Fly Penguins Fly

“Walk Softly And Carrie Furnace” 10/17/24It’s election day. Most people we know are somewhat on-edge, while some others are simply on their outside edges. The Penguins have traveled to Long Island for an early November tilt against the Isles, so we’re here to talk hockey AND election-induced anxiety. We cracked a couple beers for this episode, recording late on the eve of Election Day itself. It was an overdue catchup for Jeff and Jordan, one that drifted pretty far afield of your standard hockey chat podcast. If you’re already a listener of this show, it won’t be anything new for you.Subscribe to Jeff’s new Penguins-related Substack feed:https://substack.com/@penspodThank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on X/Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections:Keeping Up by Blue Dot SessionsKid Kodi by Blue Dot Sessions

“Five Hundred Club” 10/17/24Evgeni Malkin is the newest member of an incredibly exclusive club. Only forty-eight NHL’ers have reached the 500 goal mark, and the Russian Bear is the latest to do it - though he may be the first to do it from a seated position on the ice. Reaching the 1600 point plateau in the same game, Sidney Crosby tallied the lone assist on Malkin’s milestone goal, before himself potting the OTGWG in the Penguins’ Wednesday evening victory over Buffalo and thus triggering a Mac Miller dance party on Fifth Avenue.Every 217 episodes or so, I forget to press record. Inexplicably, that’s just what happened at the start of what - we swear - was a memorable conversation with The Athletic’s Rob Rossi.The trio - of Jordan DeFigio, Rob Rossi, and myself - did stick together on the call, long enough to capture a short recording of the aftermath of the sobering realization that I’d made a technical snafu. It actually made for a fun little assembly of audio, one I hope you’ll enjoy.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections:In Passage by Blue Dot Sessions

“Christian Humphreys” 10/09/24The time has come to drop the puck on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2024-2025 season!Today we’re joined by Pittsburgh native and 2024 draftee of the Colorado Avalanche, Christian Humphreys. You’ll hear Christian’s first-hand account of the U18 World Championship game, a matchup in which he opened scoring with a scrappy net front goal. Plus, personal reflections on Humphreys’s being taken by the Avs in the seventh round of the NHL entry draft in Las Vegas.Good friend of the pod and lifelong Rangers fan, Nick Spagnolo joins Jeff at the top of the episode to make some predictions about tonight’s Penguins season/home opener.Penguins. Rangers. Sidney Crosby and the Pens face off against Igor Shesterkin and the Blue Shirts. Tonight at 7:30pm EST on TNT // 105.9theX FMThank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections:Keeping Up by Blue Dot SessionsHardboil by Blue Dot SessionsKid Kodi by Blue Dot Sessions

“Gary Bettman’s Ice Cream Shop” 09/20/24Sidney Crosby’s got a freshly inked contract, the season tickets have been delivered, and the Fanatics-made Penguins jerseys look just as crappy as we all figured they would. In agreeing to the contract he did, Crosby not only ensures that he’ll retire a Penguin, but he’s maximized the Penguins’ chances of building a winning team around the once-in-multiple-generations Captain.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Michelle Crechiolo” 08/07/24We’re live-ish with Pittsburgh Penguins team reporter - and sometimes radio color commentator - Michelle Crechiolo!Jordan and Jeff chatted Michelle up for a solid hour, and we’re bringing you that full conversation, uncut.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Million Times The Man” 06/25/24The Florida Panthers are your 2024 Stanley Cup Champions. What a wild, entertaining series between those two teams. Wait, who was the other team again? That’s not important. What IS important, is that Jeff and Jordan are back with you for some spirited hockey talk, including some Penguins Hockey news. It’s the proper beginning of summer and the Burgh has already been absolutely blasted with a gnarly heat wave to write home about. Let’s talk ICE hockey, and Let’s Go Pens!Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“At The Blakuu” 05/02/24On today’s episode, Jeff and Jordan are joined by longtime listener turned good pal, Blake Vallies ( @theblakuu on X). Blake is a wonderful human being, a lifelong Pens fan, and he truly “knows puck.” Topics of discussion include but are not limited to the Penguins’ extended offseason, scrambled adult cable channels in the early 90’s, and of COURSE, nematodes. Prayer hands emoji, heart hands emoji, hockey goal emoji.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“One More On The Island” 04/17/24In their past twelve games, the Penguins won or took it to overtime in all but one - a regulation loss to the elite Boston Bruins on Saturday, 4/13. Sidney Crosby and Alex Nedeljkovic lead the charge on what has been nothing short of a miraculous run down-the-stretch. Sadly for us fans, it wasn’t enough and the team’s midseason struggles have indeed, for the second straight year punched Pittsburgh’s one-way ticket to an early offseason. Jordan shares some particularly bold predictions for the Pens’ Summer transactions, and Jeff puts forth a strong one of his own regarding tonight’s matchup with the playoff-bound Isles. Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“I Don’t Want To Go On The Cart!” 04/03/24“(The Penguins are) not dead yet!” Jeff and Jordan reflect on an unlikely, late-season surge by the boys in black and gold, their chances of actually making the WC race interesting with a couple weeks remaining on the NHL season schedule, and some music talk…Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Anatomy Of A Letdown” 03/17/24Josh Yohe of TheAthletic.com joins Fly Penguins Fly to talk about BobbleGate,Kyle Dubas’s upcoming offseason, and the anatomy of a letdown season for the 2023-2024 Pittsburgh Penguins. Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections: In Passage by Blue Dot SessionsDustyard Runner by Blue Dot Sessions

“Rally Jerseys” 03/09/24Cruz Lucius. That’s it, just… Cruz Lucius.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Go With Girl Math” 02/27/24Tonight in Vancouver, the Penguins kick off their western Canada road trip. Instead of waiting around for puck drop, hang out with the co-hosts of Fly Penguins Fly. Jordan is wrapping up her recording trip in Nashville, and Jeff is settling back into life in Pittsburgh, following a successful tour opening for Lucius.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“A Conversation With Paul Steigerwald, Part 1’” 02/17/24Since the very first episode of Fly Penguins Fly was produced, it’s been a dream to have Paul Steigerwald on the show. If you’re hungry for Jaromir Jagr content, skip ahead to about 26:15 and enjoy Paul’s recounting of the early 90’s and the dawn of the first back-to-back cup runs. We ended up talking for so long, the decision was made to split this one into two distinctly different episodes. Enjoy Part 1 of ‘A Conversation With Paul Steigerwald,’ and Let’s Go Pens.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode features portions of the following musical pieces:Inessential by Blue Dot SessionsCaseco by Blue Dot SessionsHighway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions

“Desert Trip’” 01/20/24If you’re in Pittsburgh, you’re braving the cold. We’ve had a lot of snow and the temperatures have recently hovered between six and twenty degrees, Fahrenheit. If you’re north of here, that probably sounds like an attractive deal, compared to the climate towns like Minneapolis and Toronto have been coping with over a similar span. Here’s hoping this healthy hockey - and football - chat, between your co-hosts, Jeff Taylor and Jordan DeFigio brings the “Gezelligheid.”The Penguins are in Vegas tonight, then in Arizona on Monday. Today’s episode catches you up on all the hockey the Pens have played since an impressive 6-5 regulation win on Boston ice, a little more than two weeks ago.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Kaleidoscope of Contagions” 01/04/23In this, the first Fly Penguins Fly episode of 2024, Jeff and Jordan discuss the many-headed hydra that is Mike Sullivan’s unenviable task: Solving the Ryan Graves issue, while navigating the weird waters of deploying Norris Trophy winning - and currently underperforming - Erik Karlsson.There are other things on your co-hosts’ minds, oh yes. And share with you these items, they shall.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Like Anything Could Happen To Me’” 12/12/23Late on Monday morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins took the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA. Your oh-so-intrepid co-host, Jeff Taylor was on location.In addition to chatting with The Athletic’s Rob Rossi, Jeff of course gathered the sounds of NHL regulars working a struggling power play unit. But it isn’t the professional athletes who are the stars of today’s epsiode…On this installment of Fly Penguins Fly, you’ll meet Meghan Crawford from C.A.R.E.S. of Western PA, as well as young Ethan Domingues, an up and coming goalie from Connecticut. Jeff also shares a bit of “play-by-play” from Penguins practice - if we dare call it that - as Allegheny County’s NHL hockey club prepared for this evening’s home ice showdown with the Arizona Coyotes. Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections:‘Hammers and Tape’ by Jeff Taylor - Special thanks to Chris Morrissey for letting me use his piano while he was across town.Keeping Up by Blue Dot SessionsIn Passage by Blue Dot SessionsHardboil by Blue Dot SessionsKid Kodi by Blue Dot Sessions

“Bobble Mule’” 12/06/23Jordan has identified an individual who, theoretically, could end up being the Mule tasked with collect Jeff’s rightful Sidney Crosby bobblehead. More on this soon.Tonight in Tampa Bay, your Penguins make their second visit to Amelie Arena in less than a week. The Pittsburgh team hopes to recreate some of the winning magic that sent them home victorious last time - though likely WITHOUT the help of a goalie goal, as scored by Tristan Jarry in their previous matchup.This is simply a fun episode, something to enjoy between periods, after the game, or throughout the week as the holiday season rolls on.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Soarin’, Flyin’, Dechievin’” 11/29/23After a much needed Thanksgiving week break, Jeff and Jordan are back with all the Penguins hockey talk you can shake a leftover turkey leg at. Jordan had herself a hockey road trip over the holiday, attending both the Buffalo road game and the home dub over the Buds. Jeff spent his own vacation getting busted for watching Pens games on his phone, whilst people he loves were trying to speak English to him at the dinner table. Folks, we’re into our third 100-batch. Here’s to making the next 99 episodes memorable!Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO

“Grapefruit Sized” 11/14/23Right after Jeff and Jordan wrapped up today’s podcast, news broke of Matt Petgrave’s arrest in the UK. So, before the ‘regular’ podcast begins, we’re featuring a 17 minute chat between Jeff Taylor and Nick Spagnolo. These former beer league linemates react, in real time to the news of Petgrave’s being taken into custody by the Sheffield Police. It’s our 200th episode. We hope it brings you a little perspective, a little laughter, a little excitement for tonight’s PIT@CBJ matchup.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIOThis episode includes portions of the following musical selections: Kid Kodi by Blue Dot Sessions

“Volano i Pinguini Volano” 11/08/23We take the good with the bad. This too shall pass. We all use these phrases every day, always hoping the next time we use them, we won’t be talking about the franchise goaltender. Tristan Jarry and, in relief, Pittsburgh’s third string goalie Magnus Hellberg combined for a shutout victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. The W came at great expense, though, with Jarry leaving the game late in the second frame due to an injury that played out in 4K right before your eyes.Jeff and Jordan talk bench depth, net front presence, and roving the Amalfi coast in search of the perfect wood fired pizza.Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspodJeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewtonLETS GO PENS.JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO