Devils Canes Preview

[00:00:01] Hey, what's up there, Devil fans? This is Chris from the Uncle Puckers NJD Podcast. We just finished recording a new show, so that is actually going to be posted this evening, so hopefully you guys check that out.

[00:00:15] We talk a lot about the Ranger game that just passed. We talk a lot about the upcoming games against the Hurricanes. We dive into the newest member of the Ring of Honor, which is Jacques Lemaire, who brought this team out of the depths of despair and into notoriety and put us on the map.

[00:00:38] So all that stuff we cover. We have a few laughs. We do play Garbage Goalie of the Week. It's a lot of fun.

[00:00:43] So right now we're just going to do a quick little video. Devils coming off the huge 5-0 shutout win against the Rangers, and we're backed that up by a shutout before that against the Penguins.

[00:00:57] We're running on two shotouts in a row, running on less than 20 shots a game for six or seven games, whatever the record is. The Devils are playing out of their minds right now.

[00:01:09] But the Hurricanes are, you know, our Achilles heel, our, you know, pain in the ass, our thorn in our side. This is what they do. They make our life a living hell.

[00:01:23] They knocked us out of the playoffs a couple of years ago, and we are 1-1 this year against them.

[00:01:30] Look, the Canes are good. They're right under us in the standings. They are, they've played 34 games. They're 21-12-1. They have 43 points. That's good for ninth in the NHL.

[00:01:42] And they are playing at a 632 winning percentage. All right, this team is no joke.

[00:01:48] They're eighth in goals with 118. They are eighth in goals against with 95.

[00:01:56] They're fifth on the power play at 26.2%. And they are second on the penalty kill at 86.5%.

[00:02:06] Now, we also know that, you know, the Devils doesn't really matter what your PK is because they can just light you up whenever they get the man advantage.

[00:02:14] Or at this point, whenever they're five on five. I mean, they've just been playing some great, great hockey.

[00:02:19] Now, if I can get this part of the standings over. They also are second. Where am I?

[00:02:26] They are 23rd in the league in save percentage at a 889.

[00:02:32] So, this is something we talked about on the show. We'll talk about it a little bit here.

[00:02:36] The Achilles heel has always been in Carolina, their goaltending.

[00:02:40] They are run by statistics and analytics.

[00:02:44] And they believe that there is a lot of randomness when it comes to the goaltending position.

[00:02:48] Therefore, we are not going to spend Shosturkin like $12 million to get ourselves a top tier goalie.

[00:02:56] And they can believe that all they want.

[00:03:01] It does not change the fact that their goaltending is really what's stopped them from taking that extra step and winning a Stanley Cup these last couple of years.

[00:03:11] Because all the pieces are there other than goaltending, right?

[00:03:15] They have defense. They play a very strict, structured style of hockey.

[00:03:20] They pound the shit out of you with shots.

[00:03:22] They throw everything on net.

[00:03:24] They are a very disciplined, very well-coached team.

[00:03:29] Rod Brindamore, in my opinion, is one of the top three or four best coaches the NHL has ever seen.

[00:03:36] And it's kind of a shame that he hasn't won a Stanley Cup behind the bench yet.

[00:03:41] And let's hope that doesn't come anytime soon, right?

[00:03:44] Because no matter what, the Devils are going to have to exercise that Carolina Hurricane demon at some point come playoff time.

[00:03:53] And it might be this year.

[00:03:55] And I think the Devils right now are built to do that.

[00:03:58] But again, this team is no joke.

[00:04:01] All right?

[00:04:02] Let's, I mean, Marty Natchez right now, he's got 14 goals and 30 assists for 44 points.

[00:04:07] You got Sebastian Ajo with 11 and 25 for 36.

[00:04:11] Shane Gostabere, 6 and 21 for 27.

[00:04:15] Andrei Svechnikov has got 12 and 14 for 26.

[00:04:18] I mean, they got guys all over that play a really solid game.

[00:04:23] But now we're going to talk about their goaltenders.

[00:04:25] And right now they actually have one, two, three, four, five goalies on their stat board here, right?

[00:04:34] So they have played five this year.

[00:04:37] Piotr Kvchekov has had the majority of starts.

[00:04:39] He's played 21 games.

[00:04:41] He started all of those.

[00:04:43] He is 14, 6 and 0.

[00:04:45] He's got a 243 goals against average and a 903 save percentage.

[00:04:50] He is clearly their number one.

[00:04:52] Freddie Anderson, again, with the injuries and, you know, he's only played four games this year.

[00:04:58] He's 3, 1 and 0.

[00:04:59] You got Spencer Martin, who I believe the Devils saw the last time that we played them when we beat them.

[00:05:06] I think Martin was in goal.

[00:05:07] He's 7 and 3.

[00:05:09] I'm sorry.

[00:05:10] Where am I?

[00:05:10] He's 3, 4 and 1 in his seven starts.

[00:05:15] He has played, come in on relief twice, but he's got seven games that he started with a 3, 8, 9 goals against average and a save percentage of 846.

[00:05:27] So between him and Kachekov, there's a huge drop off.

[00:05:31] They've also had Freddie Anderson play, Giannis Peretz play a game, Dustin Tokarska, who's played two games.

[00:05:40] I don't know who Tokarska and Peretz are.

[00:05:43] It's Kachekov.

[00:05:44] It's probably going to be him tomorrow.

[00:05:46] And then if Freddie Anderson or Spencer Martin, I don't know what's going on with them as far as the backup goes, but we'll see one of them in Carolina on Saturday.

[00:05:55] But the bottom line is, this is a team you're chasing.

[00:05:58] This is a team that, I mean, sorry, this is a team that's chasing you, which is weird when you're a Devil fan to actually be ahead of them.

[00:06:05] But we are.

[00:06:07] I mean, we're looking at right now, the Devils are sitting at, and we'll just go over their stats real quick.

[00:06:13] They've played 37 games.

[00:06:15] Devils are 23, 11, and 3.

[00:06:18] They have 49 points.

[00:06:19] That's good for second in the NHL.

[00:06:22] Also, I think right now they're sitting first in the Metro, maybe a point or so above the Washington Capitals, which I'm really curious to see how the rest of their season goes.

[00:06:31] Are they this team that we've seen?

[00:06:33] I believe they are.

[00:06:34] I believe they are this good, and I think they're going to be right there in the top three all year.

[00:06:40] I don't see a fall from grace.

[00:06:41] I think they are a very well-built team, but there are a lot of people that are a little skeptical of their success.

[00:06:46] I'm not one of them.

[00:06:47] I think they're a damn good team, and they're going to be there.

[00:06:51] Originally, I said on this show many, many times, this is a two-man race in the Metro.

[00:06:56] It's coming down to the Rangers and the Devils, and that's it.

[00:06:59] Boy, was I wrong.

[00:07:02] The complete and total drop-off of the New York Rangers has thrown the Metropolitan Division up for grabs, and right now it's a three-team race.

[00:07:10] It is the Canes, the Devils, and the Caps.

[00:07:12] I do think the Devils are the best team coming out of those three.

[00:07:16] I think they will end up with the Metropolitan Division title.

[00:07:20] I also think there's a damn good chance they're going to wind up with the President's Trophy.

[00:07:23] And the way they're playing, there's also a very good chance that they're going to be competing for a Stanley Cup.

[00:07:27] This team can come out of the East.

[00:07:29] There is a bunch of really good teams and a bunch of a few shittier matchups that the Devils might have in the playoffs.

[00:07:38] But I just think that right now it's really hard to find some weak links.

[00:07:42] And if there are any, then I'm pretty confident that Tom Fitzgerald's going to shore that up sometime before the trade deadline.

[00:07:50] But like I said, the Devils are playing right now at a 662 winning percentage.

[00:07:54] That's good for fourth in the NHL.

[00:07:56] So they're fourth in goals four with 124.

[00:08:00] They're sixth with goals against with 91.

[00:08:02] Their goal differential is a plus 33.

[00:08:05] Their power play is 31.2%.

[00:08:08] It ticked down to second in the league.

[00:08:10] Big whoop.

[00:08:11] And their penalty kill has started getting a little bit better these last few games at 82 and a half.

[00:08:16] That's good for seventh.

[00:08:18] And they're sitting at a 901 team save percentage.

[00:08:21] So again, this is, and that's good for eighth in the league.

[00:08:25] This Devils team is stacked.

[00:08:26] We've talked about it a million times.

[00:08:28] It will continue.

[00:08:29] You know, Jesper Bratt leads the way with 45 points.

[00:08:33] Him and Jack Hughes both with 45 points.

[00:08:35] Jesper's sitting on 14 and 31 for 45.

[00:08:38] And Jack's got 15 and 30.

[00:08:40] But then you got Nico Heischer sitting there with 33 points, 17 and 16.

[00:08:44] Timo Meyer with 27, 13 and 14.

[00:08:47] He's really coming on.

[00:08:48] And of course, the biggest surprise this year is Stephen Nason with 25 points, 16 goals, nine assists.

[00:08:54] It's just been a net front menace.

[00:08:57] So what to expect in this Canes game?

[00:08:59] Canes are coming off a loss against the lowly Nashville Predators.

[00:09:03] They're going to want to get that stank out of their mouth as quick as possible.

[00:09:06] But unfortunately for Hurricane fans, that's not going to happen this weekend.

[00:09:10] They are coming into the rock where the Devils have been playing a hell of a lot better.

[00:09:14] Devils are going to just want to keep this momentum going.

[00:09:18] Right?

[00:09:18] We haven't won four in a row yet.

[00:09:20] It's three out of four.

[00:09:21] That's what we're doing, which is fantastic.

[00:09:22] And I'll take that the rest of the season through.

[00:09:25] Three out of four?

[00:09:26] That can win you the Eastern Conference.

[00:09:29] Maybe not with any sweeps, but possibly the Eastern Conference.

[00:09:32] The team's been healthy.

[00:09:34] That's me knocking on wood.

[00:09:35] The team's been healthy.

[00:09:37] They've been buying into what Sheldon Keefe's been selling.

[00:09:39] And I'm telling you, this team hasn't even hit their stride yet.

[00:09:43] I think they're close.

[00:09:45] But now I see it.

[00:09:46] The way they're playing defensively, the way that their special teams is playing,

[00:09:50] the way every single person on that ice has bought in,

[00:09:54] is not something that I have seen a team in New Jersey do since 2012.

[00:10:01] And this is legitimately the best team that we've had maybe since 2003.

[00:10:07] I truly believe that.

[00:10:09] They're a phenomenal team.

[00:10:11] They're put together right.

[00:10:12] All the pieces seem to work.

[00:10:14] I just think that they're riding high.

[00:10:15] I think they're going to continue this dominance defensively.

[00:10:18] They're going to keep a team that loves to shoot the puck.

[00:10:23] Maybe they're going to get their shots.

[00:10:24] Maybe they're going to get 20 more.

[00:10:26] Maybe they're going to even get one or two by Mark Sherman Allen,

[00:10:30] depending on how they separate the two on Friday and Saturday.

[00:10:34] But the Devils are going to win these two.

[00:10:35] The Devils will get their first four-game win streak,

[00:10:38] and they'll do it at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes.

[00:10:41] And then they'll have a couple of days off before they head out west,

[00:10:44] where they'll celebrate New Year's Eve in Anaheim.

[00:10:46] And then I think they have the Kings and the Sharks and a couple of other teams out west,

[00:10:52] which is going to be fun.

[00:10:54] But we've got to take care of the business on the East Coast first,

[00:10:57] and that's the home-and-home against the Canes.

[00:11:00] Look, the Canes are damn good.

[00:11:03] And there's pretty much any other time that I would be doing these preview videos,

[00:11:09] I'd be a little bit nervous about what it is that the Canes bring to the table

[00:11:13] because they don't match up well against the Devils.

[00:11:15] But this is different.

[00:11:17] This isn't the Devils of last year or the year before or the last 20 years.

[00:11:21] This is a team that knows who they are.

[00:11:23] They know their identity.

[00:11:25] And they're playing it to a T.

[00:11:27] And if somebody kind of steps off a little bit, right, takes a step back,

[00:11:31] maybe makes a mistake, boom, there are guys there to cover their ass constantly.

[00:11:36] That is the making of a true team.

[00:11:38] And you're starting to see them meld now.

[00:11:41] And you're starting to see them kind of grow together.

[00:11:43] They're really becoming one finite unit.

[00:11:48] Markstrom's been playing great.

[00:11:49] I don't want to hear any bullshit of,

[00:11:51] oh, we shouldn't have gotten Markstrom or anything like that.

[00:11:53] Like, if you have a 34-year-old goalie who's seen it all and done it all like Jacob Markstrom has,

[00:11:59] trust me, we'd much rather him on a team that's allowing under 20 shots a game.

[00:12:03] He's going to be fresh as a daisy come playoff time

[00:12:06] because you're not going to be holding every team to 20 shots or less come playoff time.

[00:12:09] It's a different beast.

[00:12:10] We understand that.

[00:12:12] Jacob Markstrom's got to stay fresh and he's got to stay on top of his game.

[00:12:15] And he's starting to get that knowledge of how the defensemen in front of him are playing,

[00:12:20] how the whole team in front of him is playing.

[00:12:22] And they're all starting to gel together.

[00:12:24] This team's trajectory just goes further and further and higher and higher.

[00:12:30] They're just a solid team.

[00:12:32] And I think that they're going to show everybody this weekend,

[00:12:36] doesn't matter if it's the Rangers, doesn't matter if it's the Canes,

[00:12:39] doesn't matter who it is, the Devils can hang with anyone.

[00:12:43] And I think they're going to prove it this weekend.

[00:12:44] They're going to take them both.

[00:12:46] First one tomorrow night, Friday at The Rock, Saturday night, down in Raleigh.

[00:12:51] Devils take them both.

[00:12:55] Also, I've been wrong a lot in my life.

[00:12:57] So I'm, you know, yeah, there's probably a chance I'm wrong on this.

[00:13:00] But this is how I believe.

[00:13:01] I'm so confident in this team right now and how they're playing

[00:13:04] that it's really hard for me to look at any team in the NHL,

[00:13:08] any one of the 31 others and say, yeah, no, we don't have a chance against them.

[00:13:12] I don't feel that about any team.

[00:13:15] So until they show me different, and I don't think they're going to,

[00:13:18] I think the Devils take these next two.

[00:13:20] I think they get their first four-game win streak and they head out west.

[00:13:23] We'll break down all those games when they get closer.

[00:13:26] But right now, these are two games I'm super excited for.

[00:13:29] I'm sure that Devil fans are too.

[00:13:31] This is, you know, the litmus test.

[00:13:33] It used to be the Rangers.

[00:13:37] Teams like, you know, Boston and teams like Tampa and Florida and other than Tampa,

[00:13:44] and we haven't played Boston yet, but other than Tampa, who we just cannot seem to beat,

[00:13:49] we do not match up well against them.

[00:13:51] They have our number, but that doesn't matter.

[00:13:53] We're not playing them yet.

[00:13:54] We'll worry about that when we have to deal with them in the playoffs if we have to.

[00:13:57] My point is, there is no team right now that I look at the schedule and I go,

[00:14:04] ah, shit, this is going to suck.

[00:14:05] I don't.

[00:14:06] I think this team can hang with anybody, and I think they're going to.

[00:14:09] I think they beat the Canes.

[00:14:11] Tell us what you guys think.

[00:14:12] Let us know in any comments.

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[00:14:49] I hope all of our fans and our listeners had a wonderful Christmas,

[00:14:52] and they're enjoying the holiday, and you guys are staying safe

[00:14:55] and getting ready for the new year where we can enjoy this team right up until hopefully June.

[00:15:01] And that's about it for me.

[00:15:02] We'll be back with another preview probably before the Saturday game,

[00:15:06] and we'll be dropping another episode at some point over the weekend.

[00:15:10] So look for the new one that just came out today.

[00:15:13] It was a lot of fun, and thanks for checking us out, guys.

[00:15:16] Peace.

[00:15:21] End recording.

[00:15:35] Happy Holidays.

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[00:15:44] From all of us at Believe, have a Merry Christmas, everyone, and a happy holiday.