Post-Game Talk: Devils beat Panthers 7-3!!!!

[Guttersniped]

If you’re saying he’s played every single game since the start of the season, like he did yesterday, then I’ll just end it here.

He definitely played like that in the first four games (well everyone got crushed in the Caps game) but he got injured in Sabres game.

That was the game that led to this quote: I didn't get hurt. It was just pain. So just wanted to go out there and finish the game.”.

And then Captain Grimace had his worst game of the season against Calgary while still dealing with the pain. He was ok to iffy for next two home games, not bad though, and was likely still banged up.

Nico played as least as good as this in the Kings and Sharks game though. (Edit: not very good in the Ducks game but 5 minutes of his 16 minutes were on that shit power play.)

Mercer has been great. He wasn’t playing big minutes at the start of the season but he’s only had a couple bad games (really just the Caps game stands out). He stepped up big in the games at home after Nico was injured, that was when he started playing more and had several memorably strong performances in a row. Mercer didn’t do that much on the road trip, I feel like Nico played better out there. Mercer had a great game against Florida too though.

It’s not a contest between the two. Considering how the other players were admiring Nico’s toughness after the Sabres game it’s just odd to me not having the other players’s respect. And I don’t see a lack of effort, individual bad games actually don’t necessarily come from a lack of effort or a moral failing. They just happen.

Mercer’s offense has been critical but he’s contributing offensively, Nico is playing a much tougher two-way role. Mercer hasn’t been bad defensively at all which is actually impressive for a player coming out of juniors, they typically get caved in. I’m thrilled with Mercer. And both hoping and assuming that Nico’s finishing will improve.

 

[OmNomNom]

I really don't think he did and am not sure what people are seeing to think that he did. The nice pass to Holtz is about it, and that was when the game was out of reach for the Panthers. Otherwise he did the standard Nico stuff. He got a tip goal which is nice, but he only had one other shot on goal, and he only played 15 minutes.

he was noticeably frustrating to play against, and mixed it up w their team. i'm not saying he's gooning, but being hard on the forecheck? that was all yesterday. it might be because we were mostly in control of the game though, and most nights we're chasing the puck

 

[Triumph]

he was noticeably frustrating to play against, and mixed it up w their team. i'm not saying he's gooning, but being hard on the forecheck? that was all yesterday. it might be because we were mostly in control of the game though, and most nights we're chasing the puck

I guess that's the funny part of this, I don't really think the Devils were mostly in control of last night's game either, I don't think they played all that great and got some fortunate bounces/Knight being bad. The PK was great and the PP was improved, and the Devils played well in the 3rd period, but they also got every bounce and Florida was on a back to back and basically packed it in after they went down 3.

 

[devilsblood]

he was noticeably frustrating to play against, and mixed it up w their team. i'm not saying he's gooning, but being hard on the forecheck? that was all yesterday. it might be because we were mostly in control of the game though, and most nights we're chasing the puck

1)Was he? Not saying he was or wasn't but this is highly subjective.

2)I don't think the posters saying Nico needed to do more, and then last night did more, are talking about him being more frustrating to play against.

 

[OmNomNom]

1)Was he? Not saying he was or wasn't but this is highly subjective.

2)I don't think the posters saying Nico needed to do more, and then last night did more, are talking about him being more frustrating to play against.

1.) hits don't line up as he had 2 (team leader was johnsson w 3), but i felt he got into a few scraps sticking up for teammates/himself and didn't take any shit.
2.) they're not, but that's an actual component of playing better. again, i'm not on that end of the spectrum, but for me, my takeaway was he was really involved physically, and that to me stands out more than the quieter things he normally does (limiting quality shots, for example)

 

[Buck Dancer]

He DID look good in those previous games. He just didn't produce and people went bananas that he didn't produce in a small number of games.

You can write words in caps, if some feel he didn’t look particularly good or what we expected of him, it’s not going to change a thing.

Just passing on some friendly advice.

 

[billingtons ghost]

That line shouldn't have been separated last year. This year he and Bratt need to stick together as a pair. It is important to note that while his shots are generally the same that his shot assists are higher. It won't stay this high but he's basically equalled what Jack did last year

I couldn't agree more that he and Bratt need to stick together. They are great for each other. I also think Bratt and Zacha are great for one another so there was legit reasons to put them together, and Zacha ended up producing. If Holtz can stick, then maybe that relieves any pressure to break up Bratt and Johnson, and that would be optimal in my book.

You lost me at the Hughes comp, tho.

 

[Camille the Eel]

It's truly wild stuff. He has one of his best games of the year, and more importantly, has put a couple games in a row together where he's actually producing tangible goals and instead of all being happy, it's a war zone.

Nico is the new Zacha here

 

[billingtons ghost]

I really don't think he did and am not sure what people are seeing to think that he did. The nice pass to Holtz is about it, and that was when the game was out of reach for the Panthers. Otherwise he did the standard Nico stuff. He got a tip goal which is nice, but he only had one other shot on goal, and he only played 15 minutes.

Last night he took the puck laterally to the center of the offensive zone on a couple occasions which led to chances. This differed from where he was taking the puck down the sideboards and turning his back to the defender and subsequently getting mashed to the boards and losing the puck which seemed to be his sop for many games. He also positioned himself well in front of the net and fought to free his stick up leading to a tip and goal, whereas he seemed to be getting knocked down, losing a stick, or... And likely this is more on our D, just getting pegged with the shot. There's more to say about his being more under control and his anticipation, but I'll leave it there.

Overall, last night *appeared* to be a marked improvement for him; how much of it was Smith pulling a Rafalski instead of Subban hitting him in the throat, or others creating space, Florida D being tired after yesterday's comeback etc... And how much was him playing more confidently and thinking the game better... I don't know. Perhaps other teams were harder on him and his teammates were crappier in past games, but it looked like the game slowed down a bit for him and his skill came to the forefront.

 

[Triumph]

I came up with several posts, acknowledging the great performance Nico had yesterday and I still get crapped on by the usual suspects, saying I’m not truthful and would’ve complained if he would’ve went pointless when I made my case that I was impressed with everything he did without taking into consideration pts or analytics.

Talk about spinning things in your favour even when things are super positive around here after a great team performance.

The reason why you are being crapped on, apart from the ludicrous belief that Mercer has passed Nico on the depth chart, is that I just don't fully believe accounts like this. Confirmation bias is very real and when a player scores a goal, especially early in the game, it's easier to notice and remember the good things he might be doing later in the game. Whereas if that player hasn't scored, it's easier to remember the bad things he did and that he's not scoring.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If you spend weeks posting some of the most hyperbolic and provably false crap about a player when they’re playing fine, ignoring every metric that shows that they’re playing fine…expect to be picked on.

And no, Nico wasn’t any better than he’s been all year. That just further exposes the “no point, bad; point, good” thinking that led to the whole issue to begin with. Ty Smith had 3 points and he still looked like shit to me.

 

[Triumph]

Last night he took the puck laterally to the center of the offensive zone on a couple occasions which led to chances. This differed from where he was taking the puck down the sideboards and turning his back to the defender and subsequently getting mashed to the boards and losing the puck which seemed to be his sop for many games. He also positioned himself well in front of the net and fought to free his stick up leading to a tip and goal, whereas he seemed to be getting knocked down, losing a stick, or... And likely this is more on our D, just getting pegged with the shot. There's more to say about his being more under control and his anticipation, but I'll leave it there.

Overall, last night *appeared* to be a marked improvement for him; how much of it was Smith pulling a Rafalski instead of Subban hitting him in the throat, or others creating space, Florida D being tired after yesterday's comeback etc... And how much was him playing more confidently and thinking the game better... I don't know. Perhaps other teams were harder on him and his teammates were crappier in past games, but it looked like the game slowed down a bit for him and his skill came to the forefront.

I don't know how Nico can have the results he has with some of the ways you guys describe how he plays. It just does not square at all. How his line can be generating high-danger chances well above the opposition pretty much every night but Nico is constantly making the wrong decisions with the puck and losing battles in front.

 

[NJDevs26]

When debates veer into straight pissing matches having next to nothing to do with the PGT after one of the biggest wins of the season, then we’re done here

 

[Richer's Ghost]

So I remember there being at least three cases of guys who's names changed overnight. I remember Doc going to great pains to explain that one guy just never bothered to correct anyone until midway thru his career, and another actually changed it and americanized it (or Canadianized it). Wish I could remember who they were.

I remember that but forget who but it happened again recently too. Ilya Somsonov? Everyone said sam-SUHN-awv and he changed it to sam-SOWN-awv. Been several of those once the player gets more comfortable learning english I guess.