GDT: Devils @ Golden Knights - 3:30 PM - TNT, MAX

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RNCDevil

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Jun 21, 2008
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Philadelphia, PA
Baby steps. You can either have zone entry demons like well-functioning-Jack and Bratt (or Luke and Dougie) or you can pass the puck like wizards. With teams sitting back and absolutely atrocious NHL passing, the Devils have no more scoring.

The team just needs an offseason and they MUST upgrade the bottom 6, which is just horrible. Maybe Lazar is the only passable guy?

Nico, Jack, Bratt, Meier, Mercer (he's going to rebound. I feel it) and Palat are there. Haula, Nosek, Tierney, McDermid, Lazar and Holtz are just below average. Lots to upgrade there.

I think Dougie back, reclaiming minutes and better play from Bahl and Marino will help, but it's a season away. Siegs looks cooked. Luke and Nemec just need fewer minutes and I am sure they will get Colin Miller 2.0. Gotta move on from Smith.
 

NJDevs26

Once upon a time...
Mar 21, 2007
67,427
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We’ve still got Lindy under contract right? What a hoot that would be.
Well Lou did that with his 'buddy' Lemaire after forcing him into retirement lol, and he also did that with Larry under more serious circumstances (Cunniff getting sick and bringing him back to be Constantine's assistant).
 
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Devils731

Registered User
Jun 23, 2008
12,358
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If the Hughes bros aren't "running the org", somebody above them would shut them down for the rest of the season. It's over so what's the point of them continuing to play like utter trash every night?
The Devils medical staff seems to think if a player can still breathe, they should playing.

Jack seems very competitive so it wouldn’t surprise me that he pushes to play ASAP. But the story with Blackwood where the team implied they view him as healthy enough to play, even if he felt differently, may be why we’ve seen so many players seem to come back early and play poorly; Meier being another example from this year.
 

Bleedred

Travis Green BLOWS! Bring back Nasreddine!
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Since Green took over Daws has been great.
His system could be to Daws what Nasreddine's was to Blackwood, where Blackwood was the best goalie in the world for about 30 games after Hynes was fired, so maybe Daws could be the best goalie in the world after Ruff was fired? At least for a little while?:sarcasm:
 
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JK3

Go Easy-Step Lightly-Stay Free
Nov 15, 2007
19,921
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Ice Station Zebra
What was said in the post? It's locked for me
Nothing that we haven’t said here 1,000 times. We could be in better shape, maybe playoffs if Allen came here earlier. He’s a solid vet goalie and a good mentor. They need to manage the puck better, need better breakouts and zone time, need to use our skill and speed, need better gaps. We’re a young team that had injuries blah blah blah, yada yada. Real groundbreaking stuff, unbelievable astute observations that no one ever even thought of. I’m sold, we should hire him tomorrow.
 

Blender

Registered User
Dec 2, 2009
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Nothing that we haven’t said here 1,000 times. We could be in better shape, maybe playoffs if Allen came here earlier. He’s a solid vet goalie and a good mentor. They need to manage the puck better, need better breakouts and zone time, need to use our skill and speed, need better gaps. We’re a young team that had injuries blah blah blah, yada yada. Real groundbreaking stuff, unbelievable astute observations that no one ever even thought of. I’m sold, we should hire him tomorrow.
It's the NHL. You'll get some old boys club retread and enjoy it.
 
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glenwo2

LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Oct 18, 2008
52,062
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New Jersey(No Fanz!)
He might be trying to do that but I don’t think it’s happening. We’re just getting some saves now during our usual adventures on defense. Allen has been fantastic in his two games despite the mess in front of him and Kakhonen was as well in his first game when he was completely under siege.
Kakhonen has not impressed me all that much.

Allen is the one who has been rock-solid and actually for the first time in awhile gives me some hope that the Devils can win a game (even though they're ready for the offseason now) when he is between the pipes.

That is something I never thought I'd be saying about Jake friggin' Allen but there it is.
 

Homedresser

Proverbs 26:4-5
Dec 7, 2021
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I think we'll have at least another year of growing pains with Luke.

Of course if the team is going well he'll produce more, making people forgive more....but his game is still very rough around the edges.
growing pains is understandable but he needs to drastically improve on his defensive game. His D zone awareness is alarming for someone with his pedigree. Have to wonder what he's thinking most of the time. If he's not defensively conscious in his rookie season then when will he be? Countless times this year he's shown no interest in engaging defensively.
 

Call Me Al

Registered User
Aug 28, 2017
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it’s shocking how much worse this team has actually been under green.

i thought mercer had a really good game. allen too, he looked like an nhl goalie.

those are my two takeaways from the game, everything else sucked
 
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Triumph

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Oct 2, 2007
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growing pains is understandable but he needs to drastically improve on his defensive game. His D zone awareness is alarming for someone with his pedigree. Have to wonder what he's thinking most of the time. If he's not defensively conscious in his rookie season then when will he be? Countless times this year he's shown no interest in engaging defensively.

This to me is the opposite of what is true. Luke has been way better than I thought he would be at positioning, 1 on 1 defense, and winning puck battles. He has been worse than I expected at decision-making with the puck in the D zone.
 

A1LeafNation

Obsession beats talent everytime!!
Oct 17, 2010
27,469
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His system could be to Daws what Nasreddine's was to Blackwood, where Blackwood was the best goalie in the world for about 30 games after Hynes was fired, so maybe Daws could be the best goalie in the world after Ruff was fired? At least for a little while?:sarcasm:
Nothing to me indicates Daws has been not ready for the NHL based on this year. The only things that jump out to me is that he has been over worked at two points this season.

1. Right after the stadium series.
2. Right before Lindy was fired.

This is a goalie management issue, not a Daws issue.

Looking at 2 examples of rookie goalie management this year. Hofer has been managed correctly and played 1-2 games per week, as a rookie should, and playing well. Philly didn't get a proper goalie to play with Ersson and he is clearly being overplayed right now and struggling.

Next years goalies should not include Allen, but a legit starter instead. That's my take on it.

________
Daws
Schmid
 

Bleedred

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Nothing to me indicates Daws has been not ready for the NHL based on this year. The only things that jump out to me is that he has been over worked at two points this season.

1. Right after the stadium series.
2. Right before Lindy was fired.

This is a goalie management issue, not a Daws issue.

Looking at 2 examples of rookie goalie management this year. Hofer has been managed correctly and played 1-2 games per week, as a rookie should, and playing well. Philly didn't get a proper goalie to play with Ersson and he is clearly being overplayed right now and struggling.

Next years goalies should not include Allen, but a legit starter instead. That's my take on it.

________
Daws
Schmid
If he hadn’t been forced to play so much in the NHL both in 21-22 and this year then he may be able to be the backup next year.

Our GM showed he wasn’t f***ing around by burning all things this year’s goalies to the ground at deadline.
 

A1LeafNation

Obsession beats talent everytime!!
Oct 17, 2010
27,469
17,452
If he hadn’t been forced to play so much in the NHL both in 21-22 and this year then he may be able to be the backup next year.

Our GM showed he wasn’t f***ing around by burning all things this year’s goalies to the ground at deadline.


This guy nailed it, Fitz didn't set the team up right this year. Next year neither Daws nor Nemec/L.Hughes are rookies anymore next year and should be good with the NHL workload.

He should plan accordingly or he's just going to uncover a new set of problems.
 

AfroThunder396

[citation needed]
Jan 8, 2006
39,132
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Miami, FL
Luke, just like Jack was in his early seasons, is way too cocky when he has the puck on his stick. He thinks he can dangle his way out of anything but has a poor read on timing/spacing gaps in the NHL.

Generally his positioning hasn't been the main problem. The issue to me is that simply standing in the right spot doesn't mean anything - you have to use your body and stick the right way in order to defend correctly at the NHL level. Luke is weak physically and gets shoved/bullied off the puck pretty easily, and he is way too reactive with his stick. He's very bad at winning control of the puck, and even if he gets the puck first he's usually doesn't know what to do with it.

This is in stark contrast to Dougie, who for as much as he gets heat for being horrendous in transitional defense (rightfully so) is actually quite decent in his own zone. He's big enough and physical enough to win board battles, and when he does get the puck he's excellent and making a crisp and decisive pass out of the zone. Despite having really poor footspeed, Hamilton is actually really effective at using his positioning well. Dougie gets exposed with lateral movement down low because his feet can't keep up, but along the walls he's actually very effective at defending IMO.

Luke *should* be able to figure this out with experience and the right teacher. I think in the long run, getting humbled in his first season should do him some good just like it did for Jack in his first season. Luke has dominated lower levels of competition and he needs to learn that shit doesn't fly in the NHL. I get the "letting him play through it" argument, but IMO Ruff and Green have really done him a disservice with the way they've handled him this season.
 
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Bleedred

Travis Green BLOWS! Bring back Nasreddine!
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This guy nailed it, Fitz didn't set the team up right this year. Next year neither Daws nor Nemec/L.Hughes are rookies anymore next year and should be good with the NHL workload.

He should plan accordingly or he's just going to uncover a new set of problems.

Good to know.

Getting the team a legit backup and not a guy who hasn’t proven to be successful in 46 games would have been much better for next year because you say it will.
 
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