Canes, Shut Outs & Garbage Goalies

[00:00:07] Hey everyone, Mr. Devil here, Kenny Danico, three-time Stanley Cup champion of the New Jersey Devils, and you're listening to the Uncle Puckers New Jersey Devils Podcast with Chris, Dan, Bobby, and Tony, the Uncle Puckers. Let's go Devils!

[00:00:25] Christmas is over boys. Did everybody have a wonderful holiday? Did Santa bring everybody everything that you wanted?

[00:00:33] Got some really good stuff. Got this really killer new East Ice Hockey hoodie, my kids team.

[00:00:40] Oh, there you go.

[00:00:41] All right. Seriously, whose pole do I have to stroke to get that shirt?

[00:00:45] Well, the store is closed. They only open it once a year, so you'll have to stroke mine next December.

[00:00:51] I'll put it in my calendar because that sounds great.

[00:00:54] Why would you not even offer that to me? It's a hockey sweatshirt with my football team's logo on it,

[00:01:00] and you didn't even think about your BFF.

[00:01:03] Well, you know what? My 10-year-old did get three different versions of his shirt. I could probably ship you one of those. Probably fit.

[00:01:09] Wow.

[00:01:13] Kind of walked into that one.

[00:01:15] You did.

[00:01:15] Dan, what did you get for Christmas?

[00:01:20] Every year, I ask the kids for the same thing. Get your dad $5,000.

[00:01:25] And this year, one of the kids put $5,000 in my stockings. That was great. It worked out nice.

[00:01:32] Can I have one of those kids?

[00:01:34] Yeah.

[00:01:35] Yeah.

[00:01:35] That's the hardworking one. Yeah.

[00:01:37] Of course, you know, didn't take it.

[00:01:39] You're hoping her account. I'm like, God, you have a lot of cash laying around. Let's go.

[00:01:42] She'd really leave you $5,000 like as a gag?

[00:01:45] She put it in.

[00:01:46] Yeah, because I've been saying that as a joke.

[00:01:49] I never want anything for Christmas. I don't know about you guys. But like, I've been saying that for years. And the kid's been working her butt off and stuff. And I didn't realize she had that much cash laying around.

[00:02:00] That's actually a really cool, like, that's a cool dad moment, to be honest.

[00:02:04] Yeah. I was like, are you serious? What is this? It's crazy.

[00:02:08] Also, what kind of drugs are you selling? Because I would like some of those.

[00:02:13] Kid's always working, you know? She's doing a good job. So, you know.

[00:02:17] And save it up. Probably going to blow it all this summer on a trip to Europe with the school. So, that's the whole point.

[00:02:23] My kid's going to blow all his on a car. So, he's managed to save about $9,000.

[00:02:29] And to answer the question that you asked Dan, it's weed.

[00:02:32] Yeah, yeah.

[00:02:33] He's selling mostly. And, yeah. No, he works his ass off. But, yeah, he's got a shitload of money saved, too.

[00:02:40] So, like, even when my car broke down, I was like, man, now I got to get the fucking thing fixed.

[00:02:46] I hope it's not total. He's like, oh, it's total, Dad. I'll give you the money.

[00:02:49] Just buy something else and pay me back. It's not how it's supposed to work.

[00:02:53] Yeah.

[00:02:53] But, no, it's fine. I'll be okay. You hold on to your money and buy your car.

[00:02:58] So, but, yeah, they're nice. What'd you get, Tim?

[00:03:02] I got a nice big win on Monday. Other than that, not much. Some consumables.

[00:03:07] You know, I'm having Christmas with my kids in a couple days.

[00:03:10] Nice.

[00:03:11] So, I'm excited to see what my ex-wife has come up with. Probably not much.

[00:03:16] But other than that, you know, pretty simple. I'm more the gift giver than the gift getter these days.

[00:03:22] Exactly.

[00:03:22] So, it's pretty good. I've got a couple of books I read a lot.

[00:03:26] I've got a cool book, too. I've got a cool hockey book.

[00:03:30] It's like a whole bunch of awesome hockey stories in it.

[00:03:33] And the foreword was written by Roberto Luongo.

[00:03:37] And it starts off with just an absolutely great story of how he got explosive diarrhea during an elimination playoff game, Vancouver versus Anaheim.

[00:03:50] It is one of the, like, just reading, like, the first two pages, I'm like, this is the best book ever.

[00:03:55] Yeah.

[00:03:56] Yeah.

[00:03:57] Yeah.

[00:03:59] Also, as, you know, the dad of a hockey child, I'm responsible for, you know, grabbing a puck, putting the tape around it, right, Tim?

[00:04:06] Labeling it up.

[00:04:07] I've only got two so far.

[00:04:08] I got his first goal from a three-on-three cross-ice league, which wound up being full ice anyway.

[00:04:13] And then his first assist on this actual middle school team this year.

[00:04:17] So what he decided to do for me was get me this really awesome puck for Christmas, which says, I scored getting you as my dad.

[00:04:27] Oh.

[00:04:27] I was like, dude, this is, like, the greatest little, like, gift I can get.

[00:04:32] You know what I mean?

[00:04:33] It was so cool.

[00:04:34] So that will be proudly displayed.

[00:04:36] Not signed by Randy Velichek, right?

[00:04:39] That's absolutely, yeah.

[00:04:41] Keep on knocking the Randy Velichek puck.

[00:04:43] It's right there, man.

[00:04:45] I keep it on.

[00:04:46] I've had this thing for years, like 20, over 20 years.

[00:04:50] I got it.

[00:04:51] So, Bobby, you haven't, sorry, you haven't gotten to, like, the buying new sticks and $1,000 skates for Christmas yet?

[00:04:58] So last year under the sports tree or behind it, I did have a new stick, a real stick, like composite that was using wood, you know, for a couple years.

[00:05:07] But I asked him if he was interested, and he still doesn't need another one.

[00:05:10] He's not really putting much flex behind it, if you know what I mean.

[00:05:12] So it's not really in danger of being shattered.

[00:05:15] And the skates and all, no, he's still in the junior equipment that we got him for the, you know, learn to play program.

[00:05:21] He's getting close to skates, but his next level will be like $250.

[00:05:24] We're not getting up to the $1,000 range anytime soon.

[00:05:27] He's going to start growing like a weed, so.

[00:05:30] Yeah, my son knows a lot about weed.

[00:05:32] Let's, so anyway, about the fun little Ranger game, you know, Bob and Dan, we haven't gotten your guys' takes on it.

[00:05:41] So I'm curious.

[00:05:43] Oh, that was fantastic, right?

[00:05:44] I mean, that was, I would think that was all our real Christmas wishes.

[00:05:48] To hell with the children.

[00:05:49] And that was everything you could want from the Devils.

[00:05:52] What a great performance against, you know, the hated rivals.

[00:05:57] And boy, are they falling apart.

[00:05:59] It was just fantastic to see the, you know, dominance of the Devils in that game.

[00:06:06] And there's just no answers in New York.

[00:06:08] They got nothing.

[00:06:09] It's like, I go on and I listen to some other Ranger podcasts or, you know, just to kind of get a feel of what the tenors of going on up there and stuff.

[00:06:21] And there were two guys, I don't remember the name of the show they were doing, but it was, I want to grab some of the audio to play on here because it's just awesome listening to them lose their shit.

[00:06:32] I mean, the one guy was like just, hey, why the fuck is Zibanejad still on this team?

[00:06:38] They're scratching Chris Kreider.

[00:06:40] They're not scratching that piece of shit.

[00:06:41] He's going off and I'm cracking up listening to it.

[00:06:44] Then they had their little Rempe tape, which I have to say, I agreed 100% on.

[00:06:48] Like these dudes were like, he's a fucking sideshow.

[00:06:51] And that's all he is.

[00:06:53] And if he's going to come in, they were going over like, what, 22 games.

[00:06:56] They think the guys played an average of four and a half minutes a game.

[00:07:00] And then they're comparing that to the amount of penalty time he's gotten.

[00:07:04] And it's like, you know, how is he helping you?

[00:07:07] And he's not.

[00:07:08] Somebody gets it.

[00:07:09] Yeah, they were dead on right about it.

[00:07:11] But Sarah Palin, she'll be the person to tell you.

[00:07:14] No, no, no.

[00:07:16] Matt Rempe is the victim here.

[00:07:18] Oh, is he?

[00:07:19] Yes, yes.

[00:07:20] You didn't see her tweet?

[00:07:22] No, I did not.

[00:07:23] First of all, I didn't think she'd get involved in this.

[00:07:26] And I haven't heard for any years.

[00:07:27] Tell them why she's involved in this.

[00:07:29] Because I don't know who those people are.

[00:07:30] I discovered this when she tweeted this out.

[00:07:33] But apparently she's been dating Ron Duguay for like three years.

[00:07:38] Of course.

[00:07:40] Honestly, now you think about her and you think about him.

[00:07:43] And you're like, yeah, that kind of tracks.

[00:07:45] That's actually sort of a perfect couple.

[00:07:47] Really?

[00:07:48] So, yeah.

[00:07:48] Yeah, so she's been tweeting right way in on Rempe being, you know, the answer and the truth and all this stuff.

[00:07:54] Oh, I'm a hockey mom.

[00:07:56] I can see Russia.

[00:07:57] Exactly.

[00:07:58] It's crazy.

[00:07:59] It's just trying to find the tweet real quick.

[00:08:03] What is it?

[00:08:04] Sarah Palin.

[00:08:05] She wrote, shoot, because he's the difference.

[00:08:11] Since when did so many softies become hockey fans?

[00:08:14] Anti-Rempe tribe wanting to change the game to Kumbaya hockey.

[00:08:19] Think y'all really know the game?

[00:08:21] You better off sticking with, you better off sticking with tiddlywinks.

[00:08:26] Hashtag NHL.

[00:08:27] Hashtag Rempe.

[00:08:28] Hashtag New York Rangers.

[00:08:31] Hashtag Let's Go Rangers.

[00:08:32] X.com.

[00:08:34] And that's it.

[00:08:35] That is so off the mark.

[00:08:37] That is so outer space, dude.

[00:08:38] That's just like a toughness in a game.

[00:08:41] No, Sarah Palin is never off the mark.

[00:08:44] Okay?

[00:08:44] Sarah Palin is always dead on balls accurate of every one of her takes, especially her takes on the New York Rangers.

[00:08:52] Can I say something about Sarah Palin?

[00:08:55] Yeah, go ahead, Bob.

[00:08:56] Talk about Sarah Palin.

[00:08:57] What do you got to say about her?

[00:08:58] I would.

[00:08:58] What do you got to say about her?

[00:08:59] I would.

[00:09:00] You would?

[00:09:01] Governor of the state of Bobby's long lost love.

[00:09:05] What?

[00:09:06] Oh, my God.

[00:09:08] Yeah, it took a minute.

[00:09:09] I didn't have to catch up to that one.

[00:09:10] What the fuck was she?

[00:09:11] Oh, yeah.

[00:09:12] Alaska.

[00:09:12] I forgot about that.

[00:09:14] This is a false equivalence that she's making that I just think is so fucking stupid.

[00:09:19] It's like this isn't a referendum on hitting in the game and taking like hard hits out of the game.

[00:09:24] It's just let's take fucking idiots out of the game.

[00:09:26] Like that's there's a difference in the dumb people can't see the game.

[00:09:30] Well, yeah, I think Sarah Palin definitely qualifies as dumb people.

[00:09:34] So I'm with you.

[00:09:36] So, Bob, what were your thoughts on the game?

[00:09:39] I don't know the last time I was that happy like watching a game because we had a text read going.

[00:09:44] I always got one going with Derek, too.

[00:09:45] And I mean, I think I was literally just smiling watching the TV.

[00:09:49] It was just so much fun to see them have no answers.

[00:09:51] I mean, at one point, I think I texted it.

[00:09:52] It looked like the bench was actually going to cry.

[00:09:54] Like I mean, that's like how dejected they looked.

[00:09:57] And yeah, it's just fascinating.

[00:09:59] I just I'm so happy even forget the fact that it was just the range the way they're playing.

[00:10:03] Yeah, and the way they played like the last two games that mirroring that was at the five four three shots or something.

[00:10:09] Right.

[00:10:10] Five in the first three in the second or four to second three in the third.

[00:10:13] Like that's insane.

[00:10:14] And then the seven games were ever with under 20, but just their demise.

[00:10:19] And when the devil's just kept piling on, I was like, this is literally I haven't had this much fun since I want to say since we beat them in the playoffs.

[00:10:27] But that wasn't as much fun because I was still tense, like right up until the last second, right up to the last second till we clinched it.

[00:10:33] I'm like, they can always lose this series.

[00:10:35] You know, so I didn't allow myself to have as much fun as I did with this because it was a regular season game.

[00:10:39] So it was just kind of like what a Christmas gift.

[00:10:42] Yeah, they beat them in every facet of the game, too.

[00:10:44] I mean, you know, any kind of way you can look at a hockey game, I mean, the fights, you know, they stood up to everything and skill wise and, you know, defensively and just having a good plan and the energy they brought.

[00:10:59] I mean, they were just so dominant.

[00:11:01] It was great.

[00:11:02] I couldn't get enough of it.

[00:11:04] Yeah.

[00:11:04] From the time the puck dropped until the, you know, zeros at the end of the third, it was just complete and total dominance.

[00:11:11] And you saw it like the Rangers did have a little fight in the first, but once they got out of the first period, they had no fight.

[00:11:18] They just wanted to go home.

[00:11:19] They had no desire to stick around there and try and win that hockey game at all.

[00:11:24] It was the first.

[00:11:25] I'm sorry.

[00:11:26] No, no.

[00:11:26] I was just going to say like the.

[00:11:29] The roles are reversed.

[00:11:30] But last year when they were kicking our ass, like you had a depleted devil team, you had guys that weren't in the lineup.

[00:11:37] You had two 19, 20 year olds playing top line defensive minutes.

[00:11:41] We had really soft, bad, bad goaltending.

[00:11:44] Like it wasn't.

[00:11:45] You kind of expected that against a really good Ranger team.

[00:11:48] This is essentially the exact same team that they had last year.

[00:11:52] And now we're, you know, of course put together and healthy, but like what a complete dominating effort from start to finish.

[00:12:01] It was fantastic.

[00:12:02] Yeah.

[00:12:03] Yeah.

[00:12:03] And I love how some of the Ranger fans are losing their shit now, like on the devil's organization, just for some of the memes they put up.

[00:12:09] Like forget about the whole, you know, the devil's putting on the, the, uh, you know, the, the draft where they all cheered because they didn't get Jack Hughes and they put that up.

[00:12:17] But that, that was one thing.

[00:12:18] That was great.

[00:12:19] Unlike the L up, you know, like they always do for anything.

[00:12:22] Like they're losing their shit now.

[00:12:23] Like all of a sudden, like they're the moral police and how can you, this is another professional team.

[00:12:27] What are you doing?

[00:12:27] This is ridiculous.

[00:12:28] Like, wow.

[00:12:30] Well, it's obvious that the Rangers themselves get it from their fan base, which is the fact that they are all soft as hell and little babies.

[00:12:40] I was on X looking at this one girl was right.

[00:12:43] I I'm a Ranger fan and I live in New Jersey and I went to that game and the people were so rude to me.

[00:12:49] And okay.

[00:12:50] So you got heckled at a game.

[00:12:52] And the fact that like you said, putting up the draft thing up there and like Ranger fans losing their shit about it.

[00:12:58] Like when did this seriously Sarah Palin needs to get on board with that?

[00:13:03] Cause that's the tiddlywinks bullshit.

[00:13:04] Like that's just good old fashioned ribbing.

[00:13:08] You do it.

[00:13:08] You know, you go to games, you talk shit to other people.

[00:13:11] You have a little fun.

[00:13:12] Now I look, Bobby, you and I were at the home opener against Toronto.

[00:13:17] We almost had a fight with two guys behind us who were devil fans.

[00:13:22] I get it.

[00:13:24] Devil fans like any fan base can be complete fucking assholes.

[00:13:27] And we were talking to and friendly with the couple that were the Toronto fans in front of us.

[00:13:34] He says, look, man, everybody pays their money.

[00:13:36] Everybody wants to go see their team.

[00:13:38] And if it's just so happens that it's not the team that you're rooting for, you still shouldn't treat people with disrespect.

[00:13:42] You want to have a little fun.

[00:13:44] That's fine.

[00:13:44] But these people were acting like seriously.

[00:13:48] Oh, Pearl Clutchin.

[00:13:50] I cannot believe that somebody told me to go fuck myself at a hockey game.

[00:13:54] Like, come on, man.

[00:13:56] Like get a grip.

[00:13:57] But there's one guy that's just having a legendary crash out.

[00:14:01] And I think it's still going on right now.

[00:14:02] He's put up like 40 tweets about how that was some dude on Twitter, a Rangers fan.

[00:14:08] He's just crashing out like 40 tweets in a thread just on how the devil is constantly thinking about the Rangers.

[00:14:16] Meanwhile, he's putting together a thread about the devil is thinking about the Rangers.

[00:14:20] All day Christmas, all day yesterday, all day Christmas Eve, this guy has just been adding to this thread.

[00:14:25] And it's like, buddy, are you going to be okay?

[00:14:27] Like, it's calmed down.

[00:14:29] Needs an intervention.

[00:14:31] Have you responded to him, Tim?

[00:14:32] No, I don't want to get involved in this.

[00:14:34] But our devil's shit posters have gotten that taken care of.

[00:14:38] There are a few guys on Twitter that just are fucking ruthless and hilarious all in one.

[00:14:43] Yeah, I mean, if it's all in fun, that's how it's supposed to be.

[00:14:47] But like these people, like she even wrote in their first tweet that people were being violent towards her.

[00:14:57] And so somebody asked her, like, did they throw stuff at you?

[00:15:00] No, they were just really rude.

[00:15:02] Like, there's a big difference to somebody being violent and then somebody talking shit.

[00:15:07] Like, and I get it.

[00:15:08] You know, if you're a young woman, you shouldn't talk shit to them.

[00:15:11] I get that.

[00:15:12] Even if they're wearing Ranger fans.

[00:15:13] But every fan base has an asshole.

[00:15:15] Like, wasn't this the fan base that knocked a fucking Tampa Bay Lightning fan out after a game?

[00:15:20] Knocked and cold clocked them out cold?

[00:15:22] Like, you're going to be the moral police?

[00:15:25] Fuck you.

[00:15:25] You know, you got to know what you're in for, too.

[00:15:28] Like, I say it all the time.

[00:15:29] I don't throw on my Devil's jersey and go to Flyers games when they're playing the Devil's.

[00:15:33] It's not worth it because I know my personality, right?

[00:15:36] And I could take a ribbing, but I can't take, like, being abused.

[00:15:39] And I don't want to be that guy that then has to turn around and be an asshole.

[00:15:42] So I just avoid it completely.

[00:15:44] You know, you're talking Devil's Ranger games about as heated as it gets.

[00:15:48] You know, no one's physically messing with you or anything like that.

[00:15:51] And if you're losing and you're losing bad, you shut your mouth and you walk out.

[00:15:54] The first away game I ever went to was after we won the Cup, I went to Boston.

[00:15:59] It was at the Fleet Center at the time, right?

[00:16:00] And I went with my girlfriend at the time.

[00:16:02] So I'm wearing my Devil's stuff proudly.

[00:16:04] They got destroyed.

[00:16:05] Devil's, like, four to one.

[00:16:06] And I'm walking out.

[00:16:07] And throughout the stairwell, they're on top of me.

[00:16:11] And I'm just like, just get me to my car.

[00:16:13] But I didn't say word one back.

[00:16:15] It's what I get.

[00:16:16] I'm on the other side.

[00:16:17] I got destroyed.

[00:16:19] Stanley Cup champs.

[00:16:20] They're all in my face.

[00:16:21] You guys are chumps.

[00:16:21] All this just had to get out of there, dude.

[00:16:25] Just there's nothing else you can do.

[00:16:26] You just have to bend over and take it.

[00:16:29] That's it.

[00:16:29] You know, that's just how it goes.

[00:16:32] I got to say one more thing on the Ranger things.

[00:16:34] I think it's a Ranger thing.

[00:16:35] So we we have one of our reels that we put out a while ago is when I went on that little

[00:16:41] bit of a rant about the Rangers success and maybe been thinking it was greater than it was

[00:16:46] the regular season championship banner and all that and how they hadn't won since 1994.

[00:16:51] And it was really fun.

[00:16:52] And, you know, I know there's a large contingent of Devils fans that we're not reaching on our

[00:16:56] Instagram.

[00:16:57] It's fairly new.

[00:16:57] We got a few hundred followers and there's tens of thousands.

[00:17:00] So I actually boosted a post for the first time I did like a paid ad because it's specifically

[00:17:05] supposed to just have other people see us Devils fans that haven't seen us before.

[00:17:10] And I'm watching the engagement of this post, which was great, by the way.

[00:17:13] And I had one comment and one comment only.

[00:17:16] Now, if this is a Devils fan that's just asking a sincere question.

[00:17:18] Cool.

[00:17:19] I didn't I didn't answer it like a dick to you.

[00:17:21] But if it's a Ranger fan asking this question, which I think it is, I think I answered appropriately.

[00:17:26] They only wrote and said, and what success have the Devils had?

[00:17:31] And remember, I ended my reel with they haven't won a championship and they put up the banner

[00:17:35] and all that.

[00:17:36] And they said, and what success have the Devils had?

[00:17:39] And I said, none.

[00:17:40] Hence, no additional banner.

[00:17:44] Like, pretty simple.

[00:17:45] So I'm really hoping that was a Ranger fan.

[00:17:47] Like, you're just proving my point.

[00:17:49] The Devils have won nothing.

[00:17:50] Therefore, they didn't put up a banner.

[00:17:52] They didn't put up a banner when they beat you in the playoffs.

[00:17:53] They didn't put up a banner when they beat you, you know, 10 goals to one the last two

[00:17:57] games.

[00:17:58] That's the joke of it.

[00:17:59] So I thought that was fun.

[00:18:01] There's a pretty significant contingent of Devils fans that can't be happy with anything

[00:18:05] either.

[00:18:05] You know, and you find them in a couple of Facebook groups that I'm in.

[00:18:09] Like, these guys, it's like, you know, it's like one guy's like, like, Timo fucking sucks.

[00:18:14] He's not worth the money.

[00:18:15] It's like, buddy, he scored like four goals in the last five games.

[00:18:19] What are you talking about?

[00:18:20] It just can't be reasoned with.

[00:18:22] Like, I'm going back.

[00:18:22] Henry Rand is five games late.

[00:18:24] You should put it out there when you first thought about it.

[00:18:26] One guy's like, you know, another guy's like, we'll never get anywhere.

[00:18:30] Or, you know, we're not going to win the cup with Marsham as goalie.

[00:18:32] It's like, maybe not.

[00:18:34] I don't know, man.

[00:18:35] Like, he's doing all right recently.

[00:18:37] Like, what the fuck are you talking about?

[00:18:39] Back-to-back shutouts.

[00:18:40] I think that's pretty good.

[00:18:41] I mean...

[00:18:42] Enjoy the ride.

[00:18:43] We're fun.

[00:18:44] This is fun.

[00:18:44] We're having fun.

[00:18:46] That's why I'm glad you brought this up.

[00:18:48] Because I was thinking this the other day.

[00:18:49] Like, my mindset needs to change now.

[00:18:51] Like, particularly on this podcast.

[00:18:53] I kind of...

[00:18:53] I come into it almost feeling like an auditor at some points.

[00:18:55] You know, like, you have to look for things that are kind of wrong.

[00:18:58] Instead of just enjoying this amazing ride we're on and how good this team is.

[00:19:02] And the fact that this team legitimately can win a Stanley Cup.

[00:19:04] No doubt.

[00:19:05] They're a top four in the league right now.

[00:19:07] And like you said, it's just fun.

[00:19:08] Don't nitpick what this million-dollar player is or isn't doing right now.

[00:19:12] Like, this team is gelling.

[00:19:14] We just got to roll with this, right?

[00:19:15] This is just fun.

[00:19:16] Right.

[00:19:16] Plus, if you saw, like, you know, there was opportunity to get goalie X of choice that

[00:19:22] everybody could, you know, say is demonstrably better than Markstrom.

[00:19:25] Like, he's the guy you got.

[00:19:27] And he was one of the best choices I think you could make at the time we had any ability

[00:19:33] to change horses for their goaltender.

[00:19:35] So, like, what do you want?

[00:19:37] You know?

[00:19:37] Like, who is this guy's suggestion and how would you have gotten him?

[00:19:41] You know?

[00:19:42] That's a great point.

[00:19:43] And that's the problem.

[00:19:44] It's like, yeah, this is who we wound up with.

[00:19:46] So, A, there's no point in, like, relitigating what did or didn't happen.

[00:19:50] But also, like, okay, then who's your suggestion?

[00:19:54] How would they have done it?

[00:19:55] And then how would they have fit everything in under the cap?

[00:19:57] And they're just like, well, I don't know.

[00:19:58] It's not my job.

[00:19:59] It's like, well, you know.

[00:20:01] Well, then you can't get on Timo's ass for how much he makes if you're not willing to.

[00:20:05] You know what I mean?

[00:20:06] Like, if you're going to count everybody's money, but then when it's throwing it back

[00:20:09] against you, you go, that's not my decision.

[00:20:11] I don't fucking know.

[00:20:12] Like, we have Jacob Markstrom for $3 million.

[00:20:15] Like, that's, I mean, he's been playing great.

[00:20:18] And the thing that I like best about Jacob Markstrom, and we might not get this from a

[00:20:23] Connor Hollabuck or, you know, anybody else that was in the mix of who we might get.

[00:20:29] He legitimately loves being a devil.

[00:20:32] Like, this dude loves being here.

[00:20:35] And that, I think, is worth a lot.

[00:20:37] You know, it's like Mike Tomlin from the Steelers always says, you know, I want volunteers.

[00:20:41] I don't want hostages.

[00:20:42] And, you know, we have a team of volunteers that want to play here.

[00:20:47] Where you look at the Rangers and they look like hostages.

[00:20:49] And they look like nobody wants to be there.

[00:20:51] They all would rather be anywhere else.

[00:20:54] 100%.

[00:20:54] I mean, can you imagine how quickly any of them would get off that team if they could these days?

[00:21:00] I mean, it is not a great place to be when everybody turns against you, you know?

[00:21:05] Yeah.

[00:21:06] You know, when the spotlight's so bright and then, you know, it's a shitty place to be.

[00:21:13] And that's what I like.

[00:21:14] And that's why I think a lot of what Fitz has really built out is that culture coming from him.

[00:21:20] And sort of building down.

[00:21:22] And, you know, he keeps saying it like New Jersey's a hidden gem.

[00:21:24] I want to bring guys in.

[00:21:26] Let them see what it's like.

[00:21:27] Let them feel it out.

[00:21:28] And, you know, he did that with Timo.

[00:21:30] But actually that made me bring that to a topic of the day that we didn't ever actually really discuss.

[00:21:36] But with the speaking of the devil's culture, Jacques Lemaire.

[00:21:40] Yeah.

[00:21:40] Get into the ring of honor.

[00:21:43] Yeah.

[00:21:43] I think that as far as there already being two guys in there, of course, Dr. John McMullen had to be the first one in.

[00:21:51] I mean, for people that don't know, he was the owner of the Colorado Rockies who brought the Devils to Jersey in 82.

[00:21:57] He was the one that started this whole thing.

[00:22:00] None of us be here without Dr. John McMullen.

[00:22:02] So he's up there.

[00:22:04] Yeah.

[00:22:04] You know, there's not too many of those anymore.

[00:22:07] Yeah.

[00:22:07] You know, he was awesome.

[00:22:09] And he loved the Devils.

[00:22:10] He loved New Jersey.

[00:22:11] He loved hockey.

[00:22:13] So it starts with him.

[00:22:15] Hey, Doc Holliday.

[00:22:17] You all right?

[00:22:18] He's your Hufflepuff.

[00:22:20] You got a call button on there?

[00:22:22] I muted my mic.

[00:22:23] Did you?

[00:22:24] No, I'm mute.

[00:22:25] No, you didn't.

[00:22:26] You did.

[00:22:27] You might have.

[00:22:28] I don't know.

[00:22:29] You didn't mute.

[00:22:30] No.

[00:22:30] I don't know if anybody else has this issue, but I have a weak flap in my windpipe.

[00:22:36] So oftentimes.

[00:22:38] You got a weak flap.

[00:22:38] Great.

[00:22:39] We got a weak link over here.

[00:22:40] You got a weak flap.

[00:22:42] You got a weak flap.

[00:22:42] It's a bad flap.

[00:22:44] It's a bad flap.

[00:22:45] Sorry about that.

[00:22:46] I mean, everybody's got one flaw.

[00:22:48] All right.

[00:22:48] Mine's my bad flap.

[00:22:49] That's the only flaw you got?

[00:22:50] Good for you.

[00:22:51] Yeah.

[00:22:52] And the height thing.

[00:22:53] That didn't really work out great for me.

[00:22:55] How tall are you?

[00:22:57] You'll never know.

[00:22:59] No, you're right.

[00:23:00] Unless I see you in person.

[00:23:01] If we've never met.

[00:23:02] My Tinder profile says I'm 5'10", and that's pretty accurate.

[00:23:06] Okay.

[00:23:06] So you're 5'10".

[00:23:07] No, I'm lying on my Tinder profile.

[00:23:10] That's the point of the joke.

[00:23:11] I'm 5'7".

[00:23:13] I'm 5'7".

[00:23:13] You're 5'7"?

[00:23:14] Yeah.

[00:23:15] Oh, you tiny little man.

[00:23:16] Yeah.

[00:23:16] That's why my hockey career didn't go anywhere.

[00:23:19] There wasn't really much demand for 5'7 players in the mid-90s.

[00:23:23] No.

[00:23:24] Especially defensemen.

[00:23:25] They were like, really?

[00:23:27] Speaking of really small defensemen, I was watching NHL Network the other day, and they're playing – they keep playing some championship – European championship league going on.

[00:23:38] And Sammy Votnin was playing for one of the teams, and I saw him, and he scored a game winner like last week.

[00:23:45] So, you know, cheers to Sammy Votnin, who Dan's daughters absolutely love.

[00:23:50] Oh, yeah.

[00:23:50] Sammy Votnin.

[00:23:51] Still checks on Votnin.

[00:23:52] How's he doing over there?

[00:23:53] She gives me the Votnin report.

[00:23:53] She gets mad at me whenever I talk shit about Sammy Votnin.

[00:23:58] I did like his play with us for the majority of the time he was here, you know, but it was definitely time to move on.

[00:24:03] And, you know, but he was a good devil.

[00:24:06] Let me ask you guys a quick question, because I love watching European hockey, and I love the bigger ice surface.

[00:24:13] Yeah, it's fun.

[00:24:15] Do you think that that would be something the NHL ever incorporates into its game, the larger ice surface, or no?

[00:24:22] No, like it's almost impossible with the arena system we got, you know, converting all those, losing seats.

[00:24:29] And I don't think, you know, any of the players really want it.

[00:24:34] Oh, I'm sure Jack and Jesper Bratt want bigger ice surface.

[00:24:38] Yeah, maybe.

[00:24:39] Maybe those guys.

[00:24:40] You might be right about that.

[00:24:41] I do love the play.

[00:24:42] I like what you get out of it.

[00:24:44] I also think, like, you know, this lends itself to the, although it's faded a lot, but like the fisticuffs and the rough stuff along the boards, you see a lot less of that in the bigger surface game.

[00:24:57] And I don't know, as much as the NHL has tried to move to a faster, let's say cleaner game, I don't think they want to go that far.

[00:25:05] So that's another reason besides just the logistics of the ice surface.

[00:25:08] I just, I don't see it ever happening.

[00:25:10] And it would be kind of cool if we did some kind of big ice surface series, you know, or, you know, next time we go over to Europe or whatever.

[00:25:18] Well, I guess the Olympics next year would be that.

[00:25:20] Yeah, but I mean, during the NHL season where like the NHL takes itself and then you play, you know, a few games on the bigger surface and adapt to that.

[00:25:28] I think that'd be fun, but it's been more of a curiosity.

[00:25:31] I don't see us ever making that a whole move.

[00:25:33] But that would have been cool for the four nations, right?

[00:25:35] Doing that on the bigger ice surface.

[00:25:37] You know, I think that would be neat.

[00:25:39] Or hell, they just incorporate it into the winter classic because they're doing that on an open field anyway.

[00:25:42] And that's the point of like, that began the whole point of the winter classic was, you know, the ODR stuff.

[00:25:49] And, you know, they got to do it on like an open lake sometime.

[00:25:54] That would just be so fucking cool.

[00:25:55] Sorry.

[00:25:56] But yeah, Dan's right.

[00:25:57] Like, I don't, they're not sacrificing seats.

[00:26:00] No.

[00:26:00] Like, that's.

[00:26:02] There is a world I would like to see a few games, though.

[00:26:05] I would love to see NHL players on that bigger ice.

[00:26:08] I was watching a clip from, it was Canada, Russia.

[00:26:13] And like, I forget what it was.

[00:26:16] Let me like 2008 or 2009.

[00:26:19] One of, you know, World Cup games or something like that.

[00:26:22] And there was so much space behind the net.

[00:26:26] It was crazy.

[00:26:26] I forgot how much space there used to be behind the net.

[00:26:30] It was wild.

[00:26:31] Yeah, it's insane.

[00:26:32] It's like watching lacrosse or something, you know?

[00:26:34] Yeah.

[00:26:35] Didn't they move it back two feet?

[00:26:38] Wasn't that, it was when they, because when they moved it back, wasn't it two feet that

[00:26:43] they moved it back and they got put the trapezoid in?

[00:26:45] Or was that, am I thinking of something?

[00:26:47] That was a different move, I think.

[00:26:48] I think the trapezoid kept the same dimensions, but I could be wrong.

[00:26:51] I thought they moved the net back a little bit because of.

[00:26:54] They definitely made the zone bigger by moving the net back.

[00:26:58] Well, the zones say the same, but they definitely made the gold line to blue.

[00:27:02] They moved the net back, right?

[00:27:04] Yeah.

[00:27:04] Okay.

[00:27:04] I think also, I don't know when they did it, but they also standardized the rink size.

[00:27:09] There used to be like different rinks and different elements to rinks that used to make

[00:27:14] home ice advantage, like more of a thing.

[00:27:16] We talk about it, you know, a lot in the 95 playoff run when the Devils got in.

[00:27:22] Their first series was at Boston Garden, the old Boston Garden.

[00:27:25] And that rink was actually smaller than every other rink.

[00:27:28] And they put Chris Terreri, for some reason, played great at the Boston Garden.

[00:27:33] He actually got those first two games at the Boston Garden in 95.

[00:27:37] Because of that reason, for whatever reason, he played great on that small rice surface.

[00:27:41] But yeah, I often think like that with the NFL, like, is it ever going to get to a point

[00:27:45] where the NFL says everyone has to play in a dome?

[00:27:48] Everything has to be exactly the same.

[00:27:50] Like, I would hate that.

[00:27:51] No, I want the opposite.

[00:27:53] I want no domes.

[00:27:54] Well, I agree.

[00:27:56] But, you know, I do too.

[00:27:58] But, you know, I get it.

[00:27:59] Like, that might be the way they standardize it.

[00:28:01] Like in Buffalo.

[00:28:03] I mean, they're giving away tickets just for people to come out and shovel off the frigging

[00:28:08] bleachers and shovel out the seats and stuff like it's crazy up there.

[00:28:11] Like why any human being would live in Buffalo in the wintertime is beyond me.

[00:28:15] Like, I mean, they get eight feet of snow every other day.

[00:28:19] It's insane.

[00:28:20] But like, they play outside, yet Minnesota would be probably one of the coldest places

[00:28:25] to play and they don't play outside anymore just because of that reason.

[00:28:29] Like, it's just fucking frozen.

[00:28:30] Nobody wants to go to a game in January outside of Minnesota.

[00:28:35] No.

[00:28:35] Green Bay, yeah.

[00:28:37] Green Bay does play outside.

[00:28:39] Yeah, there's a certain culture with football, like, you know, football weather, playing outside

[00:28:44] and the elements and stuff.

[00:28:46] Like, I love watching a good snowball, but like, I like watching it when I'm on my TV.

[00:28:50] And I'm like, those guys look cold.

[00:28:52] Right.

[00:28:53] You know, they're fun to watch.

[00:28:54] But the quality of the game suffers, though.

[00:28:57] It really does.

[00:28:58] You know, you're not getting these explosive plays and stuff when it's snowing out like crazy.

[00:29:04] It's fun to watch.

[00:29:05] But again, you're not getting that.

[00:29:07] It's slow motion football.

[00:29:08] Yeah, exactly.

[00:29:09] It is still pretty fun.

[00:29:10] I'm not really a big college football guy, but I think I saw – I think Tennessee came

[00:29:15] out, like, shirtless during, like, a cold bowl game.

[00:29:17] Yeah.

[00:29:18] One of the playoff games.

[00:29:19] And they were – yeah, they were warming up in, like, the cold with their shirts off

[00:29:22] and then perceived to get the shit kicked out of them.

[00:29:24] I was like –

[00:29:24] They got walloped.

[00:29:25] Really good.

[00:29:26] It's like, come on.

[00:29:27] If you're going to do that, like, you can't get your ass kicked.

[00:29:29] No.

[00:29:30] No.

[00:29:31] The whole taking your shirt off in the middle of a, like, a snowstorm in Buffalo to, like,

[00:29:36] root on your team just made – never made any sense to me.

[00:29:39] Like, that's not showing that you're a bigger fan.

[00:29:42] You're showing you're a bigger asshole, but not a bigger fan.

[00:29:46] You know, you remember when, you know, our tailgating days for the Devils games,

[00:29:49] and we'd go to some awfully cold games, right, and we'd just have, like,

[00:29:52] the beer and the hacky sacks to try to keep us warm.

[00:29:54] But what would suck is we'd be out there for, what, you know, two and a half,

[00:29:57] three hours sometimes, and now you're chilled to the bone.

[00:30:00] But that last ten minutes, you got to ditch the jacket and all that

[00:30:03] because you weren't going in with anything but your jerks.

[00:30:05] That's right.

[00:30:06] You're ready.

[00:30:06] Like, you're frozen, and you're like, all right, let's beeline it to the arena.

[00:30:10] I'm so many days coming out of those games frozen freaking style.

[00:30:13] Hell, the last game I went to last year against Vegas, me and my son went up.

[00:30:17] It was so freaking cold.

[00:30:20] And I parked, like, I found a spot, a lot for, like, it was, like, 40 bucks,

[00:30:24] and I was like, all right, you know what, this is, I'm not going to drive around

[00:30:28] right now looking for cheaper parking or whatever.

[00:30:30] So I parked, and I was a good ten blocks away from the rock.

[00:30:34] So my son and I are walking out, and it's, like, fucking five degrees outside.

[00:30:38] And as I'm walking, I'm passing all these other lots, $30, $30, $30.

[00:30:44] I'm like, my dumb ass parked half a mile away, paid more money,

[00:30:48] and I'm freezing my dick off just to walk up there.

[00:30:51] And all I had to do was maybe drive three or four blocks.

[00:30:53] I could have saved some money and some time and warmth.

[00:30:56] But that just goes to show you how stupid I am sometimes.

[00:30:58] Didn't any of you guys go to the Yankee Stadium game in 2013 or 14?

[00:31:05] I went to that, man.

[00:31:06] It was, I think it was, like, one outside.

[00:31:08] It was so fucking cold.

[00:31:10] And then it got delayed because there was, like, glare on the ice,

[00:31:12] and then they got the shit kicked out of him.

[00:31:14] I was like, this is an awful day.

[00:31:15] Nothing worse.

[00:31:16] No, I was like, I had, like, ten beers, and I was like,

[00:31:18] this is doing nothing for me.

[00:31:20] Absolutely nothing.

[00:31:21] Except I had to go run and pee.

[00:31:23] So let's talk about Jacques Lemaire getting inducted into the Ring of Honor.

[00:31:27] I think that's where we started.

[00:31:28] And then we got off track.

[00:31:29] Great choice.

[00:31:30] It's a great choice.

[00:31:31] I mean, you know, you can't get a more integral, you know,

[00:31:35] to winning coach in Devils history, you know.

[00:31:39] When is that ceremony?

[00:31:42] It's a Bruins game.

[00:31:44] I don't know.

[00:31:44] January.

[00:31:47] Something like March is January, February.

[00:31:51] So do you guys think this is something that the Devils are going to try

[00:31:55] and do every year?

[00:31:57] I don't know.

[00:31:58] I do.

[00:31:59] Probably.

[00:32:01] I see it.

[00:32:01] It would be nice if they did.

[00:32:03] I see it.

[00:32:04] I mean, it's something that just kind of started,

[00:32:06] and they've done one every year, right?

[00:32:08] Like, they did McMullen two years ago, Breland last year.

[00:32:11] Mm-hmm.

[00:32:11] Yep.

[00:32:12] Yeah.

[00:32:12] So, you know, Jacques this year.

[00:32:14] And I kind of like how they're doing.

[00:32:15] Like, you know, you talked about McMullen.

[00:32:17] He was a foundational owner.

[00:32:19] First one.

[00:32:19] Makes sense.

[00:32:20] Makes sense.

[00:32:21] You know, Breland has been with the organization for 30 years.

[00:32:24] You know, as player, coach, everything came up through the system with them.

[00:32:28] And then LaMare was the guy that really kind of gave the Devils, like, what their identity

[00:32:35] has been.

[00:32:36] 100%.

[00:32:37] A lot of people will tell you, like, you know, the Devils took on the personality of Stevens

[00:32:41] when he came.

[00:32:42] I don't think that's really true.

[00:32:44] You know, like, Stevens was always Stevens.

[00:32:45] He's going to be him.

[00:32:47] And Stevens definitely kept a lot of guys in line and brought so much intensity.

[00:32:52] But really, like, that whole workmanlike thing, that was all LaMare.

[00:32:56] I agree.

[00:32:57] He gave them their identity, you know?

[00:32:59] Yeah.

[00:33:01] I think it's a great pick.

[00:33:02] I think it's, yeah, the only logical one to go to.

[00:33:05] I mean, we've talked about some other guys that maybe some point should get in there,

[00:33:10] but definitely LaMare.

[00:33:12] I think at some point you do have to put every Stanley Cup winning coach in there.

[00:33:16] Like, you have to have Larry Robinson.

[00:33:17] You have to have that.

[00:33:18] Well, that's what I was wondering.

[00:33:19] Who's next in it?

[00:33:20] How do you not go right to Robinson for next?

[00:33:24] Because, you know, he took what LaMare built and he, in many ways, made it better.

[00:33:31] You know?

[00:33:31] I mean, that was an even more dynamic team.

[00:33:35] Well, yeah.

[00:33:36] Robinson was very, much more open to the offensive part of the game than LaMare.

[00:33:42] LaMare was, you know?

[00:33:42] It was, you know, LaMare lived by the, once you scored three goals, you should never lose

[00:33:48] kind of mentality.

[00:33:49] And Robinson was much more, all right, we're going to open this thing up.

[00:33:53] I mean, look at 2001, or 2000, 2001.

[00:33:57] Yeah.

[00:33:58] Those two years we were top of the league in offense and stuff.

[00:34:01] That's, that's all Robinson, you know, when he was around.

[00:34:04] And I think Pat Burns, I mean, again, took a team that, and messed kind of messed both

[00:34:11] of those styles together.

[00:34:14] But they also got a lot tougher when, when Burns came in.

[00:34:18] Like Burns didn't put up with shit.

[00:34:19] I mean, he was a hard ass.

[00:34:21] And the team kind of played that way.

[00:34:24] And now you see it with Keefe, where you talk about culture building.

[00:34:27] I think what Tom Fitzgerald is, I don't know if he could have hired a better coach for what

[00:34:33] he's trying to do.

[00:34:35] Right?

[00:34:35] Like Sheldon Keefe wants this.

[00:34:37] I mean, Fitz wants this to be a culture of not just winning, but a culture of, you know,

[00:34:42] a good place to play.

[00:34:44] A place that, you know, he wants to put Jersey kind of on the map.

[00:34:48] We haven't been relevant in 30 years.

[00:34:50] And Sheldon Keefe coming in and the way he builds that culture.

[00:34:53] And I watched some of his post-game locker room speeches.

[00:34:56] And he is a very football kind of guy.

[00:34:59] Like he'll go out there and he gives out the game pucks.

[00:35:01] And he's talking these guys up.

[00:35:03] And just, you can't help but want to play hard for the guy.

[00:35:07] And when you have a system and that system works and everybody's buying in, it's very

[00:35:12] easy to, you know, have your team or to want to play for Sheldon Keefe.

[00:35:17] But like he has got these guys bought in.

[00:35:20] And you could tell, like, this is the culture of the Devils moving forward.

[00:35:23] And I think a lot of what Fitz wanted to do, what Keefe, and you go and look at guys like

[00:35:28] Keesher and now Hughes that have become these leaders, that it's just really growing into

[00:35:33] something organic.

[00:35:33] And I can see Sheldon Keefe being the coach of this team for a really long time.

[00:35:39] Yep.

[00:35:40] Fitzgerald did make it a point to say that there were certain types of personalities he was

[00:35:46] looking to fill this team outside of their skill set.

[00:35:49] And I think he nailed that.

[00:35:50] And I think when you hear things like brotherhood and all that in a locker room, I think it's

[00:35:53] really true.

[00:35:54] It's not lip service.

[00:35:55] These guys really are sticking up for each other.

[00:35:57] And they're doing it even more as the season grows.

[00:35:59] Like, they really are becoming kind of a family and getting each other's back.

[00:36:02] When was the last time we talked about, you know, hey, so-and-so hit him and the Devils

[00:36:06] didn't do anything?

[00:36:07] I think it was like a month or two ago.

[00:36:08] You know, like that's kind of faded away.

[00:36:10] So his blueprint's working.

[00:36:12] And I agree with Chris.

[00:36:13] This is the type of coach I can see being here for a very long time.

[00:36:17] And hopefully, you know, a couple cups under him.

[00:36:20] Yeah, after Cotter's fight, you know, three, four guys skated by the penalty box, gave

[00:36:24] a little fist bump, hollow, like tapped the glass after the door was, the box was closed.

[00:36:29] Like, just that, you know, sticking up for each other, got each other's backs.

[00:36:33] Yeah.

[00:36:33] Loving every minute of it.

[00:36:35] Loving every minute of it.

[00:36:36] Hey, guys.

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[00:37:41] The crown is yours.

[00:37:43] Tell us about game time, Bobby.

[00:37:47] You know, Chris, there's nothing quite like the sensory experience of a hockey game.

[00:37:51] I mean, where else can, say, Ranger fans go and just get paraded by a bunch of New Jerseyites?

[00:37:57] But a hockey game, there's a sensory experience they're not used to in the last few years.

[00:38:00] So if you're looking for tickets to the game or any concert or show for that matter, check out the Game Time app.

[00:38:06] Game Time has a new feature called Game Time Picks that makes getting tickets to see your New Jersey devils easier than ever.

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[00:38:19] Dan has got some kind of Muppet up here.

[00:38:21] These guys are trying to throw me off my game.

[00:38:23] This is incredible.

[00:38:24] Good thing my script is to the left, so I didn't have time to laugh, but it is very awesome.

[00:38:28] Listen, I was just on the site.

[00:38:30] It is a great site to go to.

[00:38:31] They actually have Lower Bowl Row 9 for $128 for tomorrow night's game.

[00:38:37] So if you're looking for awesome tickets, jump on the Game Time app right now.

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[00:38:48] They have a great panoramic view and the lowest price guarantee or Game Time will credit you up to 110% of the difference.

[00:38:56] Take the catch for getting a buying ticket with Game Time Picks.

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[00:39:10] Download Game Time today.

[00:39:12] What time is it?

[00:39:13] Game Time.

[00:39:15] Game Time.

[00:39:15] Game Time.

[00:39:16] You Muppets.

[00:39:17] What is this?

[00:39:18] We got Snoop Dogg.

[00:39:19] We got Jack Sparrow.

[00:39:22] Was that somebody?

[00:39:23] And Jobo.

[00:39:25] And Jobo.

[00:39:26] Just totally wreaking havoc on my read here.

[00:39:30] Very bad that you did as well.

[00:39:32] That was funny.

[00:39:33] Can you put an ad read up on the Instagram page?

[00:39:36] Because that one might have been worth it.

[00:39:38] Yeah, maybe we can do that.

[00:39:40] I say fuck you, Jobo.

[00:39:41] I do it myself.

[00:39:42] I say fuck you, Jobo.

[00:39:43] Well, now it's time.

[00:39:45] Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball.

[00:39:49] That ball wouldn't have been out of a lot of parks.

[00:39:51] Yeah, name one.

[00:39:53] Yellowstone.

[00:39:55] All right, boys.

[00:39:56] It's time for the Garbage Goalie of the Week.

[00:39:59] This is where we, on the Uncle Pucker New Jersey Devil Podcast, celebrate shitty goalie play.

[00:40:05] And what we do is we each pick a goaltender for a game coming up on Saturday.

[00:40:11] And whichever goalie has the lowest save percentage wins.

[00:40:17] And we pick in order of highest to lowest.

[00:40:19] If you pick a goalie, you cannot pick him again.

[00:40:22] And if the goalie you pick does not start, you automatically get the backups.

[00:40:27] And if the backup doesn't play or you have already played them, then you get the league average save percentage.

[00:40:35] So last week, Bobby takes the win.

[00:40:39] When he took Sam Erson for the Flyers against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sam managed just an 840 save percentage that day.

[00:40:49] So, Bobby, you get to pick first.

[00:40:51] And behind that will be Dan, who took Joey Decord, the Seattle goalkeeper, against the Vegas Golden Knights.

[00:40:58] But even though he picked Decord, it wasn't Decord.

[00:41:01] He got Drew Bauer.

[00:41:03] It's an 848.

[00:41:06] What did I do?

[00:41:07] I get points?

[00:41:08] You get second place.

[00:41:10] But you can't pick Drew Bauer or Decord again.

[00:41:14] All right.

[00:41:16] All right.

[00:41:16] And, well, I guess you could pick Decord.

[00:41:20] But you can't pick Drew Bauer.

[00:41:22] Even though you picked Decord and Drew Bauer started.

[00:41:25] Same thing happened to me.

[00:41:26] I'll get to mine.

[00:41:27] I'm last.

[00:41:28] Tim, you took Tristan Jari against the Devils.

[00:41:31] And he went 923 save percentage in that game.

[00:41:34] And I took Gorgiev for San Jose against Edmonton.

[00:41:38] Escarab got the start.

[00:41:40] And he played really well.

[00:41:41] So I ended up in last place at 928.

[00:41:44] So the order goes Bobby, Dan, Tim, and myself for this week.

[00:41:52] Round 3.

[00:41:54] Bobby, who's your goalie?

[00:41:56] Well, this one might be a little risky.

[00:41:58] But I get first pick.

[00:42:00] So I wanted to have a little fun with it.

[00:42:01] And they're going against a team that's second in total offense.

[00:42:04] And the guy hasn't had five go past them in a couple games now.

[00:42:08] So I'm going to go with Igor Shisterkin against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

[00:42:11] Wow.

[00:42:12] Bobby's taking Shisterkin.

[00:42:14] I like it.

[00:42:15] Cross him off my list.

[00:42:18] And they're playing Tampa, you said?

[00:42:20] In Tampa, yep.

[00:42:22] All right.

[00:42:23] Dan, you pick next.

[00:42:24] Who are you taking?

[00:42:26] I'm going to take – boy, I was half tempted to take Jari this time.

[00:42:32] Because you just reminded me when Tim picked it.

[00:42:34] But I think I am going to go with my original, which is – I'm going to go with Omar.

[00:42:38] Oh, going back to Omar.

[00:42:40] Yes.

[00:42:41] Oh, you already picked him.

[00:42:42] You can't pick him again.

[00:42:42] I can't pick him again?

[00:42:43] No, you picked him in round one.

[00:42:45] All right.

[00:42:46] Then I'll pick Jari then.

[00:42:47] I've never picked Jari.

[00:42:48] So you're going to take Jari against the Islanders?

[00:42:51] Yes.

[00:42:53] Jari Pitt against the Isles.

[00:42:55] Maybe it's not the best.

[00:42:57] Oh, Tim, you and your rickety chair.

[00:43:00] Sorry.

[00:43:01] That's all right.

[00:43:02] Tim, you're next.

[00:43:04] Because fuck this guy.

[00:43:06] I'm going with Elvis Merzlinkins.

[00:43:09] That was mine.

[00:43:10] Igor was – Igor is my top pick.

[00:43:13] I think they're going to get the doors blown off of them by the Lightning.

[00:43:16] And I'm so excited for that.

[00:43:19] So Merzlinkins on Saturday will be playing Boston.

[00:43:23] So you are taking him.

[00:43:25] That was the one I was going with.

[00:43:27] So I think I'm going to go with – all right.

[00:43:33] So, Dan, you took Jari?

[00:43:35] Yeah.

[00:43:36] I'm going to go with his counterpart.

[00:43:38] All right.

[00:43:39] I'm going to go with the Islanders.

[00:43:41] Who the hell is their goalie again?

[00:43:43] Sorokin?

[00:43:44] Sorokin?

[00:43:44] Sorokin.

[00:43:45] I'm going to take Sorokin.

[00:43:46] Wow.

[00:43:47] Sorokin and Anshestirkin getting there.

[00:43:49] No love here.

[00:43:50] No love.

[00:43:51] It's our first head-to-head matchup.

[00:43:53] Yeah.

[00:43:54] I'm going to take Sorokin.

[00:43:55] Not that I think Pittsburgh is any kind of juggernaut.

[00:43:58] I just think the wheels are slowly – maybe not that slowly – falling off of the Islanders.

[00:44:04] I just think that, yeah, they're on the verge of just kind of throwing in the towel a la New York Rangers.

[00:44:09] So I'd say that maybe he gets lit up and Pittsburgh goes and gets the win.

[00:44:15] So I'm going to go with Sorokin.

[00:44:16] Why not?

[00:44:16] It could happen.

[00:44:17] Why not?

[00:44:17] So before we close out the game, can I kind of make a little confession that I didn't realize had happened?

[00:44:24] You know how we were saying –

[00:44:26] You rigged the number.

[00:44:28] Remember ever since we did the random drawing?

[00:44:30] Remember on my phone?

[00:44:31] I built up an app.

[00:44:32] I said random out of 20.

[00:44:33] That was really – yeah.

[00:44:34] Right?

[00:44:34] And I tested it two times.

[00:44:36] And I kept watching the randomizer give me something in the teens.

[00:44:40] And it was working.

[00:44:42] So then when I went and did that, I had picked seven.

[00:44:44] And all three of you guys picked something between 11 and 20.

[00:44:48] Well, I went back to my app later that night and I looked at it.

[00:44:51] And for whatever reason, the third time I did it, it resets to give me a random number between one and 10.

[00:44:56] You guys put the one anyway.

[00:44:59] So I'll take like –

[00:45:00] There's no way we can –

[00:45:01] For the next two weeks.

[00:45:03] This motherfucker.

[00:45:04] I think he goes back to it.

[00:45:05] Three weeks.

[00:45:06] He waits three weeks to come clean.

[00:45:09] He does.

[00:45:09] I wanted to talk about it last week, but you guys talked over me because we never do that.

[00:45:14] Yeah, that's what happened.

[00:45:16] I swear to God.

[00:45:17] I've been screaming rigged for three weeks.

[00:45:19] You have been.

[00:45:21] And I was disregarding what you were saying.

[00:45:23] But you know what, Tim?

[00:45:24] You're right.

[00:45:25] This is fucking rigged.

[00:45:26] You guys couldn't have won.

[00:45:27] Stop the fucking steal.

[00:45:30] This is Bobby completely rigging the garbage.

[00:45:33] By the way, you could –

[00:45:34] Hold on.

[00:45:34] You knew this and you waited until we just clicked.

[00:45:38] He was going to take you to this.

[00:45:39] You totally –

[00:45:40] You could have told him –

[00:45:41] No, he affected week one.

[00:45:43] I came in last place after the first week.

[00:45:45] It doesn't really matter in that regard.

[00:45:48] You should have given up your first pick just because –

[00:45:54] Yes.

[00:45:55] I'm going to say, guys, because I wasn't honest with you, I will –

[00:45:59] I don't care.

[00:45:59] But Tim's the one who got fucked out of this.

[00:46:01] I was honest.

[00:46:02] That's fine.

[00:46:03] I honestly made a mistake.

[00:46:05] All right.

[00:46:06] Well, Bob, I don't know if we could ever trust you again, but I'm willing to move forward.

[00:46:10] Thank you.

[00:46:11] I'm willing to move forward on this if you guys –

[00:46:13] I'm going to have a hard time doing that.

[00:46:14] I don't know.

[00:46:16] The integrity of this show.

[00:46:18] The integrity of Garbage Goalie Challenge is just in the toilet now.

[00:46:23] Whole new love.

[00:46:24] I don't know if we can come back from this.

[00:46:26] So, we have two big-ass games coming up, boys, tomorrow and Saturday.

[00:46:30] I mean, these are big-boy games.

[00:46:33] You know, home and home against the Canes.

[00:46:36] What are you guys thinking?

[00:46:37] Oh, you know what?

[00:46:38] Can I change my garbage, Goalie?

[00:46:40] Yeah.

[00:46:41] I know.

[00:46:41] I was going to go Jake Allen.

[00:46:43] Are there any rules to this game at all?

[00:46:46] There are.

[00:46:47] That's why I'm not changing it.

[00:46:48] I was going to say – I was thinking maybe going Jake Allen just because it's Jake Allen.

[00:46:54] And he hasn't been super-duper.

[00:46:57] And I feel like we give up a lot more chances when he plays.

[00:47:01] And I think he'll be playing Saturday.

[00:47:03] I was going to ask you because I do feel like let's – you know, there's some patterns in hockey.

[00:47:08] You have a huge, emotional, dominating performance and you come out a little flat.

[00:47:13] Especially when you've got like a three-day layoff.

[00:47:16] I am definitely nervous about that Saturday game.

[00:47:20] Maybe even more than the Sunday game about the Devils being able to –

[00:47:23] It's Friday and Saturday.

[00:47:24] Okay, Friday and Saturday.

[00:47:26] Tomorrow and Saturday.

[00:47:26] So you're more nervous for tomorrow's game?

[00:47:28] Yeah, I really am.

[00:47:30] So I guess it's good they're going to play March that game for the reasons that you're thinking.

[00:47:35] But you're right.

[00:47:36] Coming off of a layoff after a big win, you know, I'm sure they were celebrating these last three days and enjoying it.

[00:47:45] Is there a chance that they come out flat against the Canes?

[00:47:48] I mean, it's possible.

[00:47:49] The Canes are going to want to play a lot better than they did, you know, Devils the last time.

[00:47:53] And they should be looking for a little bit of revenge on their part.

[00:47:58] It would be an interesting test of the culture we were just talking about.

[00:48:01] You know, can they regroup, you know, after the layoff, after a successful kind of –

[00:48:07] I don't want to necessarily call it emotional.

[00:48:09] It's not like, you know, the playoffs two years ago when, you know, they went straight from, you know, eliminating the Rangers to Carolina and just got fucking their shit pushed in.

[00:48:20] And it's nothing like that.

[00:48:21] You know what?

[00:48:22] And, like, even if we lose both of these games to Carolina, we are still in such a good place.

[00:48:27] It's going to suck.

[00:48:28] But I'm not – we've built up enough, I think, credibility right now that whatever happens, like, I'm not going to go, you know, looking for a rooftop to jump off.

[00:48:39] True.

[00:48:40] Well, they are a good team.

[00:48:42] I mean, right now they're 21-12-1.

[00:48:45] They have 43 points.

[00:48:47] They're third in the Metropolitan Division.

[00:48:49] They did lose their last game 5-2 against the Predators.

[00:48:54] And the Predators don't beat anybody.

[00:48:56] So, you know, that's something.

[00:48:58] They were already on break.

[00:49:00] Yeah.

[00:49:01] Goals four, they're eighth in the league.

[00:49:03] They have 118 goals.

[00:49:04] Goals against, they're eighth in the league.

[00:49:06] They have 95 goals against.

[00:49:10] Let's see.

[00:49:11] What other stats?

[00:49:12] Their offense is largely predicated on spamming shots and getting, you know, a cycle game and then moving it low to high to get a lot of point shots, particularly like Burns and Gossespierre.

[00:49:26] And their defense is actually pretty good.

[00:49:29] Like, they have three pretty solid pairs that they've been rotating.

[00:49:33] So, I'm curious to see if the Devils continue this, this shots against streak.

[00:49:37] You know, it's going to be more.

[00:49:38] That's what I was thinking.

[00:49:39] Shot block and getting in lanes type of thing than I think it's been before.

[00:49:43] It's going to be an interesting game.

[00:49:44] They're three and two in their last five.

[00:49:47] So, you know, they're not on a run like, well, we're now what?

[00:49:53] We've won them two in a row again.

[00:49:56] Right?

[00:49:57] The Rangers.

[00:49:57] Who did we play before?

[00:49:58] The Rangers.

[00:50:02] Nobody remember?

[00:50:02] I smoked too much power for that, man.

[00:50:06] I don't remember who we played before the Rangers either.

[00:50:09] I'm just looking at Carolina and their stats and seeing where they are.

[00:50:14] So, right now, yeah, they have a 632 winning percentage.

[00:50:18] I mean, they're a damn good team.

[00:50:20] They're eighth in shots for.

[00:50:23] They're eighth in shots against.

[00:50:25] Their power play is fifth in the league at 26.2%.

[00:50:30] Their penalty kill is second, 85 and a half.

[00:50:34] By the way, that was Pittsburgh we played last.

[00:50:36] And that was two shutouts in a row, guys.

[00:50:38] Yeah.

[00:50:39] Two shutouts in a row.

[00:50:40] Yeah.

[00:50:40] We just have to scream at their radios.

[00:50:42] How did none of us come up with that?

[00:50:43] I don't know who they played two games ago.

[00:50:47] They're so bad.

[00:50:48] And their team save percentage is 889.

[00:50:51] That's good for 23rd in the league.

[00:50:53] That's their Achilles heel.

[00:50:55] It's been that way.

[00:50:56] It's going to continue to be that way.

[00:50:58] It's their goaltending.

[00:50:59] Their goaltending is not great.

[00:51:01] And I just can't see this team making a huge push in the spring for the Cup unless they do something about their goaltending.

[00:51:10] Because I just do not think that the guys that they have are the solutions.

[00:51:14] And I think that will constantly plague this team until they get it fixed.

[00:51:19] I think it's going to be a battle, these two games.

[00:51:22] I think they always are.

[00:51:24] It wouldn't surprise me if they split it.

[00:51:26] Like Jim said, if they wound up losing two, I mean, it wouldn't crush me.

[00:51:29] I don't think they're going to do that.

[00:51:31] I think that to your point, Tim, we were talking about the other day, the Devils are going to learn more about them as they go.

[00:51:38] And now they've got six periods.

[00:51:39] I think they're going to continue to get stronger.

[00:51:41] So I don't know if that means I'm suggesting that maybe the first game is going to be tougher than the second.

[00:51:46] I just think it's going to be a battle on both sides.

[00:51:48] But probably the Devils are going to come out at least even or maybe with the one extra point.

[00:51:52] What do you think, Tim?

[00:51:55] Yeah, I mean, I think there's a split.

[00:51:56] And I think maybe one of them goes to OT.

[00:51:59] But, you know, I think they both take a win.

[00:52:01] I'd say maybe we win Friday in OT and then second game Carolina takes.

[00:52:06] You know, I would love to see them win both.

[00:52:11] Like that would just like that would be incredible.

[00:52:13] They've only lost two games in December.

[00:52:15] You know, one of them was an unreal goalie performance by Merz Lincolns.

[00:52:19] And, you know, otherwise, like this team has been on such a roll.

[00:52:23] And I just, you know, I'm really interested to see how they come out.

[00:52:27] Like this will be kind of a real, like I said just now, like a real kind of character test of how, how.

[00:52:35] Yeah, you know what I said.

[00:52:37] Yeah.

[00:52:37] And how like professional.

[00:52:38] I totally agree.

[00:52:39] It's definitely a test.

[00:52:40] They're like, what, five and one over the last six.

[00:52:43] So if you're just going to play percentages, you know, due for a loss.

[00:52:47] Sure.

[00:52:48] And for the reasons I said, I'm not going to be the least bit surprised if they drop one.

[00:52:52] I think if they would, it'd be that initial game getting back into the swing.

[00:52:56] But you don't know.

[00:52:58] And it's entirely possible.

[00:53:00] They make themselves.

[00:53:01] What is that?

[00:53:03] Seven and one and over eight.

[00:53:05] If they win these two in a row, that's extremely impressive.

[00:53:09] Yeah.

[00:53:10] And close out the, you know, calendar year with, what was that?

[00:53:15] One or two losses in December?

[00:53:17] Amazing.

[00:53:18] Two losses in December?

[00:53:19] A huge opportunity.

[00:53:20] Yeah, two losses in December.

[00:53:22] A huge opportunity to put some breathing room between them and Carolina.

[00:53:27] And like you said, Carolina hasn't been playing all that great.

[00:53:30] You know, they maybe showed some of the cracks that people kind of preseason thought that they'd see.

[00:53:35] You know, Kochekov, their goalie, has been a fucking psycho recently.

[00:53:39] He can't help himself, like, coming out of the net to do something crazy every single game.

[00:53:44] So that'll be funny to watch.

[00:53:46] This is a game, though, they could get up for.

[00:53:48] You know, if Carolina's got, you know, any kind of heart, they're going to want to play Jersey hard these games.

[00:53:55] You know?

[00:53:56] I don't think they're going to fold like the Rangers did.

[00:53:58] No.

[00:53:59] No, they're not going to fold.

[00:54:00] It's going to be a tough series.

[00:54:01] It is going to be a tough series.

[00:54:03] It's going to be tough.

[00:54:04] The Carolina is just a damn good team, no matter when you play them, whatever stage of the season you're in.

[00:54:11] No matter where you are in the standings, it's always tough.

[00:54:14] But I'm going to go.

[00:54:17] Devils are going to finish out the year 3-0.

[00:54:21] They will get their first four-game win streak, and that'll be Saturday.

[00:54:25] They're going to sweep this home and home.

[00:54:27] They're going to take the Canes.

[00:54:28] I mean, I get it.

[00:54:29] We're coming off of a break and a big win.

[00:54:32] They're coming off a break also and a big loss that they want to shake off.

[00:54:36] I just think the way this double team is playing right now, I know that Carolina can get a lot of shots on goal.

[00:54:42] They shoot from everywhere.

[00:54:43] I just don't see.

[00:54:45] When I watch games, no matter who the team is, especially the upper echelon teams, and I watch a lot of these teams,

[00:54:53] do I think that they're built for the playoffs?

[00:54:56] Can they win a Stanley Cup?

[00:54:57] And you can tell a lot about teams just now.

[00:55:00] I understand that teams are going to bulk up and change some things at the trade deadline.

[00:55:04] But you look at certain teams and you say, can they win a Stanley Cup?

[00:55:08] And I look at the Devils right now and I say, they're the best team right now for the postseason.

[00:55:17] The way they're playing right now is built to go far in the postseason.

[00:55:21] They're just locking teams down.

[00:55:23] They're scoring that role.

[00:55:25] It really is fun.

[00:55:27] God damn it, with the fucking chair, Tim.

[00:55:29] Seriously.

[00:55:30] Am I seriously buying you WD-40 for Christmas?

[00:55:33] Sorry.

[00:55:35] Sorry.

[00:55:38] There's like a little kid in the back of the classroom.

[00:55:40] I don't know what to say.

[00:55:41] Like, you know, like I'm trying to like be as still as possible.

[00:55:45] And the thing just squeaks.

[00:55:46] And I'm just like, I'm going to get yelled at by Chris.

[00:55:49] He's so mean and he's so bald.

[00:55:52] And he's yelling at me.

[00:55:54] Welcome to my farmhouse.

[00:55:55] Just the original chair.

[00:55:56] I know.

[00:55:57] Yeah, right?

[00:55:58] It's 1842.

[00:55:59] The hell, man.

[00:56:01] When we close out, I'd like your chair to sign off to.

[00:56:05] Now you can't even get it to squeak.

[00:56:08] I just did squeak.

[00:56:09] I don't know.

[00:56:09] Maybe it's not me.

[00:56:10] No, you tried to make it.

[00:56:10] But no, it's definitely you.

[00:56:13] I think it's you.

[00:56:15] I don't know.

[00:56:15] You have no integrity anymore.

[00:56:17] We're trying to be a goalie.

[00:56:19] Bobby has no integrity.

[00:56:20] Bobby's goalie.

[00:56:21] Dan's the only one here with any honor.

[00:56:23] That's right.

[00:56:24] My chair squeaks too, though.

[00:56:28] I don't hear it.

[00:56:30] I think Devils win the next two.

[00:56:32] And I think that they firmly let the rest of the league know, we're going to win the Metro.

[00:56:38] We're going to win the President's Trophy.

[00:56:41] Oh, yeah.

[00:56:42] And we're also going to win the Stanley Cup.

[00:56:44] That's where I'm going.

[00:56:45] I like it.

[00:56:45] I do.

[00:56:46] Who is that?

[00:56:47] That's Obi-Wan?

[00:56:47] That's Obi-Wan.

[00:56:48] I got a really cool Bender Funko Pop for Christmas.

[00:56:54] Oh, Bender from Futurama?

[00:56:56] He's the best.

[00:56:58] So just to wrap up, Carolina, we have a lot of trauma still from the playoffs a couple years ago

[00:57:05] and from our team being so bad.

[00:57:07] But the Devils are the better team.

[00:57:09] They should win this game.

[00:57:10] They should win these games.

[00:57:11] And they can win these games.

[00:57:13] And that's really it.

[00:57:16] It's not the same Carolina team.

[00:57:17] It's not the same Devils team.

[00:57:18] So I think we have a really good chance to knock these two out.

[00:57:21] And hopefully we do.

[00:57:23] All right.

[00:57:24] So predictions and final score just for tomorrow's game because I'm sure we'll be back at some

[00:57:28] point Saturday or whatever.

[00:57:32] Bob?

[00:57:32] I'm nothing Devils.

[00:57:34] Oh, Dan?

[00:57:35] Dan's going three shutouts in a row.

[00:57:37] Yes.

[00:57:37] I want it.

[00:57:38] That's why.

[00:57:38] Oh, yeah.

[00:57:38] I love it.

[00:57:39] We're putting a big jinx on things.

[00:57:40] When is the last?

[00:57:41] Have we ever had three shutouts in a row?

[00:57:45] I'm sure there was some Brodeur thing in the 90s at some point.

[00:57:50] I, I, uh, it was funny that the, um, lowest number of shots allowed over a six game span

[00:57:58] that's this, um, someone put out there's like the, the last six times it was done.

[00:58:03] It was all the Devils.

[00:58:05] Yeah.

[00:58:06] It was incredible to see.

[00:58:07] Yeah.

[00:58:09] But this year is like none other.

[00:58:11] I mean, they're just shutting it down.

[00:58:13] Yeah.

[00:58:14] For that, I'll go three, one, one sneaks by this time.

[00:58:17] It's going to be a tight game until the end.

[00:58:19] Then the Devils opened up with a couple of quick ones.

[00:58:21] Yeah.

[00:58:22] And it is a good kind of team for Markstrom to let one of his patented, what the fuck,

[00:58:25] dude?

[00:58:26] You know?

[00:58:27] So I, I, I, I had that call about it.

[00:58:29] What did you say about Dan?

[00:58:30] I didn't hear you.

[00:58:31] Well, you know, once in a while, Markstrom will let a soft, softish goal in, you know?

[00:58:36] Right.

[00:58:36] Especially, uh, from distance, like a team that shoots from anywhere, like we're saying,

[00:58:40] that's, you know, that's going to be a test for him to keep that shutout dream

[00:58:43] of mine alive.

[00:58:45] I like that.

[00:58:46] Three, nothing.

[00:58:47] Third consecutive shutouts.

[00:58:49] All right.

[00:58:49] What do you got, Dan?

[00:58:50] I mean, uh, Bob?

[00:58:52] I had the three, one.

[00:58:54] Oh, three, one.

[00:58:55] Devils?

[00:58:55] Yeah.

[00:58:56] All right.

[00:58:56] Tim?

[00:58:57] I got a three, two.

[00:58:59] You know what?

[00:59:00] I'm saying Devils win both these games.

[00:59:01] Fuck this.

[00:59:02] Three, two.

[00:59:03] Overtime.

[00:59:03] Devils win.

[00:59:04] Three, two.

[00:59:04] We need to get off the overtime.

[00:59:05] We need to get off the overtime tonight.

[00:59:07] We, I don't think we won a game in overtime yet.

[00:59:09] No.

[00:59:09] This year.

[00:59:10] We haven't been to a shootout yet either.

[00:59:12] No.

[00:59:13] Which is crazy.

[00:59:14] I'm going to keep the shootout one for Saturday.

[00:59:16] We went in a shootout against the Canes, but I think tomorrow night at home, Markstrom

[00:59:22] in the net.

[00:59:24] I don't think I'm ballsy enough to go third consecutive shutout yet.

[00:59:27] I do think it is extremely plausible with the limited amount of shots that they are letting

[00:59:32] any team get.

[00:59:33] I mean, it's with a goalie like Markstrom, if you're allowing under 15 shots a game to

[00:59:40] any team, he's got a hell of a shot to get a shutout.

[00:59:43] Oh, yeah.

[00:59:44] So, I'm not willing to go with that.

[00:59:47] I do think they score one.

[00:59:49] One.

[00:59:50] Five, one.

[00:59:51] New Jersey over to Canes.

[00:59:54] It'll be a little bit tighter with Allen in net.

[00:59:56] I'll go Saturday.

[00:59:57] A three, two shootout win.

[00:59:59] But we don't have to pick that one now.

[01:00:00] I'm just throwing it out there for shits and giggles.

[01:00:02] Nice.

[01:00:04] Anything else you guys want to touch on this evening?

[01:00:07] Nope.

[01:00:09] No.

[01:00:09] No, I think later we can, you know, there's some chatter about, you know, what are we going

[01:00:13] to do with Kovacevic needing a contract.

[01:00:19] So, what's his contract status?

[01:00:21] He's a UFA at the end of this year.

[01:00:23] And he was making $700,000, which would be a lot for a normal person, but for a professionalized

[01:00:33] hockey player that's not really that much.

[01:00:34] So, we got Luke who's going to need his RFA extension.

[01:00:38] It's basically his big eight-year deal coming up.

[01:00:41] And Kovacevic who's a UFA.

[01:00:43] And, you know, we obviously have like one of the best decoys in the league.

[01:00:47] I think we have the best decoy in the league.

[01:00:48] So, what do we do?

[01:00:49] You know, where we have Nemich and Casey in the AHL.

[01:00:54] You know, do we let them overcook in the AHL?

[01:00:56] Do we move one of them?

[01:00:58] Probably Nemich at this point for a piece, which I don't think will happen probably during

[01:01:03] the offseason.

[01:01:04] Because what we'll have next year, assuming the cap goes up normally, we'll probably have

[01:01:10] about $16 million.

[01:01:11] About eight and a half of that, we're probably going to go to Luke.

[01:01:14] And then Kovacevic would probably be something similar to that Segan dollar.

[01:01:19] Like three and a half, four million for four years.

[01:01:22] So, that's 12-ish.

[01:01:24] You know, the guys coming off the books is Tatar, Bastion, Lazar.

[01:01:29] We have like Gritza coming in.

[01:01:31] Lenny Jaminijo.

[01:01:32] I don't know if he's going to be coming in.

[01:01:34] We'll have to sign a backup goalie.

[01:01:35] I don't know if Dawes is going to be that guy who comes up.

[01:01:38] But we'll have some fourth-line holes to plug.

[01:01:40] You know, I don't know if they're going to bring back Lazar in a one-year deal.

[01:01:43] If they're going to continue doing Bastion on one-year deals.

[01:01:48] So, it's going to be a little tight money-wise.

[01:01:50] You know, there's been some chatter about the CBA is going to be renegotiated for next year.

[01:01:59] And since they lost two years of COVID revenue, basically, that has now been made back up.

[01:02:06] There's been chatter about the cap actually going up more than 5%.

[01:02:10] 5% is what it's supposed to go up every year in the CBA.

[01:02:13] So, there's been some chatter about it going up more than that, which would solve a lot of problems for us.

[01:02:17] Well, I think the finances are not the biggest problem.

[01:02:22] Like you said, the problem is, what do you do with Kovacevic?

[01:02:27] Like, he's the big one.

[01:02:28] Like, I love the guy.

[01:02:29] He's playing great for us this year.

[01:02:31] Do you let him go in favor of a Seamus Casey?

[01:02:35] I do not think.

[01:02:36] I think that Shimon Nemec is the new Alex Holtz.

[01:02:39] I just don't see him with his team.

[01:02:42] I see him as an extremely valuable trade chip that Fitz will use at some point.

[01:02:47] I don't think that they feel that way about Casey, though.

[01:02:51] I think Casey is the guy.

[01:02:54] I really like Seamus Casey's game.

[01:02:57] And if you did let Kovacevic walk and bring him in, do you guys think you lose a ton?

[01:03:04] Yeah, that depends.

[01:03:06] I mean, I don't know.

[01:03:07] We got to see more of Casey.

[01:03:09] Yes, you're right.

[01:03:10] Only eight games is not enough.

[01:03:12] But he's definitely impressed in those eight games.

[01:03:16] Both of them, Nemec and Casey.

[01:03:17] Sorry.

[01:03:18] Yeah, go ahead, Bobby.

[01:03:19] He has two more years of service than Nemec.

[01:03:22] Because Nemec lost the year because he played enough games in the NHL.

[01:03:26] And Casey's a year behind.

[01:03:27] So, I mean, you're really looking at a two-year problem if you want it.

[01:03:31] Like, another year next year for Casey, that's still not a problem year that he's still in the NHL.

[01:03:36] Maybe the year after that, you start going, is that really where we want him?

[01:03:39] So maybe there's a bridge way here for, you know, Kovacevic.

[01:03:42] I would love to see Kovacevic stay on this team.

[01:03:45] I mean, he was just a fucking –

[01:03:49] How would you break this card?

[01:03:51] He didn't steal.

[01:03:51] Not only – he didn't steal.

[01:03:52] They called him and asked him if they want – do you guys want this guy?

[01:03:56] Because we have too many right defensemen.

[01:03:58] We don't know what the fuck we're going to do with him.

[01:04:00] And he's, what, the top pairing in the NHL right now with Siegenthaler.

[01:04:05] And basically, his team just said, take him.

[01:04:07] I don't care what –

[01:04:08] Yeah, and he's got to get some credit for Siegenthaler's revival.

[01:04:11] I mean, he looks like a different player.

[01:04:14] Oh, yeah.

[01:04:14] You're right.

[01:04:16] And, you know, you're looking at kind of the years of the contracts sort themselves out.

[01:04:21] Like, to Bobby's point, you know, Nemec next year, he's still under contract.

[01:04:25] But then will be RFA eligible for an extension.

[01:04:29] After that, Casey's the year after that.

[01:04:31] Dougie's deal is ending in 27-28.

[01:04:33] And if you look at play style, Casey and Nemec aren't like Koba Savage.

[01:04:40] They are more like Dougie.

[01:04:41] And, you know, I love Dougie.

[01:04:44] I think he's great.

[01:04:44] And I think he's been great for us when he's healthy.

[01:04:48] But that contract probably won't be aging very well over the next two to three years.

[01:04:53] And I could see him on a one-way trade to buy out town and to let Casey and or Nemec kind of fill that Dougie-ish type of role.

[01:05:02] We didn't draft Casey and Nemec and the kid that we drafted number 10 this year.

[01:05:10] I can't remember his name.

[01:05:11] It's a liar.

[01:05:13] Yeah, whatever.

[01:05:14] Those guys.

[01:05:15] We didn't draft those guys to extend Dougie Hamilton after his contract is up.

[01:05:20] I agree with you 100%.

[01:05:21] 100%.

[01:05:21] This defensive core in five years is going to, I'd still think, be one of the best.

[01:05:27] But it'll also be completely different.

[01:05:30] This is going to be Luke's team in a while.

[01:05:33] Him and Pesci are going to kind of, I think, be the anchors.

[01:05:37] We're going to wrap it up, Bobby?

[01:05:38] I got to get moving if you guys are going to roll.

[01:05:40] No, no, no.

[01:05:41] We're going to jump back into this.

[01:05:43] We'll talk.

[01:05:44] I like this conversation, though.

[01:05:45] I do want to talk.

[01:05:46] Yeah, I'm the master of being like, anything else to talk about?

[01:05:48] It's like, hey, let's have another 30-minute conversation about something.

[01:05:50] Want to do a second show?

[01:05:52] I guess we can do a part two at some point.

[01:05:54] But anyway, we're going to wrap this thing up.

[01:05:56] We will dive into contract and defensemen and stuff coming into later.

[01:06:00] But we're going to just get ready for the two games against the Canes.

[01:06:04] Wherever you're listening to us, you guys know what to do.

[01:06:06] We appreciate you guys for Jam, Bob, Tim.

[01:06:09] I'm Chris.

[01:06:09] We are the Uncle Puckers.

[01:06:11] And we'll see you when we see you.

[01:06:12] Huggy's out.

[01:06:14] Suck it, Valcat.

[01:06:20] Why is it not ending?

[01:06:23] Why is it not ending?

[01:06:25] It doesn't want to end.

[01:06:26] It's like Tim.

[01:06:26] It just wants to keep going.

[01:06:28] Hey, by the way, should we?

[01:06:39] So.

[01:06:41] Hey, everybody.

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