Devils Renaissance Now? | Guest: Steve Lichtenstein (SOTFA EP249)

Special Guest: Steve Lichtenstein of City Game podcast and former columnist for WFAN and CBS New York

By Sam Woo and Nick Villano

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He [Applause] [Applause] He Happy Devils Wednesday this is the state of the fan address episode 249 I’m your host Sam wo here with pucks and Pitch Forks blog editor and chief Nick volano I should call him a broadcast engineer because he’s amazing streaming live on Facebook live YouTube live Twitter live and twitch on the

Let’s go Devils Network as we are counting down the days to the out outdoor game yeah baby and if you haven’t heard about the big tail game that let’s Go’s podcast and pucks and Pitch forks.com are doing if you want to find out some more information join our crew.com join ourc

Crew.com where several hundred people have signed up we’ve got a lot number M2 M as in Marino let’s say Marino instead of Marty and number two and oh John Mar I was like I don’t know why Dan Marino came in my because we’re going to Matti he he

Played at metti he played at Giant Stadium the fake spike was that the fake spike game I believe it was was was that was that a giant Stadium I believe it was giant Stadium yep okay I know I know the play I just I guess I just didn’t

Realize it was against the Jets was it against the Jets or the Giants against the Jets I’m assuming Jets Jets Jets only the Jets with would have that happen to the Giants the Philadelphia Eagles would would uh have a couple Miracles here and there but you know

Um yeah I mean listen it’s I’m excited uh I I actually had a couple questions people are coming to me asking about this this tailgate do you have to sign up for for uh join our crew.com to be accepted into the tailgate uh kind of oh God kind of

Uh actually the whole purp as well the purpose really was the intention was we don’t know what the metaland security where they’re going to direct us when you’re coming in with the trailer uh for the big stage and it was a kind of a contingency plan saying look if they

Moved us to L1 which is next door then we have to tweet it out and but we also have text message and email blasts at the same time because it’s more the text messaging is what we were after because there’s a chance that Broadband may not work on

Your phone because uh at the Taylor Swift conert and the Rolling Stones concert where I went to but I didn’t go to Taylor Swift concert promise you I would go to Taylor Swift concert oh now it will just because of all the hype but

Um just no you you can’t even get a 3G signal so it could be it could be bad so that was the purpose of that um it’s not some hokey marketing campaign where we sell your information to other people because honestly I don’t even know how

To do that anyway um and also it gives us a heads a head count how many people are coming because we aot we got we got over a 100 uh yeah we’re we’re probably going to close in around 200 at some point maybe by the by weekend so with

That said when one person signs up could be a family of eight because you buy eight tickets for your whole crew or your friends and all that kind of stuff so um and you know we have to prepare for it now Scotty of sirusxm liquid metal will be live

DJing and uh all the music that you love and also to Hype it even more we’re gonna have some special guests uh coming by um so that’s good and who are they that’s for us to know that you find out and reason why we picked the near the

Metal ANS racetrack is a it’s a landmark that you could just you know if you’re in parking lot D and you just go to the racetrack you’ll find us but also our special guests we want the path the least resistance of them walking on the sidewalk to get back to the Press

Box yeah we thought of everything we thought of everything yeah um I’ll tell you this Sam that some of the people we were working on I’m excited about um but again you know we’re we’re we’re working the phones we’re working the the emails and we’re trying to get that best guest list

Possible and I’m excited I’m excited for uh for what’s to come you know I think that’s going to be a a Banner day I I’m gonna I’m gonna sorry I’m gonna I’m gonna drop one guest that we got oh he won’t be he won’t be there uh physically he’s retired now but good

Friend of the podcast Bill Clement will be showing up virtually virtually oh big names big names yeah yeah he former flyer two Stanley Cups but had called first broadcasting job before he got the ESPN gig was with the New Jersey Devils for six seven games before he got picked

Up so Bill Clement and he called the 1995 Stanley Cup finals not the game-winning Clincher because that was on Fox yeah uh with the Glo Puck uh but 2000 um 2001 um you know against the avalan don’t talk about yeah first off that was all rigged for Ray B I still tell Bill

CL every day that that’s rigged it’s rigged it’s rigged and I don’t no he just still he’s still my friend and 2003 as well so it’s a big deal that’s a big deal no that’s a that’s a big guest that’s a big that’s a big name um you

Know and and and I’m gonna be honest Sam I I really thought I was going to get a Stadium Series Jersey I liked them I liked them a lot but you know with the price with the availability I’m just I’m just not in a place in my life where I

Want to like have to track to go get something or have to like fight people online to get to be first in line it’s if it’s available cool I’ll get it and I can afford it sure I’ll get it if it’s not available guess what

Sam okay it’s fine it’s kind of like I was looking at it I was looking at I like the Hat I would rather have the hat to be honest but that one sold out too yeah um you know it it’s just becoming a part where they’re just not making

Enough of the stuff right um they I think about the hat hat that you couldn’t get you know the the the other the reverse retro uh the green and red that everybody liked you can’t get like why are they not making enough of that I get like this like fake urgency and like

This fake Jones effect right I I know sales tactics I worked in sales but this is stupid you’re like leaving money on the table yeah yeah I I don’t know I I you know you know if it were up to me I do it a different way just like every other

Fan would say um but our next guest uh is in the Andy green room um if you wouldn’t mind tilting your uh going the other way with your iPad or iPhone to be gr yeah thank you looking much better looking much better I know our audience is loving the

Live the live live you know the live live uh behind the scenes techn yeah all that kind of stuff but um all right well should I do the introductions yeah I I didn’t know what you were doing you kind of you kind of tailed off there you got it I trust you

All right our next guest uh his name is Steve lonstein I believe that’s how you pronounce it City game podcast and also former uh writer with the WF and uh CBS New York you can find them on Twitter at Steve lies with the ST1 Steve how you doing Steve I’m doing well

Thank you for having me on oh thank you thank you for coming on Steve yeah we’re really excited and uh you know Steve’s still writing he’s got the substack he wrote about niik heser yesterday it was it was you know and I wanted to kind of

Jump right into it because you know the game was about 24 hours ago right now niiko heer was kind of mag he was magnetized to Nathan McKinnon the front runner for the MVP and he you know I don’t want to say he shut him down McKinnon still got five chances but

He did a really good job keeping him off the scoreboard so what were your thoughts on nier’s game first of all and then after that do you think this is still a sky trophy candidate uh well there’s two parts well obviously remember early in the game he had that brutal giveaway puck just

Rolled off the stick right to Ron’s wheelhouse for the first Avalanche goal and every I’m sure every devil fan in the arena was going oh here we go again uh but then look I mean he made some marvelous plays in the offensive zone to create two goals and you know when he

Made those passes uh again I would say half the crowd was thinking one pass too many but they both worked they both LED to directly to goals and you would want to talk about his defense I I was just impressed with the way you know he he was physical with

McKinnon I mean you cannot give that guy any room because once he gets those legs going he has such a powerful stride you know he’s really hard to stop you mentioned the high dangerous scoring chances I mean there was that one play near the end where he was in a puck race

With Luke Hughes I mean that that’s like an Olympic gold medal final with you know for the fastest skater and he beat Hughes pretty good and some how vanich kept it out but uh you know you’re going back to heer um as I wrote I I don’t

Think the skel is in the cards this year uh sometimes it’s factors beyond his control I mean when you look at the at the numbers you know he’s been impacted just like everybody else has you know by the young defense the poor goal tending

And you know right now if I I had a guess I would think barov of Florida is the front runner yeah and I think that’s fair barov is phenomenal player great twoa he’s he’s Pro you know that was the the ceiling right when when heesa was

Drafted is if you could get barov like then you hit a home run obvious well remember he is a number one overall pick and you know so there is some uh there’s some expectation there as well but look he’s been he’s been the two-way Center that Ray Shiro

Dreamed of having and when he he said I’m coming out of there with Nico Heir no matter what for sure sure and uh you mentioned the bad goal ending and we but you also mentioned that that V Tech manich made a stupendous save on Nathan McKennon on on that you know on that

When he beat uh Luke Hughes on in the foot race so where are you at with VTech vanage do you think this guy has the chance to make a big turnaround for the rest of the season or do you think what we’ve seen for the first you know 48 or

So games do you think that’s what we’re going to get for the rest of the season um it’s really difficult to tell because the defense is so young last year he was the beneficiary of having you know a really deep defense that stayed healthy for the vast majority of

The year um you know Graves was gone severon is gone and Sean Thal and Hamilton are hurt so you know you you need a goenda with a good defense yeah so you know obviously you see the Natural stat trick numbers where he’s you know near the bottom of goal saved above average

And doesn’t really save many high danger opportunities for the opponents so my feeling is is that he’s an average goenda in front of him is pretty good he’s going to win some games uh if the team played like it did during the first half this is what you’re going to get

You know a lot of the goals you can say well yeah you can’t really fault him but you know sometimes you need you need the goalen to make that kind of save it’s what you know teams in the area they expect that of soken on Long Island they

Expect it out of shesterkin and now quick you know in Manhattan you we have to expect that out of our goenda no matter how difficult they are for sure now there’s been a lot of talk about who the devils are going to Target especially the goenda market and we

Haven’t really seen one of these big names move we haven’t seen uh marer move you haven’t seen Gibson move you haven’t even seen Mars Linkin move and he’s asking to move so when you look at the trade market and kind of where the devils are on the standings kind of how

Many players they’ve been connected to what where are you with with the devils in the trade market well I think Fitzgerald is doing the right thing he’s waiting because you know this could turn on a dime if the devil’s don’t you know this was a great start last night but if

They don’t really turn it around you might see them go from buyers to sellers really quick I mean I’m not I I’d be prepping a Tyler tley what can we get for him piece because you know if they’re you know still like five six points out of a wild card spot are you

Really GNA you know use future picks to chase you know an e seed um I don’t I don’t know I think he’s doing the right thing now by waiting to see you know what what are they going to be like when they have Hughes and heer together I think someone said they’ve

Been together for like seven like 24 games or something like that this year it’s not a lot uh it’s not a lot and if they can if they can turn it around yeah then I’d say yeah go look at hanifen go look at a uh risk involved in throwing good money

After bad and I think you know if they don’t turn it around we’re gonna have to have a different discussion I mean the Michael McLoud thing you I don’t know if you guys talked about it but that that’s that’s devastating hit I mean he was he

Was one of their top five players in the last month before the the before the uh leave yeah for sure um so I I mean do you think they they you they should Target a center then do you think that that should be on their wish list I

Don’t think so because they have enough people who can play center um I definitely think you got to go with the back end I mean they got to do something about Kevin ball um I watched I was there last night I I just couldn’t

Believe what he does on the on the PK he basically just stands in front of vanich like he’s intending to screen him I’m like dude we have a goalie you see that guy to your right maybe tie up his sticks so he doesn’t deflect it or get you know cash in on a

Rebound um I think he’s been a very big disappointment I was way off in thinking that he could replace Graves they tried they put him with Marino at the beginning of the year and I saw right away that that was not a good fit and I

Was you know I was begging Ru to put Hughes with Marino thought that would have been a better fit um and but let me also say this I am impressed with hadaka uh I do like that he’s making the simple plays uh but I still think they need a left-handed defenseman first beyond

Goenda beyond the center that’s interesting yeah I mean and you know there’s a couple out there there you mentioned Hanahan I think I don’t know I’m probably gonna say his name liin liin and and Anaheim is is a player that has been mentioned a couple times and

You know one name that hasn’t been tied of the Devils but I’ve seen a couple Devils bloggers including you know Sam the other Sam on on our blog mention is is Jacob chitron and you know I I think it makes sense but there’s it doesn’t

Seem to be anybody tying them is there a reason for that do you think think there’s not again I think it’s too early I’m I’m I also write about the Nets and the NBA trade deadline is tomorrow NHL is not till March you know they don’t

You you you’re not going to see the the rush to grab people you know for another few weeks um you know teams a smart team that’s looking to sell wouldn’t you know would just take feelers and to try to start a bidding war so that’s why you’re

Probably not seeing a heck of a lot of movement right now uh I would like to see the Devils wait a little longer to see if it’s worth it and maybe the again I’m not saying that they have to Pivot to being sellers right now but it’s a

Possibility you know you don’t if they if they to win one lose one team that they’ve been throughout the first half uh you know we’re having a different discussion and instead of who we’re targeting it’s what can we get so are you looking to sell big pieces or is it

Just really like to Foley and and you know are you looking like no the pending de free agents always go first and then and then you have to re-evaluate I mean the Meer deal you know at the time hell you know we I’m sure everyone was for it

But it hasn’t really worked out the way that they intended and now he’s a bottom six forward and you’re paying him n million a year Andre poot you know you’re paying him six million a year uh the this these are uh cap Crushers and it’s something that

Fitzgerald would have to think about if the season you know turns on its Edge for sure um so let’s talk about well f i i want to real quick you you keep talking about if they’re they’re in a certain spot you you look at being a seller you look at doing nothing where

Do you if you’re Tom Fitz J where do you have to be to buy like where do you have to be to give up that first round pick or you know a a you know a quality prospector player do you have to be in a

Playoff spot do you have to be one or two points back like where do you have to be in your mind if you’re Tom P to make that move well I’ll just say now like because I can only judge by now you know they may be only like five points

Out out of the last wild card slot but they’re they’re 11th out of 16 teams so in the conference so and you got to get into the top eight so if they were around you know ninth with a couple of points out maybe you go for it maybe you

Make a trade for the defenseman maybe you make the trade for the goalie but if they’re still 11th have to jump over four teams as you know every game is seems to be a three-point game at least a third of them I think statistically you know so it’s not as easy oh they’re

Only five points out it’s like a week no because you know teams that go on a three-game losing streak you know they still might get one or two points yeah yeah yeah I mean that loser Point has the Islanders ahead of the Devils you know you you’re paying close attention

To them too they’re you know they’re they’re living off that loser point so you’re not wrong there so let’s F forward looking your crystal ball Steve tell me is this team playoff team it’s very foggy this team should be a playoff team they have enough Talent the problem has

Been uh it took rough in my opinion too long to adapt the style because this is not last year’s team they do not have the speed up and down the lineup that they had last year and I think now they’re starting to play a simpler game um we’ll see what happens when

Hughes comes back because one of my biggest gripes was that he does not hold the Hugh Brothers as accountable as he does everybody else and they make you know just as many if not more mistakes than some of the guys who get benched I’m not saying that they have to bench

Either of the huses but there’s got to be some point where you know the teaching becomes you know e either a public you know outing of it you know he he would never he he would never criticize Hughes the way he does Holtz for instance

Yeah and like I said these are when you don’t have the goal tending these M mistakes decide games and so I I don’t know I think that this team has the talent to be a playoff team we’ll see if they can get back on the right track I I

Thought they played a terrific game against Colorado I know the avalance run it back to back but you know every game there’s going to be some excuse you just got to get the two points anyway anyhow yeah absolutely I I think that was a crucial game especially with you

Know Philly uh winning their game and um Pittsburgh winning their game you know when when the team when the players are around you it’s it’s you know I know everybody says it’s to where look at standings but I don’t think it is I think you you need every advantage that

You can get and when you don’t get it you have to at least match right because Five Points and seven points is so much different yeah well like I said because of that losers point you know and the number of teams that you have to hop over to get

Into the eighth spot I mean right now Tampa Bay is I think eighth and they’re they’re a really strong team so it’s going to be it’s going to be a dog fight for them to to get there they have the talent it’s a matter of if they can

Eliminate the the terrible mistakes I mean the ran and goal you know the stamp Coast goal in the game before the break I mean you’re just just teeing it up for these guys that you just don’t see that in a National Hockey League game and again the goenda bail you out yeah yeah

Absolutely and and even you know and and he kind of he did on the McKennon goal like you said but it’s you know he can’t he he he’s got like one yeah that’s that’s one play but there’s not there’s GNA be more than one situation you know if you if you ow a

Team to one high danger scoring chance you did a damn good job I mean each game you might see you know 8 to 10 to 12 High danger scoring chances and you need the go tender to probably stop nine to 10 of them Steve um one last question do you

Think this if they get in do you think they can make a run does does is this like do you think the defense is just do if they don’t make a trade let’s just say they make it into the playoffs as is do you think they can make a run as is

Or think it’s just not enough I honestly it’s a lot of the playoffs is goal tending who heard of akir who thought Akira Schmid would save their season or their playoff run against the Rangers last year I mean van uh Blackwood played half you know probably more than Schmid during the

Year it I I don’t know it’s it’s I don’t just I just don’t see the goal tending standing up in a playoff series where it gets you know more physical around the front of the net that’s where vanich seems to have a problem I you know he

Doesn’t cover pucks well and you know a lot of the goals allowed seem to be you know from the net front area where maybe he could have covered him up Steve lichenstein City game podcast subst do do us a favor promote everything you’re doing let everybody know where they could find

Your stuff yeah well the city game podcast that’s uh that’s been over unfortunately that ended with my WF and tenure I’m just writing on substack uh you can just Steve lonstein l i h t n s i n uh when you get into substack that I

Put it out on I put every article out on Twitter uh Steve l i HT nst1 um and I basically write about the Devils Nets and jets and I wrote a 275 article last year and I hope they can maintain that pace this year and if the

Teams are interesting enough I can do it so that’s why I’m uh I’ve been a devil’s fan since uh they moved to New Jersey I was actually in the building for their first ever win against the Rangers and then uh I was in the building when they beat the Islanders

For their first ever playoff win that’s how that’s why wearing this throwback jersey we love it we love it yeah that this is actually yeah except this is actually like 40 years old or 30 years old but listen survive it’ll survive anything at this point right that’s

Right yeah well Steve Steve for all those out there uh go to the pucks and pitchforks Twitter account I just tweeted his last article that we referenced about nieser just now it’s gonna be at the top of P I also sorry I also wrote about haa in there as well I

Thought he he was outstanding yesterday yeah Tako was great and he’s been he’s been Revelation he’s a guy I’ve wanted to have a chance since probably early December because I I really liked him in the preseason um some of our UDA guys said he’s been ho there but I usually

Take the preseason a little bit slightly higher than than AHL because AHL is just so volatile but yeah so but that’s the Devils sorry the Devils need H hum they you know they need someone who can do that H hum well Brendan you can’t get more ham than Brendan Smith except he

Was terrible at it you know time the puck was on his stick you thought uhoh who’s who’s back there in case he gives it up hadaka he’ll just make the simple play he’ll end he’ll he’ll put he’ll body people out of the play take the puck and just throw it up the boards

He’s not going to skate it out of the zone and he’s not going to really give you much when you’re in the offensive zone but they need they need H hum I’m happy with ham as long as it’s ham done well yeah hoam Dum well is pretty much

My entire career so I appreciate that Steve uh definitely check out his substack it’s on the pucks and pitch’s Twitter account it’s at Steve lst1 on Twitter Steve thank you so much for taking some time with us and we’ll have you on again soon thanks you f thanks again for having me thanks

Steve wow I Lov this jersey because I got the same one back in the 80s that’s hilarious my sixth grade Jersey you know it last CCM just you look at it here I’ll put on the the feed I mean this is just a beauty oh it’s made the last yeah

They don’t make them like they used to this is not a replica you know I’m not I’m not trying to I’m not trying to burn any possible sponsors for you in the future Sam but who whoever’s sponsoring them now it’s not it looks like me with a sewing machine it’s not going

Well that’s all I’m going to say what the the New Jersey supplier in a couple years it’s it’s it’s man Sam it’s I got one and it’s already peeling you know and I you know I’m somebody who couldn’t afford jerseys when I was a kid so you

Know we I had I had one it was a blank because that’s you know we got so and that’s still still around people really having those I I mean I see the pictures and all like I have one of those jerseys and so far so

Good I don’t I’m not I bought one of the um I bought one of the uh last year’s reverse Retros where they did they they did it was scouts right it wasn’t Colorado it was a it was a scout throwback y um you know Sam it’s it’s just they’re

Just not made like they used to like the the jerseys made out of something a little less the the the imprints are are like you know it’s it is what it is this one’s nice this one’s an Adidas you know I thought the Adidas ones were really nice

Um but say love you you got to go with the tackle twill double stitch by you know a professional that’s uh you know if matter of fact um there there was this great company um up in Buffalo where I used to get all my authentic uh stitched Unfortunately they went out of

Business um but I do I am connected to one of the general managers of that business on LinkedIn and I and I believe he does it on the side because there’s just such a like I almost want to start my own sweat shop because there’s such a demand don’t

Talk about that Sam yeah well you know listen I I stand by I bought some of those China jerseys you know the ones where you buy directly from China yeah some of them aren’t bad I mean it’s it’s a roulette wheel and good luck getting your money back if they mess it up

But you know when it hits it hits you know and this is this is what I have to say because about 20 years ago I went to China yeah visit you know the my cultural heritage and all that but uh a family member who owns factories in Japan and

China showed me these you know I won’t say sweat shot but these uh manufacturing factories and I was just astounded because I always wore you know I always went for the name brand right name brand means high quality but when you see Nike and Reebok in the same and this is

Legitimate not not knockoffs uh in the same Factory you’re just kind of like what it’s it’s it’s both so you know again it’s you want to find it doesn’t matter where it’s made now you want to find they know what they’re doing and they’re not cutting Corners to save costs and

The only way to do it is just pay up the wazu and get it done right by a real um you know embroiderer that knows how to do the double uh tacos double yeah double Stitch yep yeah yeah I mean those double Stitch you know I

Probably you know once you once we you know we’ll probably talk offline and I’ll probably get one eventually just because I want one right like this is this is quality but it’s not the double Stitch just a single stitch so um yeah but you know we we talked a lot about

Jerseys tonight Sam it’s just because it’s it’s what the devils devils fans are talking about it’s you know it’s it’s hard to get your hands on this stuff C could could I interrupt here I’m going to ask you on live air if this is a troll question CU I’m I’m about to put

This poll up which Jersey do you prefer the Jersey Jersey or the stadium Jersey well I mean I hate the Jersey Jersey and I love the Stadium Series well I know but I want other people’s opinions I’m gonna put that PLL up I’m gon to put that poll up people seem to

Like the Jersey Jersey now and I I still just can’t I can’t it’s just the logo it’s the logo for me that’s that’s if you put the stadium series logo on the Jersey Jersey that would be so sick that’s all they had to do it wasn’t hard Sam if you want to do

All this crap with the stripes and you know Heritage and and and and and call back to the nor what is it the it’s not the norc Bears what was it the nor Barons or something that 1919 single year team that was there I mean you’re paying homage to you’re paying homage to

Uh you know defunct te it’s like it’s like it’s like me um I don’t know having a shrine for I don’t know pets uh pets.com remember when that it’s Sam it’s like it’s like the Atlantic Braves creating a jersey for Babe Ruth’s time with Boston Braves like

Yeah okay I mean we know that happened but we don’t really sell every it you know what I mean like it’s you know so whatever again that’s fine you want to do all this crazy stuff with the striping sure the the the shoulders you want to do whatever fine fine put the

Logo on the Jersey the logo is the best logo in sports the worst part of it is they involve Marty Bor as if he designed it too which which which was like that was like what what was that plan B cover yeah for sure h

Um yeah I I don’t know but here’s here’s the thing it’s still available in the team store by the way yeah that one didn’t sell out all the other ones sold out they can’t sell the Jersey Jersey fast enough and it I get it same I I get what they do with these

Things do you remember when you went to the devil’s theme store the only one available for the Jersey Jersey not Jack not Nico not Jasper suban it was PK suban the only one you could buy was PK suin it was on the last year of his contract and clearly not coming

Back why like why do they do these things I don’t know anyway let’s talk about the hockey game uh I thought vanich looked really good last night barring that one goal the Maron goal I don’t think he could do anything about and the second goal I

Forgot who scored it but it was the one where I was it Marr who scored the second goal um just where like he snuck it in that was you know luku got rocked nobody know where the puck was and end up in the back of that sure fine it

Happens that third goal was bad he just lost it in the middle of the air and just he his glove hand you know you’ve talked about it before with the glove hand and just needing to get better with the glove hand and that one wasn’t good but he made two or three gigant

Saves including that one on McKinnon and then he had the one where he slid to his left and Dove on it and fell right on top of it um it’s like he’s starting to learn that he knows he has bad rebound control but he’s like trying to predict

Where it’s going to land and falls on it which I’m for sure like if you’re not gonna catch it fall on it I’m okay with that or lay on it he’s done that a couple times too he just lays back and he just kind of closes his legs and it’s

In his legs sure fine whatever that it’s working kudos to the Devils I’m going to say a positive thing and then I’m going to say a negative thing right after it so kudos to the Devils for coming back John Marino going to the right place the right time he he

And I think it was uh Dano who who made this no sorry it was an ESPN think it was butcher Ross who made this point where um uh Marino moved back before he had the puck while McKinnon was on his back to give himself enough room to take a

Swing with the shot when niker sent him the puck so good on Marino and you know great I thought this was one of Luke’s best games the analytics weren’t there same you would you would have loved me yesterday because I was hammering the analytics analytics said that Nemitz and

Hughes had bad games and that’s just insane like anybody with eyes and I don’t care what your math says like they had good games um anyway the negative thing Sam is the Devils aren’t going to make the playoffs if they keep playing the way they did in the second

Half you got to stop playing like this with leads and and and same this is on the coaching they take their foot off the gas with the lead they play not to lose and it’s going to cause more losses than wins you’re going to blow these leads every single time against these good

Teams and like think about the teams they’re going to start playing they’re going to start playing Carolina you’re going to start playing New York more you’re going to start playing these fast teams are going to keep the pressure on at one point I think it was like 11 to

Two for shots in the third period that was before Colorado had scored the Devils just took their foot off the gas and it bit them right you know and then Colorado scored one and they scored one 24 seconds later so there so now it’s tied in the blink of an eye stop

Taking your foot up the gas just keep it going just keep grinding the other team you have the momentum keep it you know you I get it this team has given up a lot of odd man rushes a lot of other way chances I’ll tell you what still the

Same have you seen a ton of odd man rushers lately not really yeah I mean I saw you know you saw McKinnon race up the the the ice with Luke Hughes like right next to him but that’s an OD man Rush that’s just the best player in the world

Playing like the best player in the world the mistakes like the bad passes that turn into odman rushes don’t happen as often he still happen once in Blue Moon I think there was one last night where it was a really bad pass and and I

Think it was the Kevin Ball play where I think it was the worst I’ve seen Kevin Ball play for 10 seconds of my life where the Devils were they weren’t on the power play but they were they were in the zone for probably a minute maybe a little less he takes an ill-advised

Shot right to the guy in front of him and then they’re on the move the other way he decides to leave his man to go to the to nem’s man when nebit was right there leaving the other guy wide open so they just passed the other guy was wide

Open it was a shot on them so I I you know on on Steve’s point from before ball has been bad over like the past month and a half like really bad like mind-bogglingly mad bad and he’s too important right now there’s the Devils don’t have that defensive defenseman to lock things down

Anymore Sean ther’s hurt Marino is he’s been better but it’s not he’s not the guy he was last year and ball was supposed to at least be like a presence you’re 66 but you stand there too much you play with your stick all the time and it causes penalties it causes

You to be out of position and then a lot of the times you’re standing there I need Kevin Ball to be better I think we all want Kevin Ball to be better I think a lot of a lot of these plays are low hocke IQ plays I

Don’t think it’s the system because I don’t think any system would be would be that stupid to you know cause all these mistakes you know um but I I will say that vanich is playing a little bit better and I said this last night um on Devils after dark that it’s

Going to be every game pece by piece little by little vanich is going to get better his glove is getting slightly better I understand that one play that you were talking about but overall I think he had somewhat better uh rebound control last night the only concerns I have um

Is I don’t think Colorado really played the Devils physically last night I thought that you know once they were down 31 that’s where they started to bring up the physicality and I don’t know if it’s because fatigue for playing the the night before that’s why they started off

You know um not playing physical but it seemed like once they started to throw their weight around just a little bit you know it caught the Devils off guard I mean that four check was was great when uh I forgot who that rocked Luke Hughes Luke Hughes behind the net I once

They did that then they just went Gang Busters but you got to credit the Devils I mean you know I actually have the the John Marino football call queued up if you want to see I saw that um I’ll tell you what you know people I you know I don’t

Know if everybody remembers but you know Ross Colton in the last game is when he got uh kicked out of the game right for he had the big hit on Hughes and then he and then he uh what you the cross check on Meer in the face or something like that yep

Um he tried to provide some physicality towards the end of the game you know it caused one penalty for him he wasn’t very good just to be honest like it just didn’t work so they’re trying to make him this this I just I I don’t understand what col is

Doing with its players you got you miles wood playing penalty kill you got Ross Colton trying to be your Tom Wilson but that’s like just not his skill set I’m just this this aval land team and again they’re third lead in the division so

Like who the heck am I but I don’t know what they’re doing it’s just a weird dynamic right and the goal tending is better um just like the what the Devils did last night like it just it hurts my brain CU you had one of the worst goalies in the league

In net he came in with an 861 save percentage like I don’t like why are you not throwing 40 at them I don’t get it so it worked they W in regulation it is what it is uh last point I want to make though um I don’t get what’s going on with this

Power play what they over for 18 now for the last 18 17 I can’t remember two or three power plays last think yeah I mean there um I mean there were a couple sequences that I didn’t think they were that bad uh but oh for 18 Sam is like you can’t you

Could put lipstick on a pig but there ain’t no makeup hiding over for 18 it is rough it I I don’t think it’s that bad again we’re we’re we’re talking about stats here 0 for 18 are they moving the puck around are they getting the puck on they that’s

Like you know you know what you know what the problem is you know what the problem is on the power play they don’t score that’s the problem the problem the problem on the power play is too many passes they get they’re not going the the Puck’s not going towards the

Net it that’s they’re just waiting for that perfect shot and they’re telegraphing everything at this point whereas and whereas when they were when they had that 47% aside from having douge Hamilton on pp2 and and and Jack Hughes and and all that and they were well oiled

Machine they were attacking the net the entire time but a lot of I mean just for brat you know I don’t want to criticize him but often times he makes too many passes they go to the east west you know just they’re not going to they’re just telegraphing and they’re kind of playing

That perimeter game they need to get inside and they need to cause havoc in front of the golender they’re not doing it right now that’s there are two plays on this power play two there is the pass to the bumper and the bumper passes it across the the net

Front trying to get that guy usually it’s niiko heser but sometimes it’s uh it’s been Bastion it’s been Holtz it’s been a couple other guys uh sometimes it’s brat uh but usually he’s on the bumper um trying to get it to that guy like you know send it into the mess and

Have your guy shoot in the net or it’s shoot it from the uh shoot it from the point hope it hits something um this team is too skilled to give two players the shot I guess tavoli is usually the shot too it’s too skilled brat could score

From anywhere teimo Meer can score from anywhere I know he hasn’t had a good season but he could still score from anywhere you’re just not using him right Luke Hughes can score from anywhere Simone Nemitz can score from anywhere tofoli can score from anywhere nikisha could score from anywhere um you know

Even hot and holla these guys can score but you’re doing this same thing you pass to the bumper the bumper tries to move the defenseman or I get you know the every single team I’ve seen play The Devils plays the the Diamond against them on the penalty kill I I I’m gonna

Start paying attention more because I’m pretty sure it’s every single team plays the diamond right it’s the same thing every time diamond and then they shift it and they shift they shift never see it go to the left never see the pass like they they’ll play from the left

They always play it from the right they go right pass it back they go right pass it back then they go left and the guy on the left skates to the right pass to the defenseman pass it back pass the defenseman pass it back you’re telegraphing

It and every single team could see it see if I could see it these millionaire coaches can see it they’re paying tens of thousands of of dollars if not hundreds of thousands of dollars every month to scout you so when you stick yourself in a box on the

Power play you’re not going to score you’re 0 for 18 because you’re doing the same thing and you know what I think they should do if you want my opinion I do this is radical this is outside of the box thinking but they need to put uh Kevin

Ball on the power play to screen the goalie CU he’s got the reach yeah but know same I know I know but you know what I I I like to try Kevin ball because he scream Steve made a great Point our Our Guest that he screened

Vantage very well if he can only do it on the other side um but in all seriousness when Jack Hughes comes back he’s going to he’s going to cover up some of this nonsense um the the Zone entries hope you know but he wasn’t that good when he

Was you know right before he got hurt but honestly you know they I I think they’re just there are times where they’re just looking for the perfect tic-tac-toe play and if it’s not there put the puck on the net and you better hustle and get that rebound you know it’s all about getting

That rebound and the Devils do that they can do that very well it’s just again it’s just like you’re saying it’s like back and forth back and forth but once you start playing that perimeter game it’s it’s over because these teams these teams are just too good you

Know and I’m even even the the teams are on the bottom of the standings if you’re going to Telegraph it it’s it’s it’s going to be a long night for sure that’s all I got him we’re near in the end do you got anything you got anything to

Add uh other than join ourc crew.com you know we’re we’re we’re already starting to put together the format you know we got Scotty DJing uh we’ll have some anrew brew um what else what else oh yeah so shorts guy says we got to get a photographer

Because this is the first time that all six of us will be in one in one place we probably we probably should get some pictures so I have to photoshop half of your body from another picture in some of our promos um just uh just take out

My baby and just Photoshop yourself into it and just make it look like I’m holding you all right cool yeah all right um and uh I could just drop this ARL let’s going to stop by matter of fact I think we’re you know what I want her to sing

The national anthem from the big stage that’d be kind of I mean she she has to sing theem for the game right like that’s they they just promoted her on the devil’s Twitter page I’m assuming like all the other social medias unless something changes uh the NX shl found

Probably found somebody else I don’t think the Devils have anything to do with it you know it’s probably doesn’t like they have a lot to do with this it’s probably some Grammy winner you know that nobody’s heard of that’s you know from somewhere in New Jersey no it’s what it probably is is

The game on ESPN property is the game on ESPN I haven’t paid attention I’m assuming so right it has to be um but they probably got like some American Idol loser who trying to revitalize their career Justin gorini or whatever his name is the first

One yeah you know did you know that he’s the doctor Pepper too sweet guy I have no idea what you’re talking about you know the commercial where the little tiny guy’s like too sweet no idea what I don’t watch TV other than sport watch TV it’s all over Sports you would know

It you you don’t know the little Dr Pepper guy he’s like this big nope nope do we have any do we have any do we have anything we need to anything from the social media channels that we need to address before we go um no okay are you pluging well no I’ll

Do my plugs um Marcy Rubin just uh she just did an article on Luke Hughes um and the cder trophy race uh where they are how he’s fighting Brock Faber Brock Faber is the biggest competition this is a crazy race this year with Conor Bard getting his jaw broken by Brennan Smith

Kind of really open things up um uh yeah I mean I I you know we we’re we’re writing every day I I’m gonna have a piece out coming out soon uh the five uh trade targets the devil should avoid we go with what they should avoid first

Before we kind of go after actual targets oh I just wrote about John Jonathan Taz Jonathan Tay I think it’s an interesting Target um your issues there is that the Corey Crawford monstrosity that happened a couple years ago is that going to impact how Jonathan Tes look at the devil’s franchise and

Then also the Devils aren’t in the playoffs so is he going to take a chance but he led the league in Faceoff percentage last year and that is a mantra of the Devils this year so if he’s willing to come back and he’s ready you know and you gotta kind of deal with

The pr nightmare from 2010 so you kind of have to see if it’s worth it but you know it’s definitely something I think the devil should be considering all right all right well I want to thank all those tuning in dropping the podcast at midnight go to Puck and pitchforks

Dcom for all your Devil’s blogs need um tomorrow Game Day live Devils after dark um I’ll tweet it out because uh something came up I was originally scheduled to be at American Whiskey Still Could Happen still could happen um but I’ll try to make it down there at credential Center and um yeah

So Nick great podcast thank you to Our Guest Steve uh is it l Stein is that how you pronounce it or Stein not sure stin stin okay till next time let’s go double oh