The Loop

Shirtless David Puddy took over the Devils game again last night

February 20, 2019
Pittsburgh Penguins v New Jersey Devils

Bruce Bennett

OK, so let's start with the bad news. The New Jersey Devils stink like a New Jersey Superfund site. After a promising 2017/18 resulting in a playoff berth, the Devils have regressed to the mean and then some, sitting dead last in the Metropolitan Division in late February. The good news? Somehow they still convinced mythical Seinfeld b-character and noted Devils maniac David Puddy to come back, take his shirt off, and scream "THE DEVILSSSS" until his larynx gives out as part of their annual '90s Night-palooza-a-thon. Hey, gotta support the team (even if it does end up strip mining every last morsel of happiness from your soul.)

Patrick Warburton—no, David Puddy is not his real name—has been doing this on and off since 1995, but this year included a very awesome first for both Warburton and the beleaguered Devils fans who still bothered to drag their corpses to the Prud on a Wednesday night: An actual miniature bobblehead version of the warpainted childless hockey dad who once put a priest in hospice. Needless to say, we need one of these bad boys and stat.

Not even Puddy's presence could buoy the Devils to a win, however, with the team falling to the Penguins 4-3. Given that defensive performance, something tells us Jerry and Kramer weren't exactly giving it their all.

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