Max Talbot Expects Emotional Game In Pittsburgh
PHILADELPHIA (KDKA) -- The part of what makes Max Talbot's decision to leave the Penguins tough on Pittsburgh fans is that he opted to go to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Bob Pompeani: "People are always going to remember 'Shhh…' [in game 6 of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs]."
Max Talbot: "Yeah, that was obviously a big moment in my career, you know, it was something that happened after a fight that I had not won, but after that, the guys stepped up and changed momentum and then we ended up winning the Stanley Cup."
BP: "You know, there's a guy in Pittsburgh who has a tattoo on his leg of you going, 'Shh ….'"
MT: "Yeah, I saw that. …. He's going to keep it probably because it's a thing for history, if I can say. It's something that happened, a moment I obviously cherish."
Talbot says he cherished his time with Sidney Crosby whom he regards as a lifelong friend. But now he's got to be an enemy on game nights and he knows he and Sid will go at it.
"It's gonna be weird, strange, but I feel like we battled so much in practices – it was so intense sometimes, you know, it's kinda going to be – it's gonna feel like I've done it before," he said.
But what he's never done before is skate in Pittsburgh as a member of any other team. That will change December 29.
BP: "What's it going to be like, Max, when you come back to Pittsburgh and that's late in December, it's a holiday time, but I imagine fans will be in an interesting mood for you. I assume they're going to stand up and cheer and applaud what you've done, but then it's game on. Is that what you expect?"
MT: "I don't know what to expect. It's tough because obviously I still have only good memories and things to say about Pittsburgh. Hopefully they won't, you know, hopefully remember what I did and that I played with my heart and I tried to do great things on and off the ice. It's a tough spot for them because they – maybe deep down they like Max Talbot, but they all hate the Flyers so it's good competition."
