Fly Penguins Fly Podcast

“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 Humphr...

“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...

“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 TAYL...

“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 be...

“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...

“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 secon...

“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 // Jor...

“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 incl...

“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

“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 Twit...

“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 sp...

“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 fo...

“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 yo...

“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...

“Bobble Mule’” 12/06/23 Jordan 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...

“Soarin’, Flyin’, Dechievin’” 11/29/23 After 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 peop...

“Grapefruit Sized” 11/14/23 Right 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....

“Volano i Pinguini Volano” 11/08/23 We 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, tho...

“The Bright Side” 11/01/23 A fair bit has changed since last week. The Penguins are dead last in the EC, Jarry's struggles appear to have worsened, and it feels like there’s legitimate reason for concern. However, there are some bright spots up and down the Penguins’ lineup, ones that might be clues to just how this team can turn it around. With Jordan touring Italy, Jeff flies solo and breaks dow...

“Victory Friday: Pacific Northwest Bureau” 10/27/23 Four rip. Yep, Tristan Jarry stonewalled the Colorado Avalanche, and the Penguins blank the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions in Allegheny County. Jeff checks in from the road, recording a quickie podcast from an undisclosed island in the mighty Pacific Northwest. Thank you for listening!! Follow the podcast on Twitter: @penspod Jeff Taylor: @penspod_JT...

“Hockey Parent Brain” 10/18/23 Jeff was harmlessly abducted by Robert Wholey, Jordan got stuck in an elevator with Sidney Crosby and Matt Cullen, and we both have HOCKEY PARENT BRAIN. Not sure what that means? Neither are we, folks. The Penguins are in Motor City tonight, taking on the Red Wings for a TNT/MAX Broadcast that kicks off at 7:30pm eastern. Listen to the radio call on 105.9theX FM! Tha...

“Dozens In Attendance: Rossi, Yohe, DeFigio, and Taylor” 10/10/23 It’s on! Folks, the time has come to drop the puck on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-2034 season. On your way to the arena tonight, or as you’re settling in to listen on 105.9theX, or perhaps as you commute to the local pub to meet up with your best Penguin fan pals… take in this lovely conversation we had, earlier today with The Ath...

“A Missed Ottawapportunity” 10/04/23 With a plan to take in the 2023 Nova Scotia Showdown on Monday evening, Jeff and Jordan posted up at The Saloon in Mt. Lebanon. Microphones and a portable recording device in tow, Taylor and DeFigio were joined by good friend and co-host of Locked On Penguins, Hunter Hodies! Penguins hockey, and cold beverages were enjoyed, even if the final result wasn’t what...

“Approved Vocabulary” 09/15/23 Today marked the start of Penguins Hockey in 2023. In Buffalo, the Penguins’ prospects took on those of the Boston Bruins, as part of the 2023 Prospects Challenge. Spoiler alert, Pittsburgh fell to Boston, 4 goals to 2. Be soothed by Jeff’s dulcet tones in the intro and have your nerves soothed by ambient crowd noise - piped in live as the voiceover was being recorde...

“DeFigio + Taylor: Penguins Folk” 09/05/23 Some of the Penguins were back on the ice in the Pittsburgh area today, holding unofficial practice. (Per Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now). Fenway Sports Group has purchased the television network that allows us Penguins fans to watch our team in real time. These items and more are discussed on today’s episode, plus Jeff opens up about some mental...