GDT: Devils vs. Sabres - Match up Shenanigans

[Clam Jensen]

What a game wish we could have seen Rasmus D get what he's due still owe him a good shot for Nico....

If we get Rangers just gotta stay out of the box their power play fuels that team....

Timo ran him over in the corner which was nice to see

 

[Japam]

Glad my hotel wifi kept it together so I could watch this game. Good game.

 

[Billdo]

Also, I don’t know how Luke looked on tv but up close he looked great. He’s freakishly talented, you can see it right away.

I was there too and great isn't the adjective I'd use. If I'm being objective I'd say he didn't look out of place. Made a couple decent plays but great to me is a stretch.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Nico at 79 points..... Can he hit 80 in 81 games?

 

[glenwo2]

You can't really tell from the TV highlight, but Bratt had to HUSTLE to beat that icing and set Jack up.

Bratt had a weird night as Jack set him up for a hat tricks worth of goals and he biffed them all.

He also broke some ankles along the boards in the 3rd I think. Just made some Sabre look utterly foolish

It was Dahlin.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I think Luke deserves another game

I thought he played a simple game and was obviously a little hesisrent on skating the puck up ice. He looked good in the d zone for limited exposure

He was great in the third, made a few really confident plays. I really liked the one where he broke up that pass behind the net and then used his skating to safely break it out. And his play at the blue line was impressive as well.

I don't know how you justify playing Smith or Graves over him. Graves was good last night but has been trash for the last few months.

Siegs - Hamilton
Hughes - Marino
Bahl - Severson

That's how I would run the D but I'm sure Graves will stay in, in which case I'd take Hughes over Bahl as well. Our D corps lacks speed and the ability to break the puck out and he brings exactly that.

 

[The Grinder]

Still pretty elated from lastnight. It’s been a long time since I can recall leaving a game making the mass exodus with a bunch of raucous Devils fans chanting “We want the cup” in an un-ironic fashion. The vibes were killer. Reminded me of making that trek over that wooden bridge leaving Continental.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Obviously I highly doubt they have any intel, but it was interesting that several ushers and arena workers kept saying “see you Monday”

 

[Hisch13r]

Obviously I highly doubt they have any intel, but it was interesting that several ushers and arena workers kept saying “see you Monday”

Not surprising the NHL would have the Devils/Rangers series slated to be day one. I wonder if we end up first we end up Tuesday and Carolina/Rangers is Monday

 

[None Shall Pass]

Obviously I highly doubt they have any intel, but it was interesting that several ushers and arena workers kept saying “see you Monday”

I mean, they might. Outside of the teams, they're going to be the people who need to know their work schedules...

 

[Camille the Eel]

Glad my hotel wifi kept it together so I could watch this game. Good game.

Had to watch the rebroadcast on my cable at 2 a.m. in Maine as the internet was down. Closer game than the score indicated. Much closer. Vanicek was the man. When it was a one goal game in the 2d and they were coming at us. Again when they get that power play late and can draw within 1 with time on the clock. It was never really secure until the empty netters and Buffalo felt very dangerous pretty much continually. Not a game you'd say we dominated to win 6 - 2. We dominated the scoring though and that's what counts.

 

[Better Call Sal]

The Rock was deafening at the end of the game when Jack's goal was announced and during the video at the end celebrating the new franchise point record.

That kid is such a damn rockstar. I'm so happy he's ours.

 

[Zippy316]

He was great in the third, made a few really confident plays. I really liked the one where he broke up that pass behind the net and then used his skating to safely break it out. And his play at the blue line was impressive as well.

I don't know how you justify playing Smith or Graves over him. Graves was good last night but has been trash for the last few months.

Siegs - Hamilton
Hughes - Marino
Bahl - Severson

That's how I would run the D but I'm sure Graves will stay in, in which case I'd take Hughes over Bahl as well. Our D corps lacks speed and the ability to break the puck out and he brings exactly that.

Hard disagree here.

Graves - Marino is the perfect compliment to the other two pairings, by playing shut down minutes and coming out relatively even. Allows the other two pairings to thrive. I don’t think you mess with that pairing at all.

Unfortunately, that means that Hamilton and Severson are the RD on the other two pairings. The need for Hughes on either pairing isn’t a necessity, so you definitely have to go Bahl/Siegenthaler instead.

There’s maybe a case to go 11/7 with regularity if you have centers in Hischier, Hughes, Mercer, Haula, Boqvist, and maybe Sharangovich to fill in between Wood-Bastian, but I can’t justify taking out any of the top six for Luke.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I've gone 180 on re-signing Tatar

I thought he was done with 20 goal seasons after last year

I wonder if we can get him for one year? Unfortunately, I think they'll let him walk and give Holtz a chance, but I'm not sure Holtz can replace him. I haven't seen anything from Holtz to lead me to believe he'll be as good as this year's Tatar, though he could be better than last year's Tatar and next year's Tatar, if there's any regression.

I would offer him a $3m per season, 2 year contract.

We can't offer him more than 2 with Mercer extension required soon.

Hopefully he willing to take a pay cut if he gets an extra year.

 

[Devs3cups]

I would offer him a $3m per season, 2 year contract.

We can't offer him more than 2 with Mercer extension required soon.

Hopefully he willing to take a pay cut if he gets an extra year.

I’m thinking he probably takes that to stay. I have a good feeling about him wanting to be here at this point in his career. Probably his best chance at a run.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Mac deserves a little love for making this kid’s night.

This will be @Bleedred, @glenwo2 and myself when we all find out Blackwood is finally off the team

 

[glenwo2]

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Hard disagree here.

Graves - Marino is the perfect compliment to the other two pairings, by playing shut down minutes and coming out relatively even. Allows the other two pairings to thrive. I don’t think you mess with that pairing at all.

Unfortunately, that means that Hamilton and Severson are the RD on the other two pairings. The need for Hughes on either pairing isn’t a necessity, so you definitely have to go Bahl/Siegenthaler instead.

There’s maybe a case to go 11/7 with regularity if you have centers in Hischier, Hughes, Mercer, Haula, Boqvist, and maybe Sharangovich to fill in between Wood-Bastian, but I can’t justify taking out any of the top six for Luke.

Graves pre-February, sure.

Graves has been really really bad lately though. I think Luke would be a much better defensive option at this point.

 

[Billdo]

He was great in the third, made a few really confident plays. I really liked the one where he broke up that pass behind the net and then used his skating to safely break it out. And his play at the blue line was impressive as well.

I don't know how you justify playing Smith or Graves over him. Graves was good last night but has been trash for the last few months.

Siegs - Hamilton
Hughes - Marino
Bahl - Severson

That's how I would run the D but I'm sure Graves will stay in, in which case I'd take Hughes over Bahl as well. Our D corps lacks speed and the ability to break the puck out and he brings exactly that.

You can't play Hughes in the playoffs unless a starter AND Smith gets hurt, at least to start. If they need a spark and are down a few games or something? Sure, whatever, but to start game 1 of the playoffs you go with the usual 6.

Graves pre-February, sure.

Graves has been really really bad lately though. I think Luke would be a much better defensive option at this point.

This is insane tbh.

 

[Devils731]

I feel like Luke was good enough, and I care little enough about the division, that I’d roll Luke out there as 1 of 6 defenseman on Thursday.

I’d also be resting anyone who is banged up; whomever is leftover should still be able to win.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Obviously I highly doubt they have any intel, but it was interesting that several ushers and arena workers kept saying “see you Monday”

I heard this as well

 

[Devs3cups]

lmfao OH MY

Dano’s a real one. Happy to have him around.

 

[Devils731]

Dano’s skin looks like it’s glowing. Do you think he has a secret?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

You can't play Hughes in the playoffs unless a starter AND Smith gets hurt, at least to start. If they need a spark and are down a few games or something? Sure, whatever, but to start game 1 of the playoffs you go with the usual 6.


This is insane tbh.

I know it seems insane, but I would just play my best players. Hughes is very easily a better player than Smith. And Smith is better than Graves has been for the past 2 months.

I don't want to wait until we are in a hole to play our best players. We did that when we held out Bratt vs Tampa in 2018 and that didn't exactly work out.