GDT: Jets @ Devils 7 PM Because it's on the Schedule too

[NjDevsRR]

This is almost obligatory at this point...

 

[JimEIV]

No, look what happened to the Islanders after a few years of making ECF's. Barzal was a shell of himself offensively and it took another trade to get him back up to snuff and he's once again with trash line mates that he can't elevate because he's been taught 2 way hockey. The Devils have the luxury to let their top center roam free unlike Edmonton since Hischier is a Selke caliber center. He locked down Zib and Aho last year in the playoffs, it came down to goaltending + the rest of the depth shriveling up which is what happens come playoffs.

You let a guy roam free all season how do you get him to play a solid defensive game in the playoffs? And if you let him roam free in the playoffs you know they'll get shutdown and make costly errors to some scrub 3rd line that is waiting for mistakes.

Chances aren't typically freely exchanged in the playoffs. And top of that we have a bunch of guys that are high volume shooters that won't get those chances in the playoffs.

 

[glenwo2]

Time on ice leader on defense in NJ’s best game of the year……….Simon “Ben Lovejoy” Nemec

BLASPHEMY!!

How dare you compare an outstanding rookie to the Legend that is Ben "Can't buy me" Lovejoy?

 

[glenwo2]

He's a former first rounder so he's the first guy since Blackwood with a real pedigree.

Made some big saves tonight but God our shot blocking and positioning was just stellar.

We actually looked like an NHL team tonight.

Not likely to happen but if we can copy and paste both efforts (goaltending-wise and shot-blocking/positioning-wise) the rest of the way, we may make things at the very least interesting down the stretch instead of just sitting around waiting for the inevitable offseason to begin.

 

[glenwo2]

Vitek would’ve let in the first shot of the game and we’d be trailing like always. There were a few prime chances he wouldn’t have had a prayer on and then the nightly goal with odor on it he’d let in.

I bet he would've let in that baseball-whack by that Jets player...

 

[Bcap88]

I honestly wonder if our fans would accept a 60 point Jack with winning hockey? I think many if not most would prefer 100+ points Jack and freewheeling hockey with maybe defense.

If your leading scorer has 60 points you don’t have a winning hockey teaM

This isn’t dead puck era

 

[glenwo2]

If your leading scorer has 60 points you don’t have a winning hockey teaM

This isn’t dead puck era

This IS the "dead devils season" era, though.

 

[Bleedred]

He's a former first rounder so he's the first guy since Blackwood with a real pedigree.

Made some big saves tonight but God our shot blocking and positioning was just stellar.

We actually looked like an NHL team tonight.

I swore he was from the 2009 draft, but he’s actually from the 2008 draft. 32nd overall pick, so not first round but barely into the second round.

I was gonna laugh about how he’s yet another 2009 draft class member who was acquired after the fact and after our pick. We’ve had lots of 2009 guys that we acquired years later. Kyle Palmieri, John Moore, Marcus Johansson, Sami Vatanen. And then Kulikov and Tatar in recent years. All of them with the exception of Kulikov were picked behind our first round pick that year Jacob Josefson. Palmieri, Moore and Johansson were all picked within 6 spots after Josefson. Moore was the very next pick.

There’s probably even more that I’m forgetting. We had a couple of fine NHL defensemen of our own in Eric Gelinas and Alex Urbom in the later rounds of that draft!

 

[MadDevil]

Ah, brotherly love.

 

[Guttersniped]

I swore he was from the 2009 draft, but he’s actually from the 2008 draft. 32nd overall pick, so not first round but barely into the second round.

I was gonna laugh about how he’s yet another 2009 draft class member who was acquired after the fact and after our pick. We’ve had lots of 2009 guys that we acquired years later. Kyle Palmieri, John Moore, Marcus Johansson, Sami Vatanen. And then Kulikov and Tatar in recent years. All of them with the exception of Kulikov were picked behind our first round pick that year Jacob Josefson. Palmieri, Moore and Johansson were all picked within 6 spots after Josefson. Moore was the very next pick.

There’s probably even more that I’m forgetting. We had a couple of fine NHL defensemen of our own in Eric Gelinas and Alex Urbom in the later rounds of that draft!

Gelinas was picked in the 2nd round, so he wasn’t exactly a later round pick.. (Got an early 3rd for him tho, and some sweet Gelly Bombs.)

2009 skaters

2010 skaters

2011 skaters

2012 skaters

2013 skaters

2014 skaters (lol)

2015 skaters

& Goalies for 2009-15


With goalies:
12 players - 2013
11 players - 2009, 2012, 2015
9 players - 2010, 2011
6 players - 2014

Putting the rest behind my beloved spoilers to save space but here’s the most recent ones.

Spoiler: 2016-23: Devils by Draft Year

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020-23

& Goalies for 2016-23

With goalies
8 players - 2017
7 players - 2016
6 players - 2019
4 players - 2018
3 players - 2020
1 player - 2021, 2022


Here’s the 8 earlier years for more fun, some of these lists gives me the sneaking suspicion that we didn’t have a lot of talent on this team at some point. (I also don’t really remember Mike McKenna’s stint as a Devil.)

Spoiler: 2000-08: Devils by Draft Year

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002 (lol)

2001

2000

& Goalies from 2000-08

With goalies:
12 players - 2001
9 players - 2004, 2007
8 players - 2000, 2006
7 players - 2005
6 players - 2003, 2008
5 players - 2002



All 3 Parts Gloriously Combined, w/ Goalies:
12 players - 2001, 2013
11 players - 2009, 2012, 2015
9 players - 2004, 2007, 2010, 2011
8 players - 2000, 2006, 2017
7 players - 2005, 2016
6 players - 2003, 2008, 2014, 2019
5 players - 2002
4 players - 2018
3 players - 2020
1 player - 2021, 2022

 

[NJ07102]

That was the best game of the season by a mile against a really good opponent and an even better goalie. The power play looked like in the beginning of the season, there was so much movement and strong puck play, it was a pleasure to watch. Allen once again was there when they needed him, I can only imagine how much confidence can give that to a team instead of being scored against on one or two or three stinkers each and every game. How about signing Broissoit and go with Allen and him next season?

 

[Better Call Sal]

View attachment 839693View attachment 839694View attachment 839691

Wouldn't Lindy's face be more appropriate on Rachel Phelps? Or Josh Harris technically?

By the way:

 

[SwissFan12]

Wouldn't Lindy's face be more appropriate on Rachel Phelps? Or Josh Harris technically?

By the way:

Not bad for a third line level center

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[Whaddagoal]

That is awesome!!

 

[JimEIV]

If your leading scorer has 60 points you don’t have a winning hockey teaM

This isn’t dead puck era

It does happen....it happened just last year with Jack Eichel leading Vegas with 66 points....kind of where I got the idea

Won the Cup and had a regular season record of 51-22-9 (111 points), Finished 1st in the Pacific with a 66 point leading scorer.

But you are basically correct. It was really just more of a hypothetical.

 

[JrFischer54]

So how is that Fitz's fault? Lmao, he tried to do something and it didn't work out. It beats the head smashing that posters theorized here about him sitting on his hands for most of the year.

i dont know how the conversation went but i'm going to assume something like this. hey want to trade allen to us? sure let me ask if he wants to waive his ntc. nah he said he doesn't want to because there wont be any playing time. then fitz should've said hold on there is 10000% going to be playing has he seen our goalies? i'm not trading for you to just sit you! can you go tell him that? ok hold on. . deal! if fitz took that excuse at face value without further detail then thats all on him

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

i dont know how the conversation went but i'm going to assume something like this. hey want to trade allen to us? sure let me ask if he wants to waive his ntc. nah he said he doesn't want to because there wont be any playing time. then fitz should've said hold on there is 10000% going to be playing has he seen our goalies? i'm not trading for you to just sit you! can you go tell him that? ok hold on. . deal! if fitz took that excuse at face value without further detail then thats all on him

Well I agree with the premise that Allen's reasoning was really stupid, there's nothing Fitz can do with a guy with a NMC/NTC. Jake Allen could've said he hated diners as his excuse if he wanted, that's the whole point of having that clause in his contract.

 

[Devs3cups]

Live look of Luke and the rookie wall:

 

[Clam Jensen]

Live look of Luke and the rookie wall:

View attachment 839800

OH YEA

 

[njdevil26]

Nico and Timo are freaking beasts.

 

[Triumph]

Here’s the 8 earlier years for more fun, some of these lists gives me the sneaking suspicion that we didn’t have a lot of talent on this team at some point. (I also don’t really remember Mike McKenna’s stint as a Devil.)

McKenna was the one who got in trouble for tweeting about driving on Interstate 87 at night - he'd been called up but it hadn't been announced yet, journalists/fans figured out what he was talking about, and the Twitter account was soon shuttered.

McKenna had a truly incredible career, 7 different NHL teams, and only ever played for any of them in one year - I wonder if anyone else has done that.

 

[NJDevs26]

It does happen....it happened just last year with Jack Eichel leading Vegas with 66 points....kind of where I got the idea

Won the Cup and had a regular season record of 51-22-9 (111 points), Finished 1st in the Pacific with a 66 point leading scorer.

But you are basically correct. It was really just more of a hypothetical.

The 66 points were in 67 games, basically a point a game

 

[Camille the Eel]

Who was paired with Luke Hughes on D last night ? Anybody know? I see that Bahl, Smith and Nemec all also played above or around 20 minutes each.

We played a very good game in the center ice area, not letting them exit their defensive zone clean or rush through center ice. Regaining possession, counter attacking or at least clogging things up there. Standing or stepping up at their blue line.

 

[NJDfan86]

Who was paired with Luke Hughes on D last night ? Anybody know? I see that Bahl, Smith and Nemec all also played above or around 20 minutes each.

We played a very good game in the center ice area, not letting them exit their defensive zone clean or rush through center ice. Regaining possession, counter attacking or at least clogging things up there. Standing or stepping up at their blue line.

He started the game with DiSimone and played with him at 5v5.