In Monday’s “First Call,” I fire off a delayed salvo about JuJu Smith-Schuster’s interview with Michael Irvin.

A look back at some Troy Polamalu highlights. Former Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury keeps moving up the all-time wins chart. NHL trades are already paying off in the East Division.

And you need good ice to play hockey. Just ask the Wheeling Nailers.

Just to get it off my chest

“First Call” was off Friday. So I didn’t get a chance to chime in on JuJu Smith-Schuster’s podcast interview with former NFL star Michael Irvin.

One quote from Smith-Schuster particularly stood out to me regarding the heat he took for his pregame logo dances in Cincinnati, Buffalo and Dallas.

“They weren’t saying anything when I was dancing on the Cowboys logo. Then I go ball-out and score a touchdown. Everyone is happy,” Smith-Schuster said. “But as soon as we lose and I dance on the logo, everyone is like, ‘Oh my gosh that’s the reason why they’re losing. He’s not focused.’ If I’m not focused, just go back and look at the stats. Go back and look at my catch radius. I’m doing everything I can for my team.”

Hey, look! Smith-Schuster hasn’t figured it out yet … but at the same time, he has figured it out.

JuJu, listen to yourself. The answer is in the quote. When you win, you can dance. When you dance in advance of games that you lose, you set yourself up to look awful.

Which is exactly what happened. Just ask Josh Allen and Vonn Bell.

And no one is saying that the logo dances were the only reason the Steelers lost. It just made the losing look even worse.

Oh, and for the record, I was critical of Smith-Schuster for trying to dance on the logo in Dallas during the game. Thankfully, James Conner had the presence of mind to stop him from doing it. So that cause-and-effect theory is flawed.

JuJu went on to brag that he made $2 million off his social media branding and ostensibly justified the fallout from it in terms of his pocketbook.

But I have to wonder if part of the reason no one was willing to give him a multi-year, eight-figure deal such as the ones Kenny Golladay, Curtis Samuel and Tyler Lockett got was because of the off-field distractions that Smith-Schuster causes.

So maybe that $2 million isn’t quite the score Smith-Schuster is making it out to be.

Hey, he made it into a Super Bowl ad, though. Not the actual Super Bowl. But a commercial.

I guess that’s what really matters in 2021.

Cheers to Troy

On Saturday, the Steelers noted the sixth anniversary of Troy Polamalu’s retirement with this highlight montage of his career.

#OTD in 2015, @tpolamalu retired. pic.twitter.com/OOMIJp7dnZ

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 10, 2021

Takes you back, doesn’t it?

There are a few more plays I would’ve included, though. One of them was up in Buffalo during the 2010 season. A diving interception that he had late in the fourth quarter which prevented a potential scoring drive by the Bills. The Steelers eventually won the game after Stevie Johnson’s infamous drop. The one that resulted in him blaming God for giving him bad hands.

I also would’ve included Polamalu bulling his way through former USC teammate Carson Palmer, as he was returning a pick-6 against the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback.

And, of course, I would’ve included his interception that wasn’t allowed to stand in the 2005 playoffs against the Indianapolis Colts.

Pete Morelli wouldn’t have included it. But I sure would have.

Welcome to the club

As the Penguins were beating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 Sunday night, a former Devil was helping his new team in the East Division.

Kyle Palmieri scored his first goal since being acquired from New Jersey by the New York Islanders.

THE GOAL. THE CELLY.

WE LOVE ALL OF IT. pic.twitter.com/fs9wmLdKch

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 11, 2021

That was Palmieri’s ninth of the season, as the Islanders won against the New York Rangers 3-2 in overtime. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals beat the Boston Bruins 8-1. And the Philadelphia Flyers got by the Buffalo Sabres 5-3.

So that means the top four in the playoff standings in the East as of Monday morning look like this.

1. Capitals 58 (tie breaker)

2. Islanders 58

3. Penguins 56

4. Bruins 48

The Rangers and Flyers are tied for fifth place with 44 points each, with New York currently holding more regulation wins.

Frozen out

The Wheeling Nailers have had to suspend their last two games because of issues with the ice.

Sunday’s contest for the Penguins ECHL team versus South Carolina was only in progress for four minutes before it was shut down.

More ice issues in Wheeling. Today's game also cancelled. That's 2 games vs. South Carolina lost due to the ice, in a different area of the surface today. Today's game wasn't four minutes old when action was halted. pic.twitter.com/EReg2LoEJ0

— Rob Metzger (@RMetzgerWTOV9) April 11, 2021

Saturday’s game was halted after one period. The original plan was to resume it on Monday. But now it has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

The Sunday game has also been canceled and will not be completed.

Fleury fights off funk

Former Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury had been in a slump of late for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Prior to Sunday’s start against the Arizona Coyotes, Fleury had lost three in a row and five of six. He wasn’t getting much help, though, as the Knights had only managed six goals in those five defeats.

Fleury still didn’t get a lot of offensive support Sunday, but he didn’t need much. He blanked Arizona 1-0 and stopped all 14 shots he faced. It was Fleury’s sixth shutout of the year. Tomas Nosek scored the game’s lone goal midway through the third period.

OHHHHH YEAHHHHHHH ?#VegasBorn | @Raising_Canes pic.twitter.com/lpqhulHSJB

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) April 11, 2021

That was his seventh goal of the season and Fleury’s 484th win of his career. That moves “The Flower” into a tie with Ed Belfour for fourth all-time on the NHL’s career win list.

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