PodVampFest 2025 01/23/25 After a great victory in Los Angeles, the Penguins head down to Anaheim for a showdown with the Ducks. Jordan and Jeff have plans to gorge themselves on some fresh Nosferatu tonight, so look forward to the review of THAT insane-looking Eggers flic, next time they record. Thanks to Espresso A Mano, Pittsburgh’s finest coffee roasters and cafe, for partnering with Fly Penguins Fly podcast. Visit an Espresso A Mano location near you: https://espressoamano.com/ Thank you fo...
Jan 24, 2025•34 min•Ep. 232
Jesse Marshall: The Cost Of Winning 01/16/25 The Pittsburgh Penguins yesterday placed franchise goalie Tristan Jarry on waivers, effectively banishing him to the American Hockey League on an indefinite basis. We’re lucky enough to be joined today by The Athletic’s own Jesse Marshall. An experienced hockey writer for numerous outlets, Jesse is the co-creator of the Dying Alive podcast, as well as a regular contributor to McKeen’s Hockey. With elite hockey IQ - at least as a writer and a keen anal...
Jan 16, 2025•35 min•Ep. 231
Diehard But Curious 01/13/25 Sweet sleeping zambonis. The Pittsburgh Penguins underachieved at biblical levels over the past handful of games, save a predictably unexpected stomping of their perennial daddies, the Edmonton Oilers. In that game, Sidney Crosby put on an absolute SHOW of offense and playmaking, but every other game since last Tuesday’s loss to Columbus has been a let-down. Once Jordan and Jeff recap the Pens’ aforementioned standings skid, your co-hosts take some time to figure out...
Jan 13, 2025•41 min•Ep. 230
Taking The Night Off 01/09/25 We’ve had it for now. At least until the back-to-back this weekend. Tuesday’s SO loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets positively broke Jeff’s brain. Jordan doesn’t seem too well-for-ware over it, herself. Your co-hosts had posted up at a South Hills gin mill for what they’d hoped would be a gratifying win over what Matt Vensel called “Border Rival” Columbus - alas, the story was all too familiar, with Jarry flailing to make even a single save in the shootout. Enjoy thi...
Jan 09, 2025•36 min•Ep. 229
Back To The Grind 01/06/25 It was a weekend that saw the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the defending Stanley Cup Champions in Florida, then a team, in the Canes, who perennially gives the Pens fits - especially when the matchup happens on the road in Raleigh. On one hand, the song remained the same in that Pittsburgh put a great game on the ice against the Cats, essentially stealing a point against a first-class Florida lineup. On the other hand, the Penguins proceeded to do one of the things they d...
Jan 06, 2025•31 min•Ep. 228
Before They Even Stop Crying 01/03/25 Coming out of Christmas break, the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped four of six points against vulnerable squads. The Pens’ schedule gets exceptionally tough starting tonight, when they visit the Cats of Sunrise, FL. Jeff is sucked up into an emotional twister by his first-ever experience with the story of “Wicked,” and Jordan would bring The Bus back to The Burgh if she could. Thanks to Espresso A Mano, Pittsburgh’s finest coffee roasters and cafe, for partnerin...
Jan 03, 2025•59 min•Ep. 227
Sara Civian: Hating On Hate 12/23/24 Jeff Taylor and Jordan DeFigio are joined today by storied hockey writer and founder of The Civ Report,* Sara Civian! As a co-host of the Too Many Men Podcast, Civian has also reported for Bleacher Report and The Athletic. Maybe it’s because the holidays are upon us, but few conversations we’ve shared with our guests have been quite as delightful as this one with Sara Civian. As is often the case on Fly Penguins Fly, our topics of conversation wound their way...
Dec 23, 2024•54 min•Ep. 226
Josh Yohe: The Knitting Lady’s House 12/19/24 Jeff Taylor and Jordan DeFigio are joined by The Athletic’s own Penguins beat writer and longtime friend of the podcast, Josh Yohe. (14:55) Josh shares a fun little Kyle Dubas story (18:37) Pierre Olivier Joseph traded back to Pittsburgh! (22:33) Thanking our partner: Espresso A Mano (23:51) Nashville’s struggles of late (26:58) Penguins’ upcoming schedule (29:32) Dubas showing players he believes? (33:30) Grittier PIT needs to STAY gritty (39:06) Jo...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 225
“Hardly Best On Best” 12/16/24 On the way to stealing a point from their loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost Marcus Pettersson to what has proven to be a week-to-week lower body injury. That’s not good, especially for a team who’ve just recently begun banking points en route to a possible wildcard berth. Jeff’s gears have been ground. The culprit? The NHL’s decision not to include Russian players in a so-called ‘best-on-best’ tournament. Promoting an event...
Dec 17, 2024•29 min•Ep. 224
“Defying Gravity” 12/12/24 Jeff and Jordan are back at it for this Thursday edition of Fly Penguins Fly podcast, and there’s plenty on tap. Songs from Wicked and Aladdin are on the menu, as well as long-held grudges against former GM’s who shall - if at all possible - not be named. The Penguins are in Montreal this evening to take on les Habitants, the childhood favorite team of both Sid Crosby and Kris Letang. Thanks to Espresso A Mano, Pittsburgh’s finest coffee roasters and cafe, for partneri...
Dec 12, 2024•29 min•Ep. 223
“The Needle Finally Moves” 12/09/24 Jeff flies solo today and recounts his experience of attending Saturday’s exciting game in which the Penguins vanquished the high-flying Toronto Maple Leafs. And Fly Penguins Fly has a new partnership! We’re proud to welcome onboard Espresso A Mano, one of Pittsburgh’s finest purveyors of hand-roasted specialty coffee. The Pens’ next matchup is against the Colorado Avalanche, tomorrow night right here in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby’s hometown pal Nate McKinnon, ...
Dec 09, 2024•30 min•Ep. 222
“Josh Getzoff Has The Call” 12/05/24 Back for a third time on Fly Penguins Fly podcast, TV play-by-play voice of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Josh Getzoff sits down with Jordan and Jeff for some spirited hockey talk. Friend of the pod Getzoff shares his account of attending last night’s US Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, at which the careers of Penguins veterans and Stanley Cup Champions Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen were forever enshrined and immortalized. After fielding some prompts about ...
Dec 05, 2024•59 min•Ep. 221
“Improving D: The Puck Of Destiny” 12/02/24 On this day, Monday December 2nd, 2024 Jeff and Jordan kick off a new release schedule: Monday and Thursday afternoons, regardless of the Penguins’ itinerary. We deeply appreciate you for tuning in, and you deserve a timeline you can depend on. Happy Holidays. Subscribe to Jeff’s new Penguins-related Substack feed: https://substack.com/@penspod Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on X/Twitter: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigi...
Dec 02, 2024•42 min•Ep. 220
“Uncanny Valley” 11/19/24 Your Pittsburgh Penguins are living up to the flightless reputation of their mascot. And with Jake Guentzel's Tampa Bay Lightning occupying in the visitor’s locker room at PPG Paints Arena and the red-hot Winnipeg Jets licking their chops for what should be a no-brainer dub for them this coming Friday, things don’t promise to get any better any time soon. Jordan shares a few predictions as to what fans can expect of the Penguins’ front office in the coming weeks/months,...
Nov 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 219
“Walk Softly And Carrie Furnace” 10/17/24 It’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 hock...
Nov 05, 2024•52 min•Ep. 218
“Five Hundred Club” 10/17/24 Evgeni 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 Ma...
Oct 18, 2024•17 min•Ep. 217
“Christian Humphreys” 10/09/24 The 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 o...
Oct 09, 2024•37 min•Ep. 216
“Gary Bettman’s Ice Cream Shop” 09/20/24 Sidney 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: @penspod Jeff Taylor:...
Sep 21, 2024•20 min•Ep. 215
“Michelle Crechiolo” 08/07/24 We’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: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewton LETS GO PENS. JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 214
“Million Times The Man” 06/25/24 The 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 ...
Jun 26, 2024•46 min•Ep. 213
“At The Blakuu” 05/02/24 On 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 Twitte...
May 02, 2024•59 min•Ep. 212
“One More On The Island” 04/17/24 In 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 partic...
Apr 17, 2024•25 min•Ep. 211
“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: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewton LETS GO PENS. JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO...
Apr 03, 2024•24 min•Ep. 210
“Anatomy Of A Letdown” 03/17/24 Josh 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: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewton LETS GO PENS. JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO This episode includes portions of the following musical selections: In Passage by Blue Dot Sessions Dustyard Runner b...
Mar 18, 2024•48 min•Ep. 209
“Rally Jerseys” 03/09/24 Cruz Lucius. That’s it, just… Cruz Lucius. Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewton LETS GO PENS. JEFF TAYLOR + JORDAN DEFIGIO
Mar 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 208
“Go With Girl Math” 02/27/24 Tonight 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: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT // Jordan DeFigio: @fidgenewton LETS GO PENS. JEFF TAYLOR + J...
Feb 28, 2024•46 min•Ep. 207
“A Conversation With Paul Steigerwald, Part 1’” 02/17/24 Since 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 Steig...
Feb 17, 2024•42 min•Ep. 206
“Desert Trip’” 01/20/24 If 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 ...
Jan 21, 2024•40 min•Ep. 205
“Kaleidoscope of Contagions” 01/04/23 In 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: @penspod Jeff Ta...
Jan 04, 2024•36 min•Ep. 204
“Like Anything Could Happen To Me’” 12/12/23 Late 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 Crawfo...
Dec 12, 2023•17 min•Ep. 203
