One of best stories of 2025-26 has been that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Assumed to be largely in a re-building phase, the team has been in the hunt for a playoff from opening night under the stewardship of first-year head coach Dan Muse.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion and current Pens radio/TV analyst Phil Bourque joins Neil and Vic to discuss not only this season but the future of the team while sharing some stories of his own career.
Also, in Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To, the first two playoff spots have been grabbed while one officially waits until next year. Meanwhile, think about one player scoring 1000 goals. Alex Ovechkin reached that mark Sunday while Nikita Kucherov joined some elite company of his own.
Finally, the standings update, a couple of notable player items - one good, one bad - and remembering a member of the NHL media family lost too soon.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[01:31] - Three Things You Need to Pay Attention To.
[08:43] - Neil welcomes Phil to the show with the discussion with how Bourque, raised in Massachusetts, wound up advancing his hockey career in Ontario.
[13:57] - Neil recounts other connections he shares with Phil going back to days in Kingston.
[16:00] - Arriving in Pittsburgh, a place that's still home, through generations of superstars playing with the Penguins.
[19:19] - The renaissance in Pittsburgh in 2025-26 led by a first-year NHL head coach who has defied expectations of what was expected from the club.
[23:02] - Having seen so many coaches over the decades, what has Dan Muse done that has been so effective among a mix of veterans, youth and journeyman players?
[26:07] - Selling Muse to the veterans that he was the right man for the job. Or did a sell to the stars on the team need to be made at all?
[27:29] - One of the most lopsided trades of the season - as of now, was the acquisition of Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak from Edmonton for Tristan Jarry.
[30:48] - The story of Neil trading Phil to Ottawa at the deadline in 1994 after signing him two years earlier. But the story doesn't end there.
[37:04] - Bourque shares stories about his book, published in 2019, and the special relationship with the Penguins late Hall of Fame play-by-play man, Mike Lange.
[41:24] - What the Penguins need to do to secure their first playoff berth in four years and best wishes continue to be extended to Craig Patrick, recovering from a stroke.
[47:02] - Putting a wrap on the discussion with Phil Bourque.
[49:39] - Standings update with a beef from Vic.
[57:21] - Some props for a Buffalo player who's toughness epitomizes the grit the Sabres have shown with them on the verge of ending a 14-season playoff drought.
[59:29] - Discussion on the AJ Greer suspension for his act against Connor Zary of the Flames Friday evening.
[1:04:36] - Remembering Minnesota Wild nhl.com correspondent Jessi Pierce.
[1:05:40] - Personnel notes.
X: https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound
Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil
Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/
NHL Wraparound Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/
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