Devils Resilience

[00:00:06] Hey everyone, Mr. Devil here, Kenny Danico, three-time Stanley Cup champion of the New Jersey Devils.

[00:00:13] You're listening to The Uncle Puckers, New Jersey Devils Podcast with Chris, Dan, Bobby, and Tony, The Uncle Puckers.

[00:00:20] Let's go Devils!

[00:00:26] Hey, what's up? Thank you very much for that wonderful intro, Mr. Danico.

[00:00:30] We really appreciate it. Chris and Bob here, The Uncle Puckers.

[00:00:34] What's up, Bobby?

[00:00:36] Hey, man. You know, how you doing? I'm doing pretty good. I think I'm in a mood.

[00:00:40] Well, you should be because your Mets didn't shit the bed. They're still alive and kicking.

[00:00:46] You know, they survived another day. The Yankees are winning and last time I checked right now.

[00:00:51] So, you know, it's all good.

[00:00:53] It's, yeah, live the fight another day. And, you know, the Devils won the last game.

[00:00:59] You whooped the shit out of them today.

[00:01:03] Well, 12-6. I mean, it looked like it was going to be more of an equal ass-whooping.

[00:01:07] At one point, it was 10-5, which I wasn't too comfortable with the way that the Dodgers just weren't going away.

[00:01:12] But I'll take 12-6 as an ass-whooping. It's basically been kind of one team just whooping up on the other.

[00:01:17] Yeah.

[00:01:17] It's been a very odd series. And, yeah, I don't know. I mean, two straight in L.A. is going to be tough, but why not?

[00:01:23] Do you expect things to tighten up? Like for the final two games?

[00:01:29] Or do you think it's going to stay wide open?

[00:01:31] After five games, I think it's going to stay wide open.

[00:01:32] I think the next game, so the Dodgers, it's a bullpen game for them, which is advantage Mets.

[00:01:38] Right.

[00:01:38] And we've got our, you know, newly minted ace.

[00:01:41] So, this should be advantage Mets for the entire game.

[00:01:45] And I would think that we should give up less runs.

[00:01:48] So, I think it's going to be another fairly lopsided Mets win.

[00:01:53] That's what I'm hoping for.

[00:01:54] And then you get to a Game 7 and, you know, the whole cliche.

[00:01:56] That's it.

[00:01:56] Anything can happen in a Game 7.

[00:01:58] They'll have the advantage, I guess, in pitching going into Game 7, but can't think about that.

[00:02:02] Just got to get there.

[00:02:02] Well, I mean, if things stay in their current trajectory, it looks like whoever wins that series will be playing the Yankees.

[00:02:08] They are up 6-2 right now on top of the 6th.

[00:02:11] So, I couldn't believe that Weaver blew that freaking save the other night.

[00:02:15] They had it.

[00:02:16] They had it.

[00:02:17] They had the sweep.

[00:02:18] And, yeah, it didn't work out.

[00:02:19] Listen, I really want to think that it's possible.

[00:02:22] But, you know, we do so much sports talk.

[00:02:24] And, I mean, mathematically, down 3-1 is just really tough to come back from.

[00:02:30] A little tougher in hockey, I'd say, than baseball.

[00:02:32] It seems to happen a little more in baseball.

[00:02:34] I agree.

[00:02:35] I agree.

[00:02:35] But I don't like going to L.A.

[00:02:37] And when you had the opportunity to take your 2 of 3 at home, that's really what you wanted to do.

[00:02:41] And all the professionals and all the guys talking about baseball were always saying, like,

[00:02:46] the one thing you don't want to do in the baseball playoffs, and probably any playoffs for that matter, is lose the 2 in a row.

[00:02:51] You lose the 2 in a row, that really kind of creates that gap.

[00:02:54] Right.

[00:02:54] You lose a game or 2.

[00:02:56] You can be smart about it.

[00:02:57] But, you know, credit to the Dodger manager.

[00:03:00] From the beginning of this series.

[00:03:02] Is it still Tommy Lasorda?

[00:03:04] Yeah.

[00:03:04] He's so old.

[00:03:06] From the beginning of this series, he knew, like, game 1 for them.

[00:03:10] Was it game 1 or game 2?

[00:03:11] Now I don't remember.

[00:03:12] But anyway, it was the bullpen game.

[00:03:15] Right?

[00:03:15] And he knew that, like, if I'm going to lose this game, it's not that it's okay.

[00:03:21] We're going to try to win.

[00:03:22] But it was like, I understand that because our pitching is set up to win.

[00:03:26] It's like a chess match, right?

[00:03:27] And he was really looking at, like, the whole thing.

[00:03:29] And he didn't want to show us his prime relief pitchers, even though that would help keep the score down.

[00:03:34] And he wanted to eat into our lead just so he can see our prime relief pitchers.

[00:03:39] So this guy strategically was looking at it.

[00:03:42] Man, scouting your shit.

[00:03:43] This is how I win a 7-game series.

[00:03:45] And not just, we have to win today.

[00:03:48] And he kind of did that again today.

[00:03:49] It was kind of like, we're probably not going to win this game.

[00:03:53] The offense could suddenly, you know, come alive and the Dodgers could have won.

[00:03:56] But if we're not going to win this game, I'm going to get as much information as I can.

[00:04:00] And I just, and the announcer was talking about it too.

[00:04:02] And I just, I haven't really seen that mentality before from a manager or head coach.

[00:04:06] It's usually, you know, kill it right then and there.

[00:04:08] Get it done.

[00:04:09] And it's very strategic.

[00:04:10] I mean, it definitely, yeah.

[00:04:12] Yeah, I've never heard of a coach saying, we're going to lose.

[00:04:16] I get that.

[00:04:17] That's okay.

[00:04:18] I'm going to take what I can as far as, like you said, this loss and gather as much information.

[00:04:23] But also, after 162 games, if you don't have enough fucking information by now, like,

[00:04:29] I understand a 7-game series is totally different.

[00:04:32] And you have to manage differently.

[00:04:34] I understand that.

[00:04:35] But, you know, it does make sense.

[00:04:37] It does make sense.

[00:04:37] And again, I don't want to paraphrase, like I put words in his mouth that he's saying it's okay to lose.

[00:04:41] I think he's just more in touch with the scenario saying, if we happen to lose, this is how I'm going to play this game out.

[00:04:48] Right.

[00:04:48] So that I'm more prepared for the next game.

[00:04:50] Because in the end, it's all about winning the series.

[00:04:53] Well.

[00:04:53] And that's what baseball has always been about more than any other sport, right?

[00:04:56] It's always been serious.

[00:04:57] It's three or four game sets before you get to the playoffs.

[00:05:00] So it's just been captivating.

[00:05:02] It's been really cool.

[00:05:03] It's been a great baseball playoff.

[00:05:04] The playoffs have been fun.

[00:05:05] They have been fun.

[00:05:06] So before we pivot to why the listeners are here to talk about the Devils, I have a question about 7-game series in baseball as opposed to hockey.

[00:05:14] Because baseball does 2-3-2 and hockey does, you know, 2-2-1-1-1.

[00:05:19] 2-2-1-1-1-1.

[00:05:20] Which one do you prefer?

[00:05:22] Yeah.

[00:05:23] Yeah.

[00:05:24] I have thought about this before.

[00:05:26] And I travel aside.

[00:05:29] I think I like the 2-2-1-1-1.

[00:05:32] I felt that for the Mets even, if they won one game in L.A., which they did, it's now advantage Mets.

[00:05:41] And it's three straight home games.

[00:05:43] If they'd have played better or maybe didn't walk 31 batters in four games, it resulted in 12 runs.

[00:05:49] Yikes.

[00:05:50] Which is a record, by the way.

[00:05:51] Yeah.

[00:05:51] Record.

[00:05:52] Not the record you want.

[00:05:54] No.

[00:05:54] Then they could have literally, you know, you can win the series before the Dodgers get another chance to play at home.

[00:05:59] So I think overall, I like the 2-2-1-1-1 despite the travel.

[00:06:03] Yeah.

[00:06:04] That's the only thing that I take away that I don't like about this is the travel.

[00:06:09] You know, you get into a Game 7 series.

[00:06:11] I mean, we did it with Anaheim back in 2003 with the Devils.

[00:06:14] And it's like, you know, you're flying cross country.

[00:06:17] I mean, look at what they just did with Edmonton and Florida this year.

[00:06:20] It's crazy where, you know, it would have been a lot easier for these teams if you were at a 2-3-2.

[00:06:27] But to me, those...

[00:06:30] I like the 2-2-1-1-1.

[00:06:32] It just, to me, I guess I'm more used to it.

[00:06:35] But...

[00:06:35] I just...

[00:06:36] Yeah.

[00:06:36] Three straight home games for anybody just seems like a really big advantage.

[00:06:39] And if the higher seed is getting the two...

[00:06:42] Yeah.

[00:06:42] Then you're getting the three.

[00:06:44] I mean, a lot of series are one and five across sports.

[00:06:47] But if this thing gets to six, you're at a total disadvantage.

[00:06:49] You don't get a chance to go back home.

[00:06:52] Right.

[00:06:53] Yeah, so...

[00:06:54] So if this were 2-2-1-1-1, the Mets would have won this game in L.A.

[00:06:58] And now they get to go home for that.

[00:06:59] They would be home, exactly.

[00:07:00] Right.

[00:07:00] And it's L.A.'s bullpen game.

[00:07:02] They had to travel, go to New York.

[00:07:04] Yeah.

[00:07:04] And then you don't care.

[00:07:05] You'll get on a plane for a Game 7 in any sport at any time.

[00:07:08] Now...

[00:07:08] I mean, you will just do it.

[00:07:09] Absolutely.

[00:07:09] Now, if it's Dodgers, Yankees, who has home field in that one?

[00:07:16] I think the Dodgers.

[00:07:18] To be honest, I don't even know.

[00:07:20] All I know is I'd be the biggest Yankee fan because I just don't want the Dodgers to ever win.

[00:07:24] I don't like the...

[00:07:26] And again, we're the major market teams, right?

[00:07:28] We've got the Mets and the Yankees.

[00:07:30] And right now, the Mets actually have a bigger payroll than the Dodgers.

[00:07:33] Right.

[00:07:33] Right?

[00:07:34] But that's because of mistakes and bad management.

[00:07:37] Like, we didn't go out and sign a guy for $750 million.

[00:07:41] We're not one of those teams that gets everybody that comes, despite the payroll that we have

[00:07:45] and a super rich owner that could buy whoever they want.

[00:07:47] So don't let the payroll, you know, flip the narrative that the Mets are the overspenders.

[00:07:53] That's not the case.

[00:07:53] We've got a ton of bad contracts.

[00:07:55] They gave two $40 million contracts to two 40-year-old pitchers.

[00:07:59] You know what I mean?

[00:07:59] It's just...

[00:07:59] Yeah.

[00:08:00] It was run bad.

[00:08:01] But I don't like the Dodgers.

[00:08:02] I don't like that machine that can just buy anybody and everybody wants to go there.

[00:08:05] I mean, frankly, the Yankees were like that for a long time.

[00:08:08] But the Yankees were like that for a long time because on top of all that, they also won.

[00:08:14] Right.

[00:08:14] You literally went to the Yankees to win.

[00:08:16] They had homegrown talent too.

[00:08:17] But that's what I was just going to say.

[00:08:18] They could afford to keep the guys they wanted.

[00:08:20] And they would supplement and get the free agent.

[00:08:23] You would...

[00:08:23] Perfectly good business.

[00:08:24] It would be the one guy every summer.

[00:08:27] You know, the one big name, the Jason Giambi, the, you know, those type of dudes that come

[00:08:32] in, you know, David Cohn and Mike Messina.

[00:08:35] And, you know, you go out, you buy that one.

[00:08:37] But it was the core that brought you those championships.

[00:08:41] It was Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Bernie Williams.

[00:08:44] You know, that was what you went to Yankee Stadium to see.

[00:08:48] It reminds me of a lot of free agents that would go to Detroit.

[00:08:52] Detroit wasn't a sexy, flashy, we're going to overpay you organization.

[00:08:55] They were a winning organization.

[00:08:57] Right.

[00:08:57] Players went there thinking that I got a better chance to win a cup here than, you know, there.

[00:09:02] That's right.

[00:09:03] And it was true.

[00:09:04] Good segue to hockey.

[00:09:06] So since we've last done a podcast, Devils have played two games.

[00:09:10] We're going to talk about both of them.

[00:09:12] So I'm going to start with the Canes game.

[00:09:14] This was a loss.

[00:09:16] Yes, Devils were coming off a nice win last Saturday against the Capitals.

[00:09:21] Five to two.

[00:09:22] We head down to Raleigh.

[00:09:24] First period, no goals, do a quick box score.

[00:09:27] And we'll talk a little bit about the game.

[00:09:29] Second period, our boy Jack gets on the board his first of the year.

[00:09:34] A minute and 16 in from Jesper Bratt and Jonathan Kovacevic.

[00:09:38] Makes it one nothing New Jersey.

[00:09:40] Thought they were looking pretty decent in the second.

[00:09:42] Thought they were hanging at 1055.

[00:09:44] Seth Jarvis gets his first of the year from Shvetsnikov.

[00:09:48] And now it's 1-1.

[00:09:50] And things slowly went more downhill.

[00:09:52] Then this was the backbreaker right here.

[00:09:55] 19-23 at the second.

[00:09:57] This is a goal.

[00:09:58] You cannot let a team score on you with less than a minute to go in the period.

[00:10:04] Shane Gostovic.

[00:10:04] But Svear gets his first from Marty Natchez and Kokayemi.

[00:10:09] Makes it 1-2.

[00:10:11] I thought that was...

[00:10:12] Once that goal went in, I thought we were in trouble.

[00:10:15] That was just deflating.

[00:10:17] It takes the wind out of your sails.

[00:10:19] I didn't like it.

[00:10:22] Rolling to the third at 10-16.

[00:10:26] Blake gets on the board with his first of the year from Dimitri Orlov.

[00:10:31] Now it's 1-3 Carolina.

[00:10:34] But Nico Heischer made it interesting.

[00:10:36] 15-16 in.

[00:10:37] Nico Heischer is his third of the year power play goal from Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.

[00:10:42] Makes it 2-3 Carolina.

[00:10:44] Devils pulled Jacob Markstrom.

[00:10:46] And at 18-24, Sebastian Ajo nets his first of the year into the empty net from Slavin and Martinuk.

[00:10:52] And that's it.

[00:10:54] It's over.

[00:10:55] 4-2 Carolina wins.

[00:10:56] They are 1-1 on the season.

[00:10:58] And the Devils dropped their second game of the year.

[00:11:02] Shots on goal.

[00:11:03] New Jersey had 26 to Carolina's 31.

[00:11:07] This is the important stat.

[00:11:09] And you might not have thought this watching the game.

[00:11:12] Devils had 25 hits.

[00:11:14] Carolina had 19.

[00:11:16] Okay.

[00:11:17] This was a troubled spot.

[00:11:18] And it was again in Ottawa.

[00:11:20] Faceoffs.

[00:11:20] New Jersey at 24.

[00:11:21] Carolina 30.

[00:11:23] New Jersey was 1-3 on the power play.

[00:11:25] The Canes were 0-1.

[00:11:27] We blocked 25 shots to their 16.

[00:11:30] 22 giveaways for the Devils to the 23 from the Canes.

[00:11:35] And 5-9 on the takeaways.

[00:11:38] So New Jersey basically lost in every statistical category.

[00:11:44] They got outplayed.

[00:11:45] Carolina was a better team last night.

[00:11:49] This night.

[00:11:50] Now, what were your takeaways from that game, Bob?

[00:11:53] I hated it.

[00:11:56] Seriously, I hated it because it just felt like last year.

[00:12:00] The show before I went on record saying this.

[00:12:04] We have to beat them now.

[00:12:05] I don't want any more excuses.

[00:12:07] We are a better team.

[00:12:08] You know, yes, I know what's on paper and all that.

[00:12:10] But we are the better team now.

[00:12:12] We should have handled them the way they handled us.

[00:12:15] Like, listen, at the end, the score wasn't that indicative.

[00:12:19] Like, it was close in that regard.

[00:12:20] It was 3-2 before the empty netter, right?

[00:12:22] So it wasn't like a blood or anything.

[00:12:23] But it just, from start to finish, it didn't have that feel like you were going to beat them.

[00:12:30] Maybe, you know, Jack's scoring.

[00:12:31] Maybe you got a little optimism.

[00:12:32] It just, it didn't feel right.

[00:12:33] It didn't feel like the team we've been seeing.

[00:12:35] It felt like the same old Carolina just being able to take it to us.

[00:12:39] One way or the other, they're able to beat us.

[00:12:42] And I just, that one really sat bad with me.

[00:12:45] That was the most surprising thing about the game was that Carolina looked like they didn't miss a beat.

[00:12:52] They were the exact same team that they were last year.

[00:12:55] I thought the Devils hung with them more physically.

[00:12:59] They stayed, you know, they were in this game.

[00:13:01] Markstrom, I thought, played great.

[00:13:03] You know, he had, I think, 30, 30, 20, 30, 30 shots on.

[00:13:08] I think he made 27 saves.

[00:13:09] I don't have the stats in front of me.

[00:13:11] But, you know, I thought he played well, which kind of sucked.

[00:13:14] He blew a good start from a goalie.

[00:13:17] I didn't like that.

[00:13:18] I didn't, you know, that fourth line played absolutely terrible.

[00:13:22] I thought Curtis Lazar, that might have been the worst game he's played as a devil.

[00:13:27] So that was disappointing.

[00:13:28] They did come back, I thought, and played a much stronger game against Ottawa.

[00:13:34] But Ottawa is not the team you have to worry about in April.

[00:13:38] Carolina is.

[00:13:39] Right.

[00:13:41] You know, it's early in the season.

[00:13:43] You know, so I'm not concerned about it.

[00:13:46] I am.

[00:13:47] I'm more now curious to see the second time we roll with these guys.

[00:13:52] How are we going to look?

[00:13:54] Especially if Hughes and Pesci are back in the lineup.

[00:13:56] That's it.

[00:13:57] I want to see the adjustment.

[00:13:59] You know, I don't want to just, I don't want this to be another year.

[00:14:02] Well, yeah, you know, we lost three out of four to them or whatever it is.

[00:14:05] We have to learn and readjust to this type of team who, again, despite the people they've lost,

[00:14:12] when we've discussed this, we still knew that they were well coached.

[00:14:15] They're a well-run organization.

[00:14:17] They still, they have a script and they play to it.

[00:14:19] And they still got a couple of, you know, great hockey players too.

[00:14:22] Let's not kid ourselves.

[00:14:23] But this is next step things for the Devils.

[00:14:27] Beating a team like this and consistently.

[00:14:29] And it doesn't mean you got to sweep them during the year or anything like that.

[00:14:33] But the games need to be more tightly contested.

[00:14:36] They need to be, you know, more evenly played and come out advantage Devils.

[00:14:41] I mean, you read it.

[00:14:42] The score wasn't that bad.

[00:14:44] But then you look at some of the other metrics in the game and we were manhandled.

[00:14:48] And that's where you, that's where you lost the game.

[00:14:50] You know, and again, I go back.

[00:14:52] I thought that the Hughes line played really well.

[00:14:55] I mean, Nico Heischer and that line, no matter who he's playing with so far, six or seven games, whatever we're at right now into the season has just been steady Eddie back there.

[00:15:05] I mean, he is just playing.

[00:15:07] You could, like he is turning into such a sound, responsible, good hockey player.

[00:15:12] He's out on the ice for every important situation that's out there.

[00:15:17] I thought that, you know, he played fantastic, especially in the faceoff dot.

[00:15:23] I thought Hollis struggled a little bit.

[00:15:25] Jack on the faceoffs, like, dude, I'll give you that gym membership, man.

[00:15:30] Go and let's get bulked up here because, you know, you can do it.

[00:15:34] But he just, I just don't think he is.

[00:15:36] And that's just one part of his game that he's got to work on.

[00:15:41] So, yeah, listen, we're five and two, right?

[00:15:44] This loss is going to be a blip on the radar over a regular season.

[00:15:48] However, I want to get past and we're going to lose.

[00:15:51] We're going to lose a lot, right?

[00:15:52] But I want to get past losing to like this team in particular.

[00:15:55] You know what I mean?

[00:15:56] That's to me, it's a really big hurdle.

[00:15:59] And this is not a case of I think we might.

[00:16:02] Right.

[00:16:02] We might talk about an article about we haven't beaten anybody yet.

[00:16:06] Right.

[00:16:06] Yeah.

[00:16:06] This isn't a case of that.

[00:16:08] I don't put them as a top echelon team.

[00:16:10] I just put them as a team that just has routinely given us fits seemingly all the way back to 2006.

[00:16:17] And it's just time to, you know, get over that hump.

[00:16:19] Yeah.

[00:16:20] And I agree.

[00:16:21] But I thought there were some positives to take away.

[00:16:23] I do.

[00:16:24] Like I said, Markstrom, you know, Nico Heischer playing well, Jack Hughes playing well.

[00:16:30] I thought those were, you know, our bottom six were kind of silenced in that game.

[00:16:34] And, you know, this is a four-line team, you know, and guys are, you know, you got to get your goal scoring from other places.

[00:16:41] And we weren't able to that night.

[00:16:42] And, you know, Carolina's good.

[00:16:44] But they're, you know, going to be right there.

[00:16:48] So, you know, I think...

[00:16:49] We talk about our excitement of the depth of this team all the time, that third and fourth line.

[00:16:53] Yeah.

[00:16:53] You have a game like this, the fourth line's worst line, or first worst game of the year.

[00:16:58] It's no surprise that we didn't come out on top.

[00:17:00] No, they were a liability in that game.

[00:17:03] But I'll tell you what I do like about this Devil team so far is our two losses, we have bounced right back.

[00:17:11] And I like that.

[00:17:12] They are not letting the negative build.

[00:17:15] They're not getting into any kind of funk.

[00:17:17] They're not developing any bad habits.

[00:17:19] They're shaking it off.

[00:17:21] They're correcting the things that they want to correct.

[00:17:23] And they're going out there and winning.

[00:17:24] Well, I'll go a step further.

[00:17:26] They're doing that.

[00:17:27] But they're also finishing the game that they're losing better towards the end of the game.

[00:17:33] Yes.

[00:17:33] You know, third periods are getting better.

[00:17:35] It was just a little too little too late.

[00:17:37] And then, like you said, then they're transferring it to the next game.

[00:17:40] I thought so far has been wins.

[00:17:42] I thought our second and third period against Ottawa were fantastic.

[00:17:45] I just, I loved the way they played at the end of that game.

[00:17:50] I thought the first period was a little shaky, a little feeling out, you know.

[00:17:54] Let's jump into that one real quick.

[00:17:56] At least we have a little better taste in our mouth after this one.

[00:18:01] So, before we start on this, Sheldon Keefe made a change to the lines.

[00:18:06] He moved Timo Meier up to the first or second, down to the second line, I guess, with Heischer and Mercer.

[00:18:12] And moved Paul Cotter up.

[00:18:13] Now, if you listened to our preview video that we did about that game, I actually said,

[00:18:18] I would really like to see Paul Cotter maybe up there with Jack and Bratt.

[00:18:23] I think, you know, I love him.

[00:18:25] I love the way he's playing.

[00:18:27] This guy is going to be really, really good for this team.

[00:18:30] It's going to be an interesting problem for us at the end of the year.

[00:18:33] Yeah, you're not kidding.

[00:18:34] He's the only on a one-year deal.

[00:18:37] I'm pretty sure.

[00:18:38] Go ahead and talk.

[00:18:38] I'll look it up real quick here.

[00:18:40] All right.

[00:18:40] So, New Jersey, after the loss to Carolina, we head up to Kanata, Ontario to face the Ottawa Senators.

[00:18:48] First period, no goals.

[00:18:50] We just said it.

[00:18:51] Devils played a little choppy.

[00:18:53] It was a bit of a feeling out and they weren't playing great.

[00:18:57] What was that?

[00:18:58] He's on year two.

[00:18:59] He's on year two of three before an RFA.

[00:19:01] Okay.

[00:19:01] So, we got him for this year and next.

[00:19:03] Yes.

[00:19:03] All right.

[00:19:04] Second period, Devils decided to, you know, open this thing up at 239 in.

[00:19:09] Eric Holla, his first of the year from Kovacevic and Timo Mayer.

[00:19:13] It was just a beautiful goal.

[00:19:15] Timo Mayer came in, made a nice pass to Kovacevic, who did not waste any time.

[00:19:19] He got that puck on net to a streaking Eric Holla, who went in, got a stick on it, bounced off another Ottawa defender,

[00:19:26] and passed Forsberg into the – it was Anton Forsberg, right?

[00:19:30] Yeah.

[00:19:31] And to give Devils the 1-0 lead.

[00:19:34] And this was very exciting to see.

[00:19:38] 6-26 of the second.

[00:19:41] The Nate 1, number 14, Bastion.

[00:19:44] That's his new nickname now.

[00:19:45] He's the Nate 1.

[00:19:46] The Nate 1.

[00:19:47] His first of the year.

[00:19:48] A shorty unassisted to make it 2-0 New Jersey.

[00:19:52] Just coming down the wing and just didn't waste any time.

[00:19:55] Didn't look for a pass.

[00:19:56] Actually, no look that shit.

[00:19:58] And, you know, just fired a rocket past Forsberg.

[00:20:01] 2-0 New Jersey.

[00:20:03] There's nothing prettier when you're coming down the wing, when you're on your off wing and you take that shot.

[00:20:07] It just looks so good.

[00:20:08] And, boy, it was a hell of a shot.

[00:20:10] Yeah, good for him.

[00:20:10] Sure was.

[00:20:12] Devils weren't done.

[00:20:13] Third period.

[00:20:14] 12-39.

[00:20:15] Paul Cotter.

[00:20:16] His fifth of the year.

[00:20:17] From Dougie Hamilton, who gets his first point.

[00:20:20] And Brendan Dillon, make it 3-0 New Jersey.

[00:20:24] So now Cotter's playing with Jack and Brat.

[00:20:27] Should we call him?

[00:20:29] Are they the PB and J line, Bobby?

[00:20:31] Love it.

[00:20:31] Is that it?

[00:20:32] Let's do it.

[00:20:32] All right.

[00:20:33] As long as the J stands for grape jelly.

[00:20:36] None of that strawberry shit.

[00:20:37] Like, let's be real, right?

[00:20:38] It's grape jelly.

[00:20:39] It's not always grape jelly.

[00:20:41] Okay, we're going to have to take this offline.

[00:20:43] Apricot is the bomb.

[00:20:45] Oh, come on.

[00:20:46] Nope.

[00:20:47] Peanut butter, apricot jelly.

[00:20:48] You're wrong on this one, Bob.

[00:20:50] You can actually look it up.

[00:20:51] Do you eat fluff, too?

[00:20:52] Is that your thing?

[00:20:53] Like, I don't know.

[00:20:53] I mean, when I was a kid, I'm not a big fluff fan.

[00:20:57] But this was bullshit.

[00:21:00] You know, the Sens do get on the board to spoil Jacob Markstrom's shutout.

[00:21:04] We're on the power play.

[00:21:06] I think that was the Shimon Nemich penalty, tripping penalty late in that game.

[00:21:10] It was a bad penalty.

[00:21:11] He shouldn't have taken it.

[00:21:12] They pulled the goalie.

[00:21:13] They have a two-man advantage.

[00:21:16] And at 1855, it's Brady Kachuk, his first of the year from Drew and Sanderson.

[00:21:23] Like I said, they ruined Marky's shutout.

[00:21:26] But the Devils hold on.

[00:21:28] They get the 3-1 win.

[00:21:30] I thought it was a fantastic bounce back game.

[00:21:32] Markstrom made 30 saves on 31 shots and 968 save percentage for that game.

[00:21:37] It was just the second and third period I thought were textbook Devils hockey.

[00:21:42] It's been a long time since we've seen them able to just lock it down.

[00:21:46] And they did.

[00:21:48] Yeah.

[00:21:49] I'm really kind of happy with this win because, again, this is another team that we should beat.

[00:21:54] And it doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to beat them every time.

[00:21:57] But early in the season, we want to make a statement for teams like this that, you know, we know you're growing, too.

[00:22:02] But we've done that already.

[00:22:04] We're here.

[00:22:04] We're here for the next level for real.

[00:22:06] And, you know, this just goes to my expectations on the team in general.

[00:22:09] I fully expect, you know, a lot of like three out of four situations, you know, regardless of who the team is at this point.

[00:22:16] I don't think a team that we're going against or the matchup should really matter at this point.

[00:22:21] I think most games that we're going to lose are games that we're going to come off of our game or where a team just really had like a game plan for us and just kind of figured us out for a game.

[00:22:31] Nothing that would translate into a series.

[00:22:32] Right.

[00:22:33] But, you know, one game in a regular season could do it.

[00:22:35] I don't fear any one particular team at all going into this.

[00:22:40] So I want to see teams like Ottawa go down.

[00:22:43] I want to see less fits for teams like Washington.

[00:22:46] And as we already mentioned, less fits against teams like Carolina, those types of teams.

[00:22:51] This game, I did not have the pleasure of seeing the entire game.

[00:22:56] Right.

[00:22:56] So I don't know the feel of it and how we were playing.

[00:22:58] Just kind of watch the highlight package as we were at the great pumpkin carve.

[00:23:02] Fantastic.

[00:23:03] Oh, beautiful night to see 100 awesome pumpkins and a full moon coming up.

[00:23:08] But I had obviously keeping tabs on the game.

[00:23:10] So I don't know the real feel of the game, but certainly saw that we almost got that shut out at the end.

[00:23:15] And again, I've watched the highlights.

[00:23:16] So I got kind of the idea.

[00:23:18] I mean, Kovacevic, how many points does this guy have now?

[00:23:21] Because he just factored into a goal the last game.

[00:23:23] He factored into this goal.

[00:23:24] I know he's got a few from the beginning.

[00:23:25] I mean, I think he's at five points.

[00:23:28] This guy's not supposed to be doing what he's doing.

[00:23:30] No, you're right.

[00:23:32] He's really been like he's been fantastic.

[00:23:34] He's making the right decisions.

[00:23:37] You just feel safe when he's out there.

[00:23:40] And even I got to say, Jonas Siegenthaler.

[00:23:43] I was worried about him after his play last year.

[00:23:46] And so far, he has been very, very good.

[00:23:50] I still think we've said it plenty of times that Siegenthaler.

[00:23:54] And again, he's kind of like the one that we use for like if somebody had to move, where's it go?

[00:23:58] Because he's got a manageable contract that you can move.

[00:24:00] But when he's put in the right position to succeed, he does exactly what he's supposed to do.

[00:24:05] Kind of like we saw two years ago.

[00:24:07] He's still he's not a flashy named guy.

[00:24:10] But him and Hamilton just hit it off that year.

[00:24:12] Like it just worked.

[00:24:13] Well, he played with Marino that year.

[00:24:14] I'm sorry, Marino.

[00:24:15] Yeah.

[00:24:15] Yeah.

[00:24:16] And now he's with another steady guy back there in Kovacevic.

[00:24:20] And he's playing really good.

[00:24:21] And Kovacevic does have five points.

[00:24:23] He's got one goal and four assists on the year so far.

[00:24:25] I mean, it's in seven games.

[00:24:27] So, you know, it's not a point per game pace.

[00:24:29] But this is coming from a guy who, I mean, you may be expected, I don't know, 15, 20 points in a year.

[00:24:35] And when our other two defenders come back, this is a guy that's our seventh defenseman.

[00:24:40] I mean, he's going to be, for the most part, our bench guy, our depth guy.

[00:24:44] And what a depth piece to have.

[00:24:47] You know, I thought Seamus Casey played a lot better in the Ottawa game.

[00:24:51] Even though he's small, he doesn't back down from anybody.

[00:24:55] You know, he went against, with Brady Kachuk a couple of times against the boards.

[00:24:59] I mean, he didn't always come out on top, but he was in there.

[00:25:03] He was, you know, I still think his size could end up being a hindrance early on in his career.

[00:25:09] But I think this guy is just a diamond in the rough.

[00:25:13] I mean, whether or not he gets sent back down later, it can only help him, you know, if he does.

[00:25:18] But, I mean, long term, he's going to be a star for this team.

[00:25:23] And, yeah, it's been nice to see.

[00:25:25] But, I mean, after seven games, I think that you can look at this.

[00:25:30] And we're going to do every 10th game.

[00:25:33] We're going to kind of do a little state of the devils.

[00:25:36] Yeah.

[00:25:36] A little pulse of the devils.

[00:25:38] I like that better.

[00:25:39] And, you know, we'll go over where they're sitting analytically and throughout the rest of the league.

[00:25:44] And we'll talk about all that.

[00:25:45] But right now, seven games in, as a devil fan, I mean, there are some people out there going,

[00:25:50] yeah, but the two losses, you know, against Toronto, against the Hurricanes, you haven't beaten anybody.

[00:25:58] I don't buy that at all.

[00:25:59] And I'll say real quick, a couple of reasons.

[00:26:02] Like, devils don't make the schedule, first of all.

[00:26:05] So, the fact that, you know, okay, they lost to Toronto, a perennial 100-plus point team every year.

[00:26:13] It was the home opener.

[00:26:15] It was after that really long road trip out to, you know, Prague.

[00:26:22] You kind of knew there was going to be a little bit of a letdown there.

[00:26:25] And there was.

[00:26:26] And we already discussed the Carolina game.

[00:26:28] And last year's devil team loses to Carolina the way that they lost to Carolina.

[00:26:35] Then we lose to Ottawa, you know.

[00:26:37] And then we go into Ottawa and we play flat and we don't attack.

[00:26:41] We don't crash the net.

[00:26:43] We don't do.

[00:26:43] This team is doing, right now, all the little things you have to do to win.

[00:26:48] And I think that it's so early in the season.

[00:26:52] And when you can see this progress already, it just makes you think a month, two months down the road, this team's going to be really, really good.

[00:27:02] Yeah.

[00:27:02] I'm going to agree with you.

[00:27:03] Again, bizarre situation to start off the year.

[00:27:05] They've got, you know, back-to-backs in Buffalo.

[00:27:08] Trust me, Buffalo wanted to win these games just as bad as we did.

[00:27:11] They really wanted to put everything out there.

[00:27:12] You're on the world stage.

[00:27:14] They're both at that disadvantage of playing a 1 o'clock game than a 10 o'clock in the morning game.

[00:27:17] I know that's our time, but still, it's less than 24 hours.

[00:27:20] Your body clock is there.

[00:27:22] Right.

[00:27:22] But they wanted that, and Buffalo played a good game, at least a game and a half.

[00:27:27] They played really well.

[00:27:28] And then you said that long layoff before the home opener.

[00:27:31] You give them that.

[00:27:31] But then there's kind of the game within the game.

[00:27:34] Okay.

[00:27:34] The next win was against the Capitals.

[00:27:36] So if you follow anything from Devil's Hockey, you would know that that was a big win.

[00:27:40] That is a team that knows how to beat us.

[00:27:43] They did it last year, what, three out of four times?

[00:27:45] Yep.

[00:27:45] That's a big win.

[00:27:46] And we shut down Utah, and I don't care what you say about what Utah's going to be.

[00:27:52] At the time, they were an undefeated team that was pretty easily winning.

[00:27:56] I mean, one of them went into overtime, but they were just winning.

[00:27:58] So we stopped them in their tracks just to have a back-to-back against a Carolina team

[00:28:02] that we always have fits with.

[00:28:04] And sure, we lost that game, but then we came back and won a game that we were supposed to win.

[00:28:08] I mean, five and two and seven games in translates to a good season so far.

[00:28:14] So I'm very happy with who they've beaten.

[00:28:16] You know, we'll talk a little bit about the game tomorrow night against the Capitals again.

[00:28:22] But before we do, we'll do a little shout-out here to our Hockey Podcast Network sponsors.

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[00:29:40] The crown is yours.

[00:29:43] There's nothing quite like live sports.

[00:29:46] And I'm sitting here and I'm watching the last game in Queens of this series.

[00:29:50] I'm thinking, my God, man, why didn't I go out to a game?

[00:29:52] So now they have to make it to the World Series so I can go out there.

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[00:31:24] What time is it?

[00:31:26] GameTime.

[00:31:26] GameTime.

[00:31:27] It's pretty cool that we've beaten our last two coaches already, right?

[00:31:32] Like we beat Lindy, we beat Travis.

[00:31:35] There is some other news around the league, so let's discuss a little bit of that.

[00:31:41] So Jake Ottinger, you heard, right?

[00:31:43] Eight years.

[00:31:44] Eight years, eight and a quarter.

[00:31:46] The eight and a quarter million dollar mark is just, that's what's going around, man.

[00:31:50] That's the number.

[00:31:51] That's the number.

[00:31:52] I wonder what podcast hosts are going for these days.

[00:31:55] About $8 and a quarter.

[00:31:57] Yeah.

[00:31:58] I'll take it.

[00:31:59] I mean, it's more than what we're getting now.

[00:32:02] But, you know, what is it?

[00:32:03] Swayman got eight and a quarter.

[00:32:05] Olmark got eight and a quarter.

[00:32:06] Ottinger got eight and a quarter.

[00:32:08] Who else?

[00:32:09] Oh, Sorokin has eight and a quarter.

[00:32:11] And then I think you're at eight and a half for Halibut.

[00:32:14] You're around like nine or something for Vasilevsky, around 10 for Bobrovsky, and 17 to 20 million for Igor Shostakovich at some point.

[00:32:24] So, like, it's a good deal, right?

[00:32:26] Dallas is a damn good team.

[00:32:28] And, you know, Ottinger is a good goalie.

[00:32:32] So what do you think, like, is this Igor Shostakovich thing, is this going to become a problem, you think?

[00:32:41] I don't see how it doesn't become a problem.

[00:32:44] I think it's already a problem, like we've said.

[00:32:46] One way or the other, they're kind of screwed because you just – you can't let the best goalie in the league go.

[00:32:52] You also can't afford to pay him what he wants.

[00:32:54] It's just – I don't know what they're going to do.

[00:32:56] They're going to pay him.

[00:32:58] Yeah.

[00:32:58] They're going to pay him, but then what?

[00:33:00] I mean, he's come out and said that he wants to be – he believes he's the best player on the New York Rangers, and he wants to be compensated as such.

[00:33:09] Well, you can't really argue that.

[00:33:11] He is.

[00:33:12] But at the same time, like, I go back to, you know, why would he make more money than Conor Hollabuck?

[00:33:18] Why would he make more money than Jake Ottinger?

[00:33:20] Like, okay, like, you're – or Jeremy Swayman or Lena Solmark.

[00:33:24] Like, you're a great goalie.

[00:33:25] I understand that.

[00:33:27] You've won a Vezina.

[00:33:28] Well, so is Lena Solmark, and Hollabuck's won it too.

[00:33:33] You've never won a Stanley Cup.

[00:33:35] Neither do those guys.

[00:33:36] You've never been to a conference final.

[00:33:40] I mean, a cup final even.

[00:33:42] Like, I get how good you are, but to be at that 12 maybe more, I guess it just really comes down to also the fact of, like, he has them by the fucking balls.

[00:33:54] You know?

[00:33:55] Yeah.

[00:33:55] There's nothing you can do.

[00:33:57] You know?

[00:33:58] You – we know what it's like, right?

[00:34:01] We had to go for 18 years, whatever.

[00:34:03] And then 10 years or so after his retirement, we have not had a goaltending.

[00:34:08] Until this year, our goaltending has been atrocious.

[00:34:12] Now, the Rangers have been super lucky.

[00:34:15] And I shouldn't really say lucky because they develop goalies really well.

[00:34:20] You know?

[00:34:21] They know what they're doing.

[00:34:22] It's like the Green Bay Packers and quarterbacks.

[00:34:24] You know?

[00:34:25] They had Richter.

[00:34:26] They had Lundqvist.

[00:34:27] Now they have Shesterkin.

[00:34:29] You can't win a Stanley Cup without a top-line goalie or at least, you know, maybe it doesn't have to be the top two or three best, but you've got to be up there.

[00:34:40] And Shesterkin is – I just think that the Rangers have got themselves into this position that they're going to have to pay him no matter what.

[00:34:49] They are going to pay him.

[00:34:50] And listen, it just reeks of not putting the team first.

[00:34:53] I'm sorry.

[00:34:54] Like, people can have their opinions and everyone can say that these players deserve to make the most they can while they can.

[00:35:00] And that I agree with.

[00:35:01] But the reality is, man, you have to field a team first.

[00:35:05] You really do.

[00:35:06] And for whatever reason, when you look at the way salary structures are for teams, you just can't put that much of your percentage into the goalie position, especially when you need another goalie too.

[00:35:18] And you need a whole team.

[00:35:20] Now, you know, if the Rangers had won a cup or two recently and, you know, they kind of satisfied that itch and you don't want to, you know, risk losing, you know, the best goalie in the world, you pay them.

[00:35:31] If we didn't have a salary cap, we wouldn't even be talking about this because, you know, the Rangers would just pay.

[00:35:34] They got all the money in the world.

[00:35:35] No doubt.

[00:35:36] But I just – I can't help but say I don't like it.

[00:35:39] And again, I want people to understand I'm not saying I don't want athletes to get top dollar.

[00:35:43] I'm saying you were already offered the richest contract for a goalie ever, maybe the highest paid goalie, maybe not the highest paid Ranger, but that's still something if that means something to you.

[00:35:56] And it was above fair for what you've done.

[00:36:00] And to me, like you said, his benchmark to me is hella buck.

[00:36:04] So you want to argue he's a little better?

[00:36:05] Fine, $9 million.

[00:36:06] Like don't – but we went to 11 and said no and now you're talking 12 if that's even really the number.

[00:36:11] I just think it reeks of selfishness and I think in long term, if you really care about winning and winning consistently, then you should take a better contract.

[00:36:20] And, you know, it shouldn't ever just be about like, oh, I just want to win a champion.

[00:36:26] Real champions want to win a championship every single year.

[00:36:28] Real champions are going to win a championship and want it even more the next year.

[00:36:33] Not this kind of one and done shit.

[00:36:35] Give me my money.

[00:36:36] For the money, well then, screw you.

[00:36:38] Get your money and go somewhere else.

[00:36:40] But if I'm the Rangers, I'm just not happy with the situation and I'm personally not happy with Shisterkin's – I mean I'm happy because go ahead and handicap the Rangers.

[00:36:50] But it just reeks bad to me.

[00:36:52] It looks bad.

[00:36:53] I agree with you.

[00:36:54] I do.

[00:36:54] There's also – you know, first of all, they're winning.

[00:36:58] They're looking – look, they're a great team.

[00:37:00] They are going to – we will be facing them in the playoffs.

[00:37:04] So whether it's the first round and the second round, most likely going to be the second round.

[00:37:07] We are going to face this team and they're going to be a super tough out and we're going to have to go – they are a very good team.

[00:37:14] They have a legitimate shot to win the Stanley Cup this year.

[00:37:17] A hundred percent.

[00:37:18] But – and when – right now you're winning.

[00:37:20] Okay?

[00:37:20] You're playing well.

[00:37:22] Shisterkin's playing good.

[00:37:23] I think everybody can kind of look past that, right?

[00:37:26] Panarin's super hot.

[00:37:27] He's – you know, Zibanejad's playing really well right now.

[00:37:31] What happens in that locker room when things kind of go south?

[00:37:36] When Shisterkin isn't playing his best hockey?

[00:37:39] And we've seen it.

[00:37:40] We saw it last year.

[00:37:41] He went through a really rough patch.

[00:37:42] And if it wasn't for Jonathan Quick coming in, that team could have been in trouble and playing as well as he did.

[00:37:48] And by the way, that happens to everybody and the best of them.

[00:37:51] It happens.

[00:37:52] It's part of it.

[00:37:53] You're not a godlike level that's not going to happen to him.

[00:37:56] You're right.

[00:37:57] But, you know, when it does happen, well, you're the best player on the team, right, dude?

[00:38:02] You're the $12, $13 million guy.

[00:38:05] You just let six into Utah or you let in whatever.

[00:38:08] And if he's not playing well, does there seem to be – does it cause animosity at all?

[00:38:14] Is there finger pointing in that?

[00:38:16] And I'm not just saying it's going to be the Ranger players, but you've got the media.

[00:38:22] You're going to have – like they're – the media around this area, all they want to do is cause problems and stir shit.

[00:38:28] Does that affect them down the road?

[00:38:30] Are they able to just block out all the noise and go win a Stanley Cup this year?

[00:38:35] It's going to be interesting to see.

[00:38:37] It is.

[00:38:38] You know what I'd always love to know?

[00:38:40] Like in the room – and again, to a man, I believe that most of these athletes are very professional and kind of understand exactly what's happening.

[00:38:48] I probably use this phrase way more than I should.

[00:38:51] But, you know, the market of when you sign is kind of that's your deal.

[00:38:55] You know, 2023 is a different year than 2024.

[00:38:57] That kind of thing is going to happen.

[00:38:59] But for the most part, you want to make sure you're just kind of paid fairly.

[00:39:03] You're in that fairly bubble.

[00:39:04] You know, so do players ever sit there and say this guy really had to hold out for X amount of money and now he's – this is what he's given us?

[00:39:12] Like I don't know.

[00:39:13] I don't know if they're all just so ingrained in the sport that they realize that these things happen.

[00:39:17] You go through bad stretches.

[00:39:19] But I don't know.

[00:39:20] I'm sure some players do.

[00:39:21] I'm sure.

[00:39:21] It is kind of interesting.

[00:39:22] And then you also can take it a step further where when a guy does get that kind of money and let's say the team around him isn't really good.

[00:39:30] Well, yeah, because we had to give you every freaking piece of the pie.

[00:39:34] Like, you know, that's another thing that comes down.

[00:39:36] So, yeah, I do think that unless things are done a little bit more on – look, nobody's going to complain if you win.

[00:39:44] It's that simple.

[00:39:45] But if the Rangers win the Metropolitan Division this year, right?

[00:39:50] They play Pittsburgh in the first round.

[00:39:54] They beat them in five.

[00:39:56] And then they play the Devils.

[00:39:57] And they lose to the Devils in six.

[00:40:00] Now you took a step back.

[00:40:02] You know, now what happens?

[00:40:05] Now if he's not locked up already – because look, there are teams that I'm sure right now are looking at their books and saying,

[00:40:13] can we get them?

[00:40:15] You don't think Colorado is looking and saying, I don't give a shit what he costs.

[00:40:20] Move heaven and earth and get them here because Gorgiev can't stop a fucking jet right now, you know, flying into his crease.

[00:40:27] You know, L.A., a team that some people think could make a run at the Western Conference.

[00:40:33] How about this?

[00:40:35] Edmonton.

[00:40:36] Like, I understand there's not enough money.

[00:40:39] Like, there's just not.

[00:40:39] You just signed, you know, Leon.

[00:40:42] You're going to sign McDavid.

[00:40:44] But what's the one kind of Achilles heel for them?

[00:40:48] Goaltending.

[00:40:49] You know, I look at those three teams.

[00:40:51] Edmonton I'll take out because they can never afford it.

[00:40:54] But I look at Colorado.

[00:40:55] I look at the Kings.

[00:40:57] There's got to be a couple more.

[00:41:00] I can't think of any more off the top of my head.

[00:41:02] But that are cup contenders that would pay that money.

[00:41:06] So if you're the Rangers, I just think you're screwed.

[00:41:08] You've got to pay him.

[00:41:09] And I even think if he comes up at $13 million, you're going to have to pay him.

[00:41:13] You're going to have to pay him.

[00:41:14] You cannot let that guy walk out of your building.

[00:41:18] You just can't.

[00:41:19] And if, you know, you're not going to trade him.

[00:41:22] You're not, you know, these are all things like we talked about.

[00:41:25] Like, you know, the reckless speculating.

[00:41:27] Like, what would have to happen for you to really think about trading him?

[00:41:30] Like, you'd have to just be in fire sale mode.

[00:41:33] That's part of the additional layer of problems with the Rangers.

[00:41:36] There's no way that this is not a playoff team, an actual contending team.

[00:41:43] So you'd have to get such a haul to even consider that when you think you can win the Stanley Cup this year.

[00:41:51] And you have better chance of winning it with him.

[00:41:53] So yeah.

[00:41:54] That's why, like, yeah, unless you just are depleted with injuries, you're not going to make the playoffs.

[00:41:58] If what happened in the Devils last year happens to the Rangers, then maybe at that point you say, we're not going to make the playoffs.

[00:42:05] He hasn't signed with us yet.

[00:42:07] There's, it's looking like he, because it sounds to me like Shesterkin has no problem going and testing free agency.

[00:42:17] It really does seem that way to me.

[00:42:19] And if I'm Shesterkin, I'm saying I'm going to go out there and win the Stanley Cup this year.

[00:42:25] And then I'm going to just sit back and let the offers roll in.

[00:42:29] And, you know, I mean, maybe the Rangers wouldn't care at that point.

[00:42:32] They got their cup.

[00:42:33] Maybe they wouldn't.

[00:42:34] I don't know.

[00:42:35] But yeah, I don't know.

[00:42:36] You know, it is going to be very fun to watch from an outside view looking in because I'll tell you right now, I love Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom right now.

[00:42:48] And these two are just what a good tandem, man.

[00:42:52] I really hope they can keep this thing up.

[00:42:54] I mean, Jake Allen's allowed one goal this year.

[00:42:58] You know, I mean, you watch some of these games and like I, like I said, even yesterday's game against the Senators.

[00:43:05] I don't think we win that if it's Vanacek in there.

[00:43:08] I know.

[00:43:09] And I'm watching that game.

[00:43:10] I mean, was it minute and 11 left or something like that when it blew a shutout?

[00:43:13] But before that, I'm literally watching a shutout.

[00:43:15] I'm like, not only do we already have a shutout, not only are we possibly going to get a second shutout this early in the season, but it's going to be from two different goalies.

[00:43:23] I'm like, this is a world of change from last year.

[00:43:26] And shutouts don't necessarily mean everything.

[00:43:28] That's a lot of team involved in that too.

[00:43:31] But it is an indicator.

[00:43:32] You know what I mean?

[00:43:33] And it is something to be excited about.

[00:43:34] I was really pulling for that shutout.

[00:43:36] There was one.

[00:43:36] We should have had an empty netter in there.

[00:43:39] I don't know.

[00:43:40] You didn't watch the game, but right before, I don't know how much time was left in the game, but we were already on the penalty kill.

[00:43:48] They had pulled Forsberg and somebody threw the puck down the ice.

[00:43:55] And Mercer.

[00:43:56] Mercer threw the puck down.

[00:43:57] It was wide on the net.

[00:43:59] As soon as it crossed the line, the ref blew the whistle.

[00:44:02] And he sure was right there.

[00:44:03] And he sure looks at the ref like, what the fuck?

[00:44:05] And he's like, icing.

[00:44:06] He's like, we're on the power.

[00:44:07] We're on a penalty kill.

[00:44:08] And the ref didn't realize it because the goalie was pulled.

[00:44:12] He was just thinking that it was a six on five, but it was a six on four.

[00:44:15] So they just moved the face off out to the neutral zone and redid it again.

[00:44:18] And then Devils were able to just, you know, kill off the rest of the time.

[00:44:21] But it should have been four.

[00:44:23] It should have been four nothing after that.

[00:44:25] But yeah.

[00:44:26] So it was not often you see a ref make a mistake like that.

[00:44:30] Right.

[00:44:31] Gonna happen.

[00:44:33] So go ahead.

[00:44:35] Nope, I'm good.

[00:44:35] I was just, you know, we're going to do a preview of the Washington game.

[00:44:42] But you know what?

[00:44:42] Maybe we'll just cut what we're going to talk about out and put that out.

[00:44:46] So we got Washington again tomorrow.

[00:44:49] Dude, Washington.

[00:44:52] All right.

[00:44:52] I started last summer saying this team was going to be bad.

[00:44:56] This team was going to end up last in the Metropolitan Division.

[00:44:59] I'm really beginning to realize that I'm going to have to eat my words there.

[00:45:03] They did.

[00:45:04] Dude, they beat Vegas.

[00:45:06] They beat the undefeated Dallas Stars yesterday.

[00:45:09] Okay.

[00:45:10] This is a good hockey team.

[00:45:12] And they just grind you down.

[00:45:15] They're annoying to play against.

[00:45:17] I mean, I thought the Devils, you know, had a big, that big 5-2 win was huge in their building.

[00:45:24] But again, their home opener.

[00:45:26] They're too hyped.

[00:45:27] And now they're more settled in.

[00:45:28] I expect this game to be a little bit more even.

[00:45:31] What are you expecting from this?

[00:45:34] I actually expect less even.

[00:45:37] I want.

[00:45:37] Wow.

[00:45:37] I'm expecting the Devils to control this game a little better than they controlled the last game.

[00:45:41] I think this is a necessary step in their progression.

[00:45:44] They did beat them, which was good because, again, the team gives us fits.

[00:45:48] But I'm not satisfied with that type of game.

[00:45:51] I want to see a more crisp game through and through.

[00:45:54] And I want to see, really, I want to see a frustrated Washington team that doesn't have many answers.

[00:46:00] That's my, that's what I expect from them.

[00:46:02] And that's what I expect from the Devils going forward.

[00:46:04] I think the Devils are literally learning with every single game.

[00:46:07] And that's what I want to say.

[00:46:08] Yeah.

[00:46:09] I mean, I think I'm, I'm waiting for the game where the Devils, where everything clicks.

[00:46:15] You know, I thought that, you know, where the defense is getting more involved, where the fourth line and the third line are playing, you know, good minutes and producing.

[00:46:24] And then the top guys doing what the top guys do.

[00:46:28] I don't know if it's going to be tomorrow against Washington.

[00:46:30] I think this is a little bit of a work in progress.

[00:46:33] I don't know.

[00:46:33] Washington, maybe it's PTSD with me, but they always make me nervous.

[00:46:38] They really do.

[00:46:39] Like they, and again, even beating them five to two last week, that game still makes me nervous.

[00:46:45] I hope what you're saying is right.

[00:46:48] You know, I hope that the PB and J can go out there and light it up.

[00:46:52] That's, I hate naming.

[00:46:53] I hate name lines, but that one just worked too good.

[00:46:55] If you're going to do it, peanut butter and jelly is good.

[00:46:57] I liked it.

[00:46:58] So I don't know.

[00:46:59] So they're only, they've only played three games though.

[00:47:01] Yeah.

[00:47:02] And they're two in one.

[00:47:04] I mean, their goals, four is 10.

[00:47:06] Their goal, goals against is nine.

[00:47:08] They're plus differentials only one.

[00:47:09] Again, small sample size, but yeah, I don't know.

[00:47:14] I still think that they are a team, a middling team.

[00:47:17] It's not really going to go up or down right now.

[00:47:20] And again, a team that we should beat, you know,

[00:47:22] I would think at the very least we flip the narrative from last year and we take the three

[00:47:26] out of four.

[00:47:27] So maybe we lose this one and then we win the next couple.

[00:47:29] That's what I would expect against this team from the year.

[00:47:32] But for this early in the season, considering we just played them and we got a good look

[00:47:49] today, what do you think?

[00:47:51] Let me just look at who else is coming up first.

[00:47:54] I know we have, I have a huge dilemma next week, but I'll talk about that next.

[00:47:59] Who do we have on Tuesday?

[00:48:00] Tuesday's the Tampa Bay game.

[00:48:02] Oh.

[00:48:02] And then we have a set of back to backs.

[00:48:04] So.

[00:48:06] We played.

[00:48:07] I think I would.

[00:48:08] I think I probably would go Allen.

[00:48:10] Yeah.

[00:48:10] If you got Tampa on Tuesday, give Markstrom a nice long rest.

[00:48:14] I think you put Allen in Markstrom played them last time.

[00:48:17] I think.

[00:48:17] Yeah.

[00:48:17] I like that.

[00:48:18] I would put Markstrom in for Tuesday and then Thursday's Detroit and Fridays, the Islanders.

[00:48:24] I wouldn't really have a preference who gets which start on that.

[00:48:27] To be honest, I'd have to look at the inside numbers of their careers or something.

[00:48:31] Yeah.

[00:48:31] Oh, that sucks.

[00:48:33] It's Thursday is a big dilemma for me because I got, we got Devils Red Wings and I have Vikings Rams.

[00:48:41] So that's, I, I, I'm going to have to be two TV in this.

[00:48:45] One on the TV, one on the phone.

[00:48:47] Yeah.

[00:48:47] Come on, man.

[00:48:47] That's what I'm going to have to do.

[00:48:49] Vikings will be on the big TV and the Devils will be on my laptop.

[00:48:52] I think that's the only way to do this.

[00:48:54] You know, I only get one Viking game a week, so I think I got to, I got to devote the, I get it, the big screen to them.

[00:49:01] Um, big game for the Vikings on Sunday, man.

[00:49:04] I'm nervous about this one.

[00:49:06] This is against the Detroit Lions.

[00:49:08] This is going to be a heck of a game.

[00:49:11] But it's a very good team this year, huh?

[00:49:13] Yeah, man.

[00:49:14] Their offenses, they were just, if you watched any of the games last weekend, they played Dallas, Detroit did.

[00:49:20] And I mean, it just got to the point where they were just fucking with them, man.

[00:49:23] They were pulling trick plays out of their ass.

[00:49:25] They were, it was like a whole, they just embarrassed them.

[00:49:28] Like I'd be pissed if I was a Cowboy fan.

[00:49:30] Like I hate the freaking Cowboys, but I would be pissed if I was a fan.

[00:49:34] Like, you know, if you're just losing that bad, it was like, it was like fucking an Oprah Winfrey show.

[00:49:39] It's like, you get a touchdown and you get a touchdown and you get a day of just, we're throwing them out there.

[00:49:44] It's dropping Oprah Winfrey reference on the Uncle Puckers.

[00:49:47] I love Oprah.

[00:49:48] So yeah.

[00:49:49] Um, yeah, that makes me a little bit nervous, but, and we got the Islanders on Friday.

[00:49:54] That's a big game.

[00:49:55] So we're going to, we'll dive into all that.

[00:49:57] Well, let me ask you then, which of those two games, if you had to pick, which one's more important?

[00:50:03] The Islanders game is more important.

[00:50:05] Okay.

[00:50:05] Just because of the division?

[00:50:07] Well, yeah, it's a divisional game.

[00:50:09] It's a rival game.

[00:50:10] Uh, Detroit is exactly what I said they would be this year.

[00:50:15] And that's poop on a platter.

[00:50:18] So then it lines up well.

[00:50:21] Yeah.

[00:50:21] If you go Allen Saturday, Markstrom Tuesday, Allen Thursday, Markstrom Friday.

[00:50:26] I like it.

[00:50:27] I like it.

[00:50:27] It does make sense.

[00:50:28] I agree with you.

[00:50:29] I think a statement game for me, Detroit is more of that, but the more must win game just

[00:50:38] for the obvious reasons, being in division, the Islanders, you want to step on them.

[00:50:42] You want to keep them down all year.

[00:50:44] Don't let them get any life, any funny ideas that they can, you know, make it in the Metro.

[00:50:47] And what I don't want to see is us lose to Tampa Bay and lose to the Islanders.

[00:50:53] Like those are the two games that you got to win.

[00:50:56] Everyone's saying, you know, well, not everybody, but there are a lot of people.

[00:51:00] Well, yeah, the devils are better, but again, they haven't played anybody.

[00:51:05] Tampa Bay is undefeated right now.

[00:51:07] They look fantastic.

[00:51:10] You, where's that game?

[00:51:13] That is in New Jersey.

[00:51:14] Okay.

[00:51:14] So they're going to come to our barn.

[00:51:16] You beat them.

[00:51:18] Take care of business in Washington.

[00:51:20] Beat Tampa.

[00:51:21] Do not, you know, overlook Detroit.

[00:51:24] That's right.

[00:51:25] They'll be the fucking, you know, the, the beat the teams you're supposed to be.

[00:51:30] That is a team you're supposed to be.

[00:51:32] Washington is a team you're supposed to be.

[00:51:33] I'll even go as far as saying the Islanders right now are a team you're supposed to be.

[00:51:38] So go three out of four, but they could roll off.

[00:51:40] I want to see a winning streak.

[00:51:42] Like we'd like to see a winning streak.

[00:51:43] It's never too early for, for a good winning streak.

[00:51:45] No, this is the time to bank the points.

[00:51:47] You know, you have to, you've got, you've got, I think I had Detroit getting in playoffs.

[00:51:54] And when we did a cut, we didn't really overanalyze our previews.

[00:51:57] It was kind of midsummer.

[00:51:58] We just kind of threw it out there.

[00:52:00] So I do feel like they are going to be more competitive than the Islanders.

[00:52:04] Really?

[00:52:07] That is what my, that's the trajectory I thought they were on.

[00:52:10] This season may prove me wrong, but I just feel like they're supposed to pop.

[00:52:16] You're probably right that they're not going to do it this year.

[00:52:19] But I think they're getting a little anxious over there in Detroit.

[00:52:23] Their, their little rebuild here is not really taken off.

[00:52:27] I think Steve Iserman's job is absolutely in jeopardy.

[00:52:30] I really do.

[00:52:31] And he started off doing such a great job, but that's what I'm saying.

[00:52:34] Like, why hasn't that next little step happened?

[00:52:37] Now our step happened and we took a step back.

[00:52:39] So, you know, can we talk about, yeah, we can still talk about it because we're a different team

[00:52:42] now, but I'm waiting for them to kind of move.

[00:52:45] Yeah.

[00:52:45] I don't see it.

[00:52:46] I think their defense other than Dylan Larkin is shit.

[00:52:49] You know, when you're, like we said, when your big moves are Tarasenko and Patrick Kane

[00:52:54] this off season, I know Kane, he was there last year, but like re-signing him and bringing

[00:52:58] him back.

[00:52:58] Like that's, that these guys are old as shit, man.

[00:53:01] Like they're not going to, you know, and, and they have, then they waited all summer

[00:53:06] long to sign Mo, Mo, I fucking can't remember his name, Sider.

[00:53:11] And, and, and Raymond, you waited so long to sign them and there was some bad blood and

[00:53:19] there was, you know, well, you know, bullshit with the, you know, what, what does ownership

[00:53:23] or management really think of me and stuff like that?

[00:53:26] Like, it just seems like it's just been a shit show and same with Ottawa and Buffalo.

[00:53:31] Like these guys are, no one's, they're not doing shit.

[00:53:35] Like the Buffalo is so bad.

[00:53:37] Uh, you know, like Lindy Ruff has them playing like the Devils played last year, right?

[00:53:41] There's no net front presence.

[00:53:44] There's no physicality.

[00:53:46] There's just nothing.

[00:53:47] They're easy.

[00:53:48] They're weak.

[00:53:49] They're soft and easy.

[00:53:50] Um, Ottawa, I still, I still shake my head about that coach's signing.

[00:53:55] Like it's just, it still doesn't, I just don't understand it.

[00:53:58] It's like nostalgia written all over it.

[00:54:00] Like a rook, a rookie coach with no experience.

[00:54:04] It's just got new ideas would have been better, you know, just somebody to come in there and.

[00:54:09] Like we've talked all summer, right?

[00:54:11] About David Carl, right?

[00:54:12] The, uh, the coach of, what is he?

[00:54:14] Denver, right?

[00:54:16] The university of Denver.

[00:54:17] Like, right.

[00:54:17] That's the guy type of guy you bring into Buffalo, right?

[00:54:21] You got a young core of kids that are trying to learn how to win.

[00:54:25] And you know, you're bringing in Lindy rough, like, come on, man, this guy hasn't been,

[00:54:30] uh, I'm not saying he's not a great coach.

[00:54:33] He's has a track record.

[00:54:35] He did do great with the devils two years ago, but Lindy rough is who he is.

[00:54:40] Like, you know what you're getting.

[00:54:42] Yeah.

[00:54:42] That's the thing.

[00:54:43] I think they literally looked at the blueprint and said where our young guys are at this

[00:54:47] stage of the career, they need like a Lindy rough type coach to do just what he did

[00:54:51] with the devils for that couple of years.

[00:54:53] We'll give them cause they were going, you know, before they, yeah.

[00:54:57] Um, but it just, it just seems like a retread.

[00:55:00] Like, it just doesn't make sense to me.

[00:55:01] I mean, I could see how maybe you think that after 2012, but when you think that after he

[00:55:06] got fired last year, you know, I, I just, I mean, you're right.

[00:55:10] It is.

[00:55:10] It's a retread.

[00:55:11] He had, you know, he's right.

[00:55:13] Played for him and coach for him already before he lives in Buffalo.

[00:55:17] It was like, it just seemed like the easy.

[00:55:19] It did.

[00:55:20] It just didn't seem like there was a lot of thought.

[00:55:21] Not, not, this is the guy, man.

[00:55:23] This is the guy that's going to bring our team to the next level.

[00:55:26] It was like, Oh, it's Lindy.

[00:55:27] Yeah, sure.

[00:55:28] Come on.

[00:55:28] We were like, Whoa, you just fired Keith.

[00:55:31] Okay.

[00:55:31] This is the guy.

[00:55:32] Yeah.

[00:55:32] This is who we want.

[00:55:33] And whether you believe that or not.

[00:55:35] And I'm, I would, I mean, I would guess most devils fans believe it was a good hire.

[00:55:40] Wouldn't you?

[00:55:40] Like if you pulled everybody and I guess maybe we should, if we haven't already, I would

[00:55:44] say most definitely think he's the right coach for the job.

[00:55:47] I'll throw it out on the next.

[00:55:48] It felt like it.

[00:55:49] That's the point.

[00:55:50] If you felt it, like the organization, it felt like it was the right move to really

[00:55:55] move you and not nobody in Buffalo.

[00:55:58] If you tell me right now, you thought that Lindy Roth was going to be the next coach to

[00:56:01] get you, you know, to the next level or contention would, I wouldn't believe you.

[00:56:05] If I was a Buffalo Sabre fan and I went through what these fans have gone through over the last

[00:56:09] 10 years.

[00:56:10] And then last year, you, you know, you took a step back.

[00:56:13] Cause like the year before, I think you missed the playoffs by one point.

[00:56:16] And then you took a step back last year.

[00:56:18] You have two young goalies that you're trying to bring in and get them familiar with the

[00:56:22] NHL.

[00:56:22] You've got a really good blue line.

[00:56:25] You got some offensive talent.

[00:56:27] Like I would be excited.

[00:56:29] And if you, this summer, you told you went and hired Lindy Roth, I would have been so

[00:56:34] pissed as a Sabre fan.

[00:56:36] Like what?

[00:56:36] Like the same thing.

[00:56:37] Like that's not a fit.

[00:56:40] Sheldon keeps a fit for New Jersey.

[00:56:42] You know, he's young, he's dynamic.

[00:56:45] He's won wherever he's been.

[00:56:47] Now he hasn't coached nearly as long as Lindy Roth, but he also hasn't been on the planet

[00:56:50] nearly as long as Lindy Roth.

[00:56:52] So, you know, but it was a good fit when you see what the devils are, you look at what

[00:56:57] their potential is.

[00:56:59] There weren't many guys that you could, other than Sheldon Keith, that you say, yeah, that's

[00:57:03] the guy that can bring the best out of these guys.

[00:57:06] And, you know, he's doing a good job.

[00:57:08] Like all the little strings he's pushed so far have worked.

[00:57:12] He hasn't done a ton, but he hasn't needed to.

[00:57:15] I just think the guys respect him.

[00:57:17] I think they like playing for him.

[00:57:19] When you talk to him after, when you hear his interviews after the game, first of all,

[00:57:23] he's got to be after every game, win or lose.

[00:57:25] It was like, wait, seriously, this is all the media is doing.

[00:57:28] Okay.

[00:57:29] Asking, you know, Amanda Stein's questions about, you know, what was it like your first

[00:57:34] game at the rock?

[00:57:35] Wait, we lost.

[00:57:37] Ooh, thank you, man.

[00:57:37] That was a tough one.

[00:57:38] You guys aren't crucifying me.

[00:57:40] There's not, you know, Gallo's being put up outside the rock right now because I lost

[00:57:45] a game.

[00:57:46] You know, this guy went through hell in Toronto.

[00:57:47] So, you know, he's got to be like in the more laid back and being in this media market,

[00:57:53] but it was just a good fit.

[00:57:55] And that's the difference between a good general manager and a not so good general manager.

[00:57:59] Tom Fitzgerald knew what he wanted all across the board and he went out and did the best

[00:58:04] he could, which I think they were all great moves.

[00:58:06] And let's see how he handles the return of the players.

[00:58:12] Cause that is really the key here, right?

[00:58:14] I mean, it's his team to run in that way.

[00:58:17] You're not going to get pressure from the GM to play X over Y.

[00:58:21] And there are hard, very hard decisions, especially since neither one of them are back yet.

[00:58:27] So let's assume Pesci comes back first in, I don't know, three, four games, five games,

[00:58:33] which could be a couple of weeks, depending on how it lays out.

[00:58:35] And Luke even further down the line.

[00:58:39] So how you work that in is going to be extremely interesting because at that point, again, we always

[00:58:47] kind of look forward a few games and say, how, what could we do if we win?

[00:58:50] Like we both anticipate a win in Washington, maybe not so sure about, you know, Tampa.

[00:58:55] And then, you know, I expect to win in Detroit and to win in the Islanders.

[00:58:59] Next thing you know, we're, you know, nine and three or whatever it is.

[00:59:03] So we have a good record and a bunch of players that are playing really well together,

[00:59:09] but obviously somebody is coming out of the lineup.

[00:59:12] Well, how he handles that is going to be very interesting.

[00:59:15] All right.

[00:59:15] So before we wrap up, we'll just recklessly speculate real quick.

[00:59:19] Dylan, I mean, Pesci is ready to play tomorrow night in Washington.

[00:59:23] Who do you take out of the lineup?

[00:59:25] I don't care about where you're, where you're placing him or whatever, because you can juggle

[00:59:28] the lines.

[00:59:29] What one of our, of our six guys are you pulling out?

[00:59:35] If this is tomorrow's game and I'm getting Pesci in, taking Nemec out.

[00:59:41] Absolutely.

[00:59:42] Okay.

[00:59:42] Absolutely.

[00:59:43] He's been our worst defenseman.

[00:59:45] Yes.

[00:59:46] You know, whatever we talked about it on the last show.

[00:59:48] So that's the easier of the two transactions.

[00:59:51] Now you got them in the lineup.

[00:59:53] You played a week where you played three games and now you're about to play the Islanders on

[00:59:58] Friday night and Luke Hughes has been skating all week.

[01:00:00] He's ready to go.

[01:00:02] Who are you taking out of the lineup?

[01:00:05] I mean, it has to be on paper, Kovacevic, but I'm not sure that that's right.

[01:00:12] It's not.

[01:00:13] I don't think it's right.

[01:00:14] I think it's not.

[01:00:15] I mean, he shouldn't be, but.

[01:00:17] Well, there's another reason too.

[01:00:20] Like, like, look, I've said it on the show a bunch, right?

[01:00:24] How the hell do you take Seamus Casey out of the lineup?

[01:00:26] Said it after the Utah game.

[01:00:27] He's playing fantastic, but at the same time, he is still just a rookie that you weren't

[01:00:32] planning on having on this lineup.

[01:00:35] Neither was Kovacevic, but again, look at the lineup.

[01:00:38] So you can keep Dylan and Hamilton and you can keep Kovacevic and Siegenthaler and you

[01:00:44] can just put Pesci and Hughes together where it all kind of fits in.

[01:00:48] And really the odd man out on that is, is Nemec.

[01:00:51] But, you know, how good Kovacevic is playing and how good Siegenthaler is playing with him.

[01:00:57] Got to keep that line together.

[01:00:59] Right.

[01:01:01] So I think it's going to be the two kids that are out.

[01:01:04] Yes.

[01:01:04] I mean, we, I forget what show we dissected this a little further.

[01:01:08] And yeah, I mean, for as good as Casey's playing, that skill set is replicated by Luke Hughes.

[01:01:16] Okay.

[01:01:16] So you got that type of play.

[01:01:19] And, and again, he's got the options and there's the business side of it.

[01:01:24] So I, you're probably right.

[01:01:27] I think that's what it has to be.

[01:01:30] And Kovacevic is better at coming off the bench than Casey needs time.

[01:01:36] Casey needs time to play.

[01:01:37] And if he's not going to be playing every night with the big club, then I think you have to

[01:01:42] send them down to Utica to play with the Comets because you need them to play.

[01:01:47] He's got to get more, just more ice time.

[01:01:50] The guy's got Nemich is kind of, I don't know right now.

[01:01:55] I mean, I kind of, I, I, I like them, but right now when it comes to this team, I'm just not sure.

[01:02:03] I'm just, I don't worry about him at all though.

[01:02:06] Long-term.

[01:02:06] I will say that.

[01:02:07] I, you've seen enough players come in their second year, second year is something about it.

[01:02:12] Right.

[01:02:12] I think, I think long-term he could still be one of our best defensemen and fit.

[01:02:17] Well into our plans, but you know that he wouldn't be the first player to have a successful

[01:02:22] freshman year and then just need to go down and get a little more seasoning.

[01:02:25] And Casey, that's an, that's actually an easier conversation too.

[01:02:28] Cause it's like, that's just Tom Fitzgerald saying, look, dude, like you're in our plans.

[01:02:33] You're going to be a major part of this team for a long time.

[01:02:35] But for right now, go downstairs, kick ass for a while.

[01:02:40] And when you come back up, the next time you come back up, you're here for good.

[01:02:44] And you know, that's just it.

[01:02:45] And then as far as Nemich and Kovacevic go, I split time with them.

[01:02:49] That's it.

[01:02:49] That's how I'd run this season.

[01:02:51] If all our defensemen stay healthy, that's what I would do.

[01:02:53] I would just, I would, you know, up until the playoffs and then you're just going to run

[01:02:57] whatever guy is giving you more over the course of an age, but I just, I split them up.

[01:03:03] But I just run a tandem every two or three games and that's it.

[01:03:08] That's what I would do.

[01:03:08] Yeah.

[01:03:08] Like we said, wouldn't it be great if they can literally find a trio tandem that can interchange

[01:03:14] well.

[01:03:14] And then you got first two pairings that are just, that's kind of like your locks.

[01:03:18] You really don't want to mess with that too much.

[01:03:20] But the third, you got a little more leeway.

[01:03:22] Maybe it won't work out.

[01:03:23] Maybe it will.

[01:03:24] Time will tell.

[01:03:25] But I think that's going to be a fascinating thing to see because quite frankly, that's

[01:03:28] what a head coach of a professional hockey team gets paid to do.

[01:03:32] Right.

[01:03:33] These are non-emotional decisions that have to be made.

[01:03:36] And the GM will play into that a little bit because again, with, with the, you know, the

[01:03:40] term and what Casey is and all that, like it does have to factor in.

[01:03:44] I'm sure they'll collaborate.

[01:03:45] But as far as if, you know, if Keith said the best team I can field is X, Y, and Z,

[01:03:53] I believe Tom would let them do that.

[01:03:54] Absolutely.

[01:03:55] Whatever it is.

[01:03:56] Yeah.

[01:03:57] But it's probably going to be the kids going down.

[01:04:02] It's a damn good problem to have.

[01:04:04] It really is.

[01:04:05] It's the best problem.

[01:04:06] Yeah.

[01:04:07] I mean, because we could tell, we could talk all about this right now and tomorrow Dylan

[01:04:10] can get hurt.

[01:04:11] Right.

[01:04:11] Or anybody can get hurt and be out months.

[01:04:14] Hey, look.

[01:04:14] Yeah.

[01:04:15] Shimon Nemich was supposed to be fighting for a lineup spot this year, you know, and because

[01:04:20] of injuries, he played the majority of the season last year.

[01:04:22] But, and I mean, everything about this team so far, I'm really happy with 90% of it.

[01:04:30] And I'm get so excited when I think about how dynamic they're going to be once Pesci and

[01:04:34] Hughes are in the lineup and, you know, give them 10, 15 games.

[01:04:38] Once this whole defensive core is together, man, it's going to be really fun to watch.

[01:04:43] I bet you we get more than one shutout this year.

[01:04:45] Yeah, I think so.

[01:04:46] And that's going to blend right into that normal part of the schedule where that kind of cadence

[01:04:51] is on flow.

[01:04:53] You play, you're off, play, you're off.

[01:04:54] That's going to be right after these guys get their kind of, you know, seven, eight,

[01:04:58] 10 games.

[01:04:59] They get their sea legs.

[01:05:00] So it's going to get real exciting, like late November, early December, as opposed to like

[01:05:05] when we started like really shitting the bed before, like now we're going to see more of

[01:05:08] like a little bit of a takeoff, I think.

[01:05:11] This is, this is going to be a fun week.

[01:05:13] You know, you got pretty much every other night, you got four games.

[01:05:16] They're all going to be good games.

[01:05:18] They're all Eastern Conference and two divisionals.

[01:05:20] This is going to be a fun week.

[01:05:22] So, all right.

[01:05:23] Anything else you want to talk about this evening, Robert?

[01:05:26] That's it, man.

[01:05:26] I'm good.

[01:05:27] All right, guys.

[01:05:28] You know the spiel wherever you're listening to us or watching us to like a five-star review,

[01:05:32] a positive comment.

[01:05:33] Subscription download goes a long way to help the little podcast that could.

[01:05:37] And before I actually forget, where the hell is my sticker?

[01:05:42] Oh, I'll do a video later and put it out there.

[01:05:44] But okay.

[01:05:46] That's basically it.

[01:05:47] So, thanks so much for checking us out.

[01:05:50] We really appreciate you.

[01:05:51] He's Bob.

[01:05:51] I'm Chris.

[01:05:52] We're the Uncle Puckers.

[01:05:52] We'll see you when we see you.

[01:05:53] He's rambling.

[01:05:54] Bye-byes.

[01:05:54] That's it.

[01:06:00] It's over, Johnny.

[01:06:02] It's over.

[01:06:02] It's over.