Flip A Switch

[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!

[00:00:24] Hey, what's up everybody? Welcome to the Uncle Pucker, New Jersey Devils Podcast with Chris, Dan, Bob, and Tony tonight.

[00:00:32] Even though right now it's just Chris and Tony, Tony has to leave a little bit early, Dan's going to be jumping in soon, and then Bobby will be here later.

[00:00:40] So it's going to be like an hour of people coming and going.

[00:00:43] So we're going to start this thing with myself and Mr. Tony out there in Lithuania.

[00:00:49] What's up, Tone?

[00:00:50] It's a good weekend for us both, man. I know you must be walking around like a fucking chicken in the den, like a cocky, I see the hoodie on too, man.

[00:00:58] It's Victory Monday, brother.

[00:01:00] Your boy's for real, dude.

[00:01:02] It is Victory Monday for both of us.

[00:01:03] Your quarterback is awesome.

[00:01:05] We haven't lost yet, Dan.

[00:01:08] That's fucking great, dude.

[00:01:09] My team has.

[00:01:10] And let me sign up.

[00:01:13] But with two of the biggest names of the Raiders not there, you guys pulled off a win.

[00:01:19] You guys pulled off a win.

[00:01:21] And that's impressive.

[00:01:22] That's the first thing.

[00:01:24] But, you know, your division's tough as hell.

[00:01:26] But it's kind of like seems like it's ripe for the taking.

[00:01:30] Like Kansas City doesn't want to win this thing again.

[00:01:33] Like they want somebody to come in and take it away.

[00:01:35] I just don't know if it's going to be the Raiders or the Chargers or the Broncos.

[00:01:38] And no one's getting first in that division this year besides Kansas City as much as, I mean, you know, whatever.

[00:01:44] I mean, they always find a way to win.

[00:01:46] It's unbelievable.

[00:01:47] Russie Rice not being there is tough, Tone.

[00:01:49] That's going to be tough.

[00:01:50] He's probably – I didn't get any – I didn't see anything yet, but it looks like it was an ACL out for the season.

[00:01:55] Jets pissed me off yesterday.

[00:01:57] All they had to do was beat Denver.

[00:01:58] They couldn't get it done.

[00:01:59] The Jets are so bad.

[00:02:01] I am so – like, look, I know on any Sunday anything can happen, but I am chomping at my bit – at the bit for this defense next week to go out to London and just make fucking Aaron Rodgers' life miserable for three and a half hours.

[00:02:16] Dude, you guys are for real this year, you know?

[00:02:18] I mean, that quarterback was so underestimated, I guess.

[00:02:21] You know, you really didn't think that you got – I mean, when I watch – it's not only – but to watch the Vikings.

[00:02:26] Not only is the offense good, but the defense is good.

[00:02:28] You probably have, I mean, the best receiver in the NFL, in my opinion, maybe.

[00:02:33] See that catch he made in the end zone yesterday?

[00:02:34] Yeah, just – the plays they're making are crazy, you know.

[00:02:37] And that co-tap catch that they had to review because they called it an incomplete.

[00:02:40] Randy Moss made one of those, too.

[00:02:41] And Jefferson gets up and looks at him and goes, trust me, that was complete.

[00:02:43] And they look back and the dude got his toes in.

[00:02:46] The Vikings are for real.

[00:02:48] And here's the thing.

[00:02:49] I've watched this team forever, right?

[00:02:51] And Dan can attest to this.

[00:02:53] He was my roommate for many, many years.

[00:02:54] There were many Sundays that I was not in a good mood.

[00:02:57] And even the good teams that they had, there was always that, yeah, but.

[00:03:02] You know, yeah, they're winning games, but come playoff time, are they going to be able to do anything?

[00:03:07] Their defense is really a sieve and a true team is going to blow them out.

[00:03:11] Most of the time those things happen.

[00:03:13] This kind of feels a little different.

[00:03:15] This year feels like, holy shit, maybe they are one of the legit best teams in the league.

[00:03:21] They could be KC right now, if you guys put them right.

[00:03:24] At this point right now, while watching both teams play, because as much as I hate Kansas City,

[00:03:27] I admit that they always find a way to win, whether it's calls or going on their side or whatever.

[00:03:32] But the Vikings, dude, I can't think of.

[00:03:35] I've watched.

[00:03:35] It's funny, because I watch Viking games because of you now.

[00:03:37] So, like, if it's a one o'clock game, I'll put the Vikings game on.

[00:03:40] And I'll, you know, I'll flip over to see if one of my division teams is losing.

[00:03:45] But I haven't seen a team that looks better than you guys.

[00:03:48] I mean, I really haven't.

[00:03:50] Here's the other thing, too, with the Vikings.

[00:03:52] Look who they beat.

[00:03:53] Because all I heard after week one was, yeah, but it was the Giants.

[00:03:57] And wait, what's going to happen after you beat San Francisco or you play San Francisco?

[00:04:02] Then we go and we whoop San Fran.

[00:04:04] And everybody said, yeah, but CMC wasn't playing.

[00:04:07] Next week against Houston, you're going to get yours.

[00:04:10] And they completely annihilated Houston.

[00:04:12] Key word is whoop, too.

[00:04:13] You guys are whooping teams.

[00:04:15] But can you go into Green Bay and beat the Packers in Lambeau?

[00:04:20] And they did that, too.

[00:04:21] So this is, like, the equivalent of going into Lambeau and beating the Packers is, like,

[00:04:26] us taking and playing the Rangers in a playoff series and taking every game at Madison Square Garden.

[00:04:32] Like, that's how much fun it is.

[00:04:34] That's awesome.

[00:04:35] How are you, buddy?

[00:04:36] We haven't seen you.

[00:04:37] Yeah, I mean, fucking my schedule sucks anymore, especially lately.

[00:04:42] Same here, man.

[00:04:43] I'm happy I can squeeze it in today, definitely.

[00:04:46] Yeah.

[00:04:46] So, I mean, there's a couple of things on the devil front.

[00:04:50] And I'm glad that, you know, you guys are here because Bob and I kind of talked about it last week.

[00:04:54] But let's start with positive, okay?

[00:05:00] And Seamus Casey said last year that, or whenever it was, the spring, that he was making this team.

[00:05:07] He said that he's going to come in and earn his spot.

[00:05:10] Did not want to start the season in Utica.

[00:05:12] Well, it looks like he did it.

[00:05:14] I heard that he's definitely on that trip.

[00:05:17] So, he's fun.

[00:05:17] Yeah.

[00:05:18] Now, it's most likely because Hitaka and Pesci and Hughes are out.

[00:05:23] But still, congratulations to the kid, man.

[00:05:25] He worked his ass off.

[00:05:26] He had a good camp, at least a little bit of camp that we saw.

[00:05:29] And he'll be hopefully in the lineup.

[00:05:31] I think he will be.

[00:05:33] So, that's awesome.

[00:05:35] Yeah, definitely.

[00:05:36] That's a positive.

[00:05:37] You found one.

[00:05:38] I did find one.

[00:05:39] Yeah.

[00:05:40] I was going to ask you guys.

[00:05:41] I haven't talked to you guys in a couple of weeks.

[00:05:43] But I got to say, man.

[00:05:43] I don't want to be too negative.

[00:05:44] I'm starting to like.

[00:05:45] It's just preseason.

[00:05:46] Okay.

[00:05:46] Starting to win.

[00:05:47] This could be a long year or not.

[00:05:48] We got it back-to-back with the Rangers.

[00:05:49] So, let's say we do well against them there.

[00:05:52] You know, this whole preseason looks a lot better.

[00:05:55] No, it doesn't.

[00:05:56] Not at all.

[00:05:57] It doesn't matter if we win every preseason game that's left.

[00:06:00] The preseason's over for the Devils.

[00:06:01] They're on their way to Prague.

[00:06:03] These guys that are playing them are the Utica comments.

[00:06:05] It's not going to matter.

[00:06:06] That's where Bobby is right now getting suited up.

[00:06:08] He's playing.

[00:06:08] And that's where it was kind of disappointing.

[00:06:11] Like, maybe not the first couple.

[00:06:12] But how many games now have they had most of their roster?

[00:06:17] Four?

[00:06:18] The defense.

[00:06:18] Yeah.

[00:06:19] I mean, the defense still looks really shitty.

[00:06:22] You know, I know they've had problems.

[00:06:24] I know, you know, the injuries, blah, blah, blah.

[00:06:28] But it's not the defense you want.

[00:06:30] Goaltending.

[00:06:31] Eh.

[00:06:32] You know, it wasn't like, oh, here's the savior.

[00:06:35] I get it.

[00:06:36] Mostly I watch season recap.

[00:06:38] I saw a few minutes here and there during games.

[00:06:41] So, I don't know.

[00:06:44] Definitely not finding a way to win.

[00:06:45] But, you know, I get it.

[00:06:47] It's preseason.

[00:06:47] I'm not going to flip out.

[00:06:49] So, well, this is my question to you, Dan.

[00:06:52] Yeah, it's preseason.

[00:06:54] Yes, the games don't count.

[00:06:55] But at the same time, you kind of want to build some good habits and a little bit of momentum to bring in a regular season.

[00:07:03] So, with the four playoff, the exhibition games that we've seen already, and the Devils have looked terrible in all of them.

[00:07:11] Yeah.

[00:07:11] A couple pretty goals.

[00:07:12] Other than that, who cares?

[00:07:14] Yeah.

[00:07:14] And, I mean, just no effort.

[00:07:16] All that stuff, right?

[00:07:17] Same shit we saw last year.

[00:07:18] It was like, wow, now we're rolling into, you know, game 83 and 84 and 85 of last year.

[00:07:23] Like, it's the same team.

[00:07:25] You mentioned the effort.

[00:07:26] That's what I – look, if they had problems to work out and there's mistakes being made, that's one thing.

[00:07:30] But we wanted this coach to bring in a strong work ethic.

[00:07:34] I don't see it yet.

[00:07:35] Well, on a scale of 1 to 10, how worried are you – we'll start with this one first.

[00:07:43] Are you in this preseason thus far leading up to Friday's opener against the Sabres?

[00:07:50] Okay, that's a tough question because if we're just talking about how worried can you possibly be during a preseason,

[00:07:59] that scale can never match.

[00:08:00] Like, if we were talking about the first five games of the regular season, that's a whole other level that you lose five in a row.

[00:08:07] It can never be as bad as losing five in a row regular season.

[00:08:10] That said, this has gone almost as bad as it could barring maybe a few more injuries picked up or something disastrous like that.

[00:08:18] You can't really – all the areas that you improved on paper, I don't see it.

[00:08:23] I don't see that work ethic, that even grit, I'll say, that we were supposed to add.

[00:08:29] I don't see the improved defense and I don't see improved goaltending.

[00:08:32] So three strikes, it's not good.

[00:08:34] So, you know, as worried as you can be during a preseason, yeah, 9 or 10.

[00:08:39] But that, of course, doesn't mean you got to flip out.

[00:08:42] There's still – you know, once the season starts is when the season starts.

[00:08:46] So, with that being said, do you think that the Devils, or any team for that matter, can flip it?

[00:08:54] Ken, is there – is it legitimate to think that they could just flip a switch on Friday and become the Devils team

[00:09:02] or at least begin to become the Devils team that we are expecting?

[00:09:06] I mean, you have to keep also in mind, Sheldon Keefe chewed these guys out publicly after the game against Montreal.

[00:09:12] He was not happy. He said it, like I said, told everybody who knows what he said in the dressing room.

[00:09:19] But he wasn't happy.

[00:09:21] And then the following game, you had a worse effort against the Islanders than you did the night before.

[00:09:26] This is your brand new head coach who told you just how disappointed and fucked up this whole thing was.

[00:09:32] And you went and did the exact same thing.

[00:09:35] That's the thing that kind of makes me worry.

[00:09:37] But what do you think? Is there a switch?

[00:09:39] Do you think they could turn it on when they have to?

[00:09:42] I think, you know, it's also like the fortunes of the game.

[00:09:45] They come out and play well.

[00:09:47] They get the good bounce.

[00:09:49] They start rolling well.

[00:09:50] Anything is possible.

[00:09:52] You can't say that it's not.

[00:09:53] And, you know, the switch that gets turned sometimes, that's what it takes.

[00:09:57] And it's not like they can't play.

[00:09:59] That said, I think that you would be surprised to have such an awful preseason.

[00:10:06] And then the so-called flip that switch.

[00:10:09] And here we are.

[00:10:10] We were just kidding.

[00:10:11] That doesn't make sense.

[00:10:13] You know, so, yeah, if you're putting odds on it, odds are against them.

[00:10:17] They have not shown how to play together as a team.

[00:10:20] Give you 60 minutes.

[00:10:21] Play better defense than last year.

[00:10:23] Get better goaltending.

[00:10:25] None of those things we said.

[00:10:27] Yeah.

[00:10:27] So, you know, even if one area looks much improved, you've still got two other really important areas that would have to also improve.

[00:10:35] Now you're asking for like a trifecta of turning the switch to really, you know, because it just looked really bad.

[00:10:42] It looked bad.

[00:10:42] But, uh...

[00:10:44] John, how worried are you about the preseason so far?

[00:10:48] You know, I don't worry about the preseason.

[00:10:50] My biggest worry is, is as of, like, of course, I'm excited.

[00:10:55] You know, you always get, we were just talking about football, right?

[00:10:57] You get excited before, even when you're thinking that you might hit damnation.

[00:11:00] Thing with the Devils is, last year there was a lot of question marks going when the season ended.

[00:11:04] Like, we had a lot of guys who had shitty years.

[00:11:07] So, we had a lot of guys the year before that who may have played well.

[00:11:09] So, to me, I have more, I'm worried, but I'm more worried because there's a lot of guys from last year's roster that I watched play that I'm not 100% sold on if they're what we think they are, maybe.

[00:11:20] There's good, I mean...

[00:11:22] You know, I hate...

[00:11:23] Obviously, you have to...

[00:11:24] I mean, glad we signed Mercer.

[00:11:26] I love Mercer, but I am kind of...

[00:11:27] There's certain guys...

[00:11:28] Mercer's one of them, you know?

[00:11:29] Last year wasn't the Mercer we had the year before that.

[00:11:33] I mean, I think there's a lot of them.

[00:11:34] I mean, I think there's a lot of...

[00:11:35] I think you guys have been out, right?

[00:11:36] Hamilton?

[00:11:36] Yeah, Hamilton.

[00:11:37] I like Hamilton, but I was saying during the offseason this year a lot, like, he kind of wasn't that great last year.

[00:11:45] You know, there was...

[00:11:46] Before the injury defensively, no.

[00:11:47] He's a good score.

[00:11:47] He does, yes.

[00:11:48] He does do things that we definitely missed.

[00:11:50] But there was also a lot of minus on that side, too, last season.

[00:11:54] Do you think that these are problems...

[00:11:58] Because, look, if what you're saying is true, then that means fundamentally this team, the makeup of this team is wrong.

[00:12:06] That this team will never be able to put it together.

[00:12:09] Do you believe that?

[00:12:11] No.

[00:12:11] The reason I kind of don't believe that...

[00:12:13] I mean, again, it's in the back of my mind is because when you've upgraded the goaltending like we have, in both areas, you know, start first and second, you know, right there.

[00:12:21] We've gotten tougher, which was a big thing that we said we had to do for the last two seasons.

[00:12:27] If Jack, you know, if our guys actually show up this year, I don't see how we can't have a good run.

[00:12:33] I'm not saying we're going to win the Stanley Cup this year.

[00:12:34] The problem is being realistic.

[00:12:37] If I was, like, on the outside and wasn't a Devils fan, there's a lot of question marks on the team that you have to kind of wonder about a little bit.

[00:12:42] Yeah.

[00:12:43] Preseason has not answered.

[00:12:44] Yeah.

[00:12:44] Preseason, you know, is a weird thing.

[00:12:46] But I just think with the goaltending, we have to have a...

[00:12:49] And that's a good point.

[00:12:50] You know, with the goaltending, too, like, you talk about flipping a switch.

[00:12:54] Goaltending, like, I think in the preseason is the biggest difference.

[00:12:58] You know, yeah, even the forwards somewhat, but, like, goaltending is the biggest difference.

[00:13:02] First of all, they rarely play the whole game.

[00:13:04] And that's hard to judge a flow and everything when they're playing one or two periods.

[00:13:08] Yeah, that's true.

[00:13:09] Secondly, I think that one of the biggest things is just stay loose and don't get hurt.

[00:13:14] Like, I don't think they're playing the way you would expect them to play during regular season on the whole.

[00:13:20] They're just getting loose, get a feel for the team.

[00:13:22] The goaltending especially is the weirdest variance between preseason.

[00:13:28] So if you were hoping for, like, something to be a savior here, maybe it is goaltending.

[00:13:33] And we're going to get a test very early, you know.

[00:13:35] Got Buffalo.

[00:13:36] What's going to be tough is coming back from, you know, from Prague, actually.

[00:13:40] That's going to be a weird week because usually a lot of teams, even in it, I've seen it in the NFL.

[00:13:43] I've seen it in every kind of sport.

[00:13:45] Usually when you take this trip, you come back, there's like this weird lull going on for like a week or two maybe.

[00:13:50] And I just don't want to see them get caught into that, you know, that trend.

[00:13:54] Because like we said, last year there wasn't many bright spots really.

[00:13:57] I mean, the last bright spot we remember was the stadium series game.

[00:14:00] But if there was never big – so years, the season before that, we had like – you'd win like –

[00:14:05] we had a lot of winning weeks.

[00:14:07] And there were some great times, you know.

[00:14:08] So last year there was just a lot of – I think how could they not be better?

[00:14:12] You've done everything that we asked them to do in a lot of ways.

[00:14:14] It's just – like I said, it's just question marks like is this – are we going to have –

[00:14:20] I know I hate saying this because I do like Dawson.

[00:14:22] Are we going to have Mercer from the year before or are we going to have last year?

[00:14:25] Are we going to have this guy from the year before?

[00:14:27] Are we going to have – is Haller going to show up?

[00:14:29] Like these are the questions I have.

[00:14:30] Like what are you going to get from these guys?

[00:14:32] I'm interested to see how they respond to the coach too because you asked about what to do with it.

[00:14:37] Maybe a couple key personnel changes.

[00:14:39] But let's face it.

[00:14:40] The personnel on paper is really damn good.

[00:14:42] Well, that's what I was going to say.

[00:14:44] If they can't play ball with this coach, then what's going on?

[00:14:46] I don't think it's the coach at this moment right now.

[00:14:50] I absolutely don't think it's the coach.

[00:14:51] I do not think it is the lineup.

[00:14:53] Like Tom Fitzgerald went out and got every single thing these kids wanted for Christmas underneath their tree.

[00:15:00] Everything he wanted.

[00:15:01] That this team needed.

[00:15:03] To the point that if any Devil fan – if this season goes south and any Devil fan is out there going,

[00:15:09] See, we shouldn't have gotten Markstrom.

[00:15:11] Why did we give up this for Dylan or Pesce?

[00:15:14] No, no, no.

[00:15:14] Fuck you because everyone thinks that these are great moves.

[00:15:18] How could you not be excited about this lineup?

[00:15:20] Right.

[00:15:20] Which is why I believe that I do think they're going to be okay.

[00:15:25] Okay.

[00:15:25] I also lay a lot of this and this whatever this was, lethargy?

[00:15:33] Lethargy.

[00:15:34] And the preseason has been on the players.

[00:15:38] This has been an effort.

[00:15:39] This has been just guys skating like they don't give a shit or whatever.

[00:15:46] However, I do think they're going to be a lot better on the fourth and the fifth against Buffalo.

[00:15:51] I do.

[00:15:52] I'm not saying we're going to win these games.

[00:15:53] But you've got to split them.

[00:15:54] Because you're coming home on a travel day from Europe like Tone just said, right?

[00:15:58] And now you probably have maybe three days after you're home and settled that you can get some practices in and clean up the messes before you have to go next week for your home opener against the Maple Leafs.

[00:16:09] Now, Craig Berube is going to make sure that that team is ready to go.

[00:16:13] That might be one of the tougher games on the schedule.

[00:16:16] And so they've got to figure it out quickly.

[00:16:22] Trauma is always a pain in the ass for us.

[00:16:24] Right.

[00:16:25] But I don't think that this is a personnel problem as far as pieces in play.

[00:16:32] I think the pieces are good.

[00:16:33] Now, do you guys think that the – I mean, not having Pesci and Hughes in the beginning, that this is probably as bad as it can get, right, for your defensive pairings?

[00:16:44] Yes.

[00:16:44] Yeah.

[00:16:45] I mean, this comes at a really horrible time.

[00:16:47] We've got Hughes out, and then we've got to take more lumps.

[00:16:50] And that's a bummer.

[00:16:51] It feels like, you know, you say to yourself, please don't let us continue last season with the injury plague.

[00:16:56] Because it seems like it's already rolling.

[00:16:59] As soon as I heard about that shoulder from Hughes, I'm like, oh, here we go.

[00:17:03] I think everybody felt the same way.

[00:17:05] Pitcher with him in a cast.

[00:17:07] Yeah.

[00:17:08] The whole team will be in traction by Christmas.

[00:17:10] And then Nemitz, you know, Chris mentioned it a couple – maybe two months ago even.

[00:17:16] Man, these guys playing.

[00:17:18] If I'm an owner, man, I would hate to have – I mean, I know why they go play with these other teams.

[00:17:23] I get it because there's so much pride for the countries.

[00:17:25] I see it over here in Europe all the time.

[00:17:27] But, man, it's just, you know, God.

[00:17:31] There's nothing worse than losing a top-flight player to international competition or some bullshit like that.

[00:17:37] Like, enough, man.

[00:17:38] Or an all-star game or, you know.

[00:17:40] Right.

[00:17:41] But now I guess that we could kind of turn around and look at last year, right?

[00:17:46] We know how bad Tony talked about it, right, last year, how bad everything was.

[00:17:50] We won every preseason game last year.

[00:17:53] So, is there like a reverse jinx that's happening?

[00:17:56] Can we do that?

[00:17:57] Can we just be like psych and then just go out and whoop up on Lindy Sabres, you know, six to one?

[00:18:03] I hope so.

[00:18:03] I see on social media and hear people saying this.

[00:18:08] Well, this is actually good because look what happened.

[00:18:10] Look at my – let's get real.

[00:18:11] Does that have anything to do with anything?

[00:18:13] Do you really think that winning all your preseason game means you're doomed to – what did that have to do with it?

[00:18:18] It had nothing to do with it.

[00:18:19] But, you know, likewise, I don't think there's some kind of reverse jinx here.

[00:18:24] No, that's not.

[00:18:25] Where you'd have to really believe in some crazy voodoo to accept that.

[00:18:29] And do you guys believe in –

[00:18:30] I can't take solace in that.

[00:18:32] Preseason, I always look at it like it's just kind of like trying to figure out this line or that line or this.

[00:18:37] Do you guys really think it's like – because I'll be honest.

[00:18:40] Like my concern, like I said, it's not so much to – of course you'd like to see him win a preseason game.

[00:18:44] But it's more for my worries from last year.

[00:18:47] But are you guys really – like do you guys believe in the preseason that if, you know, if you really lose all the games that you're in trouble for –

[00:18:55] you know, does that really worry you guys personally?

[00:18:57] I mean, I don't like the trajectory.

[00:18:58] Like, I mean, they actually lost to the Isles more recently with –

[00:19:03] What was that score?

[00:19:04] The worst score.

[00:19:04] Like 5-1 or something?

[00:19:05] I don't know.

[00:19:06] 5-1.

[00:19:07] Yeah.

[00:19:07] So, like, I mean, they actually – the first time they were against them, I think they lost 4-2.

[00:19:12] 4-2, yeah.

[00:19:13] And there's a first preseason game, you throw that out.

[00:19:15] What would you like to see as you – especially as your lineup becomes more complete?

[00:19:19] Now, I got to go over it.

[00:19:20] I don't remember exactly.

[00:19:21] But I feel like they had, as preseason wears on, more and more of like the real lineup.

[00:19:26] And that's the part that I don't like.

[00:19:28] Like how are we getting worse in results with more experience and the real lineup?

[00:19:33] I mean, it's only preseason, but it's not a good sign.

[00:19:36] But, you know, Tony, to kind of piggyback off what Dan said, you know, yes, it's preseason.

[00:19:42] It doesn't mean shit.

[00:19:42] Am I worried or do I care or worry that we lost three, four preseason games?

[00:19:47] Not at all.

[00:19:47] Not at all.

[00:19:48] I don't give a shit about the preseason games.

[00:19:49] Preseason is there in hockey to, like you said, make sure you got guys that, you know, are trying to make the team.

[00:19:57] You got PTOs you want to take a good look at and stuff.

[00:20:00] But as far as your roster, your players, most of them are set.

[00:20:03] But there's a piece here or there that you might want to plug in and you want to get a good look at guys.

[00:20:09] That's not what I'm worried about as far as the preseason.

[00:20:13] The thing that worried me was just the lack of effort.

[00:20:16] Like it looked like they didn't give a shit.

[00:20:19] Every single game just looked like they could not care less.

[00:20:22] They'd rather be anywhere other than playing hockey.

[00:20:24] When you see that, you got to go, these guys have incredible confidence to just flip the switch, as you called it.

[00:20:31] And they don't give a shit about this preseason.

[00:20:33] And that's why I put an effort.

[00:20:34] But you just wait till opening night.

[00:20:36] And you know what?

[00:20:37] I'd love to see it.

[00:20:38] It's a dangerous game to play, though.

[00:20:39] It is a dangerous game to play.

[00:20:41] You want to start, as you said, form some decent habits.

[00:20:44] See things that work.

[00:20:45] And it's all believable that, like, ah, you're going to get lackadaisical effort.

[00:20:49] But you're losing, like, I think at one point, maybe it was even 5-0 or 4-0.

[00:20:54] And, like, there's a little bit of pride.

[00:20:56] Hopefully you'll have to put on a decent show and try to do something right.

[00:21:01] So I kind of can't buy that.

[00:21:03] Like, ah, we're just so damn good that we're just not even trying right now.

[00:21:07] So don't worry, guys.

[00:21:08] These games don't matter.

[00:21:09] I mean, if that's what they end up doing and turn on some kind of opening season winning streak

[00:21:16] and they look back and go, oh, yeah, I mean, got to be honest, guys.

[00:21:19] Sorry to any fans who showed up there.

[00:21:20] But we really didn't want to work too hard in those games and couldn't care less about the scores.

[00:21:24] I'd be like, wow, that's a lot of swagger, gentlemen.

[00:21:27] But OK.

[00:21:27] A lot of swagger for a team that didn't make the playoffs last year.

[00:21:30] Yes, I'm kind of not buying that story.

[00:21:32] No.

[00:21:33] It seems right now a little bit less believable than a team that is in somewhat disarray,

[00:21:37] that it can come together and it doesn't take much.

[00:21:41] I really think that you put forth the effort that's been lacking in one game,

[00:21:45] have a couple bounces go your way.

[00:21:47] With that effort, you build on that.

[00:21:49] And the preseason is a distant memory that nobody gives a shit about.

[00:21:53] This is all true.

[00:21:54] So we'll see what happens.

[00:21:55] That's all very true.

[00:21:57] So, I mean, yeah, it's going to be –

[00:22:00] Now we're going to try and get on Thursday.

[00:22:03] Rigby, golly down.

[00:22:04] Pain in the butt.

[00:22:05] Rigby's all about the Devils too.

[00:22:06] I don't blame him.

[00:22:07] Yeah, I know.

[00:22:08] He's upset about them.

[00:22:09] He's a Packer fan.

[00:22:10] Stupid dog.

[00:22:11] He's still upset about the game.

[00:22:13] But, you know, I just –

[00:22:18] The problem, I think, for a lot of Devil fans is like PTSD.

[00:22:22] Like we watched the preseason and they looked exactly the way they did last year.

[00:22:26] And it was like, no, this can't be happening, right?

[00:22:28] They're not –

[00:22:29] Like they're not going to be like this again.

[00:22:31] And, you know, that's the thing.

[00:22:33] And I think that's where most Devil fans are right now.

[00:22:35] And they need to see something different.

[00:22:38] So, hopefully on Friday.

[00:22:39] Now I was saying we're not –

[00:22:41] We're going to record on Thursday.

[00:22:42] Now, Tone, are you not sure if you can make it on Thursday?

[00:22:45] I can make it Thursday.

[00:22:47] It just matters what time you guys do it.

[00:22:48] I know that Wednesday I won't be –

[00:22:50] Wednesday is the only day that I know I won't be around.

[00:22:52] Okay.

[00:22:52] Because I'd like to get –

[00:22:54] Do a little preview.

[00:22:54] What are you trying to do Thursday?

[00:22:56] Oh, I work until about 3.

[00:22:58] I was –

[00:22:59] I'm probably not until like maybe after dinner.

[00:23:03] Okay.

[00:23:04] If we did like five or six, I could probably do it.

[00:23:08] But much later would be the problem.

[00:23:09] But I can go a little bit later that night.

[00:23:11] So, we can figure that out obviously.

[00:23:12] I could only do like an early one on that day.

[00:23:15] And I got something with the kids.

[00:23:18] So, I probably won't make Thursday night.

[00:23:19] All right.

[00:23:20] Well, then if you –

[00:23:22] If we're not sure, at least with you two,

[00:23:26] what are you guys expecting to see Friday against the Sabres?

[00:23:29] This is going to be a hot-ass crowd, right?

[00:23:31] Yeah, yeah.

[00:23:31] I mean they love their hockey out there.

[00:23:35] I have been to these games too.

[00:23:37] Yeah, so go ahead.

[00:23:38] Yeah, I've been to these games.

[00:23:39] Like when I saw them play last time this series,

[00:23:42] it's going to be –

[00:23:43] Shitloads of Devil fans are going to show up.

[00:23:45] I already know a bunch I've already seen that are going out there.

[00:23:47] They're already in Germany already heading out there.

[00:23:50] I mean the last time we went against the Oilers

[00:23:53] when they played in Sweden, there was more Devil fans.

[00:23:56] I'm talking like probably 75%, 60% of the building.

[00:24:00] Really?

[00:24:01] Yeah, yeah.

[00:24:02] And it was – the players were excited.

[00:24:03] You could tell, you know, like they were –

[00:24:05] there was a certain atmosphere there.

[00:24:07] It's a very big thing they do.

[00:24:08] It's a really cool setup.

[00:24:09] We were there.

[00:24:10] They had Patrick Elias was doing the whole event,

[00:24:12] like speaking and hanging out and everything.

[00:24:15] So, I think the Devils are going to come out fired up.

[00:24:17] You know, always in these kind of series,

[00:24:19] when you're playing two games like this,

[00:24:21] I kind of expect a 1-1 split like you were saying earlier

[00:24:24] just because both teams are going to be fired up.

[00:24:26] But I will say the Devils are going to have no lack of fans.

[00:24:30] And like I said, I've already seen a bunch of them out there.

[00:24:32] And when I went last time, it's insane how many Devil fans travel to these things.

[00:24:37] So, I don't know.

[00:24:38] I think the Devils are going to win the first –

[00:24:40] I think that first night they're going to be pretty fine.

[00:24:42] I mean, the Devils have –

[00:24:44] you know, look at our goaltending.

[00:24:45] We have a good team.

[00:24:47] And I believe that, you know,

[00:24:48] it would be awesome to see Markstrom come out there

[00:24:50] and just nail the first game, you know.

[00:24:53] So, I mean, I'm excited.

[00:24:55] I actually have high hopes for the series.

[00:24:57] Like I said, I always kind of expect that split

[00:24:59] when they're going out of the country

[00:25:00] because I know both teams are, like I said, amped.

[00:25:02] But I'm feeling pretty confident.

[00:25:04] What are you most excited to see in the game on Friday?

[00:25:09] Markstrom.

[00:25:10] Markstrom, yeah.

[00:25:10] Dan, what are you most excited to see on Friday?

[00:25:13] Yeah, I got to agree.

[00:25:14] I want to see how Markstrom plays in these big situations.

[00:25:16] That's why it's going to suck

[00:25:17] if he just gets like the worst defense in the world

[00:25:19] so you can't even judge how he's going to do with it

[00:25:22] and it puts him out to a bad start.

[00:25:23] But I'm a little concerned.

[00:25:25] I mean, Buffalo has looked pretty good in their preseason.

[00:25:28] They actually look like they're ready to, you know,

[00:25:31] have an emerging year.

[00:25:34] And we said Lindy was a great coach for the Devils

[00:25:37] for that emerging year.

[00:25:39] And he kind of has a knack for those young guys

[00:25:41] just getting them up off the mat.

[00:25:43] They don't want to beat Jersey, you know that.

[00:25:46] Absolutely.

[00:25:46] They're going to want to beat New Jersey.

[00:25:48] They're going to look at it as like,

[00:25:49] hey, this could really put us on the map.

[00:25:51] They're on a great stage.

[00:25:51] I think it's going to be tough.

[00:25:53] I think that the Devils really got to get their shit together fast.

[00:25:56] And if they do, I would not be surprised

[00:25:59] at the end of the series call a split.

[00:26:02] But, hey, that wasn't bad because I do think, like you said,

[00:26:06] Buffalo's going to play hard.

[00:26:07] They've got a lot to prove.

[00:26:09] So I'm very curious about it.

[00:26:10] We know this double team, when they're firing on all cylinders,

[00:26:13] can actually give any team a vicious beating.

[00:26:15] But that's been over a year.

[00:26:17] We have not seen that this year.

[00:26:20] We have not really seen that last year.

[00:26:22] So it's going to be interesting.

[00:26:24] We're not able to display this camera and mic.

[00:26:27] Bobby, what are you doing?

[00:26:28] You're screwing us all up here.

[00:26:30] Oh, Bobby.

[00:26:31] He probably thinks he's on one of those live webcams.

[00:26:32] Does he say the same thing for you guys?

[00:26:33] I see what you're saying.

[00:26:35] I don't hear him either.

[00:26:36] So I don't care if we don't see him, nothing against his looks.

[00:26:39] But we've got to have him talk.

[00:26:41] Maybe he thinks he's in one of those live webcam shows or something.

[00:26:44] Would you say that the team defense is what concerns you the most about the game?

[00:26:53] If I have to pick one thing, although what you said as general effort,

[00:26:57] that's going to go a long way to describe the team defense problem

[00:27:01] and other problems that are there.

[00:27:02] I'm just saying that if you just look at the three areas, forwards, defense,

[00:27:07] goaltending, every area has been lacking.

[00:27:09] If we had our defense come together, that has been the worst, I think, of the three.

[00:27:15] And then it gives a chance for the goaltending to do its job,

[00:27:18] a chance for the forwards to do something other than score a meaningless goal

[00:27:23] when the game's already down four like happened last game.

[00:27:25] So, yeah, it's definitely the biggest key and the biggest area

[00:27:28] we need improvement in.

[00:27:30] But I can't disagree when Tony says,

[00:27:33] I'm curious to see in the goaltending.

[00:27:35] I just realized that it's limited when the defense is that bad.

[00:27:39] And whether it's Markstrom or Jesus Christ in that,

[00:27:42] it doesn't matter if the defense is going to be that bad.

[00:27:45] So, like, I kind of want to see them at least attain a decent amount of defense.

[00:27:50] And then, you know, yes, then we're leaning on Markstrom to do his job and more

[00:27:53] and steal a game if they can give him defense that at least leaves it within range, you know?

[00:27:59] Right.

[00:28:01] Just a little programming note.

[00:28:02] Bobby is not going to be able to make it.

[00:28:04] His internet's been out of his house.

[00:28:06] He's been trying to get on to do it from a hot spot,

[00:28:08] and it's just not working.

[00:28:09] Ah, shit.

[00:28:10] That spot's not so hot.

[00:28:12] I'm sorry, Bobby.

[00:28:12] Not so hot.

[00:28:13] So, Tone, what about you?

[00:28:15] What are the things that you're most concerned about going into Friday's game?

[00:28:20] Well, defense, of course.

[00:28:22] Like, you know, already we have injuries.

[00:28:24] So, of course, that.

[00:28:27] Besides that, I don't really have too many concerns except for –

[00:28:34] I don't know.

[00:28:35] Like I said, I feel pretty confident for this –

[00:28:37] at least these first two games, you know?

[00:28:38] I really do.

[00:28:39] I think we can –

[00:28:40] How do you think their physical play has been, though?

[00:28:42] Like, are you concerned about that showing up or –

[00:28:45] because I don't –

[00:28:46] I didn't see them as overly –

[00:28:47] That I think –

[00:28:48] But it's hard to judge.

[00:28:49] It's preseason.

[00:28:49] Nobody wants to get hurt.

[00:28:50] The hatred isn't there yet as much probably unless you're trying to make the team.

[00:28:53] You know, back in the –

[00:28:54] you know, back in 90s, 80s, people would just beat the hell out of each other

[00:28:57] and make the teams.

[00:28:57] Now it's a little different, I think.

[00:29:00] You know, you really –

[00:29:02] I'm sure that gets turned on game one.

[00:29:03] Maybe against the Rangers.

[00:29:04] Maybe we'll see that against the Rangers.

[00:29:05] I mean, they're going to need it against Buffalo.

[00:29:07] I think game one, they're going to need to be physical.

[00:29:09] Yeah, yeah.

[00:29:10] In a regular season, they're going to need it against –

[00:29:11] especially the good teams, as we always say, like the Florida and stuff.

[00:29:14] They're just going to knock the hell out of you if you don't give that part of your game.

[00:29:17] This is going to be –

[00:29:19] I mean, they have the two games against Buffalo,

[00:29:21] who I think most people do think Buffalo Sabres should be considerably better this year.

[00:29:27] And then you come home.

[00:29:28] You have a few days off.

[00:29:29] You have the home opener against the Maple Leafs.

[00:29:31] And then I think we have Washington in their barn, I think, on Sunday or whatever.

[00:29:36] But like – so there you go.

[00:29:38] There's your first four games.

[00:29:40] None of them are easy.

[00:29:41] Here's a question for you, Chris.

[00:29:43] Yeah, go ahead.

[00:29:43] I'll let you finish.

[00:29:44] I'll go ahead for all night.

[00:29:45] No, I was just going to say, if you end up 0-4 by this time next week,

[00:29:50] that's a really bad spot to be in.

[00:29:53] So that's where I was going.

[00:29:54] When is it – like, you know, I mean, I have many fan bases.

[00:29:58] Maybe we're Devils fans, so we deal with our fan base the most.

[00:30:01] When is it okay to start like – because, you know, I mean, I'm sure if you say if you lose the first two games in Prague,

[00:30:08] people are going to be jumping off the roof already.

[00:30:10] But when do you think is actually – because I think you've got to give the team at least like a week or two

[00:30:14] to really get their – you know, get the gel going on.

[00:30:18] But, I mean, when do you guys think it's too early to start?

[00:30:20] Because, you know, we all see it.

[00:30:22] You know, you see it on social media.

[00:30:23] It's not everybody, but some people start – I already see people freaking out over the preseason.

[00:30:27] Well, Bobby –

[00:30:28] When you're going to tell me that you dropped two games in a row on that big stage,

[00:30:31] you're not going to be concerned?

[00:30:33] Well, Bobby and I were talking about like just before this preseason even happened the way it did,

[00:30:39] we were talking about like with all the new faces, with the new coach, with the new implementation of scheme and style

[00:30:47] and all the other stuff, is it possible that the Devils are going to get off to a slow start?

[00:30:52] That maybe it'll take a couple games a week or so, two weeks before they click it, you know, finally figure it out.

[00:30:59] And maybe that's what's happening.

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

[00:31:00] But I don't think so.

[00:31:02] So what is it about the losses that make you think that's not it?

[00:31:06] The losses I don't care about.

[00:31:08] It was the effort and how they lost.

[00:31:11] You know, that's what it comes down to.

[00:31:13] Like, you know, you get beat and there's no back check.

[00:31:16] Like they just – oh, fuck it.

[00:31:18] Kyle McClain is going to score or, you know, whatever.

[00:31:20] We'll just leave our goalie hanging out to dry.

[00:31:22] All the other bullshit.

[00:31:24] It's just – that was the problem is the lack of effort and that was an issue.

[00:31:29] But all right.

[00:31:30] So it's a good thing that Bobby is here.

[00:31:31] Bobby, you made it.

[00:31:33] How are you, Bob?

[00:31:34] I'm great.

[00:31:35] You're on.

[00:31:36] Just saw a killer baseball game.

[00:31:38] I'm good to go.

[00:31:39] Oh, yeah.

[00:31:40] You're in the playoffs?

[00:31:41] In the playoffs.

[00:31:43] Was that the first game or the second game?

[00:31:45] It was the first game.

[00:31:46] Yeah, they were down 3-0.

[00:31:47] Scored six runs in the eighth only to blow it in the bottom of the eighth.

[00:31:50] So why don't you just forfeit and not play the game and let Atlanta make the playoffs

[00:31:54] and then you guys can just stay healthier and get some rest.

[00:31:57] Probably – yeah, just going to play whoever, I guess, at this point.

[00:32:00] But Atlanta needs to win to get in.

[00:32:01] So –

[00:32:02] Right.

[00:32:03] Now, if you guys –

[00:32:04] But if you guys take both the games –

[00:32:07] And he already took the one.

[00:32:07] So if you guys take both, Arizona gets in.

[00:32:09] Am I right about that?

[00:32:10] That's correct.

[00:32:11] Yep.

[00:32:12] Really?

[00:32:12] That's right.

[00:32:13] Yep.

[00:32:13] I didn't hear him at all.

[00:32:15] All right.

[00:32:15] He's all froze up.

[00:32:17] Did you hear him?

[00:32:18] Just now.

[00:32:19] Oh, Bobby's froze.

[00:32:20] Yeah.

[00:32:20] This is not going to work.

[00:32:21] Yeah.

[00:32:23] It's not such a hot, hot spot.

[00:32:26] Short story.

[00:32:28] I mean we could – it could be recording everything he's saying normal like it sometimes does.

[00:32:32] Yeah.

[00:32:32] But we shouldn't hear you.

[00:32:34] It happens – yeah, they come out perfect.

[00:32:36] The audio –

[00:32:36] Hang out.

[00:32:37] Hang out because I noticed when I had that trouble, it went away after a while.

[00:32:41] So yeah, just sit there and listen to the show.

[00:32:47] All right.

[00:32:47] So he wrote, I'll hang on a bit.

[00:32:51] Look at us, Bobby, when we're talking to you.

[00:32:53] Yeah.

[00:32:54] Don't you turn your head on us.

[00:32:56] This is total Max Headroom.

[00:32:57] You look like Max Headroom right now.

[00:32:59] You're moving like him.

[00:33:00] You look like him.

[00:33:01] You remember that show?

[00:33:02] Funny.

[00:33:02] You guys can't hear me.

[00:33:03] Yeah.

[00:33:03] Commercial, yeah.

[00:33:04] I hate you guys right now.

[00:33:05] Let's do this real quick for all who can contribute.

[00:33:09] Bobby, just stop talking.

[00:33:11] It's not working.

[00:33:12] It's not working.

[00:33:14] All right.

[00:33:15] So the first game, October 4th against the Sabres.

[00:33:19] Win or loss, guys?

[00:33:21] Davos 4-2.

[00:33:23] Dan?

[00:33:24] I love that.

[00:33:25] I like the prediction.

[00:33:27] I'm going to say something close to that, which would make me even happier, like a 3-1.

[00:33:32] Okay.

[00:33:32] Boy, do I see it coming?

[00:33:33] I'm not so sure, but there we go.

[00:33:35] I'm throwing some positivity out there.

[00:33:37] The Tar is going to score that first game.

[00:33:39] Okay.

[00:33:39] Well, that's what we're getting to that.

[00:33:40] Bob and I aren't going to answer any of these questions because we're going to do it

[00:33:43] on Thursday.

[00:33:44] And hopefully, hopefully you guys are, some of you just can make it.

[00:33:47] But okay.

[00:33:48] So the second game against the Sabres.

[00:33:50] What do you think?

[00:33:52] Hmm.

[00:33:54] I'm going to say 5-4 Devils in OT.

[00:33:57] All right.

[00:33:57] So you're saying Devils have taken both of these, sweeping the Global Series, heading

[00:34:01] back home.

[00:34:02] All right.

[00:34:03] The best league in the National.

[00:34:04] The best record in the National Hockey.

[00:34:04] A lot of Devil fans there.

[00:34:05] A lot of Devil fans there.

[00:34:07] All right.

[00:34:07] I like the optimism.

[00:34:13] All right.

[00:34:23] That's what I'm hoping.

[00:34:24] That's what I'm calling for.

[00:34:25] I think it's possible.

[00:34:26] And that's what I want.

[00:34:27] Home opener Thursday night against the Maple Leafs.

[00:34:30] That's why they've lost all their preseason games.

[00:34:32] They're waiting now to start racking them up.

[00:34:34] Well, that's what people, some people believe.

[00:34:36] I don't think so.

[00:34:37] Bobby, that seems a lot better now.

[00:34:40] Yeah.

[00:34:40] I didn't want to jump in.

[00:34:41] And then it just started freezing up.

[00:34:43] Damn it.

[00:34:45] Okay.

[00:34:45] Awesome.

[00:34:46] Awesome.

[00:34:47] All right.

[00:34:47] So Maple Leafs.

[00:34:51] I think that Maple Leafs are going to be a tough opponent.

[00:34:53] If we win against them, I wouldn't be surprised.

[00:34:56] It's because on the scoring, I think they could score.

[00:35:00] I think maybe that's one where we're going to have a 5-4 kind of win.

[00:35:05] 5-4?

[00:35:06] Yeah.

[00:35:07] Home opener, Devils win 5-4.

[00:35:08] What about you, Tone?

[00:35:09] Yeah.

[00:35:10] Do I go with honesty here or do I go with the Devils fan?

[00:35:15] I mean, I'm staying optimistic for now.

[00:35:18] Man, you know, Toronto, I can't stand them.

[00:35:21] They're tough for us for some reason.

[00:35:24] Say if we do, you're coming back from Prague.

[00:35:26] Is there going to be a little bit of that little dust on you from that?

[00:35:29] A little bit.

[00:35:30] I don't know.

[00:35:30] I'm going to go with – I hate to do it.

[00:35:33] Taking the L?

[00:35:34] Yeah.

[00:35:35] Take the L.

[00:35:35] We're not going to go 82-0, Tone.

[00:35:36] Yeah.

[00:35:37] I would love them to.

[00:35:39] But I would say, yeah.

[00:35:40] I got them going 82-0 right here.

[00:35:42] Damn.

[00:35:42] That's like your shutout.

[00:35:43] You got to –

[00:35:44] And then Saturday –

[00:35:45] I'm getting to that.

[00:35:46] That's the shutout.

[00:35:47] Saturday, we're getting –

[00:35:48] 82 shutouts.

[00:35:49] October 12th against the Capitals in Washington.

[00:35:52] What do you think?

[00:35:53] 2-0 shutout.

[00:35:55] Okay.

[00:35:56] 2-0 shutout.

[00:35:58] 4-0.

[00:35:58] Okay.

[00:35:59] Yeah.

[00:36:00] Although maybe the opposite is more likely.

[00:36:02] I don't know.

[00:36:03] I'm going to say –

[00:36:05] I'm going to say 4-3.

[00:36:07] And the reason I'm going to say that is because there's –

[00:36:09] as much as I can, I'm not a big fan.

[00:36:12] Ovechkin always scores against us usually for some reason.

[00:36:15] Those days are over now.

[00:36:16] I'm hoping so.

[00:36:17] Our defense comes alive next year.

[00:36:20] Then Markstrom, the savior.

[00:36:21] When they're back.

[00:36:22] Yeah.

[00:36:22] Sweeps down.

[00:36:23] All right.

[00:36:23] So you're saying that they're going to win.

[00:36:24] I think we're going to win that game though.

[00:36:26] Yeah.

[00:36:26] All right.

[00:36:28] Then we come back home and we play the Utah Hockey Club.

[00:36:32] I think their name is the Snow Taints or something.

[00:36:38] I wanted to ask you like –

[00:36:39] Utah.

[00:36:39] Ice Still Doze.

[00:36:40] Can we have a think on when the name, whether it be Ice Still Doze

[00:36:43] or something equally magnificent, is coming?

[00:36:46] Because I would have thought like now.

[00:36:49] How long does it take to pick a stupid name?

[00:36:51] Well, no.

[00:36:52] This season is going to be the UHC.

[00:36:55] Are you serious?

[00:36:56] Yeah.

[00:36:56] The uniforms are suck.

[00:36:57] This is what happens if you give a team to Utah.

[00:36:59] It takes them a whole year to pick a name.

[00:37:01] Why?

[00:37:01] Why?

[00:37:02] What takes so long?

[00:37:03] I think it was just we need to get – it happened so quick.

[00:37:06] It was to get the generic stuff out there and then we'll work on the team name.

[00:37:10] We'll work on all the color schemes, the jerseys.

[00:37:13] I wish Bobby was here.

[00:37:14] He's a marketing genius as we know.

[00:37:16] I'd like to know if this is a good idea to run a year with just – I don't know name.

[00:37:21] Look, when Washington did it, there's a whole reason.

[00:37:23] You don't think that the name might be the Utah Snowy the Snow Cubs?

[00:37:26] I would love that.

[00:37:28] That would be so awesome.

[00:37:30] Brought to you by the Snow Caps.

[00:37:32] The Snow Caps.

[00:37:33] Yes.

[00:37:34] I would love that.

[00:37:35] Utah.

[00:37:37] Is it a good idea to have a no-name team?

[00:37:40] Yeah.

[00:37:41] Washington did it.

[00:37:42] The Washington – we understood why.

[00:37:44] They got, oh, our name's canceled.

[00:37:45] We're going to throw a big fit and take a year to pick a name.

[00:37:48] What's Utah's reasoning?

[00:37:49] Is that lacking creativity as a state?

[00:37:52] They can't –

[00:37:52] What have they had?

[00:37:53] They had the Utah –

[00:37:53] It takes over a year.

[00:37:55] The Yeti is the main one.

[00:37:57] The Yeti's the best.

[00:37:58] I mean, that's a good name right there.

[00:38:00] I mean, they're going to vote in this election on November 5th?

[00:38:03] Yes.

[00:38:04] So are they going to not vote because they're not –

[00:38:06] It's wonderful.

[00:38:07] Too quick of a turnaround for them?

[00:38:10] In the time that 340 million Americans are going to cast a vote

[00:38:15] and then transition from an entirely new administration all in a matter of three months

[00:38:22] and the Utah Hockey Club can't come up with a name in jerseys.

[00:38:25] You're right.

[00:38:25] They're like, maybe next year.

[00:38:27] All right.

[00:38:27] This is the big one, guys.

[00:38:29] October 15th in Carolina against the Canes.

[00:38:34] Dan so far has them undefeated.

[00:38:36] Tony has them dropping the home opener against the Leafs.

[00:38:41] And just so you guys know where I'm going with these,

[00:38:43] I do believe we will drop that second game in Buffalo against Buffalo.

[00:38:49] Yeah, that makes sense.

[00:38:49] That's fair.

[00:38:50] And then I think we come in and we start getting our shit together.

[00:38:53] So against the Canes, what do you think?

[00:38:56] That said, you know, Canes are always tough, but they're a diminished team this year.

[00:39:00] So it's really not crazy to pick the Devils, the winners here,

[00:39:03] especially if you think that they've been rolling for a while like I have.

[00:39:05] That said, most of what I said today has made no sense.

[00:39:09] So let the Canes win.

[00:39:12] And we're going to get shut out and hopefully a fun goaltender match duel.

[00:39:19] And we lose one, nothing.

[00:39:21] Just unable to score for some reason.

[00:39:23] You got the Devils going five and one through their first six.

[00:39:27] Yeah.

[00:39:28] All right.

[00:39:29] And Tony, what about you and the Hurricanes?

[00:39:34] Four, three Devils.

[00:39:36] Okay.

[00:39:37] Okay.

[00:39:37] So you have them five and one too.

[00:39:41] The only thing I really question is that Prague series winning both games.

[00:39:45] But I mean, besides that, I'm pretty confident.

[00:39:48] But yet those two games in Prague, if they can pull it off and they can win both of those games

[00:39:53] against the Sabres.

[00:39:55] I mean, it really is a nice springboard.

[00:39:58] You're feeling so good coming back home.

[00:40:00] You know you have Toronto.

[00:40:02] You're going to be fired up to beat them.

[00:40:04] Sheldon Keefe's old team.

[00:40:05] The same way, as you know, every dude in that Maple Leaf locker room is going to be

[00:40:09] trying to come out and put a whooping on Sheldon Keefe.

[00:40:12] So you got it.

[00:40:13] I think you got to take the two and feel really good about yourself.

[00:40:17] Personally, I'm not sure.

[00:40:18] I do think this team through the month of October, I do think they're going to keep their

[00:40:22] head above water.

[00:40:23] I just don't necessarily know if it's going to start clicking right away.

[00:40:27] I would say, Tony, this is where I'm going to stop this picking the games through October.

[00:40:34] We'll get back to it because your original question was, when do you start getting worried?

[00:40:40] This is where you start getting worried.

[00:40:42] Six games in, if you're one and five or even two and four not playing well, that's where

[00:40:49] you can actually start worrying and seeing.

[00:40:51] In my opinion, like, guys, this is the time that you got to turn it around.

[00:40:54] Because Bobby made an excellent point on the last podcast from, I believe it was May 25th

[00:41:01] to now, the Mets have had the best record in baseball.

[00:41:06] They were so bad in the month of April and the first half of May that even though they

[00:41:12] played the best baseball from May 25th to right now, they were still battling, scratching

[00:41:19] and clawing trying to get into the playoffs.

[00:41:22] That's the same thing.

[00:41:23] I think you're totally right.

[00:41:26] Dropping four in the middle of December after you've had a good start means nothing.

[00:41:31] It's just a little mini slump.

[00:41:33] Dropping four in your first four or six games, that's horrible.

[00:41:39] It's a horrible way to start, especially the context of this team and this year.

[00:41:43] All the moves that were made, the pressure to get off the mat already.

[00:41:47] It's going to be huge.

[00:41:48] And you're right.

[00:41:49] I can't pick a worse point of the season to drop four unless you needed four to clinch a

[00:41:55] playoff berth later on in spring.

[00:41:58] So 100%.

[00:41:59] I'm honestly, I'm worried if we drop those first two in Prague.

[00:42:03] I know that we come back with this slump that Tony's talking about.

[00:42:07] That's a thing against a really tough opponent.

[00:42:11] In fact, even though for some stupid reason I picked us to lose to Carolina, not Toronto,

[00:42:15] Toronto is going to be the toughest.

[00:42:16] They're going to be tough.

[00:42:17] They're going to be the toughest opponent in that first five games or whatever we just

[00:42:21] predicted.

[00:42:22] Boys, I got to get out of here, actually.

[00:42:24] I apologize.

[00:42:24] Before you leave, we're going to wrap it up in a couple of minutes.

[00:42:27] But real quick, Tone, since before, give me your first goal scorer for Friday night

[00:42:31] against Buffalo.

[00:42:33] Tatar.

[00:42:34] There you go.

[00:42:34] Tony's going to Tatar.

[00:42:36] Tony, have a good show, buddy.

[00:42:37] Thanks, guys.

[00:42:37] You guys have a good night.

[00:42:38] Let's go to the apples.

[00:42:39] Thanks, brother.

[00:42:40] Yeah, and watch some football, too.

[00:42:42] That's right.

[00:42:42] Be good, brother.

[00:42:44] So Tony has Tatar as his first.

[00:42:47] How about you, Dan?

[00:42:48] I would love to see a Timo Mayer goal.

[00:42:50] Okay.

[00:42:52] Timo Mayer.

[00:42:52] I like it.

[00:42:53] I like it.

[00:42:54] He did have a nice power play goal in the last game.

[00:42:56] He did.

[00:42:57] That was like eight seconds in, just boom.

[00:42:59] Yeah, but.

[00:43:00] Highlight of that fucking game.

[00:43:01] That one goal and the rest of it looked like dog shit.

[00:43:04] Now, I do want to bring this up to you because we, me and you specifically, were talking before

[00:43:11] the trade for Timo Mayer was even done that, like, this is the guy that's got to play with

[00:43:15] Jack, right?

[00:43:16] It's got to be Timo.

[00:43:17] That just looked like it was going to work.

[00:43:19] It was going to be wonderful and all the other stuff.

[00:43:21] And last year, we know that it didn't happen.

[00:43:24] And then this year, it does look like the reason, I mean, Jack hasn't been playing much.

[00:43:28] So that's another thing that also concerns me.

[00:43:30] Why was he not in the last game against the unders?

[00:43:33] I don't know.

[00:43:34] Is the shoulder not 100%?

[00:43:36] That's what worries me.

[00:43:37] What's going on?

[00:43:38] This is bad news.

[00:43:39] Yeah.

[00:43:40] So let's assume that everything's fine and he'll be in the lineup.

[00:43:44] There was a big article by Pucks and Pitch Horse that they wrote basically saying why Timo and

[00:43:50] Jack will never work.

[00:43:52] I vehemently disagree with it.

[00:43:54] I think it's ridiculous to think that.

[00:43:56] What was your main thrust of the argument, if you could summarize in your own words?

[00:44:00] Well, because Bobby was playing my part last time and I asked him the same question.

[00:44:04] And he said, because I didn't read the article, but he said mostly playing style.

[00:44:09] Mostly they're both puck carriers that like to shoot the puck.

[00:44:13] Neither one of them are big on passing, which I don't agree with.

[00:44:16] Jack is an amazing passer.

[00:44:18] Yeah.

[00:44:18] And one of the best in the entire league.

[00:44:20] So to me, do you just keep putting that line out there and making it so these guys click?

[00:44:27] I mean, I understand that chemistry.

[00:44:30] Yeah, it's got to happen.

[00:44:31] Sometimes chemistry is a mystical thing, right?

[00:44:34] It either works or it doesn't.

[00:44:35] You just can't explain it.

[00:44:36] But that said, I think you got to try because I love what we see on paper.

[00:44:40] Timo can go to the net and give Jack so many more options by being that, you know,

[00:44:46] bull in the China shop, right in the crease, causing havoc, deflecting shots.

[00:44:52] You know, like together they can really do that.

[00:44:55] And I don't believe they can't pass to each other.

[00:44:58] It doesn't have to be I'm just your deflection slash screen man.

[00:45:02] I'm Timo Meyer.

[00:45:03] They can have some good passing plays together.

[00:45:06] You'd like to see that develop.

[00:45:07] Give it time to.

[00:45:09] I would definitely not pull the plug on that experiment too soon.

[00:45:13] And if it takes a while for them to develop, I still think it's really worth it to give

[00:45:18] it a shot.

[00:45:18] Now, you know, maybe there's other things we don't know about how it doesn't work.

[00:45:22] Maybe they're both players are like, no, I just I really hate it.

[00:45:26] And as a coach, you want to pull the plug on it earlier than maybe make sense to some fans

[00:45:30] like myself.

[00:45:31] But I don't know, man.

[00:45:33] I don't see what's wrong with the idea.

[00:45:35] I think it's a great idea that hasn't had enough time.

[00:45:38] I don't know.

[00:45:39] What is enough time?

[00:45:40] I'll ask you.

[00:45:42] Ten games.

[00:45:43] I think you got to give them decent shifts together for the first ten games and try and

[00:45:49] make this thing work, because I just think that the upside potential upside is far greater

[00:45:54] than the downside.

[00:45:55] I just think if you can get these two rolling with Brad on the other side, it has no doubt

[00:46:03] in my mind that it's going to be a dynamic line that's going to score a shitload of points.

[00:46:07] And that's why I think you have.

[00:46:09] And I don't think Sheldon Keefe will have the itchy trigger finger like Lindy did with just,

[00:46:15] you know, oh, shit, we're 35 seconds in, guys, and you haven't scored six goals yet.

[00:46:19] Throw everything in a blender.

[00:46:21] Let's see what happens.

[00:46:21] That's why it's a shame they're getting off to such a slow preseason, because, you know,

[00:46:25] he might not have that inclination, but let's say they start, they drop three of the first

[00:46:30] four.

[00:46:30] He's going to have to do something.

[00:46:32] And that's going to include moving the big guns around to try to get some scoring somewhere.

[00:46:37] That's going to be one of the first moves you make, because, OK, I got to get Jack or

[00:46:41] Timo working.

[00:46:42] They're not working together.

[00:46:43] I'm going to move them.

[00:46:44] And I understand that if it becomes even close to pushing the panic button.

[00:46:49] And but I hope you're right.

[00:46:52] And he gets at least enough winning out of these guys to continue that and give it the

[00:46:57] time it needs to develop as a as a real chemistry that I think would pay off huge.

[00:47:02] Yeah.

[00:47:03] Yeah.

[00:47:04] And I think also part of our preseason struggles is the fact that this team has got a lot of

[00:47:12] new guys and even even our roster that was here prior, like Mercer just got in.

[00:47:18] Right.

[00:47:19] Holla just got back on.

[00:47:20] Hasn't been with the team in how many months?

[00:47:22] Hamilton.

[00:47:23] Yeah.

[00:47:23] Not not being with the team and stuff.

[00:47:25] So there's and now you got Nason in there.

[00:47:27] You got Cotter in there.

[00:47:28] You have two D men.

[00:47:30] Your entire second pairing is out for a few weeks.

[00:47:33] So that's going to throw things into a blender as well.

[00:47:37] So I do think that my level of concern for the preseason right now is at five that I am

[00:47:49] right in the middle as far as my concern of how they did.

[00:47:52] I am concerned with the lack of effort, but I'm also understand that these games don't

[00:47:57] matter.

[00:47:58] Right.

[00:47:58] You're taking this whole circumstances to of like, this isn't actually the team we're

[00:48:03] going to have for the most of the season.

[00:48:05] Right.

[00:48:05] Like we're not going to get bit with injuries to this extent.

[00:48:08] Right.

[00:48:08] Shouldn't be, which is something we said for an entire year last year.

[00:48:13] But, you know, hey, lightning can't strike in the same place twice.

[00:48:17] Right.

[00:48:18] Yeah.

[00:48:18] I mean, I'm not willing to put money on that, but yeah, I mean, hockey is sometimes

[00:48:24] at this point, you know, like with these injuries going into this season.

[00:48:28] We really deserve as fans to have the injuries be at a minimum.

[00:48:34] It was bad enough when Hughes, you know, a dreaded Hughes shoulder injury.

[00:48:38] That was by itself horrible to hear.

[00:48:40] And then to pile two more important D on top of it.

[00:48:44] It's like, what I do feel a little cursed.

[00:48:47] Yeah.

[00:48:47] I guess that goes into like your five.

[00:48:50] I said, oh man, nine or 10 with the performance, at least in a preseason context.

[00:48:55] But I understand where you're coming from because when you take those out, if you're

[00:48:58] hopeful, I guess I probably would be closer to your number myself.

[00:49:02] Well, and this team right now is built in such a way that if you did have a significant injury

[00:49:09] to somebody, you kind of hope it's not going to derail the whole season, that there are

[00:49:13] enough dudes on this team that they can see how deep they are.

[00:49:16] Yes.

[00:49:16] Deep and that's deep out every position.

[00:49:18] But and that's key.

[00:49:20] So, I mean, I also think that we should do a show on Friday after the game.

[00:49:27] If you're I mean, well, actually, the game's on it in the afternoon.

[00:49:29] I think it's on at like one or three o'clock.

[00:49:31] That's a one o'clock game?

[00:49:32] One o'clock.

[00:49:33] So I mean, I work until probably won't be home until like nine thirty or so.

[00:49:38] So hopefully everybody can we can hop on and talk about that game.

[00:49:41] It sounds like a definite possibility.

[00:49:43] Or we can do it Saturday night and talk about both games, either one.

[00:49:47] So that could be fun.

[00:49:50] But we'll figure all that out.

[00:49:52] Is there anything else, Dan, that you want to talk about tonight?

[00:49:54] Oh, no, I wouldn't say anything majorly important.

[00:49:57] So we'll we'll try to get together after these opening games.

[00:50:02] Yeah.

[00:50:02] Try and I know you said Thursday is no good for you.

[00:50:06] Thursday is going to be tough for me, man.

[00:50:08] I will try.

[00:50:09] But I have a feeling that I can either go early like we did today or maybe not at all

[00:50:15] because I got something with the kid that is going to keep me most of the evening.

[00:50:20] Well, let me know if you can go at like four thirty or five and we'll record the show then.

[00:50:24] OK, let me all right.

[00:50:25] Let me look into that and I will definitely stay in touch.

[00:50:27] All right.

[00:50:27] So wherever you're listening to us, they like a five star review, a positive comment, download

[00:50:31] subscription helps a little podcast that could.

[00:50:34] Thank you to Tony, who actually made it on tonight, which was really nice.

[00:50:38] We did have a brief sighting of Bobby.

[00:50:42] It was like a Sasquatch in the woods.

[00:50:43] He was here for a moment.

[00:50:44] I think we saw a man show.

[00:50:46] That was nice.

[00:50:46] And then he was gone.

[00:50:47] Right.

[00:50:47] And then then he was gone.

[00:50:49] But other than that, he's Dan.

[00:50:51] I'm Chris.

[00:50:51] Where do you uncle puckers?

[00:50:52] We'll see you when we see you.

[00:50:54] Hook is out.

[00:51:00] It's over, Johnny.

[00:51:02] It's over.

[00:51:05] This is a mini meditation guided by Bombas.

[00:51:09] Repeat after me.

[00:51:11] I'm comfy.

[00:51:12] Comfy.

[00:51:12] I'm cozy.

[00:51:13] Cozy.

[00:51:14] I have zero blisters on my toes.

[00:51:16] Blisters.

[00:51:16] And that's because I wear Bombas.

[00:51:18] The softest socks, underwear, and t-shirts that give back.

[00:51:21] One purchased equals one donated.

[00:51:24] Now go to bombas.com slash listen and use code listen for 20% off your first purchase.

[00:51:30] That's B-O-M-B-A-S dot com slash listen and use code listen at checkout.

[00:51:34] And then he's out.