GDT: #17 New Jersey Devils v.s. Pittsburg Penguins: Slapshot Edition

[BadFella]

It'd be really nice if Elias is able to stay in the league long enough to have played alongside Zacha. Passing of the torch of the Czech National Hockey (League) Team.

Of course, if he retires we can always sign 45 year old Jagr when the time comes.

 

[Emperoreddy]

When was the last time we can can say the Devils are a faster skating team than Pitts?

I have no idea. Pitt looked like they were standing still.

Hynes does need to figure out how to get the guys to better handle hard forechecking. Teams that forechecked heavy had the best success against us.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

When was the last time we can can say the Devils are a faster skating team than Pitts?

When the mumps was making its rounds?

 

[Zippy316]

I have no idea. Pitt looked like they were standing still.

Hynes does need to figure out how to get the guys to better handle hard forechecking. Teams that forechecked heavy had the best success against us.

I think this will adjust itself a bit when the defenders get more experience and more comfortable.

We have some defenders that can skate the puck and move it up the ice. Just need to start getting them to move their feet a bit.

 

[njdevil26]

When the mumps was making its rounds?

That was a funny day because MSG+ called the NJ/Pit game the "Mumps Bowl"

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

I'm a day late but this game ****in' ruled. Almost made me wanna boot up GCL just to watch it again with the Penguins feed.

Oh man, I'm sure the reason we won according to those bozos was because of the trap.

 

[Colin226]

Oh man, I'm sure the reason we won according to those bozos was because of the trap.

Plus several shots at our empty, quiet arena (which is something they said when we beat them during that first throwback jersey game, when the arena was also sold out, and as loud and rowdy as a SCF game).

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Oh man, I'm sure the reason we won according to those bozos was because of the trap.

Isn't that the only reason we ever win?

 

[thethinglonger]

Was looking through the Penguins board GDT and they were just ripping on their own announcers...it was kinda funny.

This may not be revolutionary or may already be well-known knowledge, but Johnston is coaching the Pens to be a defensively responsible team, which doesn't quite work when you have high-octane guys like Malkin, Crosby, Kessel, and Letang. I mean these players are decent in their own end, but the Pens are far more of a transition team. I wonder how long it will be before Johnston is fired. I was listening to some Edmonton radio in the car this morning and they were balking at the thought of firing a head coach while having a winning record. I laughed and thought of all the coaches Lou fired

 

[RNCDevil]

I am very intrigued about Elias's return.

His comments about his knee issues finally being put to rest, and this being the best he's felt in 2 years. That's exciting.

I love Patty. I mean, he's a great human being, fan friendly, a special, creative player and his wife is smoking hot. BUT, at 40, I'm surprised if he provides anything beyond a few errant blind drop passes.

BUT, if it means, Gionta or O'Neil are pushed aside, I still think it will be an upgrade.

 

[BadFella]

I love Patty. I mean, he's a great human being, fan friendly, a special, creative player and his wife is smoking hot. BUT, at 40, I'm surprised if he provides anything beyond a few errant blind drop passes.

Let's be fair to him, he's not 40 for another 6 months.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Elias hockey smarts didn't vanish. I think he still has more to give and more skill then a lot of guys we have.

I'm sure there is a place for him that makes the team better overall.

 

[devilsblood]

Elias hockey smarts didn't vanish. I think he still has more to give and more skill then a lot of guys we have.

I'm sure there is a place for him that makes the team better overall.

Fingers crossed. But he didn't look great last year and now he's a year older and coming off a knee injury.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Fingers crossed. But he didn't look great last year and now he's a year older and coming off a knee injury.

Elias' comments about his knee feeling better than it has in years (better than it did last year, that's for sure) are reason for optimism.

I'm not holding my breath for 50 points out of him, but I'm confident he'll find a niche to maximize his value to the team without playing too much of an expanded role.

I'm as confident in him filling that niche as I am in Hynes to help him find said niche.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Fingers crossed. But he didn't look great last year and now he's a year older and coming off a knee injury.

No one looked good and it's entirely possible this injury was nagging him last year.

 

[Desert Devil]

Oh man, I'm sure the reason we won according to those bozos was because of the trap.

It's pretty amazing that announcers from around the league still cling to this idea. We haven't played that way in a long time. Some respectable announcers too.

 

[Bleedred]

Elias didn't look great last year, when compared to the Patty we knew for like 16 or 17 years before that. But he didn't look not great overall.

He still was a point per every other game player. It would be amazing to add a 40 point a year pace player to this team.

He probably won't bounce back to where he was, but I don't think he'll be much worse than what he was last year. If any worse at all.

If he is though, it's no problem really. I'm sure Marty in St Louis or Pete in San Jose will be reaching out for a PTO soon enough.

 

[NJDevs26]

Elias' comments about his knee feeling better than it has in years (better than it did last year, that's for sure) are reason for optimism.

True...but the cynic in me says that's not going to last too long once he starts stressing the knee and taking contact.

But just so long as he hasn't become the NHL version of Peyton Manning he can't possibly be a negative for as long as he is in the lineup, especially taking O'Neill's slot and enabling the other third/fourth liners to play less.

 

[tr83]

Elias didn't look great last year, when compared to the Patty we knew for like 16 or 17 years before that. But he didn't look not great overall.

He still was a point per every other game player. It would be amazing to add a 40 point a year pace player to this team.

He probably won't bounce back to where he was, but I don't think he'll be much worse than what he was last year. If any worse at all.

If he is though, it's no problem really. I'm sure Marty in St Louis or Pete in San Jose will be reaching out for a PTO soon enough.

Don't forget about the Flyers, too. He's been killing that team for 15 years

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

It will be nice to have Elias back. I'm not sure how much he can contribute, but I think it will at least be a little, and he has a valuable veteran presence.

 

[Bleedred]

Don't forget about the Flyers, too. He's been killing that team for 15 years

I'm sure quite a few teams would sign him, unless he was really bad.

But even if he's really bad, buddy Pete and buddy Marty will likely give a ring.

I could see Pete right now ''Yeah I mean ya now, we had a line like this in 2011-2012 when we went to the Stanley Cup Final in New Jersey. Zubrus and Elias were on a line together with Petr Sykora. We don't have Sykora here, he's been retired a few years now. But we do have Patty Marleau here with them to take that spot on the right wing''.



I can also imagine Marty giving his input if Patty signed there.

''Well Armie was telling me he didn't wanna try Patrik here because of what happened with Marty Havlat. I told him that I don't think Patrik is trying to stick it to the Devils. And we're not playing the Devils for a while here, so it's not like we're gonna sign him and he's out two games later after he scores a game winner against the Devils like Havlat did. I don't think we're gonna have to worry about that with him. I think Havs just had a score to settle with the Devils there.'' with Marty's trolling laughing and giggling during the entire interview.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

as bad as we were and Elias seemingly was last year, he still was a 0.5 PPG player.

 

[Emperoreddy]

as bad as we were and Elias seemingly was last year, he still was a 0.5 PPG player.

Why I'm excited to have him back. If he is feeling better then has has for two years and now he is coming back to a team that is doing something instead of the disaster last year.

Could see Patty bringing the best he can.

His hockey IQ doesn't age.

 

[JimEIV]

I'd bet the cranky knee problems were related to the chronic groin problems he's had. Didn't he have surgery for the groin recently?

He should've been switched to LW last year or even the year before.
Playing center with the added defensive and bearing down on faceoffs is not the best idea for a guy with a lot of miles on his body along with a sore groin and knees.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd bet the cranky knee problems were related to the chronic groin problems he's had. Didn't he have surgery for the groin recently?

He should've been switched to LW last year or even the year before.
Playing center with the added defensive and bearing down on faceoffs is not the best idea for a guy with a lot of miles on his body along with a sore groin and knees.

I think the groin surgery was the summer before the lockout, summer of 2012. So it's been 3 years now.

He did have an injury and maybe surgery on his other groin a couple years earlier too. I think that was what kept him out for a while at the start of the 09-10 season.