IT HAPPENED IT WAS EVERYWHERE. EVEN THE NEXT COUPLE SEASONS, GUYS ON THE OTHER TEAM WOULD SAY IT AND OBVIOUSLY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IT REALLY TOOK OFF. SO NOT A TON ANYMORE, BUT DEFINITELY LIKE EVEN AT THE NIGHT OF THE ASSISTS THE OTHER NIGHT, IT\u2019S PEOPLE ARE SAYING IT, SO YOU GOTTA FEEL CAN I ASK FOR YOUR BEST IMPRESSION OF IT? BONINO BONINO BONINO BONINO THERE YOU GO. GOOD. HAVE YOU MET THE BROADCASTER WHO DID IT? I DID, YEAH. HARNARAYAN SINGH, HE\u2019S AN AWESOME GUY. ACTUALLY BANANA, BANANA, NOBODY. NOBODY. NICK BONINO CAME INTO THE ROOM WHEN WE WERE GETTING READY FOR LIKE OUR CUP PICTURE RIGHT BEFORE THE PARADE. AND, AND THE BOYS LOVED IT. BUT HE\u2019S GOT A REALLY COOL STORY. HE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HIS JOURNEY. AND, YOU KNOW, AS LIKE A PUNJABI HOCKEY ANNOUNCER, JUST HIS JOURNEY TO WHERE HE IS NOW. SO YEAH, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO MEET HIM. AWESOME. SO THAT WAS YOUR PLAYING DAYS. YOU ARE NOW A COACH. TAKE ME THROUGH KIND OF HOW THIS ALL CAME TO BE. YEAH, I PLAYED FOR MERCER AND DAN MOOSE FOR EVERYONE IN NASHVILLE FOR THREE YEARS. RIGHT AFTER HERE. AND YOU KNOW, JUST JUST ENJOYED OBVIOUSLY ENJOYED PLAYING FOR HIM AT THAT POINT. HAD MADE A MENTION A COUPLE TIMES. HE SAID IF I WHEN I GET A HEAD COACHING JOB, I\u2019M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CALL. AND I THINK IT\u2019S ALWAYS EASY TO SAY THAT. AND PLAYED FOR HIM AGAIN IN NEW YORK. AND THEN THIS SUMMER I WAS ACTUALLY HAVING A GREAT TIME PLAYING IN EUROPE. THE FAMILY, WE WERE OVER THERE IN SLOVENIA AND HE GAVE ME A CALL AND SAID, I GOT THE PENGUINS JOB. WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? AND IS THIS SOMETHING YOU\u2019D BE INTERESTED IN DOING? AND JUST A REALLY COOL OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO INTO COACHING. I FELT LIKE AS MY CAREER KIND OF GOT TO THE END, I\u2019D ALWAYS BEEN A GUY WHO REALLY LIKES TO THINK THE GAME, AND I THINK ESPECIALLY IN EUROPE, I WAS, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUT A BIT WITH THAT STUFF AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE A REALLY GOOD FIT AND A REALLY GOOD TIME. AND LIKE I SAID, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FROM HIM. YEAH. DID I SEE HE CALLED YOU ON DAY ONE? HE DID. YEAH HE DID. AND I SAW HIS, HIS HIS NUMBER ON MY PHONE. AND AS I ANSWERED I WAS I KIND OF MINIMIZED THE CALL. I PUT HIM ON SPEAKER AND I WAS CHECKING THE THE PENGUINS INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT BECAUSE I HAD A I KNEW HE WAS UP FOR IT, BUT I HADN\u2019T. I HADN\u2019T SPOKEN TO HIM SINCE, I DON\u2019T KNOW, FOR MONTHS. AND WHEN I SAW HIM CALL, I SAID, OH, MAYBE, MAYBE HE DID GET IT. AND HE DID. AND REALLY COOL THAT HE, YOU KNOW, THE SON WE TALKED ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME. WAS IT AN EASY DECISION FOR YOU TO TO COME BACK AND MOVE INTO THAT ROUTE PRETTY QUICKLY? IT WASN\u2019T AS EASY AS AS YOU\u2019D THINK. LIKE, I\u2019M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND I\u2019M LOVING IT. BUT TO RETIRE FROM A GAME, YOU KNOW, YOU PLAYED YOUR WHOLE LIFE, THAT WAS REALLY TOUGH. AND ESPECIALLY THE EXPERIENCE WE HAD IN SLOVENIA WITH THE TEAM. THE KIDS HAD AN AMAZING SCHOOL THERE, AND MY WIFE AND I LOVED IT. SO IT WASN\u2019T REALLY A 1 OR 2 YEAR DECISION. IT WAS MORE OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, A CAREER DECISION. AND I\u2019M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL AND FORTUNATE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE IMMEDIATELY COACHING IN THE NHL. SO A LOT OF FACTORS WENT INTO IT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT\u2019S JUST ESPECIALLY PITTSBURGH. I THINK THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING. MY MEMORIES HERE AND A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND BE MYSELF RIGHT AWAY. I\u2019M I\u2019M PRETTY, I DON\u2019T KNOW, I\u2019M, I\u2019M MYSELF AND I KNOW GOING SOMEWHERE MAYBE I DIDN\u2019T KNOW ANY GUYS BE A LITTLE SUBDUED. I THINK HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY KNOW ME. THEY\u2019VE THEY\u2019VE SOME OF THEM HAVE ONE WITH ME AND I CAN JUST BE MYSELF AND PUT MYSELF OUT THERE. ARE YOU KIND OF AT PEACE WITH THAT DECISION TO KIND OF HANG UP THE SKATES AND MOVE INTO THIS? NOW WE\u2019RE A FEW MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, I THINK. SO I THINK I THINK EVERYONE WHO RETIRES, I THINK THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD PROBABLY PLAY FOREVER. LIKE, I FEEL LIKE I COULD BE PLAYING PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY, LIKE WE DID HAVE A DEAL. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT MY BODY IS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT HAPPIER. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN NHL SEASON. THERE\u2019S NOTHING LIKE IT. AND IT\u2019S RIGOROUS AND IT\u2019S LONG AND I THINK, YEAH, I THINK PHYSICALLY I\u2019M PROBABLY GRATEFUL THAT THAT I GO TO BED AT NIGHT NOT BLOCKING ANY MORE SHOTS. AND, AND AND SLEEPING WELL. BUT IS IT TOUGH TO KIND OF NOT BE OUT THERE DOING WHAT YOU DID FOR SO LONG? ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE AND THE TOUGHEST PART IS, IS SEEING LIKE THE CAMARADERIE. I WAS ALWAYS A I FELT LIKE I WAS ALWAYS PRETTY GOOD IN THE LOCKER ROOM. I WAS I TRY TO KEEP IT POSITIVE, KEEP IT LIGHT, BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN IT\u2019S TIME TO GO, YOU KNOW, BE READY TO PLAY. BUT I DON\u2019T KNOW IF I SHOULD SHARE WHAT IT\u2019S I GUESS I THOUGHT LIKE THERE\u2019S LIKE A BROTHERHOOD IN THE LOCKER ROOM WITH THE PLAYERS. YEAH. AND THERE\u2019S NOTHING YOU\u2019RE GONNA DO TO GET INTO IT, EVEN IF YOU PLAYED WITH THEM. AND THAT\u2019S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. AND I FEEL LIKE THE COACHES ARE THE I\u2019VE BEEN SAYING THEY\u2019RE KIND OF LIKE THE UNCLES. I\u2019VE ACTUALLY NEVER REALLY SAID IT, BUT WE\u2019RE LIKE, THEY\u2019RE TRYING TO BE I\u2019M TRYING TO BE LIKE THE FUN UNCLE, BUT WE\u2019RE THERE. WE\u2019RE PART OF THE FAMILY. YOU\u2019RE THE FAMILY, BUT YOU\u2019RE YOU\u2019RE NOT INTO EVERYTHING. AND THAT\u2019S GOOD. LIKE, THE PLAYERS NEED THAT AND YOU\u2019RE ALWAYS TOGETHER AND YOU\u2019RE YOU\u2019RE WORKING TOWARDS THE SAME GOAL. BUT I THINK FOR ME, YOU HAD LIKE 20 BROTHERS AND YOU EXPERIENCED SO MUCH WITH THEM. I THINK THAT\u2019S ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT WINNING IS LIKE TAKEN AWAY. SO THAT I THINK, FOR ME IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES, IS SEEING THE JOY THAT THEY HAVE TOGETHER. AND IT\u2019S OKAY NOT TO BE INCLUDED IN IT. LIKE WE SHOULDN\u2019T BE. BUT IT\u2019S JUST IT\u2019S JUST DIFFERENT SEEING THAT FROM THIS ANGLE. UNCLE, ARE YOU UNCLE OR. NO, JUST A DAD. YEAH, I\u2019M A UNCLE. ALL RIGHT, THERE WE GO. WE ARE JUST DISCUSSING FUN, UNCLE NICK. THERE. FUNKO. NICK! FUNKO! YEAH! YES, YES, WE ALL HOPE WE ARE RIGHT. AND I THINK. BUT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSITION THERE INTO COACHING. AND HE SAID THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BEING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THAT BROTHERHOOD. AND YOU CAN ATTEST THERE\u2019S THAT BROTHERHOOD THAT YOU ARE NOT GETTING INTO THAT GROUP OF GUYS, OF PLAYERS. SO HE\u2019S ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE I THINK HE\u2019S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT ALL WORK. IT\u2019S DEFINITELY A TRANSITION FOR HIM. AND HE HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION RELATIVELY QUICKLY. HE WAS PLAYING OVERSEAS AND KIND OF HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO HANG UP THE SKATES. SO NEVER REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO SIT WITH EVERYTHING. AND I THINK HE\u2019S TAKING HIS TIME AND DOING THAT NOW. YEAH, IT\u2019S PRETTY SPECIAL TO HEAR HIS VIEW. RIGHT. THE UNCLE AND YOU KNOW HOW SPECIAL THAT GROUP IS BECAUSE IN THE ROOM, COACHES DON\u2019T HEAR WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN THOSE DOORS ARE CLOSED OR WHEN THINGS ARE QUIET. BUT TO HEAR HIM TALK ABOUT HOW THEY KIND OF LOOK FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, AND IT HAS TO COME FROM IN THE ROOM IS VERY SPECIAL. AND HIM TALKING ABOUT HOW MUSE IS, HE\u2019S GUIDING HIM HOW TO BE A REALLY GOOD ASSISTANT COACH LIKE MUSE IS DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE TEAM, BUT HE\u2019S ALSO DOING A GREAT JOB WITH RICHARD CLUNE, WITH BONINO TEACHING THEM HOW TO BE A GREAT COACH, A GREAT ASSISTANT COACH IN THE NHL. AND IT\u2019S HARD FOR GUYS THAT PLAYED BECAUSE YOU WANT TO GET YOUR SKATES ON, YOU WANT TO BE THERE, BUT YOU HAVE TO SIT BACK AND LET THE GUYS FIND THE CHEMISTRY, LET THE GUYS DO IT ON THE ICE WHERE YOU KIND OF STEP BACK. SO IT WAS A GREAT EXPLANATION. BUT HEARING HIM TALK, IT\u2019S SO FUN TO HEAR HOW EXCITED HE IS TO BE HERE, HOW HE\u2019S LEARNING SO MUCH IN THE FIRST YEAR. AND HE\u2019S GOT TO BE THINKING THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION WITH HOW THE TEAM IS PLAYING. AND SPEAKING OF MUSE, HE SAID EVGENI MALKIN, THEIR GAME TIME DECISION, WE DO SEE HIM THERE ON THE ICE. NO OFFICIAL WORD. SO WE\u2019LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT HE WILL BE MAKING AN APPEARANCE. BUT HE IS TAKING WARM UPS ON THE ICE RIGHT NOW. AND AS YOU TAKE A LIVE LOOK AT SIDNEY CROSBY ON THE ICE RIGHT NOW, WE\u2019RE GOING TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO THE NEW YORK RANGERS, WHO DROPPED FIVE OF THEIR LAST SIX, TEN OF THEIR LAST 13. FORMER PENGUINS HEAD COACH, NOW RANGERS HEAD COACH MIKE SULLIVAN SPOKE A FEW MOMENTS AGO. HERE\u2019S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY UPON HIS RETURN TO PITTSBURGH TODAY. FEEL A LITTLE MORE NORMAL THIS TIME COMING BACK HERE AS OPPOSED TO THE FIRST TIME AS AN OPPOSING COACH. YEAH, YOU KNOW, I THINK ANYTIME YOU KNOW, WHETHER A PLAYER OR COACH SPENDS AS MUCH TIME AS AS I SPENT HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE\u2019S ALWAYS A IT\u2019S ALWAYS A, I GUESS, A DIFFERENT FEELING WHEN YOU WALK, WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, I INVESTED A LOT IN IN THE TIME THAT I WAS HERE AND IT WAS SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I WAS GIVEN HERE TO WORK WITH THE TEAM THAT I HAD. AND WE WE BUILT A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE WAY THAT THEY\u2019RE PLAYING THIS SEASON? THEIR POSITION IN THE STANDINGS? I MEAN, MAYBE THERE WERE SOME OUTSIDE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, AGING GUYS, MAYBE THEY TAKE A LITTLE STEP BACK, BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY\u2019RE RIGHT IN THE THICK OF IT. SO DOES ANY OF THAT SURPRISE YOU? IT DOESN\u2019T SURPRISE ME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THOSE THE THE CORE GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AS LONG AS THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR UNIQUE GROUP. AND, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE AGING, THEY\u2019RE STILL ELITE LEVEL PLAY IN THEIR GAME. AND IT YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S DRIVEN BY BY SID THEIR CAPTAIN. AND SO YOU KNOW, IT DOESN\u2019T SURPRISE ME. NO IT DOESN\u2019T I THINK I THINK THEY\u2019VE DONE A GREAT JOB AS FAR AS BECOMING A TEAM. AND SOME OF THE SOME OF THE YOUNG GUYS THEY ADDED AND SOME OF THE PIECES THEY ADDED ALONG THE WAY. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THE TOP LINE THAT THEY, THEY DRIVE, THEY\u2019RE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE TEAM AND, AND HAVE BEEN FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ELEMENTS ARE IN PLAY. THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD. THEY\u2019RE GETTING SAVES. IT\u2019S A GOOD RECIPE THAT GIVE YOU HOPE FOR YOUR SITUATION WITH THE RANGERS RIGHT NOW. WELL, I THINK IT\u2019S I THINK IT\u2019S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TO CERTAINLY GO TO SCHOOL ON SOME OF THESE TEAMS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, RE REBUILDS OR RE SOMETHINGS, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO USE. YOU KNOW THESE I THINK I THINK KYLE HAS DONE A, DONE A GOOD JOB AS FAR AS BUILDING A CERTAIN STRATEGY AND TRYING TO EXECUTE IT. AND THEY\u2019RE STILL IN THE PROCESS AND BUT THEY\u2019RE HAVING A REALLY GOOD YEAR. AND AND SO I THINK THERE\u2019S THERE\u2019S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO GO TO SCHOOL ON THOSE THINGS. WE\u2019D BE FOOLISH NOT TO. AND YOU KNOW, THIS THIS ONE MIGHT BE THE LATEST, THE THE LATEST OPPORTUNITY, BUT THERE\u2019S OTHERS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THAT THAT HAVE DONE SIMILAR THINGS. AND, AND WE\u2019RE CERTAINLY LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE SCENARIOS NOW, KRIS LETANG FOR THEM TODAY. JUST HOW DIFFERENT IS THAT TEAM LOOK WHEN THEY\u2019RE MISSING ONE OF THE BIG THREE? YEAH. HE SAID LISTEN HE\u2019S A HE\u2019S A GREAT PLAYER. HE\u2019S A FIERCE COMPETITOR. YOU KNOW HE HE CAN DRIVE OFFENSE FROM THE BLUE LINE. HE DEFENDS REALLY HARD. I DON\u2019T THINK HE GETS THE CREDIT HE DESERVES FOR HOW HARD HE DEFENDS. HE\u2019S A FIERCE, FIERCE COMPETITOR AND HE DOESN\u2019T SHY AWAY FROM PHYSICAL PLAY. AND YOU KNOW THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I WAS HERE HE LED OUR TEAM IN HITS. YOU KNOW IT\u2019S JUST AN INDICATION OF HIS PHYSICAL PLAY AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO COMPETE. SO YEAH, HE\u2019S HE\u2019S A GOOD PLAYER. WELCOME BACK. FIRST OF ALL, TAKE ME THROUGH THE EMOTIONS OF TOUCHING DOWN HERE YESTERDAY. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS WEEKEND I\u2019M HONORING THIS TEAM. TEN YEARS AGO. YEAH. IT\u2019S I DON\u2019T KNOW. IT\u2019S IT. WE\u2019VE BUILT SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES HERE, YOU KNOW, I COULDN\u2019T BE MORE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT I WAS GIVEN HERE. AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY FOR AS LONG AS I WAS ABLE TO STAY WITH THE GROUP. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU SPEND THAT MUCH TIME WITH IN PARTICULAR THE CORE GUYS, YOU KNOW, YOU BUILD RELATIONSHIPS OVER THOSE YEARS AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS LAST A LIFETIME. AND SO I SO ENJOYED COACHING THIS TEAM. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO WIN A COUPLE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS TOGETHER. AND I THINK WHEN YOU WHEN YOU WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS, THERE\u2019S SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE TEAMS THAT GALVANIZES RELATIONSHIPS. AND I THINK THOSE RELATIONSHIPS LAST LIFETIMES. AND I THINK IT\u2019S BECAUSE IT\u2019S SO IT\u2019S SO — HARD TO WIN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT TEAM THAT THEY\u2019RE CELEBRATING TODAY, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS ADMIRED ABOUT THAT GROUP WAS, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY FOR ME, REPRESENT THE GOLD STANDARD OF OF WHAT A WINNING TEAM LOOKS LIKE. YOU KNOW, THE COMBINATION OF, OF SPEED SKILL. BUT MAYBE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS THAT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED WAS THEIR TOUGHNESS. AND I THINK THAT TEAM PERSONIFIES TOUGHNESS. AND WE DIDN\u2019T HAVE A TOUGH GUY ON THE TEAM. BUT THEIR WILLINGNESS TO PLAY THROUGH WHATEVER CAME THEIR WAY TO WIN WAS IMPRESSIVE TO WATCH, AND I ADMIRE THAT GROUP. AND I THINK ABOUT THE ATTRIBUTES THAT THAT GROUP HAD AND WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE OF IT. AND WHEN WE\u2019RE GOING THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE\u2019RE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WITH THE RANGERS, I CERTAINLY DRAW ON THOSE EXPERIENCES AND SHARE THOSE INSIGHTS WITH OUR GROUP. AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE\u2019RE GOING TO TRY TO BUILD HERE, THAT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE SUSTAINABLE AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SUCCESS. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY OF THE GUYS YET? I DID, THEY HAD A THEY HAD AN EVENT LAST NIGHT WITH, WITH THE PLAYERS. AND SO I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME WITH THEM LAST NIGHT. JIM RUTHERFORD WAS THERE ALSO, WHO I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR. YOU KNOW, HE WAS THE ARCHITECT OF THAT TEAM IN SO MANY WAYS. AND IT WAS IT WAS A LOT OF FUN TO GO SEE THEM. YOU. WE ASK YOU ALL THE TIME HOW THE PLAYERS ARE HANDLING THIS STRETCH THAT THE RANGERS ARE GOING THROUGH AND THE RETOOL AND ALL THAT. BUT HOW ARE YOU HANDLING IT? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP? YEAH I\u2019M FINE. YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S IT\u2019S A IT\u2019S A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE. AND SO WE ARE WHERE WE ARE. AND YOU KNOW, WE\u2019RE GOING TO KEEP DIGGING IN HERE. WE\u2019RE GOING TO TRY TO RALLY AROUND ONE ANOTHER AND CONTROL WHAT WE CAN. AND WE\u2019RE GOING TO TRY TO WIN THE GAME RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S IT\u2019S A DIFFERENT SITUATION. I YOU KNOW, I\u2019D BE LYING IF I DIDN\u2019T TELL YOU OTHERWISE, BUT I THINK OUR GUYS HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB. AND JUST TRYING TO COMPARTMENTALIZE THEIR EMOTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, AND WHEN THE PUCK DROPS, TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST TO COMPETE AND PLAY THE GAME THE RIGHT WAY. RANGERS HEAD COACH MIKE SULLIVAN, AS MUCH AS HE WANTS TO COMPLIMENT EVERYBODY IN THAT 2016 TEAM, IF HE DOESN\u2019T COME IN MID-SEASON, MAYBE THAT CUP DOESN\u2019T HAPPEN, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY WERE STRUGGLING BEFORE, RIGHT? HE COMES IN AND FOR A GOOD A GOOD HEAD COACH KNOWS HOW TO GET GUYS BACK ON THE TRACKS RIGHT. SOME GUYS VEER OFF THE TRACKS WHEN THEY DON\u2019T PLAY WELL. HE DID A GREAT JOB OF GETTING EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLE WAS ON THE TEAM. YOU HEAR BONINO. YOU HEAR ALL THESE HAGELIN ALL THESE GUYS TALKING ABOUT COACH AND HOW HE GOT THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE EXPECTED. AND THAT\u2019S WHAT A GREAT COACH IS. MIKE SULLIVAN IS A GREAT COACH. AND THIS WHEN WHEN GUYS GET HIRED IN THE NHL, THEY GET HIRED TO BE FIRED RIGHT AGAIN. THAT. BUT MIKE SULLIVAN IS A GREAT COACH, AND HE POINTED THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP. ALL RIGHT. COMING UP ON PENGUINS ON FOR PREGAME. WE\u2019RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE OTHER HEAD COACH DAN HUGHES AN INJURY UPDATE AND HIS THOUGHTS ON THE 2016 PENGUINS DEPENDS ON FOR PREGAME CONTINUES LIVE FROM THE ARWELCOME BACK TO PPG PAINTS AT THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. GETTING SET TO TAKE ON MIKE SULLIVAN AND THE NEW YORK RANGERS. YOU\u2019RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE ICE RIGHT NOW AS WARM UPS ARE UNDERWAY. KENNY MALKIN ON THE ICE TAKING WARMUPS. STILL YET TO BE DECIDED, BUT ALL SIGNS POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR HIM BEING A GAME TIME DECISION. NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THE 2016 CUP CHAMPS ARE IN THE BUILDING. THE PENGUINS POSTING THIS PICTURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. MARC-ANDRE FLEURY PASCAL PAOLI, PATRIC HORNQVIST, CHRIS KUNITZ AMONG THOSE HERE FOR TODAY\u2019S FESTIVITIES. NOW, PENS HEAD COACH DAN MUSE SPEAKING WITH THE MEDIA JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO. OF COURSE, SPEAKING OUT ON KRIS LETANG, WHO WE FOUND OUT DOES HAVE THAT FOOT INJURY. AND IF KENNY MALKIN AS A GAME TIME DECISION, TAKE A LISTEN. KENNY, GAME TIME DECISION WITH CHRIS. WAS THAT AN AILMENT THAT SIDELINED HIM FOR THE TWO GAMES LAST WEEK, OR IS THIS A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DIFFERENT? YEAH. NO. HE\u2019S IN THE LAST GAME THERE AND STARTING GOALIE SKINNER. HOW IMPORTANT DOES WU-TANG\u2019S ABSENCE EVEN IF THIS GUY PLAYS ON THE OTHER SIDE, HOW IMPORTANT DOES THAT MAKE THE ILYA SOLOVYOV TRADE COMING WHEN IT DID. YEAH, NO. AND OBVIOUSLY WITH, YOU KNOW, GETTING A GAME NOW TOO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE LIKE GETTING SOME PRACTICES, GETTING TO WATCH, GETTING COMFORTABLE. THESE THINGS HAPPEN. AND SO YOU KNOW I THINK IT\u2019S IT\u2019S NICE WHEN YOU HAVE DEPTH YOU WANT TO HAVE THAT. AND IT\u2019S I\u2019VE SAID IT BEFORE AND SAY IT AGAIN. YOU KNOW INJURIES COME UP. IT\u2019S THE NEXT MAN UP AND TAKING THOSE MINUTES. AND IT\u2019S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GUYS. DAN YOU SAID LETTERKENNY IS GAME TIME. BUT HE\u2019S YOU KNOW DEALT WITH THINGS THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. JUST HOW IMPRESSIVE HAS IT BEEN THE OUTPUT THAT HE HAS HAD THIS SEASON, GIVEN THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN BATTLING SOME THINGS? I MEAN, EVERYTHING HE\u2019S DONE HAS BEEN IMPRESSIVE. I MEAN, TO BE DOING WHAT HE\u2019S BEEN DOING FOR AS LONG AS HE HAS, IT\u2019S INCREDIBLE. IT\u2019S NOTHING SHORT OF INCREDIBLE. THE LEVEL THAT HE\u2019S PLAYING AT. IT\u2019S A HUGE CREDIT TO HIM AND HIS PREPARATION AND JUST EVERYTHING THAT HE\u2019S BEEN DOING AND BEEN DOING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. IT DOES. IT NEVER STOPS BEING IMPRESSIVE. WHAT HE\u2019S DONE. THE RANGERS ARE STRUGGLING THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT CHALLENGES DO THEY STILL PRESENT? I THINK I MEAN, THEY GOT SOME DANGEROUS PLAYERS OVER THERE. YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S A GROUP OBVIOUSLY I KNOW FROM THEIR PREVIOUS TWO YEARS AS AN ASSISTANT COACH. YOU KNOW THEY GOT THEY GOT SOME FIREPOWER THERE UP FRONT. YOU KNOW I KNOW THAT THEY\u2019RE DEALING WITH SOME INJURIES, BUT THEY STILL HAVE SOME D THAT CAN BE INVOLVED. YOU KNOW. AND SO I THINK YEAH IT\u2019S FOR US. WE\u2019VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THE FOCUS IS ON US. IT HAS TO BE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPPONENT. YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. THERE\u2019S LITTLE DIFFERENCES FROM GAME TO GAME. BUT THIS IS A NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE AND EVERY TEAM HAS GOT SOME VERY DANGEROUS PLAYERS. THEY GOT SOME SOME REALLY DANGEROUS GUYS. SO WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOCUS IS ON US PLAYING OUR GAME, US DEFENDING THE RIGHT WAY, TAKING AWAY TIME AND SPACE. AND YOU KNOW, FOR US IT\u2019S EVERY EVERY GAME, YOU KNOW, HAS MEANING RIGHT NOW. AND SO IT\u2019S WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO STAY FOCUSED. AND THE GROUP HAS DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. YOU CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 2016 CUP TEAM TODAY. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE SOME THINGS LIKE THAT THIS YEAR. MARC-ANDRE FLEURY IN THE PRESEASON, THE TEAM HALL OF FAME WITH KEVIN STEVENS AND OTHERS. HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT WHEN YOU\u2019RE TRYING TO, AS A NEWER COACH, TRY TO ESTABLISH WHAT YOU WANT THIS FRANCHISE TO BE? MOVING FORWARD? IT\u2019S IT\u2019S AWESOME. I MEAN, FOR, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE GUYS COMING BACK AND I THINK FOR, YOU KNOW, WITH US RIGHT NOW, HAVING, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF GUYS THAT WERE ON THAT TEAM AND GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THAT JUST INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT. AND THEN FOR THOSE AND THEN FOR THE PLAYERS THAT WEREN\u2019T A PART OF IT, ALSO JUST TO BE ABLE TO SEE IT, TO FEEL IT, TO SEE HOW STILL IS TO EVERYBODY. AND, YOU KNOW, SO IT\u2019S THERE\u2019S HUGE BENEFITS TO IT FOR SURE. I\u2019M EXCITED FOR EVERYBODY IN THE ORGANIZATION THAT\u2019S STILL HERE THAT GETS TO CELEBRATE. AND EVERYBODY THAT WAS A PART OF THAT. THAT TEAM COMING BACK. AND SO OBVIOUSLY A SPECIAL DAY FOR ALL OF THEM. AND I THINK A SPECIAL DAY FOR THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION. DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT WATCHING THAT TEAM IN 2016? YEAH, NO, I DO I WAS LIVING IN CHICAGO AT THE TIME. IT\u2019S YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S OBVIOUSLY YEAH, IT WAS A WHILE AGO I WAS COACHING JUNIOR HOCKEY. AND YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT\u2019S, YOU KNOW, OUR SEASON WAS OVER. SO YOU\u2019RE GLUED TO THE TV, YOU\u2019RE WATCHING EVERY GAME. YOU KNOW, MY MY, MY TWO OF MY KIDS WERE ALIVE AT THAT POINT. AND I REMEMBER WATCHING THERE WITH THEM. I DON\u2019T THINK THEY REMEMBER MUCH. BUT YOU KNOW, IT WAS OBVIOUSLY IT WAS IT WAS A SPECIAL GROUP. AND IT WAS GREAT TO SEE. AND IT\u2019S GREAT TO BE CELEBRATING TEN YEARS LATER. WITH CHRIS ABSENT YESTERDAY, RYAN SHAY WAS WORKING ON THE SECOND POWER PLAY UNIT. I DON\u2019T KNOW IF THAT\u2019LL HOLD UP TODAY, BUT RYAN HAS TAPPED INTO SOME OFFENSIVE FIGURES THIS YEAR THAT ARE CAREER HIGHS. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS ALLOWED HIM TO TAP INTO THAT OFFENSIVE GAME TO A GREATER DEGREE? IS JUST MORE OPPORTUNITY, OR IS HE DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY? YOU KNOW, I DON\u2019T KNOW IF HE\u2019S DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. MAYBE I THINK IT\u2019S YOU KNOW, I THINK GUYS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY\u2019RE GIVEN. AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT\u2019S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FIVE ON FIVE AND FINDING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFENSIVE GAME. YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THAT CAN TRANSLATE FROM THE FIVE ON FIVE ONTO THE POWER PLAY. WASN\u2019T A HUGE SAMPLE SIZE THE LAST TIME HE WAS OUT THERE. WE HAVEN\u2019T HAD A LOT OF POWER PLAYS LATELY, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST EVEN PRACTICE AND THAT LIMITED TIME, HE\u2019S DONE A GOOD JOB WITH IT. SO WE\u2019LL SEE WHERE IT GOES. NICK PETITO FAN NOW OR TEN YEARS AGO. I THINK. YEAH, I DON\u2019T WANT TO I DON\u2019T WANT TO SAY TOO MUCH TOO NICE ABOUT HIM. HE JUST GETS HIS HEAD EVEN BIGGER, YOU KNOW? NO, HE\u2019S DEFINITELY NOW FROM GETTING TO KNOW HIM. NICK\u2019S A HE\u2019S A SPECIAL PERSON. I\u2019M THRILLED THAT WE HAVE HIM ON THE STAFF HERE. AND OBVIOUSLY WATCHING HIM PLAY BACK THEN. BUT YOU KNOW REALLY WAS GETTING TO KNOW HIM THERE IN OUR TIME TOGETHER IN NASHVILLE AND IN NEW YORK. AND YEAH, I\u2019VE SAID IT BEFORE, I\u2019LL SAY IT AGAIN, THRILLED THAT HE\u2019S HE\u2019S HERE WITH US AND A PART OF THE STAFF. HE\u2019S DOING A GREAT JOB. PENS HEAD COACH DAN MUSE SPEAKING THERE JUST A FEW HOURS AGO. TO THE MEDIA. WE DO HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR YOU, EVGENI MALKIN. THAT GAME TIME DECISION WILL PLAY THIS AFTERNOON AGAINST THE NEW YORK RANGERS. YOU HEARD MUSE TAKING A LITTLE JAB THERE AT HIS ASSISTANT COACH. HIS NEW ASSISTANT COACH NICK BONINO. MUCH MORE WITH HIM AHEAD. TAKE A LISTEN. CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW IT\u2019S BEEN FOR YOU COACHING GUYS THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH? YEAH. THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPION ANSWERING THAT QUESTION WHEN PENGUINS ON FOUR RETURNS. OR. GETTING ON THE NEW YORK RANGERS, YOU\u2019RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK. HERE THEY ARE CLEANING UP THE ICE BEFORE THE TEAMS GET SET TO TAKE IT. AS WE\u2019RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THAT PUCK DROP. WELL, WELCOME BACK TO RINKSIDE HERE. I\u2019VE SINCE MOVED DOWN FROM OUR DESK DOWN HERE, AND EARLIER THIS WEEK I CAUGHT UP WITH NEW ASSISTANT COACH NICK BONINO, WHO WILL ALSO BE HONORED AS A MEMBER OF THAT 2016 STANLEY CUP TEAM. AND YOU KNOW, HE\u2019S BACK WITH THE PENS AS AN ASSISTANT COACH, WHICH REALLY GIVES AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC BECAUSE HE IS NOW COACHING SOME OF THE GUYS THAT HE USED TO PLAY WITH. CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW IT\u2019S BEEN FOR YOU COACHING GUYS THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED WITH? YEAH, I THINK IT\u2019S BEEN PRETTY GOOD. I, I\u2019D LIKE TO THINK THEY RESPECTED THE WAY I PLAYED. I THINK THAT\u2019S THE BIGGEST THING. YOU KNOW, WHEN I TOOK THE JOB AND YOU\u2019RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO I COACH, YOU KNOW, SIDNEY CROSBY AND MALKIN AND LETANG AND AND CARL GUYS, I\u2019VE PLAYED WITH RACKS. RUSTY. I THINK THE WHAT I LIKE TO REMEMBER IS THAT NOBODY WHO\u2019S COACHED THEM WAS A BETTER PLAYER. LIKE, THERE ARE THERE AREN\u2019T THERE AREN\u2019T BETTER PLAYERS THAN THEM. IT\u2019S IT\u2019S HARD TO FIND. SO THEY WANT TO BE COACHED. THEY THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON HOCKEY. ABOUT MAXIMIZING WHAT THEY DO. WELL, YOU KNOW, HELPING THEM WHEN THEY NEED IT, BUT ALSO GETTING OUT OF THEIR WAY WHEN THEY DON\u2019T. THAT\u2019S WHAT I FELT LIKE AS A PLAYER. GUYS ARE IN DIFFERENT POINTS OF THEIR CAREER AND THEY NEED DIFFERENT THINGS. YOU\u2019RE GOING TO BE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED WITH A YOUNGER GUY THAN YOU ARE WITH A A VETERAN WHO WANTS THINGS. HE MIGHT NOT WANT TO LOOK AT FACE OFFS, HE MIGHT NOT WANT TO SEE THAT BEFORE A GAME. WHEREAS A YOUNGER GUY, HE\u2019S GOING TO WANT TO. AND EVEN IF HE DOESN\u2019T, WE\u2019RE GOING TO TRY TO SHOW IT TO HIM BECAUSE THERE\u2019S A LOT YOU CAN LEARN. SO JUST TRYING TO BE BALANCED, THAT FRIEND WITH THE COACH AND THINK, AND I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT. IS IT TOUGH TO COACH SOME OF THOSE GUYS? I MEAN, BECAUSE THEY\u2019RE SO, YOU KNOW, SUCH VETERANS AND HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THERE IS TO DO, BUT THEY\u2019RE STILL PLAYING, OBVIOUSLY. BUT IS IT NOT THAT THEY\u2019RE TOUGH TO COACH, BUT IS IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID THEY\u2019RE SOME OF THE BEST TO EVER DO IT AND EVER WILL. IS IT IS IT TOUGH FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. YEAH. LIKE I SAID THOUGH, THEY DO WANT TO BE COACHED. LIKE THEY\u2019LL ASK QUESTIONS AND THEY ARE THEY WANT FEEDBACK. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS I\u2019LL WE INSTINCTIVELY KNOW WE DON\u2019T NEED TO TELL THEM. LIKE, I DON\u2019T NEED TO TELL SID HOW TO PROTECT A PUCK OR YOU KNOW, HOW TO SCORE LIKE THESE GUYS JUST KNOW IT. BUT THERE ARE SYSTEM STUFF FOR FACE OFF, STUFF FOR WHERE IT\u2019S JUST, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN LOOK AT NEXT TIME OR AND THEY LIKE THAT. SO I THINK THAT\u2019S THE BALANCE IS IS NOT GIVING THEM TOO MUCH. BUT BEING THERE WHEN THEY NEED YOU, WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO 2016, WHAT IMMEDIATELY JUMPS INTO YOUR HEAD, JUST WHAT THOUGHTS? WELL, IT WAS LIKE THE BEST HOCKEY MEMORIES YOU CAN HAVE. I THINK REGARDLESS OF OF THE CITY YOU LIVE IN OR ANYTHING, WHEN YOU WIN A STANLEY CUP, THAT\u2019S THAT\u2019S THE PINNACLE. I ALSO REMEMBER, JUST LIKE I KIND OF ALLUDED TO EARLIER, LIKE THAT FEELING OF OF BROTHERS LIKE YOU, I WOULD IMAGINE SEEING THEM TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. LIKE NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. THE STORIES WILL START AND WE HAVE THE THE TEXT THREAD GOING ALREADY AND THERE\u2019S, YOU KNOW, CHIRPS FLYING BACK AND FORTH. I THINK THAT THAT\u2019S THE BEST PART OF IT. YOU REMEMBER THE GAMES, YOU REMEMBER THE GOALS, YOU REMEMBER THAT. BUT I THINK JUST THE FEELING OF OF WINNING, LIKE THE CONFIDENCE WE HAD AS WE WENT DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO THAT SEASON AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS AND CARRIED OBVIOUSLY INTO THE NEXT YEAR, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE MEMORIES THREAD. ZATKOFF ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SHARE? NO, NO, HE\u2019S JUST ALWAYS HE\u2019S JUST ALWAYS GOING. IT\u2019S AWESOME. YEAH. HE WAS JUST SO GOOD FOR THE ROOM. AND YEAH, A GREAT GUY. YEAH. AND HOW SPECIAL IT IS, IS IT FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BE IN THIS ROLE AS A COACH WITH SOME OF THE GUYS YOU PLAYED WITH THAT YOU WON WITH, THAT YOU GET TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF WATCH THE VIDEO TRIBUTE TOMORROW, SEE THEM ALL JUST TAKE ME THROUGH KIND OF YOUR EMOTIONS OF WHAT YOU EXPECT FOR TOMORROW. YEAH, IT\u2019S REALLY COOL. I THINK. IT JUST WORKED OUT WELL. LIKE IT WASN\u2019T EVEN IN MY THOUGHT PROCESS IN THE SUMMER THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET HERE FOR THIS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN EUROPE OR SO. IT\u2019S COOL THAT IT WORKED OUT. I THINK IT\u2019S REALLY I\u2019M REALLY EXCITED FOR MY KIDS TO TO BE THERE. YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER WAS SIX MONTHS OLD WHEN WE WON THE FIRST ONE, AND THEN WE\u2019VE HAD TWO SINCE. IN MY MY THIRD IS A HOCKEY CRAZY BOY AND HE\u2019S PUMPED. HE\u2019S REALLY PUMPED FOR FOR EVERYTHING. HE\u2019S EVERY MORNING HE\u2019S LIKE, DID YOU GUYS KNOW? HE KNOWS. ACTUALLY HE WATCHES THE HIGHLIGHTS. AND SO HE\u2019S HE\u2019S INTO IT. I THINK IT\u2019LL BE REALLY COOL FOR THEM TO SEE THAT. BUT NO, I\u2019M LOOKING FORWARD TO TO JUST THE SCENE. OBVIOUSLY SULLY AND SHEER WILL BE IN TOWN. THAT\u2019S REALLY COOL THAT THEY GET THINK BACK ON THOSE MEMORIES, IT\u2019S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A GREAT TIME. FOR SURE. TO BE AN EMOTIONAL WEEKEND, ESPECIALLY WITH THEIR FAMILIES AND THE KIDS, EVERYONE. NOW, OF COURSE, TEN YEARS OLDER THAN THEY WERE BACK IN 2016. HEY, STICK AROUND. MUCH MORE TO COME FROM PENS ON FOR RIGHT HERE AT PPG PAINTS ARENA. COMING UP NEXT WE WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH OUR KEYS TO THEAME. STICKWELCOME BACK TO PENGUINS ON PREGAME. AS WE COUNT YOU DOWN, THE PENGUINS AND RANGERS ON CHANNEL FOUR COMING UP IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES. MEANTIME YOU\u2019RE TAKING A LIVE LOOK AT THE ICE AS THEY\u2019RE GETTING SET FOR THE CEREMONY TO HONOR THE 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PENGUINS, JOINED NOW BY TYLER KENNEDY. LET\u2019S LOOK AHEAD TO TODAY\u2019S GAME. YOUR KEYS TO VICTORY FOR THE PENGUINS. SO MY KEYS TONIGHT ARE CONSISTENT. PRESSURE MOMENTUM MOMENTUM THEY FOUND FROM LAST GAME. LET\u2019S KEEP IT GOING. STAY ON IT. START ON TIME. ANOTHER ONE IS FOUNDATION. REMEMBER WHAT MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL? THE STRUCTURE. THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN EVERY GAME. AND THEN DEPTH SCORING, ROLLING ALL FOUR LINES. THE NEW YORK RANGERS CANNOT COMPETE IF THE ALL FOUR LINES ARE ROLLING FOR THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. IT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL THE LAST EIGHT GAMES FOR THE PENGUINS. MEANTIME, LET\u2019S GO BACK DOWN TO ICE LEVEL, WHERE ASHLEY OTIS IS NEAR THE BOARDS. ASHLEY, WHAT ABOUT YOUR KEYS TO VICTORY FOR THE PENGUINS TODAY? YEAH. ANDREW. TYLER I\u2019M GLAD I DIDN\u2019T HAVE TO SCRAP THIS FIRST ONE BECAUSE IT IS THE DYNAMIC DUO THAT IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS RIGHT NOW. MALKIN AND CHINACHOV, THEY HAVE FOUND A GROOVE AND LOTS OF CHEMISTRY. THEY NEED TO KEEP THAT AND BUILD OFF OF THAT AGAIN, IF ANY MALKIN IS EXPECTED TO PLAY TONIGHT. NEXT UP, THE FOURTH LINE. THEY HAVE BEEN OUTSTANDING ALONE. THE LINE HAD SIX POINTS ON THURSDAY. SO TOP TO BOTTOM. THIS TEAM FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS. AND DON\u2019T PLAY DOWN TO THE NEW YORK RANGERS LEVEL IS MY THIRD KEY TO THE GAME. THEY ARE ONE OF THE WORST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW, SO THE PENS CAN JUST NOT PLAY DOWN TO THAT LEVEL AFTER THEY\u2019VE BEEN ON SUCH A HOT STREAK. GUYS. ASHLEY DOUGHERTY IS DOWN NEAR THE GLASS FOR PENGUINS ON 4\/4. GAME ON WTAE-TV CHANNEL FOUR COMING UP AFTER TODAY\u2019S HOCKEY GAME. QUICKLY TYLER, LET ME ASK YOU, THE PENGUINS ARE PLAYING SOME REALLY GREAT HOCKEY RIGHT NOW. THE OLYMPIC BREAKS COMING UP, HOW DO THEY KEEP THAT MOMENTUM GOING? I MEAN, YOU\u2019RE GOING TO BE OFF FOR TWO WEEKS. YOU\u2019LL BE KIND OF SITTING AROUND ASSUMING THEY KEEP WINNING TOWARDS THAT OLYMPIC BREAK. WHAT DO THEY NEED TO DO TO KEEP IT GOING AND COME BACK TO THE BREAK AND KEEP PLAYING GOOD HOCKEY? WELL, FEELING GOOD GOING INTO THE BREAK HELPS SO MUCH. I THINK IT\u2019S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO FIND, TO FIND THE MOMENTUM THEY HAD, BUT IT\u2019S NOT TOO BAD STARTING BACK AGAIN, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IF YOU GO IN THERE FEELING GOOD, YOU DO HAVE POINTS WHERE YOU CAN GIVE UP AND FIND YOUR GAME AGAIN. THEY\u2019RE NOT PRESSURE FILLED GAMES AFTER. IF YOU\u2019RE IN A GOOD SPOT, IF THEY\u2019RE NOT IN A PLAYOFF SPOT, THEY GOT TO GET UP AND RUNNING, BUT NOW THEY PUT THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE A LITTLE CUSHION, AND THAT\u2019S SUCH A GREAT RELIEF THAT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD COMING BACK. AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU HAVE SIDNEY CROSBY AND THOSE GUYS IN YOUR LINEUP, THE TEAM WILL ALWAYS BE REPAIRED. HE SETS THE STANDARD. HE\u2019S GOT THE CULTURE IN THAT ROOM THAT\u2019S SO HIGH I NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM STARTING ON TIME OR BEING PREPARED AFTER THE BREAK. ONE THING I DO LIKE ABOUT THIS HOCKEY TEAM THEY\u2019RE WINNING AGAINST TEAMS THEY SHOULD BE BEATING NOW. FOR INSTANCE, THE BLACKHAWKS THE OTHER NIGHT, THE RANGERS ARE A BEATABLE TEAM THIS SEASON. KNOCK ON WOOD. COME ON. YOU GOT KNOCK ON WOOD. BUT YEAH YOU KNOW AGAIN THEY\u2019RE NOT PLAYING GREAT. BUT THIS IS SOMETIMES THOSE TOUGH GAMES YOU DON\u2019T WANT TO THEY STILL HAVE A LOT OF SCORING POWER ON THAT LINE. THEY\u2019RE STILL A PRETTY GOOD THEY JUST HAVEN\u2019T FOUND THEIR CHEMISTRY. THEY HAVEN\u2019T FOUND THEIR NICHE THROUGHOUT THE LINEUP. SO THE PENGUINS HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS. AND IT STARTS WITH STARTING ON TIME. THEY NEED TO GET ON THE RANGERS ASAP. ALL RIGHT. LET\u2019S HEAD DOWN TO ICE LEVEL NOW AS WE\u2019RE COUNTING DOWN TO THE MOMENT WHERE WE CELEBRATE THE 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS, THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. IN 2016, OF COURSE, WON IT ALL. IT WAS AN AMAZING RUN BY THAT HOCKEY TEAM. BUT THINGS TURNED AROUND AT MID-SEASON. THEY WERE SLUMPING. THEY WERE ACTUALLY IN 12TH PLACE IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. SUDDENLY TURNED THINGS AROUND. THEY HAD A NEW COACH, NEW ATTITUDE, AND THEY GOT HOT. YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT HOCKEY TEAM IS, YOU KNOW, THAT HBK LINE THAT CAME TOGETHER, DID ALL THE SCORING. IT WAS REALLY BY ACCIDENT. IT WASN\u2019T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. BUT WHEN MALKIN, YOU KNOW, SUDDENLY THEY TOOK HIM OUT OR HE GOT HURT, SUDDENLY THEY THEY PUT THESE GUYS TOGETHER AND THEY FOUND CHEMISTRY. YEAH. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT. CHEMISTRY MEANS SO MUCH. AND YOU HEAR BONINO, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR CARL. THEY TALK ABOUT FINDING A CONNECTION WITH THEIR LINES, FEELING GOOD, PLAYING WITH OTHER PLAYERS. AND THAT\u2019S WHAT THEY DID. AND WHEN A GUY GOES DOWN LIKE A KRIS LETANG, YOU MIGHT FIND CHEMISTRY WITH TWO DEFENSEMEN. SO SOMETIMES WHEN GUYS GET HURT, IT OPENS UP OPPORTUNITY. IT MAKES YOUR TEAM STRONGER BECAUSE IT GIVES GUYS CHANCES TO SHOW WHAT THEY CAN DO. AND THAT STANLEY CUP RUN WAS AMAZING. FIRST IN THE FIRST ROUND THEY THEY BEAT THE RANGERS AND THEY HAD TO TURN TO JEFF ZATKOFF, THEIR THIRD GOALTENDER, TO GET IT DONE. THEN THE SECOND ROUND YOU BEAT YOUR RIVAL, THE CAPITALS, THEN NICK BONINO GOAL. WHO COULD POSSIBLY FORGET THAT? AND THEN YOU TAKE ON THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING. AND THE LIGHTNING WERE ONE GAME AWAY FROM THE FINAL. THE PENGUINS BEAT THEM AND THEN WENT ON TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP. IT WAS A REMARKABLE RUN. YEAH, NO MATTER WHAT, ONCE YOU GET PAST THAT FIRST ROUND, THOSE GAMES ARE GOING TO BE SO TIGHT, RIGHT? YOU\u2019RE NOT PLAYING TEAMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FALLING ASLEEP OR THEY DON\u2019T HAVE A GOOD TEAM. YOU\u2019RE PLAYING ALL THE BEST. AND AS THE ROUNDS GET HIGHER, THE DETAIL, THE CONNECTION, THE INTENSITY OF THE GAMES MEANS SO MUCH MORE. SO AGAIN, THAT WAS SUCH A GREAT SERIES AND THOSE ARE MEMORIES THAT SO MANY FANS OF PITTSBURGH REMEMBER. AS YOU GO DEEPER, THE MEMORIES GET BIGGER AND BIGGER BECAUSE THERE\u2019S MORE HEROES. ALL RIGHT, LET\u2019S GO TO THE CELEBRATION OF THE 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. GET DOWN, GET DOWN! CHAMP. CAN\u2019T TURN, CAN\u2019T TURN. DON\u2019T TAKE A PIECE OF ME AND I\u2019LL TAKE A PIECE OF YOU. NO GUTS, NO GLORY. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS. NO. COME AND TAKE A PIECE OF ME. AND I\u2019LL TAKE A PIECE. OF THE GLORY. WE GOTTA SEE IT GROW. GET DOWN, GET DOWN. LET\u2019S GET DOWN, GET DOWN. YOU READY? ALL GO DOWN, ACTION NEWS 4. WE\u2019RE ALREADY TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. WE HAVE TO GO. WE DON\u2019T HAVE LIGHT RAIL. NO, IT AIN\u2019T GONNA. TAKE DRUGSTORE. IN THE GAME. GAME TIME. ARLINGTON FASTER. SHOT SCORE! EACH OF ZERO ZERO. ARCHER. SHEILA. IS READY FOR THE SHOW. REALLY? BEDFORD COUNTY. IT IS TIME TO GET UP ON YOUR FEET. MAKE IT LOUD. BECAUSE HERE WE GO. PLEASE WELCOME YOUR PITTSBURGH ANGWIN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE 2015 2016 PENGUINS HOCKEY SEASON BEGAN WITH A TEAM PLAGUED WITH STRUGGLE AND FRUSTRATION, BUT ENDED WITH A TEAM RENEWED, FULFILLING ITS DESTINY IN A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO STANLEY CUP FLOOR. PLEASE JOIN THE PENGUINS ORGANIZATION IN WELCOMING BACK THE RETURNING MEMBERS OF THE 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. GENERAL MANAGER JIM RUTHERFORD. ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER JASON KARMANOS. HEAD COACH MIKE SULLIVAN. NUMBER SIX TREVOR BAILEY. NUMBER 12 BEN LOVEJOY. ZELENSKYY. NUMBER 13 NICK BONINO. MARINO. NUMBER 14 CHRIS KUNIS. NUMBER 29. MARC-ANDRE. NUMBER 34 TOM CUNADO. NUMBER 37 JEFF. ZATKOFF. NOT DRESSED TONIGHT FOR THE NEW YORK RANGERS. NUMBER 43 CONNOR. SHERRY. NUMBER 62, CARL HANLEY. NUMBER 72 PATRICK HALL. TWINS. ALTERNATE CAPTAIN. NUMBER 58. KRISTA TANK. ALTERNATE CAPTAIN. NUMBER 71. AND DANNY. NO. 2016 CONN SMYTHE TROPHY WINNER AND THE CAPTAIN NUMBER 87. JAMIE COVID-19. THE 2016 PENGUINS WERE STRONG PLAYERS OF CHARACTER WHO STEPPED UP AND DELIVERED WHEN THE PRESSURE WAS HIGHEST. THREE DIFFERENT GOALTENDERS. TALENT COUPLED WITH SEASONED VETS, A DIVERSE PITTSBURGH ROSTER ETCHED THEIR NAMES ONTO THE STANLEY CUP BY PLAYING THE RIGHT WAY TOGETHER. JUST PLAYING WITH THEIR MANTRA AND JUST PLAY. THEY DID. A LOT TO GET TO THIS POINT, RIGHT? THIS GAME IS ABOUT ONE TEAM AND THAT\u2019S THIS TEAM. REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS OUT THERE, GO TO BED. WE JUST PLAY. THAT\u2019S WHAT WE\u2019VE DONE ALL SEASON. WE JUST PLAY. MAN WAS MAINLY GOING TO THE BACKHANDER. BEING CALKINS. OH MY GOODNESS. WOW WHAT A SAVE BY FLURRY. THAT\u2019S RIDICULOUS. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PULL UP STICK. WE GOTTA MAKE THEM PLAY AT AN UNCOMFORTABLY HIGH PACE BECAUSE THEY CAN\u2019T SKATE WITH YOU. PENGUINS HOCKEY FAST AND FURIOUS. EVERYBODY\u2019S GOT TO BUY IN HERE. LET\u2019S HAVE A GOOD START AND LET\u2019S FEED OFF THE ENERGY IN THIS BUILDING. COME ON, LET\u2019S GO BACK. HOME. HE\u2019S GOT A BREAKAWAY COMING AHEAD. GOOD. RIGHT TO THE ONE. POSSIBLE. GOING BACK IN FRONT. COMES OFF THE FACE AND SCORE FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. AND FINISH FOR THE. OVERTIME. PETELIN AROUND THE CROSSCHX SHOTS ARE AND OVER. WHIPPED IT ACROSS TO DYLAN SCOTT. MAYTAG STREET SCORE. CHRIS. $0.10 AN HOUR. MARK ALBERT. TEN YEARS LATER, THE LEGACY OF THE 2016 PENGUINS ENDURES. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR 2016 STANLEY CUP CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PENGUINS. WHAT A MOMENT HERE AS THEY CELEBRATE THE 2016 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP. STAY TUNED. PENGUINS AND RANGERS ON CHANNEL FOUR. AND WE\u2019LL SEE YOU ON CHANNEL FOUR FOR PENGUINS ON FOURTH POST GAME. AFTER THE CONTEST, EVERYBODY. ALL RIGHT.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Penguins secure 6th-straight victory after beating former coaches team<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 7:00 PM EST Jan 31, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n