GDT: Devils vs. Flames - 9:00PM MSG+

[Bleedred]

Definitely not more of a concern than the awful defensive coverage but it is a problem. Can't seem to get any consistent goaltending. Feels like a couple of soft goals per night.

Our goaltending, which really isn't that bad compared to the league average, though it might be close after this game, seems to make the defense look worse than it was. Kinkaid gave up a couple stoppable ones to Ottawa, and Cory has given up 8 or 9 weak goals already.

You expect to see weak goals sometimes, but when it's such a significant percentage of the total goals against, that's when it's a problem and that's when it start to reflect in the goalies numbers.

Like twilight era Marty? Over a third of the goals he was allowing by 13-14 were at least stoppable.

 

[Zippy316]

There's a lot to like from this game considering it's without Zajac, Palmieri, Johansson, and Santini.

This team is resilient. Hopefully they can keep that quality while sharpening the defensive game -- Zajac should help the latter immensely.

 

[Blender]

Meanwhile, Bratt gets another point so that's how many points in how many games now?

12 points in 13 games. I didn't think he had his strongest game, but he's 19 so he's going to have games even worse than this. Still crazy how well he's doing.

 

[Emperoreddy]

One of Greene’s worst games in a while.

Honestly a lot of the mistakes are just poor choices. Things they should be able to clean up.

 

[Bleedred]

Wasn't it against Toronto where Marty allowed 2 spinorama goals in the same shootout?

That was against the Islanders, in what might have been Marty's last shootout ever. It was certainly his last as a Devil, as it was the second to last game of the last season he played for us. I don't even remember if he played a shootout for the Blues.

He did have a really bad shootout against the Leafs in 2012, where he faced 3 shooters and allowed a goal to each. Two were clean wristers to the glove side, top shelf. And the last was a highlight reel move by Nazem Kadri.

I also remember a bad shootout with Marty against Toronto back in the early years of it. 2006 or 2007 maybe? It was in the old building, I remember that much. I don't think he allowed a goal to every shooter, but he did allow 3 straight at one point.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Some aren't even getting an assignment to cover at all. Mueller was watching with the best seat in the house too much in the 3rd. Grab a guy, not play swing your stick as the puck goes by to the guy who had his legs moving while yours weren't. The puck watching syndrome has crept back in with this D and not watching the open man. We were lucky to get a point.

 

[Bramskii]

12 points in 13 games. I didn't think he had his strongest game, but he's 19 so he's going to have games even worse than this. Still crazy how well he's doing.

Didn't think he was bad at all. He seems to create chances out of nothing everytime he's out there. I'm extremely impressed by him. Great player.

 

[Oneiro]

Yup, I think inexperience at every position is half of this team's challenge.

 

[Csonked Out]

Mueller with Greene? Are we just trying something new or has he been that much better recently?

 

[Blender]

One of Greene’s worst games in a while.

Honestly a lot of the mistakes are just poor choices. Things they should be able to clean up.

Greene was horrendous in our zone. Severson was also a dumpster fire back there. Honestly, Mueller and Lovejoy were the two best guys defensively tonight and they both had some breakdowns as well.

 

[Devilswede]

What does it take to realize that Hall is terrible in the SO and he shouldn't be one of our top shooters?

Yeah he's out best player and he's been hot. But he sucks in the shootout. There are better options than him.

Overall, it's good to get a point of this one. We need to get healthy. Our depth is not at a point where you can go without guys like Palmieri, Zajac and Johansson for a long time.

Johansson and Zajac are not close to returning I'm assuming. Palmieri should be back this upcoming week.

 

[Csonked Out]

Didn't think he was bad at all. He seems to create chances out of nothing everytime he's out there. I'm extremely impressed by him. Great player.

He really is a similar player to Johnny Hockey

 

[R8Devs]

most teams don't have the depth to go without half their top 6 for a long time

 

[Richer's Ghost]

What does it take to realize that Hall is terrible in the SO and he shouldn't be one of our top shooters?

Yeah he's out best player and he's been hot. But he sucks in the shootout. There are better options than him.

Overall, it's good to get a point of this one. We need to get healthy. Our depth is not at a point where you can go without guys like Palmieri, Zajac and Johansson for a long time.

Johansson and Zajac are not close to returning I'm assuming. Palmieri should be back this upcoming week.

He was gassed from being out too long to end OT too. Why is he shooting first when he barely had caught his breath? DUMB. Let him go 2nd at least.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Zajac isn’t going to be back until at least Christmas.

 

[MadDevil]

We may not be getting elite goaltending, but we're certainly not helping out either of our goalies with the way we play defensively in front of them. Some of it is a byproduct of playing a more up tempo system, but there's also a lot of dumb decisions or blown coverages going on. I'm okay if it's the kids making mistakes, but vets who should know better are also doing it. I don't want to blast the team too much since we are missing our best defensive forward and two other vets in the top 6, but we can't keep playing this way. Eventually our shooting luck is going to level out (unless we're that weird analytics defying team this year).

 

[Bleedred]

Some aren't even getting an assignment to cover at all. Mueller was watching with the best seat in the house too much in the 3rd. Grab a guy, not play swing your stick as the puck goes by to the guy who had his legs moving while yours weren't. The puck watching syndrome has crept back in with this D and not watching the open man. We were lucky to get a point.

Definitely lucky to get a point.

I think Mike Smith was one of our best players tonight.

1st period was pretty good, despite allowing a lot of high quality chances late. The rest was a bit whatever.

I thought we were good at times, but also very bad at times.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Mueller with Greene? Are we just trying something new or has he been that much better recently?

That was just to start the game. Tonight was unusual in that it didnt seem like Hynes was keeping pairings intact. I felt like everyone played with everyone.

I even saw Butcher out with Severson at one point, which terrified me.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Definitely lucky to get a point.

I think Mike Smith was one of our best players tonight.

1st period was pretty good, despite allowing a lot of high quality chances late. The rest was a bit whatever.

I thought we were good at times, but also very bad at times.

Meh you can say the same about them being lucky. We had plenty of looks to be able to win this in regulation.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

I understand the injury situation but I just don’t like the way the team is trending. Cory was spectacular in the first game of the trip, but I think the Devils did a good job of not breaking down all over the ice in that game. Lots of shots, but not many second chances. Last two they’ve been really sloppy and there were signs of that creeping in even before the trip. I mean the goal scoring is great and they’ve been generating chances even with quality players out of the lineup, but I don’t know...

 

[Bleedred]

We may not be getting elite goaltending, but we're certainly not helping out either of our goalies with the way we play defensively in front of them. Some of it is a byproduct of playing a more up tempo system, but there's also a lot of dumb decisions or blown coverages going on. I'm okay if it's the kids making mistakes, but vets who should know better are also doing it. I don't want to blast the team too much since we are missing our best defensive forward and two other vets in the top 6, but we can't keep playing this way. Eventually our shooting luck is going to level out (unless we're that weird analytics defying team this year).

It's like I said, not all of the goals are bad ones. There's a lot that the goalie has no chance on.

But there seems to be at least one not so good goal going in most games. Some of them are more subtle, others are after a major error by the skaters, but still travelling through the 5-hole or beating the goalie from way out.

 

[BenedictGomez]

He was gassed from being out too long to end OT too. Why is he shooting first when he barely had caught his breath? DUMB. Let him go 2nd at least.

Let him not go at all given how terrible his lifetime SO percentage is. It's as if Hynes doesnt take that into consideration at all, I mean, I have to assume he doesnt.

Stafford's another example, yes he's 2 for 2 this season, but his lifetime percentage is a non-impressive 33%.

 

[Bleedred]

Meh you can say the same about them being lucky. We had plenty of looks to be able to win this in regulation.

It seems like the Flames were due for one of these breakout games. I'm going to assume that they're not scoring a lot of goals this season, since their goaltending had been really good before tonight, but their record was just one game above 500.

I think the Flames were due for a breakout on offense, but Mike Smith was also due to get hammered for a game.

 

[Csonked Out]

Let him not go at all given how terrible his lifetime SO percentage is. It's as if Hynes doesnt take that into consideration at all, I mean, I have to assume he doesnt.

Stafford's another example, yes he's 2 for 2 this season, but his lifetime percentage is a non-impressive 33%.

Stafford is fantastic at shootouts, has been since his college days.

 

[Bleedred]

Can we beat those f***s from Edmonton on Thursday? I wanna beat Marty's team too, but f*** Edmonton.

They need to be punished.

They come out and can't score one goal on MraSUCK today?

Beat St Louis, then flush the Oilers down the commode.