Ope There Goes Gravity: New Jersey Devils Snap Back to Reality, Shut Out by Detroit Red Wings

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Snap back to reality, oh there goes gravity, oh there goes gravity, choke, he's so mad

he won't give up that is you get it because they they've lost to the red wings and him

and him.

He's from Detroit, you get it?

You're locked on devils, your daily podcast on the New Jersey Devils, part of the locked

on podcast network, your team every day.

This is locked on devils, part of the locked on podcast network now the number one sports

podcast network in the world, welcome to the new digs.

This is it.

I am in great falls Montana for the foreseeable future and maybe the only devils fan out

here, possibly I said to somebody, I was wearing a devils hat in town today and

he actually, he's like, oh are you a New Jersey devils fan?

I said, yeah, he's like, oh, your your boy scored the golden goal, my yeah, he did, he's

like, I'm so thankful that Luke Hughes was on TV, USA, I was like, oh, wrong brother.

But my name is Zach Berman and we're going to break down yesterday because we have to,

I really was getting used to breaking down wins and I said that last night's game was

going to be the game that told me everything.

I feel like we've had a few, oh, this game's going to tell us everything kind of nights

and typically the everything we're told isn't very good.

Well, I regret to inform you that, that happened again, the devils get shut out, three zip

by the red wings, I said they lose, I didn't think they'd be shut out.

And same as it ever was, right?

We'll talk about the frustrating aspects of last night's game of which there were many,

we'll talk about why Jacob Markström is getting such a run starting back to back games

again in a back to back, Jake Allen, okay, what's going on there?

And we'll talk about the last couple games leading in to Sunday's game because I have

some conflicting thoughts and I think we can start there, we'll start in reverse.

Obviously the devils are not making the playoffs, I think they had to win yesterday's game

to even consider that and they didn't do that, they didn't even score goal.

And while I'm really upset about that, it's tough to not sit there and think that yes,

they played some bad teams leading in the Sunday's game against a good team which of course

the devils tend to struggle against good teams because the devils despite all the years

are rebuilding or not a good team, they're a bad team and that really sucks.

But what we saw and granted, like I said, this was against the blues, this was against

the panthers, this is against the Maple Leafs, against the Rangers, we saw a bit of that

juice, a bit of that magic, a bit of this is what they're supposed to be.

And I really find it tough to not sit there and say that this is not as dire of a situation

perhaps as the current situation feels.

This is not as dire as the current GM has made things feel, this is not as dire as the

current coaches made things feel.

I know there was a lot of talk about hey, hey, and you know what, I'll admit to it, I

perpetuated it.

Hey, if Sheldon Keefe keeps coaching like this, he can stay, well, Sheldon Keefe went

back to his old ways in the third period of the Red Wings game and given how important

this game was probably ended any conversations of deserving to come back right then and

there.

But from a talent standpoint, the New Jersey Dettles should not be where they are, standings

wise.

They just shouldn't.

And to see them play the way they did granted against some lesser opponents, but to see

them still bring that firepower, that juice, that tells me that deep down, and it's going

to be up to a new front office, a new GM, a new coaching staff, if devil's ownership

is serious and actually believes in changing things.

It's going to be up to those people to find a way to get that out of this group.

I watched the Buffalo Tampa game this morning.

I didn't watch it yesterday because I was too busy watching the devils get shut out

by the straight Red Wings.

But how long did Buffalo fans have to endure, oh, this core can't get it done, oh, blow

the roster up, oh, this team is worthless, oh, this, oh, that, when in reality, they had

to ship off one core piece in JJ Paturka, or Badurka, as Don McGregor loves to say,

and replace the general manager.

It was as simple as that.

And I mean, I'm not saying the devils could have fired Tom Fitzgerald in December and they

would have gone on this crazy run, but they could have.

I don't think the team is as bad as their record says they are.

Say for a couple of players that tank the Detroit game, but we'll get there.

I truly think this is a salvageable situation.

Now should everybody's role be safe?

No.

I know Timo Meyer and Jesper Brad have like huge military causes.

I think you have to consider shipping out one of them, not both of them, one of them.

Who is the right one to ship out?

Well, let me tell you something.

I have no freaking idea.

That is something that not Tom Fitzgerald, not everybody who's not named Tom Fitzgerald

currently employed by the front office.

That is a decision that should only be made by a new front office.

Or if they decide, and that was just by opinion, or if they decide, okay, this team can still

win with this group, then keep both of them.

I'm not paid to make those choices.

But I don't think, and I've seen people say, well, this isn't working, blow it up.

There have been times where I felt that way.

And as of now, I don't feel that way.

I feel based on watching Buffalo, based on watching what this team has been able to do

against lesser opponents when they're playing a little bit looser.

I don't think there is far off as points in this season have made them feel.

Could I be wrong?

Yeah, sure.

But it is up to devil's ownership to lock in and say, okay, we have a team that should

be making the playoffs at bare minimum every year.

Why are we not doing that?

And who can we bring in to get the best out of this group?

Because it is surely not the current front office is surely not the current coaching staff.

That ship is sailed.

What can you do about it?

You know, it just, it is what it is.

Current coaches, current GM, current front office, they're not good enough.

And they've, the results have proven that.

But I'm not ready to give up on this entire roster.

I'm just not, even if they lose the next 15 games or whatever, like, I'm just not ready

to sit there and say, like, blow it up.

I'd like to see what this group could do under a new coach first, under a new GM next.

Because I know there are some people that were saying, and you know what, I am some people.

Hey, if they keep on playing the way they did against the Rangers and the Blues and the

Maple Leafs and the Panthers, maybe Shelton Keith could stick around, but they dug themselves

such a major hole that in order for him to deserve sticking around, they'd have to beat

the Detroit Red Wings.

And that did not happen.

Why?

We'll talk about it on the other side of this break.

Next on Locked On Deppes.

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Guys, selection Sunday is six days away.

I love March, Matt, this is so much.

And it will be a break from Devil's Hockey for some.

Devils do have a lengthy break.

They don't play again till Thursday against the Calgary Flames after they lost three

nothing, the Detroit Red Wings to the Dylan Larkin list, Detroit Red Wings, a national

television with David Blitzer sitting glass.

And now they once again are 11 points out of a playoff spot.

I know that the odds of them making a run per se are we're slim to none going in.

I think it would have gone up to like a 2% chance if the devils making the playoffs

if they had won this game.

But I'm not going to lie guys and as pessimistic as I have been on this podcast and I have

been pessimistic like I was on a Twitter space yesterday with a guy by the name of Brackback.

You know him.

You love him.

And he told me yeah, I unfollowed you on Twitter because you were too pessimistic.

And I said yeah, you were probably right.

I was I was debating getting like a rubber band on my arm and like snapping it every time

I felt myself getting too pessimistic or you know you ever seen the South Park movie

where Cartman is a collar every time he curses something like that.

But despite my raging pessimism about this team these last four games had me had me

saying something that I couldn't believe I was telling my friends this and saying you

know what maybe just maybe wouldn't it be cool if they went on a run.

And sometimes I feel a little bit silly for believing in that but at the same time like

that's part of being a fan.

I wanted to believe we haven't had anything to believe in for almost a few months now.

And I wanted to believe that came against the Rangers that made me feel something.

I'll admit it I'm not heartless but I did say and it bums me out.

But I did say that the Devils had to prove to me in this Detroit game that they were

for real.

And unfortunately they proved exactly what I was worried they were going to prove that.

This is a team that despite their talent is too bogged down by roster mismanagement and

poor coaching to really take that step towards a miracle run.

roster management John of the cova savage this guy post ACL one of the worst Devils defense

men I've ever seen in my life.

Like I'm not going to sit here and say that Dennis Chalowski is better than him but Dennis

Chalowski is way closer to Jonathan cova savage than he should have any right to be in.

Good God cova has just been dreadful and he's still got four more years left on his contract guys.

If getting the don off I I'm not sure if I can outdo the way Frank the tank has been talking

about him I can't do that but let's be clear here if getting to don off was not some

bomb scrub hockey player coming into this season if getting to don off was a reputable veteran

six guy he scored 20 goals for the stars last year.

For this dude to come here on like a one million dollar contract and under perform a one

million dollar contract I don't know if it's coaching I don't know what that's crazy.

I firmly believe that Tom Fitzgerald is one of the worst GM's the NHL and I have made

that no secret but sometimes part of being bad is being unlucky and Tom Fitzgerald has

not exactly been a very lucky general manager but when you're bad sometimes you will that

bad luck into existence we should have known when Corey Crawford retired on him out of the gate but for

of getting to don off to not only not be able to stay healthy which has been one of his hallmarks

as an NHL player but to not record a point as a New Jersey devil to the point where it is March 9th

and Jacob Markstrom has like three more assists than him like I'm sorry the odds of that happening

are just like crazy slimton on and once again he was terrible I don't know if it's just a coaching

thing it might be or this guy suddenly decided to become hilariously washed but I feel like other

teams that the devils are aspiring to be like don't have this happen and for a guy like

if getting to don off to be to suddenly become this horrible player is just really concerning

like I want to believe it is a coincidence that the entire roster saved for like

Cody Glass and Connor Brown and our Senny Gritziuk I want to believe that everybody having a

down year at once is in a fluke and this definitely leads me towards thinking yeah probably isn't

we still got to talk about the game and we got to talk about some of the decisions being made

regarding the goalie we will talk about that on the other side of the break next on lockdown devils

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all right devils lose three nothing to the Detroit Red Wings and this was a really frustrating game

because it showed a lot of tendencies this team has had giving up early goals taking bad penalties

not being able to finish wilting in the third period

let's start the marx from stuff I actually I mean I didn't think marx from played that poorly other

than the first goal which unfortunately wound up being the deciding goal but I thought

marquee was fine for the most part for a guy that's playing back-to-back nights why is he playing

him back-to-back nights I think the why is a lot more interesting than the how because is Jake

Alan hurt or is this Fitzgerald saying we paid this guy two years six million dollars the contract

doesn't even kicked in yet I have to justify it I we don't know we're never going to know most

I mean it's frustrating it's incredibly frustrating to see them run a goalie out four times in a

week but like in his credit he did win three of the first four games I'm like I don't know man

this team makes decisions that don't make sense and you just kind of have to have to roll with it

like I can't do anything about it I'd love to do something about it I'd love to

go right to Tom Fitzgerald back hey why is Jacob marx from starting four times in a week but

if I did that I probably wouldn't I doubt I'd get an answer

what is depth scoring that's what Tom Fitzgerald once asked himself still hasn't found it

devils of course get shut out by multiple goalies John Gibson for the first two periods

and then cam Talbot for the third they hit multiple posts in the second period I actually I

like their game in the first two periods the devils out shoot Detroit 12-9 in the first and

were tied in shots in the second nine nine of course they get outshot in the third because they're

25-26 jersey devils but the three goals against let's break him down first one

shot from far up by most cider that just under no circumstances can go in like dude again that's

a coffee cake muffin from Duncan Donuts like that puck cannot go in just an immediately deflating

start for this team after such a big win the day before in front of the home crowd on national

television you can't let that shot go in oh devils also committed at too many men on the power

play like how how what sure another dumb penalty in the second period this time Jonathan

cova-sevich who has been dreadful takes a call for interference

curve and immediately the red wings capitalize mom with counties finest james van

reamsdike a beautiful deflection on the shot from most cider on the power play nothing

marks we could have done there and it's to zip for the red wings and in the third period

wouldn't be a devils loss without giving up a giving up someone's first NHL goal in dominox shine

who I had never even heard of career NHLer before this game before this moment scores his first

congratulations to him so really poorly played game in the back half it's too many dumb penalties

a shot from marksroom that shouldn't have gone in the lack of finish same usual suspects

mire hues not not I didn't need to say hues I meant to say brack to dawn up to dawn up

just a bad game and unfortunately the devils put themselves in a position where they can't

afford bad games like normally I'd love to praise them for saying oh you one four five and uh

I'm sorry you lost the the fifth game well it's no big deal because you won the first four

they put themselves in a position where it is a big deal and they only have themselves to blame for that

so now the path to doing what they would like to do gets a lot harder

even though they have some easier opponents coming up who will preview those

in the days to come and it's really tough because Rachel Dory said on

bratback's twitter space now I feel like this is the only thing I can repeat from that space because

it got a little saucy that right now a lot is still on the line for Tom Fitzgerald and the rest

of the front office which is obvious considering that they're still all here but she did seem to

hint at a scenario where the devils could potentially have a strong wrap up to their season miss

the playoffs and Fitz he keeps his job which would be like by far and away the worst case scenario

and it's really tough because I don't want to root for losing like that makes me feel like a

bad fan I just did it with the giants I don't want to have to do it again and beating the maples

beating the Rangers like that was fun that was enjoyable I like winning

I just don't like being in a position where it feels like winning isn't the best thing for this team

and like it's really it's really weird because like you don't want to leave a sour taste in

Nico's mouth by going into the offseason playing poorly considering it's a contract year for

Nico next year that's the decision it's going to have to be made this summer

Simone Nemitz is probably gone so you'd like to have him finish strong terms of the trade value aspect

of it see if you can get a top six winger for him you want Jack to keep playing well you want

Luke to keep finding his footing after his tough start to the year you want to see guys like

Gritziuk and Lenny continue to make strides

but if that all happens and Fitzgerald keeps his job then like what does it matter it's really

frustrating like I hate feeling like there's no right answer and it's like I'm not going to tell

you guys like oh don't be happy if the devil's win like no I'm going to try my best to enjoy the

wins complain about the losses because I'm a fan and at the end of the day whether you're an

optimistic fan or pessimistic fan I think if you're a New Jersey devils fan you want the same thing

and that's for this team to eventually get back to contention status and maybe just maybe

when a fourth family cup but right now they are very far away from that devils are off tomorrow

I will preview the rest of the week in tomorrow's show make sure like subscribe follow all

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