Hey Devils... WTF?

Chris (00:03.58)
what's up Bobby? Hey, how am I? Well, I don't know man, I don't know.

Bobby (00:05.858)
Hey, how are you? Hey.

Bobby (00:13.282)
You in a mood? I like to start the shows by saying what kind of mood I'm in, and I'm in a mood.

Chris (00:18.064)
Alright, I am definitely in a mood and you wanna go first or you you could start and then I'll go on my little.

Bobby (00:26.254)
Well, let's just first I want to look at the interesting way that pre -seasons the three stages of pre -season, right? So you start off, you have a winning record and you'll usually say something like, yeah, yeah, I know the games don't really count, but you know what? It's good to be winning. You want a winning mentality. Winning is always good. Let's go in on a good note, right? So you're happy.

Then there's the 500 -ish team. Yeah, what did you expect? Of course, we're mixing lines up, we're trying to get things out, we went 500. That's exactly what you should expect from the preseason. And then there's the losing record, where you're like, fuck it, move on, doesn't mean anything. Well, we are somewhere right now towards that losing record. And I can say that it sucks. The problem that we're seeing right now given

Chris (00:58.375)
Mm -hmm.

Bobby (01:18.314)
all the changes I don't care what you're trying to learn I don't care that you're trying plays one word so far it's lifeless that's what I've seen today mostly today I was really looking forward to seeing the full roster or as close as we can get at Jack Hughes was a late scratch and they're saying he's just because he skated twice otherwise he's fine I call bullshit

This is basically their only tune up before they leave for Europe. You wanted one game where they could play together. Everybody's still wondering if Jack and Timo could ever play together. I was really hoping they finally get like a full analysis of this and he is not there and the rest of the team look like they didn't give a shit. So go ahead and lose in preseason. I don't care, but don't phone it in. And they phoned it in and the coach looked like he was telling them that they were phoning in.

Anyway, how are you?

Chris (02:17.692)
Well, I mean, on account that the last time that this hockey team won a game was April 11th, and that was against the Maple Leafs. That was a 6 -5 win, followed by the final two games, games 81 and 82 of last year, where they were both losses. It was a 1 -0 shutout to the Flyers, followed by

the same team that beat us tonight, the Islanders on April 14th, a 4 -1 loss. So the last game we played was April 15th. All right, now that's what, six months ago, May 15th, June, July, August, September, like five and a half, right? So let's say around that. So this team who came into last season off of a 112 point franchise setting, record setting season.

Bobby (02:58.958)
Yep, get a little less, but pretty much, let's call it

Chris (03:13.596)
Wanna playoff round, all good vibes around. Went in feeling very good about last season, they won every playoff, every preseason game last year. I had them going 8 -0 in the month of October. I thought this team was loaded, I was so happy about it. But regardless, what happened last year, we all know what happened. And then what we saw at the end of last year was just...

Yes, injuries and everything, but you could tell these guys wanted to be anywhere other than playing for this fucking team. They were done and they just wanted it to go away. They wanted to go back home. They were embarrassed and they should have been. The whole organization was embarrassed. whole fan base was embarrassed with what... And you... Then your GM goes out this summer and does more than any general manager. Gets you a...

Bobby (03:54.286)
To a man they said it.

Chris (04:07.036)
Top -line head coach with a winning pedigree gets you a top 10 goaltender Gets you two defensemen that not only are very good on the blue line, but they both bring some physicality Especially Brendan Dillon you were very weak in that bottom six. They bring in Nason. They bring in Cotter They bring in you know, whoever else is there a couple of other guys we have so we know all the work that was done Thomas Tatar comes back. So this was Tom Fitzgerald saying

I believe last year was an anomaly. That's not who this team is and we're going to build it and we're going to come back stronger. You would have thought that this these guys and I don't give a shit if it was just on the first preseason game against the Islanders. That was basically just the Hesher line was out there and I think Nason was out there with with Palat. There weren't a ton of our starters.

So okay, we lost that one four to two, you know, it was two two when our starter was in that and then they go that was fine.

Bobby (05:09.294)
You don't care. get it.

Chris (05:14.588)
But the three that came after, including tonight, which last I checked was a 5 -1 drubbing at the hands of the Islanders, they looked impotent, they looked lifeless, they looked like the exact same team that played April 15th against these Islanders, with no sense of urgency, no sense of team discipline.

No sense of just the fact that, guys, we have to play a real hockey game that counts in one week. And then what you said about, why is Jack not in the lineup? I'm done with you guys fucking around with us. If he's injured still, then tell us. And why in the last pre -season game that these guys are gonna play before they head out to get ready for the Buffalo game in Europe, why is Jake Allen in that? I don't understand this. Every...

Last pre -season game, your starter gets the game. It's always that way. Right.

Bobby (06:12.524)
It's pretty much been the way. Yes. It's the final. It's the one game they're playing the whole game. It's their tune up game. Yes.

Chris (06:19.228)
Did we make all these moves to bring Jacob Markserman to be Jake Allen's backup?

Bobby (06:26.478)
The only thing I can say to that is we have a very bizarre back to back in your like a one o 'clock and then a 10 AM. It's a real quick turnover. They're both gonna play. Obviously. I would still think that you would go on to go, know, Alan's second just because of the very reason that we brought this guy to be number one. And then obviously they got a very long break before the home opener where you go right back to Markstrom again. So it is bizarre.

Chris (06:53.948)
There's no world that makes sense to have Jake Allen play Friday night against Buffalo. Like that needs to be, that's our opening game. That's game one of 82, your new netminder. Jacob Markstrom needs to be between the pipes. There's, yeah, yes. And everyone that could have played tonight should have played tonight. You're gonna give Jack Hughes a maintenance day? He played two fucking games.

Bobby (07:09.656)
Set the tone, win the game. Yes.

Chris (07:22.232)
in the preseason, and you're giving him a maintenance day? He's been off since April 15th, and he's getting a maintenance day today.

Bobby (07:27.756)
I mean.

I mean, camp just started. That's the point I'm trying to make. They don't have more tune -up. This was it. They're leaving. They have nothing but practice until the games count.

Chris (07:37.681)
This was it.

They leave on Sunday, they're gonna get to, you know, then they, guess they get four days or so to actually, you know, acclimate to the, everything over there and get ready to play the game. Buffalo is already there! Buffalo is in Europe! They're playing games out there already! And here we are putting, I mean, I don't understand this effort that I saw tonight. That first period was disgusting.

Bobby (07:54.486)
Are they? Wow.

Bobby (07:59.662)
Interesting.

Chris (08:09.07)
Absolutely two power play goals. You took two stupid penalties and allowed two power play goals Same shit we saw last year, right? You know miss playing a puck McLean gets behind you he gets the breakaway We gave up odd man rushes up the ass in that first period second period was not much better. I didn't watch the third But I can only assume We get on the board, know Meyer gets on with his you know power play goal big fucking whoop

Anyone that wanted to score on the Islanders tonight could score. You Alan... Yeah, he looked like shit. He let a couple of bad ones in.

Bobby (08:45.676)
Yes, he looked frozen at times. I'm sitting there trying to justify the first period a little bit. I'm like, okay, know, in any one of those goals, it's like, okay, a power play goal, not always the goal tenders fault breakaway, not always a goal tenders fault. And that third goal was actually kind of a whip around quick surprising goal. That was probably the least offensive of his non -saves. But then I was like, you know what? I know they're not, you know, technically all his fault because the defense was hanging him out to dry. Like you said, looked just like last year.

For God's sake man, stop one of them and he looked like he was frozen still on the breakaway. I think maybe he nudged his shoulder up to the left. I don't understand that at all. Not again, not all on him, but just to a man from him out. Zero urgency. Like you said, like we don't give a fuck. This game means nothing. But when you have a new coach and new players and this is your like tune up game, you're right it means something.

Chris (09:37.916)
And how about this, not only with all that stuff, it was reported that after the Montreal game, Sheldon Keefe was pissed off at their effort. Like you knew that your head coach, your brand new head coach was not happy with how you started that game and how you played it the whole 60, was not happy, called you out on it, called the whole team out.

Bobby (09:46.274)
Yes.

Bobby (09:58.318)
called you out on the third preseason game of the year. Second, really, with NHLers.

Chris (10:01.506)
And this is your response? maybe, and look, I know I'm like, you know, ready to jump off the cliff right here. We went on all summer long about this team and how freaking good this team is supposed to be, should be. And we always prefaced it with on paper. But

Bobby (10:04.994)
That's the problem.

Bobby (10:21.998)
should be.

Chris (10:27.258)
We don't play these games on paper and now we thought the same thing last year. It didn't rear its head until a little bit later that last year that we saw just how bad this team was and a lot of it was exactly what you just said, a lack of effort all around. And now...

Bobby (10:44.738)
that and I don't know that we have a grip on the defense at all right now with Pesci and Luke being gone. I think it's not going to get figured out properly. And you brought up last show, do you think we're heading into maybe a slow start? I think so. I really do now.

Chris (10:49.583)
No.

Chris (11:01.798)
There's a difference between a slow start and a terrible start. And if this team goes and starts off in a terrible start, you could forget about the playoffs. This league in general, let alone our conference and the Metropolitan division, is too fucking hard. Like, you can't, you have to, you have to be able to hang. You cannot drop three or four in a row and then win two and then drop two and expect to play that way.

Bobby (11:31.086)
I'm gonna give you a perfect example that actually extrapolated out even further and I'm gonna use baseball as an example because baseball plays 162 right twice as many games as hockey. And the Mets and I'm watching trying to kind of get into secure their spot in the world's are in the playoffs and will serve to great. Started off very bad just. Totally underwhelming and then since May 30th nobody realizes it but the best record in baseball since May 30th but you know what.

Chris (11:49.22)
One step at a time, Bobby.

Chris (11:53.873)
Right.

Bobby (11:59.438)
Here they are still fighting for their lives because they couldn't even play 500 ball in the first month or two. Just 500 ball. We're not saying gotta be world beaters. You gotta just stick with them. And that's how, and now you're right. You start off bad. It's a lot to make up.

Chris (12:04.486)
You're right.

Chris (12:11.226)
and

Chris (12:16.314)
And I remember specifically last year when October was pretty much over and our team, you know, these guys weren't playing great. Like they showed little flashes, but there was more bad than good. And I remember saying my problem with this whole thing and the way it's starting is that you develop bad habits and those bad habits stay with you for the entirety of the season. They seem to still have.

all of these bad habits. and again, if the defense is, I get it, we have, you know, two of our guys, our stud guys, aren't gonna be there right away, then keep the defense as simple as possible. You know, that's it. Just keep it as simple as possible. Keep the pairings that you know we're gonna play together together, put, whether it's Kovacevic and...

you know, Simone or Hotaka or Sheamus Casey, whoever it is, keep them together. If you want to give them the lightest bit of ice time, that's fine. like, I understand that we have some pieces missing, but that is no excuse for how our forwards played. I mean, it was boring, gross hockey. was like, I'm like, this is not...

the team I expected. Even last year in the preseason, they were lighting it up. I mean, they were putting up five, six goals a game in the preseason. So maybe, I don't know.

Bobby (13:46.366)
Just playing carefree. I don't think they were as concerned about the goals. They couldn't stop as they were with the goals they can put in because they thought that the previous year was going to translate and they can outscore their problems. So they just went in and they were just beating them up and winning anyway they could. But then the regular season catches up with you when you try to do that.

Chris (13:52.239)
Mm -hmm.

Chris (14:03.002)
I mean, we lost the so we scored two goals in the first game. We scored no goals in the second game and then we scored two goals in against Washington. What was that? Or one goal? Two. So so we.

Bobby (14:10.382)
Delos.

Bobby (14:13.996)
Yeah. I think it was five too. I think so.

Chris (14:22.956)
I a total of what, one, two, was it three, five goals? Five goals in four games. We lost tonight five to one. At least nothing went in on the third period. But like, is, I understand it's preseason. I totally get it. I completely am not gonna be that guy that's gonna sit there and say, you know, this team is done, it's preseason. These games don't count. But you at least want it, and it's,

Hockey preseason is not like, let's say football preseason where football preseason is vanilla across the board, right? You're going to go up against a defense that's going to run as basic defensive plays. Offenses are going to run basic offensive plays. They don't want to put anything on tape. They don't want, they don't want to show you anything. And the coaches are throwing the starters out there if they even do just for some game time reps.

Bobby (15:08.834)
And they don't want to show you anything, right? Right.

Chris (15:19.804)
And mostly it's about we have a 90 man roster that we have to whittle down to 53 and we really need to see some of these guys play. But most of those decisions are made during joint practices and maybe 70 % on joint practices, maybe 30 % off of the preseason. Hockey is not that. You have your starters out there. Your game is your game. know, so how you play in the preseason should, for all intents and purposes, translate

to how you're going to play in the regular season. If all of your guys are in. We have not seen. If that is indicative to what we are gonna look forward to this season, we're not gonna make the playoffs again.

Bobby (16:02.584)
Right and I mean come on it don't tell me this is all because Jack's not out there throwing the energy around because like if that's how bad we would be because one player's not in then we're in a ton of trouble. I was actually very excited to see Connor got up there for the first line to center you know I was like all right cool let's just let's just see it but yeah I don't you know if if that's an excuse which I'm sure that you know the devils would never say that's an excuse but we've all seen the way this engine drives when Jack's in and when he's not.

Chris (16:19.408)
Yeah.

Bobby (16:32.49)
It can be a totally different team sometimes, but he's going to have games where he's not on. He's going to have games where he's not in. So you really have to learn to play without Jack Hughes. And I think we saw a lot of that last year that they just couldn't.

Chris (16:47.856)
You're right. Now, we're not the only ones that feel this way because listener Michael Decaro, he had sent us a message and we were kind of going back and forth a little bit and he was just not at all happy with what he's seen. And he wrote, we were going back and forth. and I said to him, I don't want to read every email back and forth, but the latest one was he wrote, Chris, I know it's preseason and doesn't mean anything. I also get that up until tonight.

We've been focusing on icing our prospects, minor leaguers, PTO, fringe players, to sort our lineup cuts before we fly to Prague. But it seems like the strategy to lose every preseason game in order to fake out the league? Are we playing 3D chess and not really trying or playing our game so we can surprise everyone when we get serious at the start of the season? There's been poor D coverage, a power play that's happy to keep it to the outside doesn't feel dangerous at all, plus a whole lot of looking at a sink.

Bobby (17:31.512)
Ha ha ha!

Chris (17:45.294)
It's like we're mentally already in Europe and we're just going through the motions here expecting a win based on being more talented on paper. Didn't last year teach us that you can't do that and win? Hopefully I'm just overreacting and we get serious because we're not showing that we want to be a serious contender. And I honestly could not agree with him more.

Bobby (18:07.054)
That's really well said. I mean, there's not much more you can put onto that. You know, the hope would certainly be there. There is a switch, right? It does matter when it doesn't matter. Like you do change your mentality and hopefully come game one, they'll put it all on the line. But as of right now, there's no indication that this team is yet ready to ever put it all on the line.

Chris (18:32.632)
I agree. And he wrote, this is one that he had written earlier and I wanted to read this one too because he makes some really good points. wrote, cause I had said, know, didn't we sweep the, we win every preseason game last year? You know? So he was like, yeah, you're correct. We swept preseason last year. And I'm sure you also heard the joke that we're looking to do a reverse jinx and lose every preseason game this year. Jokes aside, like you, I want us looking at least competent.

Bobby (18:45.228)
Yeah, yeah we did.

Chris (18:58.14)
Hero Matt Laughlin mentioned the team is leaving for Prague on Monday, so tonight's game vs. the Isles is the last real preseason game. It's technically possible they could take an overnight flight after the Ranger game Monday night and get to Prague around lunchtime on Tuesday, but I doubt that's our plan. I want to see us look relentless, cutthroat, and dominate the Isles for 60 minutes tonight. Yeah, sorry, Mike. That needs to come from top down with our stars leading the way. It can't be only Casey coming to play with his A game.

The kid really wants to make this team and he's doing everything to avoid starting this season in Utica. His path on the right side of our D is absolutely blocked with Hamilton, Pesci and Nemec, but he's determined to plow through it like a star running back in the red zone. We need that kind of big game energy throughout the entire lineup. The Prague trip and first couple games back are equally equal parts trap and opportunity. To vanquish last year, we really need to bring our best and show the rest of the league we're coming for that cup.

You know Lindy is extra motivated for her event, so I expect the Sabres will be ready to run through a wall. It'll go a long way to have some momentum from tonight. If we look good in Prague, it'll be huge for us to do the home opener against the Leafs team. That'll be extra motivated. But Ruby will also have them bringing their best because if they lose, because if they lose, they're going to get destroyed by the Toronto media for two straight days before their home opener. And he knows he lives in Toronto. If we can win those

First three games, I like our chances against Washington. We need another big game in their building to show them that last season is in the past and you're no longer the monkey on our back. Take those first four games and it'll be feeling really good, and I'll be feeling really good about being true contenders this season. But the flip side slash trap is that if we continue not putting the effort and struggling through these first few games,

Doubt could creep in. Things could easily spiral from there. You could end up with only a few wins and well below 500 by the end of October. That's a massive hole to dig out of. But if we come out of Prague looking dominant, win one for Sheldon against the Leafs, and slay the Capitals monkey from last year, the confidence carries you from there. In that scenario, you're at or near the top of the league and set up so the rest of the Metro is basically chasing you the rest of the year. So while tonight is only preseason game,

Chris (21:22.716)
is only a preseason game, I feel it's close to a must -win. It's really hard to go from sleepwalking through the preseason to top -season form with no transition. Having some momentum to help us do that would be really nice. This is, you know, what I think most Devils fans are feeling right now. Like, at least show some effort. Like, if they would have lost 5 -4 tonight and it was a good game and our guys were skating their asses off and making good plays and things looked good, this didn't look good.

This look like this team, like you just got your ass chewed out publicly about, from your brand new coach about a fucking preseason game and that's how you looked in your next game? That's concerning man. That's really concerning.

Bobby (22:04.798)
It's it is I mean at this level your elite talent in the greatest hockey league in the world. It should just be your nature to always do your best and I know there's off nights you're sick you're hurt you're whatever the flow is not happening I get all that over a long season but it hasn't been a long season it's been a few practices a few skates a couple of tune -up games half these guys were only in two.

It's just there's really no excuse for not going for it. You're making 8 .9 and 8 million and 6 million. Like, come on. Let's just move it. mean, where's a guy like, and I hate to pick on him already, but where's a guy like Pilat in a situation? is it too early to be a leader in the locker room because it's a preseason game? You can't galvanize the guys and get fucking people going. You know who our best player on the ice was today?

Chris (22:54.993)
Mmm, Dawson Mercer. Yeah.

Bobby (22:56.108)
Yes, Dawson Mercer, kiddo hope you held out just for a couple days just to get a fair deal. Young kid in there just doing everything he can. Like where's all the Dawson Mercer's kids right now? You know what I think I'm Bunch of dickheads. Bunch of dickheads.

Chris (23:04.975)
Yeah, play it again.

Chris (23:10.244)
Bunch of dickheads. This is exactly what this team doesn't want, is a bunch of dickheads. tonight they were a bunch of dickheads. Now look, I'm not gonna sit here and say the sky is falling, but if they drop those first two to Buffalo next weekend, I think that you can actually seriously throw up some red flags. Like, something has got to change. Now, and like I said, they don't have to win every game.

But just show us what this team can be. you know, where everything, the potential is all there. What's the problem?

Bobby (23:47.682)
Yeah, and to your point about like, you know, possibly losing to the Buffalo. The point is we are a better team on paper, right? Either way. So you do play the percentages. All we're saying is that sure you can lose to them, but you also should probably win against them, which very simply means, hey, you got to at least go one on one in these two games. You really do. This is a team below you that's going to be below you all year. If you are truly a playoff contender, you should obviously split it.

and preferably win both. you know, hockey's hockey. There is another team there playing against you. So at the very least, you take a split. I still think this team is beyond talented enough to destroy Buffalo in those two games, but we're just not seeing that now. And like you said a million times, it's not a sky is falling situation. It literally has nothing to do with the games that count. But just as an athlete, like how can it be so lifeless? That's the only thing. That's the question.

Chris (24:44.416)
You know and it's you're picking up bad habits and you know you can't get into You can't get comfortable with losing like that's just that's unacceptable I'm I'm not gonna like say anything negative about Sheldon Keefe I have no idea how he's gonna be but I am super curious of why Jack Hughes and Jacob Marks from we're not playing tonight That's what I'm curious about

Bobby (25:07.694)
And from what I've seen from Keith, at the very least he's already lost his shit multiple times, which is good because, mean, but could he do it 15 times and this team just doesn't respond to that? Again, way too early to speculate. I think he's the right coach to not let this shit carry on through the year, but it didn't help today. Call the time out, do whatever. It didn't help after the last game.

Chris (25:33.062)
Look, I'll say this. If they have a season that even resembles last year a little bit, right? Let's say that they don't make the playoffs or let's even say they make it and get bounced in four or five in the first round.

There's then I honestly think that this roster would, you know, who all this talent, whatever, it's just this roster is not going to work. And maybe you then have to seriously say goodbye to some really, really good. And of course, reckless speculation. This is so far from even being a reality, but I'm just saying that like, remember in October and November saying on this show that.

When these things continue and these bad habits continue, the coach ends up losing the locker room, you end up, it's a giant snowball effect and it's exactly what fucking happened. Everything we said was going to happen last year ended up happening because you didn't plug the fucking hole when it first sprung the leak and you let the boat just keep filling up with water and that's...

Something I don't think Sheldon Keefe will put up with. It's absolutely something I don't think Tom Fitzgerald would put up with. But my problem is these 20 guys that are on the bench, they shouldn't be putting up with it.

Bobby (26:57.454)
So let's dive into that team aspect part that you just brought up because there was a point last year where I said something similar to, said, there's something about this team, too many cooks in the kitchen kind of thing, offensive roles, not really knowing who should be doing what. then of all people that, damn, why am forgetting? We brought him in, then we traded him last year to Foley, right? Of all people, like he was actually the one doing his job.

and yet still kind of getting cursed for being part of the Sharon Govich trade and all that. listen, Sharon Govich is a hell of a player. We've dissected that enough. But there was something going on there that was kind of a mix. Something wasn't working. And now there's this notion still this year, there are some people, again, claiming that the Meyer Hughes thing has to stop, the experiment has to stop. And our friends over at Pucks and Pitchforks just put out a really good article explaining why that duo doesn't work.

way more intelligent than me, so I'm not going to get into the advanced matrix that they use and all that. But a lot of people from their eye tests can see that too. There's something about Jack and Teemo that don't work. I'm on record saying I want Teemo playing on the right side with Jack and Jesper Bratt. But there is a lot of evidence out there that it hasn't worked. I was really looking for, because I read it today and then I was really looking forward to this game to have a full 60 of seeing that line so I can make my own decisions.

on that again, right? Because what I wrote back in July for August is one thing, what I'm feeling now is another. Here's the problem. Let's say they're right and half the fan base is right. Because I'd say pretty much half think keep away from Jack and half want to see him with it, roughly. If that's really the case, we don't really have any... Like what is the option? Because if you take Myers, say off that line, so then you bring

like.

Bobby (28:56.27)
Mercer up. Now the lines too small again and we've seen that ... problem before so then you could say all right now we need somebody with a different type of grit different type of ... so now you go to a guy like plot you tell me you're going to take a lot of a third line of them in the first or second line he's not a first or second line guy anymore ... and in doing that then you're also taking your highest ... paid offensive player and what saying he's a third line guy. Because Mercer play so well he sure or now you got to go well I guess.

Chris (28:57.553)
Mm -hmm.

Bobby (29:25.57)
We gotta take Mercer back down or put the tar. The only thing that makes sense is maybe moving to tar down, but the tar works so well with Heesher. So what do you do with Meyer?

Chris (29:35.82)
What you just said is exactly what Lindy Ruff did, and that's why Meyer was on that third line for most of the year last year. Wasn't getting top power play minutes and all this other stuff. Now, what is the reasoning? I know you don't want to get into advanced metrics and everything, but what are the, are they the only reason that they feel that those two can't play together or shouldn't play together or that it won't work? Is it only a metric based thing or is there actual like why? What I'm curious.

Bobby (30:00.224)
No, no, no.

Style of play too. They both like to have the puck and they both like to shoot heavy. So there's just, you know, maybe that misfire of connection between who's passing to who, who's shooting. I don't know. This is just general conception too. Not, just Pucks and Pitchforks. mean, anybody should go read that if they want more in depth analysis, but doesn't make sense. I believe that, listen, I watch a lot of hockey, right? And I understand.

Chris (30:17.849)
I

Chris (30:23.972)
Now, go ahead.

Bobby (30:32.322)
Why that's being said I saw the quote unquote failed experiment last year as well right but I also believe that you're talking about three very talented hockey players that can learn how to play together I know that chemistry is an instant thing sometimes or something that's not even instant and it can come back and ebb and flow but if you're seriously telling me that you can't get Hughes Brad and Meyer.

to figure out how to play together? just don't believe it. You're three of the most talented hockey players on the planet. Figure it out.

Chris (31:06.16)
Well, mean, look, when two years ago, when the rumbling started coming out that Tom Fitzgerald was interested in Timo Meyer and wanted to bring him from San Jose over here, Dan and I were doing a show and I said right off the bat, I'm like, that is the guy. You put him with Jack. That will be one of the most dynamic lines in the NHL. And I believed it. He got here. We know how that kind of went. He could really.

For the first year and a half, he was kind of, or at least a full year, up until maybe the end of last year, maybe a little less than the last quarter of the season, Timo started coming to life. But there's, to me, to say like, well, they both like to shoot. Like everybody likes to shoot. Like I get that. That's the point of hockey, right? Shoot, score, a goal. Everybody wants to shoot.

But Jack is a very unselfish player. He is one of the best passers, not just on our team, in the whole league. Timo Meyer has an amazing shot. He can get in front of the net. He can do all the dirty work that you need to do. He can piss off everybody that's playing, that he's playing against. I mean, this has the makeup to be Claude Lemieux playing with Scottie Gomez.

You know back in 2000 like that. That's what the making of this line can be so I don't Like if unless Sheldon Keefe is dead set against it to me. I would keep those three together Right You got to keep those three Together and and look you're you're all professionals. You're all grown -ass men. They all make a lot of money figure it the fuck out

Bobby (32:45.134)
Well, he hasn't moved it. So I think he sees the potential and he's got to work with it.

Chris (32:58.652)
Go out, have a couple beers and talk about, okay, what do you like to do? What do you like to do? This is what I like to do. Practice together, everything. Talk to each other. They will be in a dynamic line. If we are rolling into Thanksgiving and we still don't have at least two solid lines that are together most of the time, 90 % of the time and producing, we're gonna be fucked. Because it's the same thing again. And if that's the case, then just trade Timo.

Bobby (33:23.992)
Right. Right.

Chris (33:28.324)
and try and get some shit back for him.

Bobby (33:30.296)
That's what I'm saying. Sometimes you do need a hockey trade that makes sense because guys just aren't working out. I would rather see the flip. You know, we've talked about this before. I'm a big fan of the pairing more than the full line. I think the two guys working together is where you really get most of your chemistry and then you get the third guy who kind of compliments. I would rather see the Brat Mercer flip flopping on those one and two lines than Meyer. I think the consistency has to be that power forward with a guy like Jack.

Chris (33:54.416)
Mm -hmm.

Bobby (33:59.884)
And he sure again this is all just assuming I mean to turn as a second line forward. You know I can see why some people say that's that really his role it's just going back to the chemistry that they had and how well it worked. But yeah assuming that does work that's where I would rather see some tinkering. And Hughes like you said he kind of I don't want to say reinvented himself with the goal scoring but he he picked that up.

Later in the last couple years, he was not drafted known as the highest goal scorer. He was a playmaker, an excellent passer, sees the ice extremely well. I think to Jack's credit, he realized, shoot more, score more, I need to pick up some slack for the team, whatever it is, like he's growing, but he's still one of the best passers and playmakers in the league.

Chris (34:43.386)
Yeah.

Chris (34:47.032)
And that nonsense of, you know, well, they both like to shoot kind of thing, like I don't, yeah, I mean, look, they're both great hockey players. They're completely different, but yet at the same time, you look at them and you say, that's the, one can absolutely compliment the other. And then you throw Jesper Bratton to the thing and you know, you have a whole different dynamic. Now you have an X factor that is, you know, as good as anybody else. Now, if you want to,

Bobby (34:52.396)
or carry the puck, hold the puck, you know.

Chris (35:16.742)
fight about Thomas Tatar on the second line with Mercer and Heescher. There are a couple guys I have, would have no issues with testing to see how they do up there. I think Nolan Foote could be okay up there. I think that Paul Cotter might be okay up there. You know, why not? Let's give it a shot. He's got some hands. He has size. Like, you know, he can play good defensive hockey. Maybe, maybe that could work.

you know, I just think that you, you do have some other options, but if you, I'm okay with having the whole conversation about where Tomas Tatar goes, but in my opinion, those other five guys have got to be top six guys. Like we can't be doing this Meyer on the third line, Mercer on the third line, this and that. No.

Bobby (36:04.032)
No, it cannot happen. Not if you want to build like a sustainable winner. These people need that. These are the roles they have to have their top six forwards. And again, back to the Jack and Meyer thing. When you got that kind of power forward with that kind of skill of Jack, that's enough right there of a pairing where, like I said, you can kind of supplement various different types of other wingers to come with that. But it's not just any of that. It's fucking Jesper Bratt.

Who is like the sneakiest, like nobody can touch him when he wants. He can just move that puck wherever he wants, create open space for those two guys. Like I just don't know why it shouldn't.

Chris (36:39.918)
And if you were to keep that line together until they figured it out, and I do not think it would take long for them to figure it out. I really don't. They're all that good that I think it would. And they all seem to like each other. There doesn't seem to be any kind of personal bullshit. all, the whole team does seem genuinely tight knit. So I'm not worried about that.

But those three guys together, they can figure it out, they can play great five on five. Imagine then how good our power play becomes with those three dudes who are gonna definitely be on our first wave of our power play. But if they already have that synergy from playing every night five on five together, and then they get three or four opportunities a night on that first power play wave.

Bobby (37:14.062)
Exactly.

Bobby (37:27.694)
With Heesher in the middle with them and Hamilton on the back. It's incredible. And then we go back to our other threat when Luke comes back quarterback in power play number two for 45 seconds or so. I mean, that's beautiful.

Chris (37:30.584)
and delgay in the back, right? Right. So like,

Chris (37:37.222)
Right?

Chris (37:42.358)
Alright, well we're gonna talk a little bit more about this season going into what you know what we're going into we got to do a little housekeeping

Bobby (37:52.536)
Housekeeping.

Chris (37:53.766)
Mommy's not good enough?

Let me jerk you off.

Bobby (37:58.318)
What kind of hotel is this?

Chris (38:00.454)
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Bobby (38:10.723)
Yeah!

Chris (38:25.852)
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Bobby (39:20.654)
That's a lot of energy for me to follow up.

Chris (39:23.017)
Well, you do the you do the serious read so you got to be like this podcast is brought to you by better help

Bobby (39:25.506)
Yeah, I know, it's tough.

Bobby (39:30.69)
I can help you. Thank you. I don't not have to do that part now. I'm to put on a lot. I want to you know something. I've always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Yes, I've tried a few times, but I could never quite get it down. Even, you know, I drove stick all those years. Everyone said it's the same thing. It is not. It's different on a bike. One's with a hand, one's with a foot. That's not how a stick normally works.

Chris (39:37.783)
really? I could teach you.

Chris (39:45.69)
Hehehehehe

When's the last time you drove a stick?

Bobby (39:51.918)
Last time I drove a stick was 2008. Yeah, I traded my last car and that was a stick. my God, the Hyundai Accent. My little commuter beater. Yeah. 250 ,000 miles in that bad boy. Anyway, I did want to learn to ride a bike. Derek was trying to teach me in our long driveway in Providence. It just wasn't working out. But now that I'm older, I got to be honest with you, I've lost the desire to even do that.

Chris (39:55.644)
2008.

What was it? Your Mazda was a stick? wow, you had that in 2006? Okay. Yeah. Okay.

I drove one the other day.

Chris (40:18.156)
And once you have children and you realize, know, wow, just, you know, slip a little bit and don't pay attention real quick and I'm dead.

Bobby (40:24.718)
That's right. That's right. Which is definitely not what we want to do. And when I actually stop and think about it and when we look at our busy day to day, it's pretty obvious we tend to lose our desire to try a lot of new things. Not everything, but definitely a lot of things we were curious about as kids. And if you're having trouble managing your life in ways that make you feel like you have some you time, then maybe therapy can help. Therapy is not just for traumatic events. Sometimes you just need a little help managing your stress and getting things off your chest.

Chris (40:28.261)
No.

Bobby (40:52.398)
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Chris (41:18.128)
You know, think that like, the Devil fans would not be this upset with the preseason so far if it wasn't just a big giant carryover from last year. You know, and I think that's really what it comes down to. And it's like, when you, identify, or at least we thought, right? We identified all the problems, right? We identified it was, it was, look, the players that were on the ice were a problem.

Bobby (41:29.89)
Sure. Absolutely.

Chris (41:44.504)
Injuries were a problem, but there was also a problem in that there was a problem behind the bench. There was a lack of certain type of players that we needed physical better defensemen things like that and We got everything we wanted It's you know, I feel like I just opened up I'm a kid and I opened up all my Christmas presents, right and it's everything I wanted except

Bobby (41:57.058)
out of dickheads.

Bobby (42:02.349)
We did.

Chris (42:14.222)
I have no batteries to play with any of it. And all the stores are closed because it's Christmas. And we were kids, they were closed, and it was Christmas. And I say this because this actually did happen to me.

Bobby (42:16.878)
Yeah, it's brutal.

Bobby (42:24.056)
No, it's an excellent point. wife makes sure that we have a shit ton of batteries every Christmas because you do not want that to happen.

Chris (42:28.922)
Right. The last thing you want, the kid's gonna open up the gifts and right away they wanna play it and so you're putting this shit together and I need two C batteries. You know what the like one battery nobody has in their house? C batteries! Like since boomboxes went bye bye, nobody uses C batteries anymore.

Bobby (42:39.224)
Like, nobody has C batteries. Yeah, yeah.

Bobby (42:45.934)
First of all, AAA and AA just combine them, let's just make one. And then C and D, combine them, just make one. And then that other one, that weird fucking square one, the 9 -volt that you can put in your tongue, it shocks. That's just crazy. Where's the place for that one? I don't know why that battery has to be so different.

Chris (42:51.824)
You know, I never thought about that. Nine volt.

Chris (43:02.876)
But you're right, the A and AA and AAA is stupid! Why -

Bobby (43:09.452)
very stupid I had a Roku remote die today so I went to the other Roku remote to switch the batteries but one was double A and one was triple A which also makes no freaking sense to me I'm in Battery Hill

Chris (43:17.518)
No, no. I hate that because yeah, I'm the same way my battery for my TV, I my clicker for TV which you have to change the inputs on, that's AAA, but my Fios battery is AA. And we always have AA batteries in the house mainly because my son's Xbox, he goes through controllers like, just plug the fucking controller in and you won't have to worry about batteries dying, but no, gotta have a cordless one. Okay, whatever.

Bobby (43:35.905)
Everybody does.

Chris (43:46.94)
That's fine. So there's always those batteries. But I remember one night, so all the smoke detectors are hardwired in my house, right? And it was about, I would say, two o 'clock in the morning, 2 .30 in the morning. no, this wasn't in church. This started going off. So the whole house, right? My dogs are freaking the fuck out.

Bobby (43:54.488)
Mm -hmm.

Bobby (44:01.166)
That's when they always start to chirp.

Bobby (44:10.68)
day did you want to sleep through it cuz I do like you know what it ain't gonna hurt for too long

Chris (44:13.432)
No, this was, this was, this, this, because they're hardwired, every freaking alarm went off in the whole house. So every bedroom, so the kids are up, right? We're up, right? The kitchen, the, mean the, the living room, the basement, the garage, every one of them's going off. I cannot find a nine volt fucking battery in my house. So I

Bobby (44:18.978)
Yeah, that's brutal.

Bobby (44:34.958)
Wait a minute, if they're hardwired, why do you need a 9 volt battery?

Chris (44:37.788)
Well, because I don't... Why did I need a 9 -volt battery?

Chris (44:44.918)
Alright, - Nope, this is different story. Sorry, I was getting my stories mixed up. So, I can't shut the goddamn things off, right? They will not go off. And I don't know why it went off in the first place. Like, of course that's your first reaction, this shit is either a fire in the garage or in the basement, something. So I'm like checking everything, there's no smoke, there's no nothing. I took every fucking smoke alarm off of the friggin' thing - Off of the wall. Every one of them, I I - I

3 in the morning and I wire nutted everything, I shut everything, finally got the fucking things off. To this day, I do not have smoke detectors up in my house. And another thing, like when the chirping starts, that's another thing. My dogs would freak out when the chirping starts. And one night it started, it was like 2 in the morning, I could not sleep. The dogs were freaking out because it kept going off. So I go to find a double, this is why I started the 9 volt battery. And I went to 7 -Eleven down the road and 7 -Eleven, which is open.

24 hours a day, this night they were closed. have no way of, so I just, that one I just pulled off the wall and it was still chirping to the point that we like put it in a bag and brought it into the garage and it like six months later we're in there playing ping pong and I'm like, do you fucking hear that? It was still chirping. Like I don't understand these fucking things.

Bobby (45:53.112)
Yes, yes, that's.

Bobby (46:00.578)
Yeah, that's I don't know. I just I do know that when they start to die, they give you the warning beep every like five minutes, whatever it is. But that will always happen at three in the morning. It will never happen at like four o 'clock in the afternoon. It will always be overnight. And you know you're not on fire because you know that's the dying battery alarm, but you still got to reach up, take it down, unplug it, throw in the basement so you can get some sleep.

Chris (46:10.8)
Yeah.

Chris (46:15.515)
Yeah.

Chris (46:27.366)
And the other reason why I took all of them off too was, like I said to my wife, I'm like, we're not home all day, you we're at work and stuff. like, this bat, one of these starts chirping, the dogs are gonna lose their shit. And if it's just like the kids coming home, they're not gonna know what to do. And my dogs would start like, like digging at like the bed. They'll start like doing, being destructive, you know, so when it starts happening. So I had to take them all off.

Bobby (46:52.142)
Speaking of dogs losing their shit, I have to ask you a question as a long -term dog owner. I've got my first dog now a couple years, three years since I was a kid. So when I take the dog out for his morning business, there's a number two. It's what you'd expect. Dog makes a number two. It's perfectly fine. But my dog always has to do a separate number two, a second number two in the same five, 10 minutes. The first one, kind of the log you'd expect.

The second one kind of ends with like a little chocolate ice cream. Now my theory is that this dog doesn't actually need to do a second number two. He already did a proper deuce. He doesn't need a second proper deuce and this one isn't quite ready. I'm sure that's wrong, but I don't like the fact that I got to use two bags every morning. Can't you just one poop it?

Chris (47:22.564)
Little looser. Yeah.

Chris (47:42.662)
Well, I will say this. my older dog Buster, who, my pit that I, he was the best. when we would go for a walk and he would, he would go to the bathroom. It was one time it was always like right when we first started the walk and it was done, clean it up. You're good to go. You drop in a neighbor's garbage that's out in the street and you're ready to go. And, he was good. My dog now Rigby, who is just a mutt is like Collie and

Bobby (47:49.086)
Love Buster.

Chris (48:12.452)
lab and a whole bunch of other stuff. He'll shit three or four times on the walk. And he does something that I've never had a dog do. Maybe your dog does this, but every dog I have ever had always shits when you're taking them for a walk on the side of the road, on the grass, right? He will stop in the middle of the street and drop a deuce right in the middle of the road.

Bobby (48:29.336)
Sure, yeah.

Bobby (48:33.39)
Asphalt 8.

Chris (48:36.528)
Like, I've never had a dog do that. Like, I would be walking him all of sudden and he pulls me and I'm like, what are you doing? Like, he's not walking. No, he's squatting trying to dump in the middle of the road.

Bobby (48:44.184)
The only time my dog does that is when I don't realize I'm still walking her as she's trying to... I'm like pulling her off the grass. She's just trailing it. Yeah.

Chris (48:47.484)
That's what I did to him on the road. And he'll go like three or four times. But by the last one, same thing. It's just a soft serve ice cream.

Bobby (48:57.686)
My neighbor who recently watched our dog, like for the shows we've been at and stuff like that, has said that our dog is a prolific pooper. So prolific pooper, just like his dad.

Chris (49:05.742)
A prolific pooper. Wow. It's like, it's like if if Charlotte's Web was with your dog, you'd wake up to a giant web that would say prolific pooper in it. You'd be like, that dog is prolifically pooping.

Bobby (49:17.518)
Exactly. What a callback. It's a good one. Usually we stick with airplane references, but Charlotte's Web works.

Chris (49:27.288)
I know it my second Charlotte's Web reference in a couple of days. My wife sent me this big picture of a spiderweb outside and she thought it was really cool. So like, of course I took the picture and I wrote some pig inside the, the should be a spiderweb and sent it to her. But anyway, that's our. Yeah.

Bobby (49:35.809)
They are cool.

Bobby (49:43.374)
Hey, before we get serious again, got a, I've been seeing this meme and I've got to share it I thought it was hysterical. it basically says that, Barube challenged his players to play every game like it's a game seven and the meme was like, shit, they're to go, and 82. I just thought that was too good.

Chris (49:58.044)
Yeah, I really hope that's not the case. But you know what? I think we're going to actually cut this a little bit short. have something that just came up that I have to take care of. Unless there's anything else you want to get to, before we wrap it up.

Bobby (50:14.863)
No, can... next time we get together, let's just touch on the Ring of Honor. I keep calling it the Ring of Fire, which I think works as well. The Ring of Honor, I just want to talk about some options for that and where we think we're going because the Devils did announce that it is happening in January. So we can recklessly speculate who it might be. And I've got a list, so I want to go through that with us next time.

Chris (50:20.283)
Okay.

Chris (50:23.856)
Man.

Chris (50:31.274)
The...

Okay, I don't think your Ring of Fire idea is... I think it's better. I think it should be the Ring of Fire.

Bobby (50:43.244)
Yeah, I actually had to look it up and be like, wait, which do they call it? And I just looked it up and it said Ring of Honor, but I think it should be Ring of Fire.

Chris (50:47.568)
They call it...

I do too, with this team, yeah, absolutely. And we also want to talk about Jacob Markstrom's second helmet, which is his first helmet, which we didn't know, so... Right?

Bobby (50:54.35)
Somebody missed.

Right. We didn't know if we have to detract our original statement about his helmet or if he has two. Like I'm completely lost. I'm confused as hell. We've had some listeners help us out and say he does in fact have two masks. I don't know. I'm still not sure what's going on. But Jacob Markstrom, you're driving us nuts here, bud.

Chris (51:14.116)
Yeah, so alright, we're gonna come back and we're gonna next week we're gonna get into some like previews and little bit of what to expect in the Buffalo game, some matchups that maybe we need to pay a little bit of attention to. Of course, we're gonna pick our scores, we're gonna pick our first Devils goal scorer of the year, do all that fun stuff, little bit of predictions will be back. Dan and Tony will be joining us again shortly, hopefully by you know next week when we get rolling.

and we're gonna have a lot more to bitch about. Yeah, at some point. So thank you guys so much for listening and the emails. We really appreciate it and keep it coming. Let us know what you guys think of this preseason. Is this time to actually be nervous or are we just being a bunch of warriors for no reason and this team's gonna be totally fine? Because sometimes I know me personally, I need to be, you know.

Bobby (51:44.822)
or the All -Star break, whatever.

Chris (52:09.402)
walked off the cliff sometimes I get myself a little bit excited but you know just not happy with what we're seeing so far but wherever you're listening to us like a download it is garbage a five star review a positive comment download subscription helps a little podcast that could he's Bob I'm Chris word about Uncle Puckers we'll see you when we see you

Bobby (52:17.358)
Kabish.

Bobby (52:27.502)
Bye -bye.