The Devils finish a 5 game home stand with a thorough 3rd period drubbing of the Hawks. Jesper Bratt went "Beast Mode". Drones are everywhere and we welcome our new alien overlords. Biggest surprises and disappointments so far in the NHL.
[00:00:00] I'm a three time Stanley Cup champion of the New Jersey Devils, and you're listening to the Uncle Puckers, New Jersey Devils Podcast.
[00:00:07] Close enough right?
[00:00:08] With Chris, Dan, Bobby, and Tony, the Uncle Puckers. Let's go Devils!
[00:00:13] Alright. Welcome to the Uncle Puckers everybody.
[00:00:17] Chris, Bob, and Dan tonight, and we were just having a little off-camera discussion that we wanted to do.
[00:00:24] Oh my God, I forgot this just keeps fucking going.
[00:00:30] Thanks for tuning in.
[00:00:31] Government handling the drone question.
[00:00:33] Yeah, so we were having this small discussion about the drones over New Jersey, and we wanted to kind of continue it because it actually is getting ridiculous.
[00:00:43] And I think that a lot of people outside of New Jersey are hearing these stories and they're just kind of dismissing it like,
[00:00:50] Oh, what? People in New Jersey are freaking out because there's a few drones? Like, it's not a few drones.
[00:00:55] And I was saying, before I left work tonight, me and two other co-workers were outside.
[00:01:03] We saw...
[00:01:04] All fucked up.
[00:01:05] What?
[00:01:06] You were all fucked up.
[00:01:07] Yeah, all fucked up, tripping balls.
[00:01:10] So, no, 100% dead ass over.
[00:01:13] And I'm looking like...
[00:01:14] And I work on the ocean, right?
[00:01:16] So, I'm looking up ahead.
[00:01:18] Now, I don't know how far, but there's this little light and it's low.
[00:01:21] And I thought it was just like a set light on a tower or something, right?
[00:01:25] Sure.
[00:01:25] And there's tons of stars and there's planes and you look, we're not stupid.
[00:01:29] We can tell the difference.
[00:01:31] And then this one started moving and it started going towards the ocean.
[00:01:35] And so I'm watching it and it's super low.
[00:01:38] Like I said, it was about 150 feet.
[00:01:40] And it goes off over the Atlantic and starts making going north now up the coast and I'm following it.
[00:01:48] And I'm about, I'd say, five blocks off of the ocean, right?
[00:01:53] So I'm watching it.
[00:01:54] And then I grabbed the other two guys.
[00:01:59] They all came out.
[00:02:00] And then what seemingly out of nowhere, two, three, four, five more all show up, all in the general vicinity.
[00:02:09] They were going in different directions.
[00:02:10] They were different altitudes, but they were all relatively low.
[00:02:16] And then one of them looked like, I mean, it did not look like it was there.
[00:02:23] There was something coming out of it.
[00:02:25] It was a chem trail.
[00:02:26] It was something coming out of it.
[00:02:28] Now, I don't know what the hell it was, but it was clear as day that there was something coming out of this drum.
[00:02:34] Like I said to you guys before, you know me, I'm not at all a conspiracy theorist.
[00:02:39] I don't believe half of the bullshit that's out there.
[00:02:41] I don't know what this is.
[00:02:44] I do know that our, our sheriffs, they have a command center in Island Beach State Park where they have now said that the other night, 50 of these drones came seemingly off of the ocean, out of the water, whatever.
[00:03:01] They called the coast guard.
[00:03:04] The coast guard had a cutter off Island Beach State Park where 13 drones were then following this cutter and then seemingly disappeared.
[00:03:13] When the sheriffs are trying to go near these drones with their drones, they completely lose sight of them.
[00:03:20] These drones do not give off any kind of heat signature, nothing.
[00:03:23] So you look at them through a thermal camera and you can't see a thing.
[00:03:28] What the fuck is going on?
[00:03:31] Those drones are pretty cool.
[00:03:32] Yeah, I want one.
[00:03:34] And they'll beat up to 13,000 feet.
[00:03:36] What an asshole.
[00:03:37] They'll give off any heat.
[00:03:39] So they're pretty cool.
[00:03:40] Would you say this is attack of the drones?
[00:03:43] I'd say it's attack of the drones.
[00:03:48] Yes, it's attack of the drones.
[00:03:50] It's a drone army.
[00:03:51] Dan, you're, you're a smart man.
[00:03:54] No.
[00:03:54] Yeah.
[00:03:55] It's true.
[00:03:56] It's the rumor.
[00:03:58] Regardless of whether or not you want to admit it, you are an extremely intelligent man.
[00:04:02] What?
[00:04:03] I don't have an explanation for this.
[00:04:05] What do you think it is?
[00:04:06] I really don't.
[00:04:06] And how many have you seen?
[00:04:08] I saw one with my own eyes.
[00:04:10] You only saw one.
[00:04:10] Yeah, and it was just tonight.
[00:04:11] We were driving up the Garden State Parkway, getting near exit 98.
[00:04:20] And there was one off to the right.
[00:04:21] It had red and green lights.
[00:04:23] And it was pretty big.
[00:04:25] And it was pretty low.
[00:04:26] And it was, I could see it for maybe, it was probably 10, 15 seconds before it went behind
[00:04:31] the tree line as we were driving.
[00:04:32] Okay.
[00:04:33] And honestly, I haven't seen a drone like that.
[00:04:36] It was very big.
[00:04:37] I think that's what's interesting is that they are, you know, if we saw all like,
[00:04:41] you know, normal sized drones, I guess, two, three feet max, but these are like twice
[00:04:47] as big as ones you're likely to see anybody, you know, flying, you know?
[00:04:51] So that's weird.
[00:04:52] And then like the frequency.
[00:04:54] And I think I told you this morning that I think, uh, you know, it's 50, 50, our own
[00:05:01] government, or maybe there have been more of these larger drones around and people are
[00:05:08] just noticing them because people are using them.
[00:05:12] And then, you know, nobody really noticed for a while and we just weren't aware of it.
[00:05:17] You know, is there some commercial use of these things?
[00:05:20] And now just everybody's finally aware that these big things are out there.
[00:05:23] I don't know.
[00:05:24] The more and more of these more people of authority are befuddled and have no explanation, the less likely
[00:05:31] it seems like it's just, you know, some kind of commercial use that we're just haven't been aware of.
[00:05:39] You know, I don't think.
[00:05:39] Well, this is if it was a commercial use and our government would have to know about this, then why wouldn't they tell us?
[00:05:49] Every government official is saying, we have no idea what it is, but there's nothing to worry about.
[00:05:56] Well, you know, if you truly have no idea what this is, then don't tell us we have nothing to worry about.
[00:06:01] Right.
[00:06:02] And then I listened to the director of Homeland Security, uh, go out there on CNN or whatever,
[00:06:08] saying that the people of New Jersey aren't seeing drones.
[00:06:11] They're seeing manned aircraft or airplanes and getting confused.
[00:06:16] No, these are some of the videos there because there's been, you know, hundreds of videos submitted.
[00:06:20] Maybe some percentage of them are have like a normal explanation.
[00:06:25] You know, I get that.
[00:06:26] But I, you know, I think we've all seen, uh, some that are like, no, that's, that's a big fucking drone.
[00:06:32] That's what that is. It's not a plane. It's not a helicopter.
[00:06:35] And they're fast.
[00:06:35] Um, yeah, well that, that's the weird thing too. I'd love to see more documentation of,
[00:06:42] and like proof of beyond the ocean County Sheriff's department, like that, these strange properties of
[00:06:48] these drones, because that would point to, uh, not necessarily something extraterrestrial, but
[00:06:53] something like, you know, that a, a government or maybe cutting edge science lab would be, have to be responsible for.
[00:07:01] They're not like, you know, bought by average people.
[00:07:04] If they have those kinds of strange abilities that they're so maneuverable, they can't be caught all this other stuff.
[00:07:09] So I don't know. I really don't know. But, um, I don't think anybody really does know, but, um, I, I, it's weird.
[00:07:17] I think that it's strange that the Pentagon says it's nothing.
[00:07:21] We don't think it's a public, uh, you know, safety risk and we don't think it's a foreign government.
[00:07:28] But to me, that sounds like it's us. We're not going to say it.
[00:07:31] And then if it is them, if it is our government, what are they doing?
[00:07:36] Yeah. I don't know. Cause there's like, there are over areas that really, you know, you don't really want your military hanging out with low flying drones.
[00:07:43] You know, I mean, I don't like that. I mean, I don't get upset if a fighter jet flies by, but, uh, there's something weird about, you know, all of a sudden, which is what it seems like, uh, a bunch of maybe military drones flying around many residential areas.
[00:07:59] You know, I don't understand the purpose and, uh, you would think there'd be better communication on this.
[00:08:05] Uh, I can't believe, you know, that they'll never have one shot down if they're coming up occurring with such frequency, somebody, some maniac will shoot it down.
[00:08:15] You would think.
[00:08:16] Yeah. I saw some video of that reported one, but I can't even find it anymore. And I had a feeling it might be, it wasn't even real. So I don't know. I haven't heard any news reports of that. Have you?
[00:08:24] Everything that I saw of people saying that they have been down or just their bullshit. There's been no actual news reporters saying one of a tie fighter that was down.
[00:08:34] Well, the one of the tie fighter was real, but I, that wasn't around here.
[00:08:37] It was on a highway. So I think that was Vermont.
[00:08:39] It's it said it was in New Jersey on the video, but I knew it was a lie because it was snowing.
[00:08:44] What, what do you, what do you make?
[00:08:47] I have no idea what's going on. I've been trying to just kind of tap into it.
[00:08:52] It's just odd because again, if it's government or whatever, what are they looking for? What are they doing? Why can't you just tell us?
[00:08:59] Um, it's, you know, I'm in Pennsylvania, so we're not really getting them here other than a couple of people have recently started saying.
[00:09:05] And just before the show, my wife pointed out the window that there was like dancing a larger one.
[00:09:10] Not when I would see like my buddies use and stuff like that. Um, lower, bigger, brighter.
[00:09:16] Um, I don't know if there's any connection. I don't know if that's somebody going, ah,
[00:09:20] now everybody's all freaked out. I'm gonna fly my drone. Like I have no idea. Um, but the whole thing is just really weird.
[00:09:25] Like I literally just, just the other day I'd ask him like, what is this drone thing that everyone's talking about?
[00:09:29] I mean, I sense like why do they sometimes fly with lights and sometimes don't fly with lights? If, if they don't want to be seen, why are they flying with lights?
[00:09:37] Why are they only at night? Why do they seem to be? Why was light tonight over the water?
[00:09:45] I find that most of these are near water or over the water.
[00:09:49] They had a map and it was, it was other places. I mean, Bobby's not near the water. No.
[00:09:55] Uh, it seemed like it was everywhere in Jersey, but the pine barrens, you know, and that's cause nobody there to see him, I guess.
[00:10:00] Right. So, I mean, to me, it seems much more like surveillance of some sort. Like if this is, if this is them testing some new surveillance drones to keep a better eye, then I'm getting my fucking passport and going to Canada.
[00:10:13] Cause this is, this is all the places you want to surveil. Why New Jersey?
[00:10:16] This is extremely unsettling. Like that's like living here. It is very fucking unsettling. I, like I said, I saw anywhere from eight to 10 of these things tonight alone. And they were, yeah. And, and they were all over. And this is where I guess the Jersey shore is where a lot of these, uh, most of these, uh, Oh, sorry. Yeah. You know where you're going with that.
[00:10:40] Most of these sightings are from, but yeah, I mean, I would love to hear our listeners, uh, the theories and stories of where these are or what these are. And if you've seen any and what you've, uh, little stories that you have, please let us know. Cause this is just absolutely wild. If it just stops and we never know.
[00:11:00] So I wouldn't be shocked. Yeah. But that's crazy. Like I've heard crazy theories from people of what they are and the Iranian mothership off the coast.
[00:11:12] That might be the dumbest one. I love it. It's amazing. You know? So if it's an Iranian mothership sending these things over,
[00:11:19] I would have thought that maybe after the first night, we would have blown that thing out of the water, but whatever. Um,
[00:11:26] I heard that they are scanning the area for a dirty bomb in New Jersey. I'm not buying that one either. Um,
[00:11:36] how are you going to see that with a drone? Was that even,
[00:11:38] they're looking for radiation. Oh, so they're detecting radiation, trying to detect radiation. Yes.
[00:11:46] Which I don't buy either. Um, so, and, uh, you know, and then there's aliens,
[00:11:52] which I'm actually more open to that one than any of the other ones.
[00:11:56] These are some shitty alien aircraft though. I mean, we've seen a lot of movies.
[00:12:00] I would expect something better than what looks like a, you know, super,
[00:12:04] super version of a kid's drone as that's my fucking aliens. How small are these aliens?
[00:12:09] They're in there. Well, I don't think they're driving around in them,
[00:12:13] but they have the same fucking drones.
[00:12:15] Many humans can learn that size doesn't matter. Is that what it is? I mean,
[00:12:20] I don't know. I think I wish they would fly with something that didn't involve propellers at all.
[00:12:25] Maybe. Maybe. Anti-gravity technology. That's a shitty alien. You can fly across the universe,
[00:12:29] but you got these little propellers to keep your drone in the air. Maybe they're,
[00:12:32] they made the tech to look as shitty like our tech.
[00:12:36] So it's not to just give themselves away right away.
[00:12:40] Too many drones. They're onto us.
[00:12:42] This is crazy. It's all fucking crazy. These are hundreds of these things a night and it seriously is insane.
[00:12:49] I just hope it's like, like two idiots, like just building these one after the other in a garage, you know?
[00:12:56] They better have a big ass bankroll for these.
[00:12:59] I don't know. I don't know. Maybe. Who knows?
[00:13:04] We'll find out or not. We don't know.
[00:13:06] I will put money on it. I bet you we never find out what it is.
[00:13:11] Yeah, you think so?
[00:13:12] I don't. I do not think we will ever find out what it is.
[00:13:16] I mean, somebody's got to be interested enough to try to take one of these down and get information.
[00:13:20] Right?
[00:13:21] Well, I mean, if it keeps up here, right?
[00:13:22] And it happens like every night.
[00:13:24] They're out every night.
[00:13:25] Yeah.
[00:13:26] I mean, how many, like you said,
[00:13:27] how many Yahoo's are going to be out on the beach with AR-15s trying to shoot these things down?
[00:13:32] Yeah.
[00:13:33] Like that's not going to end good.
[00:13:35] No.
[00:13:36] For anybody.
[00:13:37] Yeah.
[00:13:38] It's just, it's fucking crazy.
[00:13:39] And that's what the thing that like actually does worry me that if it does continue and there are no answers,
[00:13:46] I'm worried of the hysteria that may come with all these people online and all these crazy theories of what this could be.
[00:13:54] And if you're not getting answers from the government or from anybody, people will start freaking the hell out.
[00:14:01] And that's what worries me.
[00:14:03] I like, I would like the idea that we start getting used to them and everything's cool until one of them just like gets down real low and picks somebody up and takes them away.
[00:14:11] Grabs them by their head.
[00:14:13] Just like one little claw comes out.
[00:14:14] And just, you see a person just hanging from this drone flying up to the sky.
[00:14:19] And you look closely and it has an Amazon Prime logo on it.
[00:14:23] Well, that's the other thing I was thinking.
[00:14:24] It is holiday season.
[00:14:26] We know Amazon's been working with drones.
[00:14:28] I mean, my packages are at my door.
[00:14:30] I sometimes see a driver, but sometimes I don't.
[00:14:32] Maybe it's the drones.
[00:14:34] Maybe it is.
[00:14:35] Santa.
[00:14:36] It is crazy.
[00:14:38] Yeah.
[00:14:39] But regardless of what's going on in New Jersey airspace, there was a pretty goddamn special third period of a hockey game to talk about today, boys.
[00:14:50] Yeah.
[00:14:50] There was.
[00:14:51] What a third period.
[00:14:52] I mean, who wants to take it first?
[00:14:55] Go for it.
[00:14:58] Well, I thought, you know, first of all, the defensive has been great of late.
[00:15:03] They've been doing a great job.
[00:15:04] And it was like a very defensive matchup.
[00:15:08] And, you know, although maybe the bottom six is still not like, look at, look what Jack did.
[00:15:15] And I mean, the team looks like when it was time to just put the pedal to the metal, they exploded all over Chicago's face.
[00:15:23] They sure did.
[00:15:24] But, Bob?
[00:15:27] This literally started off as a Saturday 1 o'clock game, which I hate.
[00:15:31] It felt just like its first period sucked.
[00:15:33] At some point in my notes here on the second period with about three minutes left, I just wrote really big, what the fuck.
[00:15:38] Right?
[00:15:39] I think that was right after the glove save on Holla.
[00:15:41] I was like, is this actually happening?
[00:15:43] The Chicago Blackhawks are coming in here.
[00:15:44] They've got a rookie goaltender.
[00:15:46] We're getting goalied again.
[00:15:47] Like, we were all kind of thinking, you know that.
[00:15:49] I mean, the game wasn't out of reach.
[00:15:50] That was your analysis, huh?
[00:15:53] Not yet.
[00:15:54] What the fuck?
[00:15:55] You've got the best color in the business for nothing, folks.
[00:15:57] Yeah.
[00:15:59] That's right.
[00:16:00] And then, you know, obviously what they did in third period was great.
[00:16:05] You know, Mercer coming in, get 16 stitches yesterday.
[00:16:08] So doesn't miss a beat.
[00:16:09] 279 straight games or whatever it is.
[00:16:11] Comes in, scores the goal.
[00:16:13] I got a poll on him, by the way.
[00:16:14] We can share.
[00:16:15] And then, you know, brat.
[00:16:18] You don't want to share his poll.
[00:16:20] Dude, salt on that Hawk too.
[00:16:22] To keep that puck in the zone during that 90-minute run in the offensive zone leading to Jack's goal.
[00:16:27] It was just...
[00:16:28] It was 90 seconds.
[00:16:30] It was incredible.
[00:16:33] That entire sequence, that minute and a half sequence that led to Jack Hughes' game-winning goal was phenomenal.
[00:16:41] I mean, if anyone hasn't seen it, I highly recommend you go and watch it over and over again.
[00:16:46] Because it was by far...
[00:16:48] And I heard that Sheldon Keefe said it too, that this was his favorite goal of the year.
[00:16:51] And that this was most definitely my favorite goal of the year.
[00:16:55] Like you had Keesher, Meyer, Mercer, Luke Hughes, and Brett Pesci just hemming Chicago into the offensive zone.
[00:17:06] For a minute and a half, they would not give him the puck.
[00:17:09] They won every board battle.
[00:17:11] They were getting shots through.
[00:17:13] Everything that you could want.
[00:17:14] They managed to get a full offensive line change in the offensive zone.
[00:17:20] Jesper Brack comes on the ice like he was shot out of a fucking cannon.
[00:17:23] Goes right to the puck.
[00:17:25] Nails...
[00:17:25] Who was it?
[00:17:26] Kaiser against the boards.
[00:17:28] Gets the puck loose.
[00:17:29] Up to the point to Brett Pesci.
[00:17:31] And they are streaking in Jack Hughes.
[00:17:33] Pesci gets the puck to Hughes.
[00:17:35] And he just rips a snipe.
[00:17:37] Top shelf.
[00:17:38] What an absolute beautiful sequence.
[00:17:40] Their situational awareness, right?
[00:17:43] When you're a player, you know they've been hemmed in for a while.
[00:17:45] You know you really want to take advantage of that.
[00:17:47] And then there's like really being in tune with what needs to happen.
[00:17:50] The jump that Bratt had to get on him.
[00:17:53] He kind of took them the extra three feet to the boards.
[00:17:55] Just kind of battling with them to get that done.
[00:17:58] Just to know how important that was.
[00:18:00] Like that extra step.
[00:18:01] That extra...
[00:18:01] That's championship stuff right there, man.
[00:18:04] That's that level that you need to be at for each play.
[00:18:07] Say, no, we're going to step on your throat.
[00:18:08] We got you right here.
[00:18:09] You're not getting out.
[00:18:11] And it was just beautiful.
[00:18:12] Like I can't...
[00:18:13] Like you said, best goal of the year.
[00:18:15] Not necessarily on the shot per se, but on the way that it unfolded.
[00:18:19] And the dominance that they did.
[00:18:20] They would not let that puck get out.
[00:18:22] They knew they were tired.
[00:18:23] They had to have it.
[00:18:23] And they got it.
[00:18:24] It was fantastic.
[00:18:26] And then just a matter of two minutes, just Nico and then Meyer and just blowing the whole thing up.
[00:18:34] It was, again, one of those games that, you know, okay, we've had enough of this bullshit.
[00:18:40] Let's just go and do this.
[00:18:42] And in a matter of less than...
[00:18:43] What is it?
[00:18:44] Like two minutes and five seconds or something.
[00:18:46] Four goals.
[00:18:47] And you start in the third period down 1-0 to the worst team in the NHL.
[00:18:52] You could easily have been deflated on this one and just said, I just want to get the hell out of here.
[00:18:57] Fuck this.
[00:18:58] There's no way they win this game in this situation last year.
[00:19:01] Oh, God, no.
[00:19:03] They did not ever come through like that.
[00:19:06] And the goalie for Chicago, I don't know his name, but, you know, he first two periods, he played very well.
[00:19:14] He did.
[00:19:14] I mean, he was...
[00:19:16] Camasso or something like that.
[00:19:17] What was it?
[00:19:19] Camasso.
[00:19:19] Tom Barrasso?
[00:19:20] He's in the Hall of Fame.
[00:19:21] No, Camasso.
[00:19:21] Camasso.
[00:19:22] Oh, I don't know.
[00:19:22] Camasso.
[00:19:23] Something like that.
[00:19:25] But, yeah, I mean, I was super impressed with this third period.
[00:19:29] I mean, even the first two periods.
[00:19:31] I mean, they did...
[00:19:32] They had the time of possession.
[00:19:34] They were leading on shots.
[00:19:35] They just...
[00:19:35] It seemed like just one of those games that...
[00:19:37] I honestly thought mid...
[00:19:39] After the second period, I'm like, we're getting shut out again.
[00:19:42] This is going to be the sixth time and...
[00:19:44] It felt like the Toronto game, but you're going, this isn't Toronto.
[00:19:48] This is Chicago.
[00:19:49] It shouldn't be this way.
[00:19:50] And I was trying to figure it out watching the first two periods.
[00:19:55] Were we playing...
[00:19:56] Was Chicago just playing really, really good?
[00:20:00] Yeah, I think both.
[00:20:01] I think it's like three things.
[00:20:04] It's like the little bit of extra effort was not quite what you ended up seeing, like you mentioned in that 90-second sequence.
[00:20:14] But they were strong.
[00:20:15] They looked good.
[00:20:17] Chicago was holding the dam really well.
[00:20:19] I mean, that's a good thing for them to hold on to that 1-0 lead for two...
[00:20:23] You know, for this team, Chicago to hold on to that 1-0 lead for two periods.
[00:20:27] They're doing something right.
[00:20:28] And then the third thing is a little bit of puck luck.
[00:20:31] You know, not that they got lucky in the fourth, but you didn't have any unlucky moments.
[00:20:37] You know, you didn't get those sick crossbar and then everybody gets deflated or a really untimely call or something like that.
[00:20:47] You know, the hard work paid off with no obstacles in its way.
[00:20:52] I'll preface this by saying that Markson's been really awesome the last five games.
[00:20:56] We can look at his stats real quick.
[00:20:57] But it's funny because really, if it wasn't for the crossbar, like you got beat on the first shot again.
[00:21:03] You know, if you want to think about it that way.
[00:21:04] You could have went in.
[00:21:04] I was like, son of a bitch.
[00:21:05] And then, well, they get three or four.
[00:21:08] And again, that's the goal to tell you.
[00:21:10] They positioned themselves to hit the post.
[00:21:12] Right, Dan?
[00:21:12] Sure.
[00:21:12] You left nothing but the crossbar.
[00:21:14] Right.
[00:21:14] Left nothing there.
[00:21:15] That's what you always tell yourself and everyone else.
[00:21:16] Markstrom was.
[00:21:18] I gave you that post.
[00:21:19] That's right.
[00:21:20] I gave it to you because you can't score if you hit a post flat.
[00:21:23] That's right.
[00:21:23] And, of course, ping in.
[00:21:25] But Markstrom in the last five, right?
[00:21:28] He's 4-0 and 1.
[00:21:30] Yeah.
[00:21:31] And he's got a 9-3-5 save percentage and a 1-3-9 goals against average in the last five.
[00:21:37] So, like, you look at this game today.
[00:21:38] It didn't look miraculous in any way.
[00:21:41] But he made some really good saves when he had to.
[00:21:44] He was there.
[00:21:44] Again, we don't probably win this game last year.
[00:21:47] Right.
[00:21:47] And that's a really good stretch.
[00:21:49] You know, I like stretches like that because that does paint a picture, right?
[00:21:52] Sets of 5, sets of 10, that kind of thing.
[00:21:54] Gives you a little more information than the whole year sometimes because there's so many
[00:21:58] ups and downs throughout the year.
[00:22:00] Sure.
[00:22:00] In the defensive system that we're playing, I mean, it is nice when you have a 36-year-old
[00:22:05] goalie that you're not giving this guy 40 shots on him a night, that you're able to just say,
[00:22:11] okay, look, it's going to be under 20 again.
[00:22:13] You know, the team has just been so good these last three games defensively.
[00:22:18] Yeah.
[00:22:19] I mean, Markstrom has looked good.
[00:22:20] The whole team has looked good.
[00:22:22] You know, I said in the preview video I did that, you know, Palat just might be a devil
[00:22:29] after all.
[00:22:30] Like, he's starting to look like he belongs on that line where, you know, a month ago,
[00:22:37] Palat's stick is where offense goes to die.
[00:22:39] And now, you know, he seems to be kind of getting his shit together, which is an awesome thing
[00:22:45] to see.
[00:22:46] Yes.
[00:22:46] He had a really good game.
[00:22:47] L.A., right?
[00:22:49] I wrote that down, too.
[00:22:50] He looked good.
[00:22:51] He looked like he fit.
[00:22:52] There was one or two plays where he, you know, his slowness was a little evident kind of
[00:22:57] coming through.
[00:22:57] But other than that, like, he played a hell of a game.
[00:22:59] He's really heating up.
[00:23:01] Again, we all want him to do good.
[00:23:02] You know, nobody ever didn't want him to do good.
[00:23:05] And he is really looking like he belongs.
[00:23:08] And I've written down here with just a couple minutes left, they still only had, with six
[00:23:13] minutes left, Chicago had one shot on goal in the first.
[00:23:16] And I was just waiting for that clock to burn out and see if it was going to wind up
[00:23:18] being one.
[00:23:19] It wound up being four.
[00:23:20] Four shots on goal.
[00:23:21] Four shots in the first period.
[00:23:22] So in the last three games, one, one, and four.
[00:23:25] Wow.
[00:23:26] That's great.
[00:23:27] You would have thought that they would have been up a little more coming out of it,
[00:23:29] but that's okay.
[00:23:30] Again, this is another one of those games.
[00:23:33] Whatever was happening in the game, it almost doesn't matter.
[00:23:35] They found another way to win.
[00:23:37] You know, it's just a game that they had to win.
[00:23:39] They found another way to win.
[00:23:40] And they've been doing it a lot since.
[00:23:43] So last year in all 82 games, we had 10 games where we gave up one goal.
[00:23:50] We have done that 11 times now.
[00:23:53] So far this year.
[00:23:54] That's impressive.
[00:23:55] Yeah, definitely.
[00:23:55] That's not just goaltending.
[00:23:56] That's the defensive structure.
[00:23:58] Of course, it's easy.
[00:23:59] It's forwards buying into.
[00:24:00] That is very impressive.
[00:24:03] Now, I want to talk a little bit about what was going on around the rest of the NHL today.
[00:24:10] But first, the 24-25 NHL season still has that new car smell.
[00:24:16] It's kind of getting a little bit old, though.
[00:24:17] You know, I think we have to change this one.
[00:24:19] We're, you know, in December now.
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[00:25:33] Tell the audience about game time, Robert.
[00:25:37] You know, there's nothing quite like a live hockey game.
[00:25:41] We all know that.
[00:25:42] Could you imagine if we were there today?
[00:25:43] You're sitting down in that lower bowl.
[00:25:46] You got a really great ticket from game time.
[00:25:49] You're thinking the game's out of hand and that third period happens and those bang, bang goals and all the audience cheer.
[00:25:54] And it's just the best feeling.
[00:25:56] And if you're looking for tickets to a game to duplicate that feeling or any concert or show for that matter, check out the Game Time app.
[00:26:02] Game Time has a new feature called Game Time's Picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite team easier than ever.
[00:26:08] The Picks filters out the fluff to show you only incredible deals on great seats so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.
[00:26:15] For anyone who hasn't been on Game Time yet, go there, check it out.
[00:26:18] It's a really user-friendly site.
[00:26:19] It's one of the easier ones to use.
[00:26:21] They've got super deals that have been extremely affordable.
[00:26:25] I think the last game against the Kings, there was a $5 seat.
[00:26:28] Just really excellent for you for last minute especially and even if you're pre-planning.
[00:26:33] Some of their major features are an all-in pricing where you can simply toggle this feature on.
[00:26:38] It will show you all the costs up front so there's no surprises at checkout.
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[00:27:13] Again, create an account and redeem code THPN for $20 off.
[00:27:19] Download Game Time today.
[00:27:20] What time is it?
[00:27:21] Game Time.
[00:27:24] I love it.
[00:27:25] I have a question though.
[00:27:26] That $5 ticket.
[00:27:28] Does that come with parking?
[00:27:31] I highly doubt it.
[00:27:32] That would be a real steal.
[00:27:33] Can you imagine spending 10 times the amount you spend on the ticket on your parking?
[00:27:36] Right.
[00:27:37] That's about what it is.
[00:27:38] That's crazy.
[00:27:39] Yeah, you're right.
[00:27:40] It's still a good deal.
[00:27:41] Don't you wish you could just get there before 4 with your 30-pack of beer and get in for free?
[00:27:46] I know.
[00:27:47] Those were the days.
[00:27:47] I do.
[00:27:49] Don't miss the tunnel though.
[00:27:50] I do not miss the tunnel.
[00:27:52] I've rarely ever had to park on the other side of that tunnel.
[00:27:54] I always made sure to get there.
[00:27:55] I left work at like 3 in Heights Town, New Jersey.
[00:27:58] I would get there right before 4.
[00:28:00] Save my – remember even before – I mean before the first Stanley Cup it was like $5 anyway.
[00:28:04] And then they went to Stanley Cup and it went to like $10.
[00:28:07] Then they won the next Stanley Cup and it went to like $50.
[00:28:08] It like went up $5 every time they won a championship.
[00:28:10] But yeah, you get there before 4, free.
[00:28:14] Nice.
[00:28:15] So we did hold first place in the Metropolitan Division for a few hours today.
[00:28:21] Okay.
[00:28:22] But the Washington Capitals did win their game this evening against Buffalo.
[00:28:27] They won 4-2.
[00:28:29] So that's a little – you know, that sucks.
[00:28:32] The Senators are two in a row.
[00:28:33] They beat Penguins.
[00:28:35] But I think the real story of the Metro needs to be – I don't even know if this is a hot take at this point.
[00:28:44] But the Rangers are not making the playoffs, guys.
[00:28:47] No.
[00:28:47] It's not going to happen.
[00:28:49] It doesn't look like it.
[00:28:51] They got – go ahead.
[00:28:54] I'm just saying I can't – we joked about it.
[00:28:56] We had clips about it, like reels about, you know, five passes circa.
[00:29:01] And it literally just keeps happening.
[00:29:02] Like, it's not like they're just losing games.
[00:29:05] He let in another five today.
[00:29:07] For, I guess, like the sixth time this year and one that was six.
[00:29:11] I mean, these are really lopsided is my point.
[00:29:14] You know, like I don't understand what's going on over there.
[00:29:17] Losing is one thing.
[00:29:18] But getting creamed is another.
[00:29:20] And then you look at a Kings team that we – did what we had to do against them.
[00:29:24] Very well.
[00:29:25] A great performance.
[00:29:26] And they just go out and annihilate the Rangers.
[00:29:29] So you're really starting to see that separation now.
[00:29:30] The Kings had more shots on the Rangers in the first period
[00:29:35] that they had the entire game on the Devils.
[00:29:38] Yeah.
[00:29:39] Yeah.
[00:29:39] So, I mean, the Rangers fell apart.
[00:29:42] And if you – I mean, look, if you look at this Eastern Conference, man,
[00:29:47] it is so jumbled up in the bottom that I just –
[00:29:51] I can't see a world where the Rangers get their heads out of their ass enough
[00:29:56] to take over because, I mean, in the Atlantic, you're looking at, you know,
[00:30:02] Maple Leafs and Panthers, they're going to be in.
[00:30:04] And there will be one, two at 38 points apiece, whereas one 36 – no, 38 apiece.
[00:30:10] And then you have the Bruins with 33, the Lightning with 32.
[00:30:13] So they're going to fight over probably the – well, now you have the Senators at 32 as well.
[00:30:19] Yeah.
[00:30:19] Yeah, they started playing real well.
[00:30:21] Right.
[00:30:21] So those three teams are going to be battling over the third seed in the Atlantic
[00:30:24] and one, if not both, of the wild card spots.
[00:30:28] Yeah.
[00:30:28] And now you've got the Metropolitan.
[00:30:30] You've got the Capitals with 44 points.
[00:30:32] The Devils with 43 points.
[00:30:34] The Hurricanes with 37 points.
[00:30:36] So the Devils and the Capitals are really starting to cause separation
[00:30:40] with everyone else in the Metro.
[00:30:42] It's going to come down to Devils and Washington for the Metropolitan Division.
[00:30:46] And right now you've got – the Bruins have 33 points.
[00:30:52] The Lightning have 32.
[00:30:53] The Senators have 32.
[00:30:55] The Flyers have 32.
[00:30:57] And then you have the Rangers.
[00:30:59] Log jam.
[00:31:00] What's that?
[00:31:01] It's a log jam.
[00:31:02] Yeah.
[00:31:02] You have the Rangers, the Islanders, and the Penguins with 31.
[00:31:06] And you have the Blue Jackets with 29.
[00:31:09] Like, there are just too many teams that I think are better than the Rangers.
[00:31:13] I just – I don't see them making the playoffs.
[00:31:16] They will go from President's Trophy winner to playoff absence.
[00:31:21] I mean, it's essentially a complete and total role reversal over what –
[00:31:26] like what we did last year, and now they're doing it.
[00:31:29] The difference is we did it because we had bad goaltending
[00:31:33] and we had tons of injuries.
[00:31:36] Yeah.
[00:31:37] They're failing because they honestly look like they don't want to fucking play hockey.
[00:31:42] Yeah, I don't know.
[00:31:43] It's weird.
[00:31:44] They look especially bad.
[00:31:45] And some of those teams you mentioned, Chris, like Ottawa,
[00:31:48] they're on 7-2-1 run in the last 10.
[00:31:51] Pittsburgh, 6-3-1 in the last 10.
[00:31:53] And you've got the Rangers going 3-7.
[00:31:54] I mean, that's just – that's exactly what you need to happen to fall off a cliff
[00:31:57] while the other teams are doing just the inverse of what you're doing.
[00:32:00] Well, there are some overperforming teams this year.
[00:32:02] I mean, I wouldn't say the Devils are overperforming.
[00:32:05] We know the offseason moves they made, the reasons why they –
[00:32:08] you know, you shouldn't judge them against last year's performance.
[00:32:10] But who do you think is the most overperforming team so far this year?
[00:32:15] Like you just didn't see it coming and they're just that damn good
[00:32:18] or maybe they're not going to sustain it.
[00:32:20] I don't know.
[00:32:21] In the Eastern Conference?
[00:32:22] Yeah, let's start there, definitely.
[00:32:23] It's got to be the Capitals for me.
[00:32:25] Yeah.
[00:32:25] That's what I'm thinking.
[00:32:26] Yeah.
[00:32:27] It's the Caps.
[00:32:28] I don't think anybody's coming from.
[00:32:29] I honestly thought it was going to be like, ah, they're just really playing to get Ovechkin stats
[00:32:34] and, you know, that's going to be what they're selling the crowd this year.
[00:32:37] But I don't know where this came from.
[00:32:41] I must have missed a lot in the way this team is put together.
[00:32:44] And I got to say, I keep waiting for them to fall off a little bit, right?
[00:32:48] They're not going to.
[00:32:49] They're a plus 38 in the differential.
[00:32:51] So, I mean, that's huge.
[00:32:53] It's got to be one of the best in the league for sure.
[00:32:56] Yeah, they're for real.
[00:32:57] It's the best in the Eastern Conference.
[00:32:59] And the best.
[00:33:00] And the Winnipeg Jets are plus 36 in the West.
[00:33:02] So, it is.
[00:33:02] It's the best in the league.
[00:33:04] I don't know where it came from.
[00:33:05] I thought, if anything, that they would be maybe fighting, you know, for the wild card.
[00:33:10] But I do believe if I go back to summer predictions, I had them out.
[00:33:14] Oh, I had them, I think, last in the Metropolitan.
[00:33:17] I honestly thought they were going to be that bad.
[00:33:19] Yeah, you had them worse.
[00:33:20] Yeah.
[00:33:20] And Chris Knobloch has just done a tremendous job.
[00:33:23] The guys, the young guys that they've brought up are playing great.
[00:33:28] Dylan Strom is playing out of his head.
[00:33:30] And they don't even have Kobe in the lineup right now.
[00:33:33] Like, they're still winning.
[00:33:35] This is going to be a really tough team come playoff time.
[00:33:39] You know, so they're definitely the biggest.
[00:33:41] And the biggest surprise now, to me, the biggest disappointment, well, it's got to be the Rangers.
[00:33:47] Yeah.
[00:33:48] No, definitely.
[00:33:48] Definitely.
[00:33:49] But we do have some other over-performing teams, I would think, too.
[00:33:54] And I guess in the West, it would have to be, what, Winnipeg?
[00:33:56] I mean, there's a couple to choose from.
[00:33:59] I would say so.
[00:34:00] I can say that, yeah, Winnipeg is sitting at 45 points.
[00:34:04] And the Minnesota Wild.
[00:34:06] Yeah, the Wild, they look fantastic.
[00:34:08] I didn't think the Wild was going to be this good.
[00:34:11] They're one point out of first place in the Central.
[00:34:13] Yeah.
[00:34:14] I think Winnipeg over-performed for the first two weeks.
[00:34:18] And now that you're seeing a little bit, they're not this bad either.
[00:34:21] They're like four and six in their last ten or whatever, but four, five, and one.
[00:34:27] Minnesota, surprisingly way better, sure, than I thought.
[00:34:30] Yeah.
[00:34:30] But they're all, Minnesota actually looks like they're going to take it.
[00:34:33] I think they will.
[00:34:35] I think Winnipeg is just kind of leveling off a little bit.
[00:34:37] We knew they couldn't sustain the way they started.
[00:34:39] That was historic.
[00:34:41] I think Minnesota wins the Central.
[00:34:44] I mean, you look at the Stars, they're 10 points under Minnesota.
[00:34:50] Like, you're not catching them.
[00:34:51] It's not.
[00:34:51] The Stars need to hold on to that.
[00:34:53] And they're tied with the Avalanche right now with 34 points.
[00:34:57] They just need to hold on to that third spot because you're not catching Winnipeg
[00:35:01] and you're not catching Minnesota.
[00:35:03] As far as the Western Conference, and I would even go as far as saying in the entire NHL,
[00:35:08] the biggest disappointment in this entire league are the Nashville Predators.
[00:35:14] I mean, they're sitting there.
[00:35:15] A lot.
[00:35:16] They went out in 3-6-7 winning percentage.
[00:35:19] They have an 8-16-6 record for 22 points.
[00:35:24] They've won eight games.
[00:35:26] Minus 25 goal differential.
[00:35:29] Terrible.
[00:35:30] Terrible.
[00:35:31] And then, hey, let's give a little props to another team that's doing pretty good with
[00:35:34] a 5-50 winning percentage, at least better than you thought, Calgary Flames.
[00:35:37] They're only one point at back of a wild card right now at 14-11-5.
[00:35:43] Yeah.
[00:35:43] And that's actually a big victory for them because they kind of have no business being anywhere
[00:35:48] near the playoffs.
[00:35:48] They had a massive sell-off.
[00:35:49] And, you know, it looked like that was just totally going to rebuilding mode.
[00:35:52] And they're still in the mix.
[00:35:55] That's great.
[00:35:55] I don't know if they're going to make the playoffs, though.
[00:35:59] I don't think they're going to make the playoffs.
[00:36:01] Even just to be flirting with it this late in the season, I think, is a win for them.
[00:36:05] And as far as the funnest team to watch, other, of course, than our Devils, for me, is the
[00:36:11] San Jose Sharks.
[00:36:12] I absolutely love watching them.
[00:36:15] I think Macklin Celebrini is going to be amazing.
[00:36:18] That whole team is just like, yeah, we're not supposed to be winning games, but we're
[00:36:24] just going to win some anyway.
[00:36:25] I mean, they've already won 11.
[00:36:27] They're 11-16-5.
[00:36:28] They have 27 points.
[00:36:30] They're nowhere near going to make the playoffs.
[00:36:32] But at least you look at them and you can see the rebuild working.
[00:36:37] And you can say, you know what?
[00:36:39] In a couple of years, this is going to be a team that can make the playoffs, where you
[00:36:42] look at the Eastern Conference and you got the Senators, the Sabres, the Red Wings.
[00:36:47] I mean, for 10 years, they've been rebuilding and going to do it.
[00:36:51] The Sharks are doing it the right way.
[00:36:52] And if Macklin Celebrini is going to be a big reason why, I think that kid's going to
[00:36:57] be phenomenal.
[00:36:59] Yeah.
[00:36:59] It is kind of a dream come true.
[00:37:01] You go into rebuild mode.
[00:37:02] You get the number one pick and you put a great product on the ice that the fans are going
[00:37:06] to love.
[00:37:07] And it's fun to watch.
[00:37:08] Definitely.
[00:37:09] Dude, Buffalo.
[00:37:10] I mean, do you remember the summer, guys?
[00:37:12] Like we talked about Buffalo and how their ascension is supposed to be going on, but we're like,
[00:37:16] I'm just not falling forward again this year after what you've done.
[00:37:19] I mean, that's just, it's really laughable at this point.
[00:37:23] Like you're not even improving by a few percentage points every year.
[00:37:27] If anything, you're falling backwards again.
[00:37:29] I think we all know where they really jerked that wheel to steer the car right off the road.
[00:37:35] Yeah.
[00:37:35] That was the hiring of Lindy.
[00:37:39] I mean, yeah, we all thought that was a bozo move to make, but the general manager there,
[00:37:47] like at some point, yeah, like you're not putting a team together that is going to win.
[00:37:53] And you don't, I mean, you got to basically, if I'm the owners in Buffalo, I stop and I say,
[00:37:59] okay, who are our core guys that we cannot move off of?
[00:38:03] And, you know, it's Tage Thompson and it might start and end with him.
[00:38:07] I don't know the roster well enough, but you better start just trading off everybody.
[00:38:13] You know, you got a goalie in UPL.
[00:38:15] I think he can be very good in this league, but you got to start dumping.
[00:38:18] And then you got to get rid of Lindy.
[00:38:20] You got to get a general manager in there and knows what the hell they're doing.
[00:38:23] You got to get a young, I don't know if you need a young coach, but you just need somebody
[00:38:27] that can work with these guys and build this team up again.
[00:38:30] And Sabre fans might not want to hear it, but, you know, it's like just throwing bad money
[00:38:35] after bad money.
[00:38:36] Like the team's not working.
[00:38:37] They're not going to make the playoffs again.
[00:38:39] And it's like, at some point, the fan base is just going to revolt, stop going to the games.
[00:38:44] And I mean, you know, you're going to have it.
[00:38:47] It's Buffalo.
[00:38:48] It's Buffalo.
[00:38:49] They're kind of used.
[00:38:50] They'll take a lot of abuse, you know?
[00:38:52] Yeah.
[00:38:53] Yeah.
[00:38:53] They will like the opposite of New York or Toronto.
[00:38:56] Yeah.
[00:38:56] It's like they don't even consider like how they need to play to at least try to win their
[00:39:02] fair share of games.
[00:39:03] Like there's a blueprint for them.
[00:39:05] They just need to look up with the way up at what the Flyers are doing.
[00:39:08] You know what I mean?
[00:39:08] And just, here's a team that doesn't have it all put together as far as talent wise that
[00:39:13] have figured out this is how we're going to play to win.
[00:39:15] The Flyers are a minus 13 goal differential and the Buffalo Sabres are a minus 10.
[00:39:20] And yet the Flyers, you know, have what, five more wins than them or whatever it is.
[00:39:25] Like, it's just laughable.
[00:39:28] I know the Flyers got smoked today by Minnesota, but the Flyers are that team that I'm watching
[00:39:36] that I think can make a wild card.
[00:39:38] Yeah.
[00:39:39] Last year, they were my most overperforming team from the East.
[00:39:43] You know, I did not see them coming at all last year.
[00:39:45] I predicted they'd be complete ass and they were really good last year.
[00:39:50] I mean, compared to what I thought they were going to be.
[00:39:53] They were in a playoff spot for 90% of the year and then, you know, it just kind of fell
[00:39:58] off.
[00:39:59] And you look at last year too, like they lost their number one goalie when Carter Hart got
[00:40:03] in trouble with all that bullshit.
[00:40:05] They had to overcome a lot last year and now they have Mitch Goff, who's just amazing.
[00:40:10] They get, they're getting pretty solid goaltending.
[00:40:12] Connect me, connect me is a phenomenal player.
[00:40:15] Like they have a lot of studs there and they're buying into John Tortorella system.
[00:40:19] You know, Tortorella is the type of coach that we've talked about in a million times.
[00:40:23] His schtick will get old in a couple of years.
[00:40:27] I feel like that clock is running.
[00:40:29] And it is, you know, it is.
[00:40:31] And I think that, you know, this year and next year, maybe that's all he gets before,
[00:40:35] you know, but I think the team will ascend enough that even if they moved off of Tortorella
[00:40:42] after next year and they bring another coach in, he can take them to the next level kind
[00:40:47] of deal.
[00:40:47] I, if I'm a Philadelphia Flyer fan, I'm super happy with the trajectory of this team.
[00:40:52] Since Danny Breer has taken over as general manager, I think he's done a great job.
[00:40:57] Yep.
[00:40:59] Did you hear about his critique of the Michigan style goal?
[00:41:03] One of his players tried to do?
[00:41:04] Oh, Tortorella?
[00:41:06] Yeah.
[00:41:06] Now, what do you say?
[00:41:07] He was much calmer.
[00:41:08] I watched the interview with him at a press conference and he's a much calmer man, at least
[00:41:12] for that.
[00:41:13] But he basically said he doesn't like the play.
[00:41:17] He doesn't think it belongs in the NHL.
[00:41:20] But he very pointedly pointed out, like, I guess maybe it was their young stud that did
[00:41:24] it.
[00:41:24] I don't even know who did it, but it was like, for me, it's not necessarily about the
[00:41:28] play.
[00:41:28] Because the kid went to do it and he completely missed it and just kind of threw the puck,
[00:41:33] kind of side, like over the crossbar to the corner, just, you know, kind of threw it away
[00:41:37] like a bad pass.
[00:41:38] Right.
[00:41:38] So that's what Tortorella had a problem with.
[00:41:39] And he's like, well, I'm just trying to show him that there's a whole bunch of other
[00:41:43] options you can do besides that move when you're behind the net.
[00:41:46] You could set up other players.
[00:41:48] He's so good behind the net.
[00:41:49] He's got to learn that he could do other things than just the Michigan.
[00:41:52] But overall, he said, I kind of lost the fight, but I don't think that should be allowed
[00:41:56] in hockey.
[00:41:56] He doesn't think it should be in hockey.
[00:41:59] Yeah.
[00:41:59] I don't know.
[00:41:59] There's no way they're taking that out of hockey.
[00:42:01] Of course not.
[00:42:02] By rules, you know.
[00:42:04] I think the NHL would love to see more of it if they could.
[00:42:06] You know, I don't know.
[00:42:08] But I understand a little bit where he's coming from.
[00:42:11] I mean, it looks a little funny.
[00:42:15] I never had a problem with it.
[00:42:18] You know, believe it or not, in the beer leagues, you see a lot of that.
[00:42:22] And you wouldn't think you'd be able to.
[00:42:24] Yeah.
[00:42:24] Most of them are just really shitty attempts at it.
[00:42:27] But everybody wants to try it.
[00:42:29] Plus, if you have a guy with hands, he's usually playing against guys who are not the best defenders.
[00:42:35] He actually has time to fuck around with this.
[00:42:37] And he doesn't care.
[00:42:38] So, I've ever, you know, playing quite a few of those.
[00:42:43] And it is a weird thing.
[00:42:45] Because it never used to happen.
[00:42:47] But then after, you know, I don't know what year it was.
[00:42:51] Every time Dick and Harry wants to fuck around with that move.
[00:42:54] Usually the more serious game, nobody will do it.
[00:42:56] But, like, you know, in the average beer league game, you'll see that shit.
[00:43:02] It does feel like all of a sudden somebody stopped and they're playing lacrosse or something.
[00:43:06] It doesn't, you know, it's weird.
[00:43:09] But...
[00:43:09] It's a little weird.
[00:43:10] Yeah.
[00:43:11] I don't know.
[00:43:12] So, I have an article here from the Hockey News.
[00:43:16] This is from September 28th of this year.
[00:43:19] And it's predicting the NHL's Metropolitan Division rankings this year.
[00:43:24] That's fun.
[00:43:26] Yeah.
[00:43:26] So, do you have the actual Metropolitan rankings up right now, Bob?
[00:43:31] Sure do.
[00:43:32] All right.
[00:43:32] So, who do you guys think the Hockey News gave to win the Metropolitan Division?
[00:43:39] Rangers.
[00:43:41] I feel like somebody other than the Rangers.
[00:43:46] But it's probably a good guess.
[00:43:47] I don't know.
[00:43:48] It's the Devils.
[00:43:49] Oh!
[00:43:50] Oh, okay.
[00:43:50] Wow.
[00:43:51] Yeah.
[00:43:51] And it says,
[00:43:53] Why have I ranked them first?
[00:43:54] The Devils were the sexy pick to do well last season.
[00:43:57] And we know how that turned out.
[00:43:58] They finished seventh in the Metro with no playoff games and many bruised egos and frustrated fans.
[00:44:03] Some of that can be chalked up to injuries.
[00:44:05] But New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald did not run it back with the same group this year.
[00:44:09] He added goalie marks from Pesci, Dillon, Stephen Nace, and Paul Cotter to a lineup that
[00:44:14] is already one of the deepest and fastest in the NHL.
[00:44:16] The end result is arguably the best squad in the division.
[00:44:19] One of the best teams in the NHL and a bona fide Stanley Cup frontrunner.
[00:44:23] As long as Markstrom and Jake Allen do their jobs and the team stays healthy, the Devils' offense
[00:44:29] and defense, of course, have tremendous depth and skill to do the heavy lifting.
[00:44:33] And he goes on a little bit more there.
[00:44:35] So then he writes,
[00:44:36] Why I could be wrong?
[00:44:37] Markstrom has struggled with his consistency from year to year in the past couple of seasons.
[00:44:41] And at age 34, he's approaching the back nine of his career.
[00:44:45] If Markstrom is hurt or underperforming,
[00:44:47] the Devils could quickly find themselves battling for a wild card berth in the Eastern Conference.
[00:44:51] But we suspect New Jersey won't have a problem, the same problem they had last year.
[00:44:56] There's some more on there.
[00:44:57] But okay, who do you think they have for number two?
[00:45:01] Then it has to be the Rangers.
[00:45:05] In the Metropolitan.
[00:45:06] Yeah, I guess so.
[00:45:07] It's the Rangers.
[00:45:09] Okay.
[00:45:10] And he says,
[00:45:12] We were a big backer of the Rangers last season when they finished with the NHL's best regular season record.
[00:45:17] But after a playoff performance that ended in a six-game series loss to the eventual Cup champion Panthers,
[00:45:23] the Blue Shirts are returning to the drawing board with essentially the same lineup.
[00:45:27] That should be good enough for them to at least secure a home ice advantage in next spring's postseason.
[00:45:32] I think what he meant to say, it should secure them being home next season's playoffs.
[00:45:37] Yeah, I know.
[00:45:38] But I'll be honest with you.
[00:45:39] Like, at the time that was written, can you really argue the point?
[00:45:42] I mean, they have mostly the same players.
[00:45:45] Maybe a little addition by subtraction, in my mind,
[00:45:48] if you're telling me they weren't going to play Truba.
[00:45:52] And, you know, they should be doing better.
[00:45:55] I think that was not a bad pick on their part.
[00:45:58] But let's face it.
[00:45:59] I mean, here they are, fifth in the division.
[00:46:02] Most people had them winning the Cup.
[00:46:04] I mean, they were a very, very popular pick.
[00:46:07] I think that goes too far.
[00:46:08] I think they had problems.
[00:46:09] But, you know, to be at the top of the division was not a bad call.
[00:46:13] I thought they were going to pick them when you asked questions.
[00:46:16] And he writes, Why, I could be wrong.
[00:46:18] Let's see if any of that stuff is the reasons why he writes.
[00:46:22] Rangers GM Chris Shuri has methodically bolstered every position on this team,
[00:46:26] so it's hard to envision the blue shirts faltering significantly
[00:46:30] and missing out on home ice advantage.
[00:46:32] If anything should happen, it's just Sturkin health-wise.
[00:46:35] Backup Jonathan Quick showed last season.
[00:46:37] He still has a good deal of competitive gas in the tank.
[00:46:41] It would be ideal for the Rangers to get a better showing out of youngster Capo Caco,
[00:46:46] but if he doesn't grow his game early this season,
[00:46:49] we can see Drury trading him for more veteran help and a short-term solution.
[00:46:53] But with Lafreniere still in the early stages of what's looking to be an excellent career,
[00:46:58] Caco isn't going to be dependent on for much.
[00:47:00] They'll be judged on their postseason success,
[00:47:03] but such is life for all legitimate Cup contenders.
[00:47:06] It is funny because Capo has actually been one of the brighter spots, I think, on that team.
[00:47:12] Their whole third line has been their only bright spot.
[00:47:16] Yeah, exactly.
[00:47:17] So they got really everything they said on why we could be wrong, wrong.
[00:47:21] Yeah.
[00:47:22] I'm not going to read any more of what he writes,
[00:47:25] but who do you think he had for number three?
[00:47:27] Carolina.
[00:47:28] I'm struggling with this one because I'm wondering.
[00:47:30] The mindset that a lot of people shared was that Carolina lost so many pieces last year
[00:47:35] that they were going to fall further off.
[00:47:37] But then I look at the list.
[00:47:38] I'm like, would somebody really put Washington over them?
[00:47:43] I still feel like they're watching just a dark horse to Carolina.
[00:47:47] I'm going to say they put Carolina.
[00:47:50] It's Carolina.
[00:47:51] Okay.
[00:47:52] Who do they have for fourth?
[00:47:55] Okay.
[00:47:56] Now maybe they picked Washington, but they could pick Pittsburgh.
[00:47:59] I don't know if they picked the Islanders.
[00:48:02] I don't think they picked the Flyers.
[00:48:04] I can see them picking Pittsburgh.
[00:48:06] I'll go Pittsburgh.
[00:48:06] I'm going to go with Washington finally.
[00:48:08] It's Pittsburgh.
[00:48:09] It is Pittsburgh.
[00:48:10] Yeah.
[00:48:10] Holy shit.
[00:48:11] Wow.
[00:48:12] We'll talk about dark horse.
[00:48:13] Look at the Capitals.
[00:48:16] Yeah.
[00:48:17] So far down.
[00:48:18] Oh my God.
[00:48:19] Hello?
[00:48:21] No free commercials.
[00:48:22] I know, right?
[00:48:23] Who do you got for an ultra plush?
[00:48:25] What do you got over there?
[00:48:27] For her baby on my screen.
[00:48:29] The Huggies Tim's Jergens commercial.
[00:48:33] Who do you think they picked for number five?
[00:48:38] Okay.
[00:48:39] Then maybe Washington finally.
[00:48:42] I think they picked the Islanders.
[00:48:43] Holy shit.
[00:48:44] It's Washington.
[00:48:45] Okay.
[00:48:46] Finally.
[00:48:47] Good.
[00:48:47] All right.
[00:48:48] Six in the division.
[00:48:51] I guess we're stuck with the Islanders.
[00:48:54] I guess Islanders.
[00:48:55] And then the Flyers.
[00:48:56] And then the Flyers.
[00:48:56] Okay.
[00:48:57] And then seven.
[00:49:00] The Flyers.
[00:49:01] Flyers.
[00:49:02] And dead last is the Columbus Blue Jackets.
[00:49:04] Oh, I always forget about the Blue Jackets.
[00:49:06] I just left them out of division.
[00:49:07] Sorry.
[00:49:09] So, yeah.
[00:49:10] That's.
[00:49:10] That one's accurate.
[00:49:11] They are at the bottom of the division.
[00:49:13] Yeah, they are.
[00:49:14] But I think the Rangers might be right above them by the time this thing is over.
[00:49:21] Could be.
[00:49:21] Could be.
[00:49:22] I mean, I guess they could get their shit together, Chris.
[00:49:24] It's always a possibility.
[00:49:26] Because, like we said earlier, the pieces are like there from last year.
[00:49:33] You know, maybe the coaching change is a shot arm.
[00:49:37] And I think.
[00:49:39] Now, if they fire Peter Lovilet.
[00:49:42] I know.
[00:49:43] And I like them.
[00:49:43] He doesn't.
[00:49:44] Like, I mean.
[00:49:45] But there's some talk.
[00:49:46] There's some talk that the players and him are not getting along in the dressing room.
[00:49:51] Whatever.
[00:49:51] But if they fire Peter Lovilet.
[00:49:53] It's like at some point you have to say this core group of players have been through three head coaches.
[00:50:01] At some point you have to stop and say maybe it's not the coaches.
[00:50:05] That's all I'm saying.
[00:50:07] No, I think that's some truth there.
[00:50:09] I don't know.
[00:50:09] I mean, when you look at their top players, there's a lot of skill.
[00:50:16] What do you see for heart?
[00:50:18] I really don't.
[00:50:19] I don't see a lot of heart.
[00:50:21] Like, I like our top players skill-wise too over theirs.
[00:50:26] But no one's ever going to look at Nico and not see heart.
[00:50:30] I mean, he's got it.
[00:50:32] You know.
[00:50:32] Right.
[00:50:33] But Panarin looks like that kind of guy.
[00:50:35] He's just not there.
[00:50:36] Now, that said, I mean, I used to pick on Bratt for similar things.
[00:50:39] But he's come along huge this year.
[00:50:42] So, I don't know.
[00:50:43] Bratt's been a beast this year.
[00:50:45] Yeah.
[00:50:46] Absolutely.
[00:50:47] Heart is definitely one of the elements that they're missing.
[00:50:49] I mean, I went on a much longer rant on one of the pods about the Rangers haven't won anything yet.
[00:50:55] But I truly do believe that there's some feeling in that room that what they've accomplished was greater than it ever was.
[00:51:03] And I think that maybe they came into this season just assuming status quo.
[00:51:06] We can roll.
[00:51:07] Sure, maybe won't roll as well as we did last year.
[00:51:10] But we're going to be fine.
[00:51:11] And now they're just caught in it.
[00:51:13] They're caught in the mental trap.
[00:51:14] They don't know how to play harder.
[00:51:16] You know, I don't know they're going to be able to play their way out of it.
[00:51:18] But if they do, like Dan said, all the same pieces are there.
[00:51:21] So, it could happen where they turn it around.
[00:51:24] They're just not showing any evidence of that based on their play.
[00:51:27] Their desire to win doesn't seem to be there.
[00:51:29] I will be very surprised if they turn it around.
[00:51:32] Because I think there are a lot better teams in the Eastern Conference right now.
[00:51:36] And those better teams are smelling blood in the water.
[00:51:38] And I think that they're going to go into MSG or Rangers are coming into their place.
[00:51:42] And they're just going to lay it on them.
[00:51:44] And, you know, we talked so much last year, right,
[00:51:46] about the blueprint on how to beat the Devils.
[00:51:49] And that was play physical, get us off our game, and we crumble.
[00:51:53] Well, you know, it's not so much that with the Rangers,
[00:51:57] but there is a blueprint on them.
[00:51:59] And also, if you get a lead early, they don't have the heart to come back.
[00:52:04] You know, you can just skate them into the ground.
[00:52:06] I mean, look at the Devil game against them.
[00:52:08] Like, by the third period, like, they just kind of look like they gave up.
[00:52:11] Like, you know, once they were down 2-0 even, they look like they kind of gave up.
[00:52:16] Like, that's – I think there's a lot of truth to what you said, Bobby,
[00:52:19] that there's – we're the Rangers.
[00:52:21] We're just going to show up and people will bow to us.
[00:52:24] And then they'll just hand us the Stanley Cup in June.
[00:52:26] Like, that's how it's going to work.
[00:52:28] You know, there's 31 other teams that are going to have something to say about it.
[00:52:32] Well, that's what I got to ask.
[00:52:33] Where's the changes?
[00:52:34] So, I mentioned just a little bit earlier in the show how many times they've literally
[00:52:37] let in like a 4-5 or 6-goal game.
[00:52:39] So, where's the change to at least try to secure it up?
[00:52:42] Like, nothing's happening.
[00:52:44] Well, I mean, when you are playing very suspect defense to begin with
[00:52:48] and then you trade the only physical defender that you had in Jacob Truba
[00:52:52] and then Keiondre Miller, I understand, is not having a great year,
[00:52:56] but now he goes on IR.
[00:52:57] Now you're playing with young guys coming in to take those spots.
[00:53:02] You're slotting everybody different.
[00:53:03] Sound familiar?
[00:53:04] Slotting everybody different on the blue line
[00:53:06] and your blue line structure sucks to begin with.
[00:53:09] So, it's just good.
[00:53:11] Then, I had no doubt that once Truba got traded that this kind of shit was going to happen
[00:53:15] and they were going to be this 4-5, 6-goal a night kind of guys
[00:53:19] because they just – their system is just – you know, these guys can't play it.
[00:53:25] They're not good at Lovulet's system.
[00:53:28] And, you know, Panarin, Zibanejad, they're – I love watching their third line.
[00:53:33] I love – I would take Hedl and Cooley on this team any day of the week.
[00:53:38] I think they're great players.
[00:53:40] But they're the only ones.
[00:53:43] Yeah.
[00:53:43] No, that's true.
[00:53:45] That's true.
[00:53:47] All right, boys.
[00:53:47] Anything else you guys want to add for tonight?
[00:53:51] One thing I'd like to bring up, we had a conversation about Mercer a couple shows ago.
[00:53:55] I did put a poll out there about Mercer.
[00:53:58] It was a very simple poll.
[00:54:00] I just asked a couple questions.
[00:54:01] I said, can he – will he ever be a 30-goal scorer?
[00:54:05] And just to recap kind of the pod that we had, I was saying he got 27 just a year ago.
[00:54:11] I believe that's still in there.
[00:54:12] He can maybe get it.
[00:54:12] I'm not saying he's going to be perennial 30.
[00:54:14] Sure.
[00:54:14] But he can maybe get there.
[00:54:16] And maybe you, Chris, were one of the people who was like, I don't see it anymore.
[00:54:19] You have more of a third-line serviceable guy, all that.
[00:54:21] So I just figured let's put it out to the audience.
[00:54:23] So 68% of the people that said, yes, he can do it, to 32% that said no.
[00:54:30] So that's really cool.
[00:54:32] It's about what I expected, to be honest with you.
[00:54:34] But I did add a third question, and this is great.
[00:54:37] The third option was simply Rangers suck.
[00:54:39] And 31% of all respondents decided to answer that question instead of answering if Mercer was going to get 30 or more.
[00:54:46] So I love our people because that's what I wanted to see out of that.
[00:54:50] That's a great call.
[00:54:51] I'm sure some people were like – I got written by a couple people that were like, well, it's one and three, but I can't do that.
[00:54:56] I'm like, yeah, you got to pick.
[00:54:58] So, yeah, 31% just decided, yeah, screw your survey, Rangers suck.
[00:55:02] And I think it's a tough question too because it's like, can he do it or will he do it?
[00:55:07] Those are two different questions.
[00:55:09] I think he definitely can, but I'm not so sure he will.
[00:55:13] So that makes it a tough question.
[00:55:14] I love it.
[00:55:15] Well, you know, I've been – Bobby had said that he wanted to see Mercer up on the top lines.
[00:55:23] And I said, you know, he's kind of had a shot there.
[00:55:26] I don't put him back there.
[00:55:28] Like I'm just kind of whatever.
[00:55:30] Well, since they moved him there and now him and Meyer and Esher are looking really good.
[00:55:36] And, you know, Mercer gets the goal today doing what Palat needs to do.
[00:55:41] He's on the right track for it.
[00:55:42] Get in front of the net and get those greasy goals.
[00:55:45] He's a tough kid.
[00:55:47] And I really hope another guy that – like I'm wrong.
[00:55:50] I hope he goes and gets dirty this year.
[00:55:53] It would be awesome.
[00:55:54] What does he got right now?
[00:55:55] No.
[00:55:56] I think he's at six.
[00:55:59] That's going to be – yeah, it's going to be a tough call.
[00:56:01] I mean, six.
[00:56:02] He's got to really pick up the pace.
[00:56:03] Yeah.
[00:56:04] Yeah.
[00:56:05] Might not be it for this year.
[00:56:07] But I'll tell you, I mean, Timo Meyer has just been an absolute bull lately.
[00:56:12] I mean, he's been so much fun to watch.
[00:56:14] I like that.
[00:56:15] You know, it's happy for him that he got the goal.
[00:56:18] Tonight.
[00:56:18] But, yeah, I mean, right now the Devils are cooking.
[00:56:20] And it does look like, you know, the offense needs to wake up a little bit more.
[00:56:24] But when they got to have it, they go get it.
[00:56:27] Yeah.
[00:56:27] And, you know, they got a road trip coming up.
[00:56:29] And next Tuesday, just coming Tuesday, it's Seattle – I mean, St. Louis.
[00:56:33] St. Louis embarrassed us in our building last time.
[00:56:36] Like, this is payback.
[00:56:37] Like, they need to go into St. Louis and just beat the shit out of them.
[00:56:43] Yep.
[00:56:44] And I think they could.
[00:56:46] So, all right, guys.
[00:56:47] We're going to wrap it up for this Saturday evening.
[00:56:50] Again, let us know your drone story, right?
[00:56:53] We want to hear your drone story here.
[00:56:55] Yeah.
[00:56:55] We're going to read drone stories.
[00:56:57] It's going to be like a drone story time on the next podcast.
[00:57:00] And we're going to read all the listeners' stories of what they think they are.
[00:57:06] Also, since we're closing out, too, and Chris will finish that, we are running to another poll on both Instagram and Twitter.
[00:57:12] If you're on either one of those, hopefully you'll hear this show sometime tomorrow.
[00:57:15] The polls are going to close around 1 o'clock.
[00:57:17] We're just simply asking how you listen to us.
[00:57:19] If you're streaming or downloading, we're just trying to get a feel for our audience.
[00:57:22] We really appreciate it.
[00:57:23] If you can answer that.
[00:57:24] Yes.
[00:57:25] Or you can email us.
[00:57:26] Just anyway, just let us know what you're doing because we're just trying to get a kind of a better understanding of who's listening.
[00:57:31] We'll talk about it on a later show because I want to thank the listeners for what I'm seeing.
[00:57:36] But it is quite awesome, actually.
[00:57:39] It's pretty neat the volume of which we're being listened to.
[00:57:43] So maybe we'll have some information to share.
[00:57:45] Is Rangers Suck an option on this poll?
[00:57:48] Oh, why yes.
[00:57:50] I think for all reasons.
[00:57:52] No, Rangers Suck is not an option on this one.
[00:57:54] There's two other options other than how you listen.
[00:57:56] It's basically why the hell would I listen to you?
[00:58:00] Okay.
[00:58:01] And I'll start listening today.
[00:58:03] And so far, we've gotten an answer, both of those.
[00:58:05] We've got one person say, why the hell would I listen to you?
[00:58:07] And one said, I'll start listening today.
[00:58:09] And the rest are following basically the market trend of stream to download.
[00:58:13] I know which one I'm going to go and vote on.
[00:58:17] All right.
[00:58:18] So wherever you're listening to us, please let Bobby know in the poll.
[00:58:22] I didn't know there was another way to listen to us besides streaming.
[00:58:26] Is there?
[00:58:28] Well, the actual art of the actual download.
[00:58:30] An actual download is when you say, I want this on my device, on my computer.
[00:58:35] So you mean like.
[00:58:36] That's all we get paid for, Dan.
[00:58:38] Yeah.
[00:58:39] Okay.
[00:58:39] All right.
[00:58:40] I got you.
[00:58:40] So you're, but you're still like using your Spotify or whatever you listen on.
[00:58:45] And you're just downloading.
[00:58:47] It's that easy is what you're saying.
[00:58:48] We should all be downloading.
[00:58:51] Yeah.
[00:58:51] Right.
[00:58:52] Yeah.
[00:58:52] That's the whole point.
[00:58:53] We'll talk about it more once they come through, but I'm just curious to what people do.
[00:58:56] And then, uh, yeah.
[00:58:58] I say you got to download it.
[00:58:59] You got it.
[00:59:00] All right.
[00:59:00] So thanks for listening.
[00:59:02] Um, and downloading, uh, uh, yeah.
[00:59:06] Positive comment, uh, you know, download subscription, all that stuff goes a long way
[00:59:10] to help the little podcast that good Tim will be having his, uh, devil's Chicago recap
[00:59:15] up tomorrow.
[00:59:16] You can find us on X on blue sky and at the uncle puckers.com for Bobby and Dan.
[00:59:23] I'm Chris.
[00:59:23] We are aforementioned uncle puckers, and we'll see you when we see you hookers out.
[00:59:28] Bye-bye.
[00:59:32] Hey everybody.
[00:59:33] I'm Trevor Sikama, host of the PFF NFL show here to tell you what you can find on all of
[00:59:38] our shows throughout the week on Mondays.
[00:59:39] We have the grade release show where myself and Donald Wasserman break down every single
[00:59:43] game that you just saw in the NFL on Tuesdays.
[00:59:46] We have the quarterback breakdown with Seth Galina on Wednesdays.
[00:59:49] We've got the rookie review with John Ledyard and the preview for the upcoming week in the
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