GDT: GDT #81 New York Islanders @ New Jersey Devils | April 15th | 7 PM | F/W 4-1

[Throttle]

this mclean has a motor and some guts. No idea how to beat carolina buy let's see what Roy and company do without pressure

He’s a very nice player for his role.

 

[Taswell]

Can't believe I gotta deal with Guentzels lame ass in the playoffs again

 

[NittanyIsle]

Yall ready for a Bortuzzo masterclass round 1?

 

[Osakahaus]

Can't believe I gotta deal with Guentzels lame ass in the playoffs again

Can Sorokin trip him up again?

 

[Thrasymachus]

really was not expecting this, amazing turnaround + a lot of good breaks. hope the team takes advantage of their momentum going into the playoffs.

regular season is in the past, anything can happen now. I hope Roy gets them fired up

 

[19 Straight]

With all the overtime losses and blown late leads, this team should have had about 10 more points than it did.

 

[mm11]

He’s a very nice player for his role.

BTW your boy Elias Petterson cooled off to Barzal level production with all of the firepower on the canucks too. 11.6 million dollar a year deal kicks in next year too. Interesting

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

And that turd only sees what he wants to see...

You don't have to live like this.

 

[PhysicalGraffiti]

Happy we're in.

Not happy at all we have to hear them say Kokatenemi or however it's spelled over and over and over again. That name is nails on a chalkboard for me, I can't explain why.

But hey, let's go win a cup!

 

[Throttle]

BTW your boy Elias Petterson cooled off to Barzal level production with all of the firepower on the canucks too. 11.6 million dollar a year deal kicks in next year too. Interesting

That whole team flatlined after they made unnecessary trades. They are out in the first round.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

Since 3/23 (12 games):

Varlamov (7-1), 2.00 GAA, .935 save %

Sorokin (2-1-1), 2.00 GAA, .932 save %

Number of times opponents have scored over 3 goals: 0

You can go far with that type of goaltending. Here is hoping it continues...

 

[mm11]

That whole team flatlined after they made unnecessary trades. They are out in the first round.

Excuses

 

[Throttle]

Excuses

I’d still make that trade all day long.

 

[mm11]

I’d still make that trade all day long.

Rather spend 2.6 million for 8 points more with that star studded lineup and pp? Just admit 9 million for #13 may be a better deal. Post season will tell I guess.

 

[Osakahaus]

With all the overtime losses and blown late leads, this team should have had about 10 more points than it did.

at least to 100 points. Lambert was so ASS.

 

[mm11]

at least to 100 points. Lambert was so ASS.

Still takes us to third in metro but with a lot less stress.

 

[Throttle]

Rather spend 2.6 million for 8 points more with that star studded lineup and pp? Just admit 9 million for #13 may be a better deal. Post season will tell I guess.

He’s a better overall player. But yes, his contract is a bit rich.

Barzal just needs to play a more straightforward game and show up when the team needs it.

 

[saintunspecified]

Alex Romanov was

Romanov has been quietly excellent for weeks.

Romanov hitting everything in sight.

100% this. He had a rough start to the year, but he's improved his decision making a ton. And then Roy has improved his game by, I assume, encouraging him to carry the puck more, which he's done. I absolutely love the way he's been playing. Not only does he deter drives to the net, but he's done it while only taking 10 penalties this year. (No really, think about that. He intimidates with no cost to the Isles.) He's showing his personality more and more too, and it's a good thing. Who stepped up to lead the D when Dobson went down? He did. Lock him up long term.

Not sure why Holmstrom is benched again.

I am. Fasching doesn't have the talent Holmstrom does, but he knows what path he has to take to in order to get body position against an opponent. Holmstrom does not.

Other thoughts:

I've been one of Plamieri's biggest detractors all year. The guy has turned over the puck near the neutral zone more than anyone else. It's bizarre a guy who can pick short side corners can't dump the puck around a defender. And he had a turnover like that last night (dumped the puck right at a defender's stick, bizarre). But, then, he had more good plays than he had mistakes.

On Cizikas:

Sometimes he gets into 4th line mode, and plays the puck without looking because Cizikas/Martin always played a certain way that prioritized keeping the puck on the boards over generating scoring chances. When playing with Barzal/Horvat he's got to scan the ice a little more while racing for the puck. Easier said than done.

 

[leeroggy]

I can't understand all this fear of who we get in the first round
You have to win 4 rounds, which means likely beating the Canes and Rangers in the first two rounds in either order
You want to create confidence? Beat the team that knocked you out last year in the first round.

 

[Rehabguy]

You want to create confidence? Beat the team rhat knocked you out last year in the first round.

Under Roy they can (and I predict will) do this.

It all depends upon the approach the players take to the game. If they decide to sit back on a lead- and everyone should see when they do this by now just by watching their body language. They stop skating, retreating instead of advancing. They start puck watching. If they just keep the foot down on the accelerator more often than not they will be fine.

 

[Metnut]

Seeing teams like the Sabres, Red Wings, Senators and even the Flyers and Devils struggle to make the playoffs after long rebuilds makes me happier about the state of the team. Sure, we'd all like it the team, farm system, cap situation, etc., all to be better, but this team has been in the playoffs most years for the better part of a decade now and has a few deep runs during that time as well.

Seeing these other teams go through never ending rebuilds, and seeing NYI being completely irrelevant for the later 90s and most of the 00s, I'm not going to take this for granted. Enjoy the intensity of the upcoming playoff games and hope for a deep run. Plenty of time to complain about Lou during the 6 month offseason.

 

[MJF]

On Cizikas:

Sometimes he gets into 4th line mode, and plays the puck without looking because Cizikas/Martin always played a certain way that prioritized keeping the puck on the boards over generating scoring chances. When playing with Barzal/Horvat he's got to scan the ice a little more while racing for the puck. Easier said than done.

That's just one drawback.

Cizikas does not have soft hands when the puck is on his stick. It bounces off his blade, his passes are not on the tape enough times. When you give a guy like Cizikas first line ice time (and power play time for f***'s sake!) with his hard touch, more often than not he becomes a play-killer.

 

[Nizami Ganjavi]

With all the overtime losses and blown late leads, this team should have had about 10 more points than it did.

Wouldn't matter though. 10 more points wouldn't move them up in the standings. Would still finish 3rd in the division.

 

[Big L]

Wouldn't matter though. 10 more points wouldn't move them up in the standings. Would still finish 3rd in the division.

Though still finishing 3rd, ten more points in the standings and closer to the Canes would make the betting lines a little different….. might want to throw a few sheckles on the isles for a nicer payout.

 

[seafoam]

That's just one drawback.

Cizikas does not have soft hands when the puck is on his stick. It bounces off his blade, his passes are not on the tape enough times. When you give a guy like Cizikas first line ice time (and power play time for f***'s sake!) with his hard touch, more often than not he becomes a play-killer.

He’s Roy’s version of Komarov.