Pen Ultimate: A show about the Pittsburgh Penguins

Sean, Rob and Josh regroup after a tough weekend in Pittsburgh and discuss recent events around PPG Paints Arena and a nice moment from Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse. To lighten the mood, former Penguins defenseman and current analyst for the NHL on NBC, Ben Lovejoy joins the show to reminisce about his time with the Penguins, including the 2016 Stanley Cup run featuring a beaten up defence corps, coming up as a prospect with Kris Letang, playing for Mike Sullivan and how he was different from Mike Johnston, as well as his time with Dan Bylsma and the impact he had on Ben's career. Plus, Ben talks about dealing with criticism from the GM and in the media during his second stint in Pittsburgh, and how the Penguins championship run changed the perception of the best way to construct a roster.

Sean, Rob and Josh are back together after Memorial Day with news of the NHL's planned transition into Phase 2 trickling out over the weekend. The guys discuss the first steps of the league's lengthy document laying out protocols for players and coaches, as well as some concerns about the proposed 24-team playoff format. Then, The Athletic Pittsburgh's Stephen J. Nesbitt joins to chat about his recent feature on Sidney Crosby and his year at Minnesota prep school. Stephen discusses the work that went into the piece and some of the players he talked to from Crosby's days at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, as well as his own conversations with Crosby and what the story showed about Sid's memories of that time in his life.

Read Stephen's story about Sidney Crosby here: https://theathletic.com/1803310/2020/05/20/is-this-real-stories-of-sidney-crosbys-year-at-a-minnesota-prep-school/

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh: @JoshYohe

Follow Stephen: @stephenjnesbitt

Sean, Rob and Josh convene to update their respective facial hair situations and Rossi's wildlife problem, then bring in the voice of the NHL on NBC, Mike 'Doc' Emrick to chat about how he's spending the time off while the playoffs are on pause, what it would be like to broadcast games without fans, his relationship with longtime Penguins voice Mike Lange, as well as his introduction to the game of hockey. Plus, Doc weighs in on our ongoing discussion about the Mount Rushmore of Pittsburgh sports figures.

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe

Sean and Rob chat about the Mount Rushmore of Pittsburgh sports figures and the guys' own favourite athletes to deal with over the years, then bring in one of those athletes. Former Penguin and current analyst Colby Armstrong joins to chat about the NHL's ongoing discussion over a return to play and his own experiences with layoffs during the lockouts in 2005 and 2013, what it was like to play in Atlanta and the prospect of playing games without fans, his time in Pittsburgh and finding out he was traded, as well as the relationship he built with Sidney Crosby.

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Sean, Josh and Rob check in after the weekend's flip cup festivities and dive straight into the latest news coming from the NHL, including the debate over potentially holding the draft in June. The guys discuss some of the issues with the idea and how it could impact teams both in and out of the playoffs, as well as the challenges of returning to play and finishing out the season going into next year. Plus, the guys discuss Part 3 of Josh's best Mario Lemieux moments, including his stick selection, and continue to paint contrasts between Mario and Michael Jordan after the latest episode of 'The Last Dance'.

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe

Sean, Rob and Josh reunite for another edition of Pen Ultimate and chat about their impressions of the Michael Jordan documentary 'The Last Dance', how Jordan's career paralleled Mario Lemieux in the early 90s, and a couple of random encounters with Dennis Rodman. Sticking with history, the guys dive into the behind-the-scenes story about the Penguins 1992 logo change, and Howard Baldwin's controversial decision to make the switch after the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe

Rob Rossi welcomes The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn and Charlie O'Connor to run through their simulation of a virtual Penguins-Flyers series, which lasted a dramatic seven games and included a 3-0 comeback. Dom explains the origin of the series, and the guys run through some of the key narratives from each game and what ultimately resulted in a Penguins series win. Plus, Dom and Charlie weigh in on how data-based analysis of a real playoff series could be impacted by a lengthy stoppage of play.

Follow along with the series here: https://theathletic.com/1754731/2020/04/19/simulating-the-2020-nhl-playoffs-penguins-vs-flyers/

Sean reunites with Rob and Josh to sort through some of the most intriguing questions in The Athletic Pittsburgh's Penguins Fan Survey, including the which goaltender to start in Game 1 of a playoff series, Jake Guentzel's optimal center upon return, the Penguins MVP this season, and much more. Plus, with Dom Luszczyszyn running The Athletic's playoff simulator, Rob puts on his coaching hat and predicts a hypothetical first round matchup between the Pens and Flyers.

Participate in the Penguins fan survey here:

https://theathletic.com/1732625/2020/04/10/penguins-fan-survey-make-your-voice-heard-on-the-teams-present-and-future/

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe

Rob and Josh are joined by Paul Steigerwald, longtime Penguins employee and broadcaster to chat about over his involvement with the club for over 40 years, including starting out as the team's marketing director and how the organization operated in the 1980s, being tasked with marketing Mario Lemieux to a new audience, and nearly being fired for his part in the 1984 Boys Of Winter commercial: https://youtu.be/MF9RmYZv7lQ

Start your free trial at The Athletic by going to theathletic.com/penultimate. Right now, our listeners get 40% off an annual subscription.

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe

In a special edition of Pen Ultimate, Sean, Rob and Josh use the downtime to compare the two greatest players in Penguins franchise history: current captain Sidney Crosby vs. current owner and the team's all-time leading scorer, Mario Lemieux. The guys break down how both athletes stack up against each other in terms of accolades, skill, legacy and impact on the game, as well as their importance to the Penguins franchise and the Pittsburgh community.

Want to weigh in on the debate? Tweet the show and tell us what you think!

Follow Sean on Twitter: @seangentille

Follow Rob on Twitter: @Real_RobRossi

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshYohe