GDT: Jimmy Hayes Plays - New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers 7PM MSG+, MSG2

[Richer's Ghost]

repeating myself from Twitter but this game and last game both showed me glaring issues;

1) Lazy defensive zone play. Not attacking the puck and instead waiting for the play to come to them rather than go get into the play.
2) Guessing the play defensively rather than reading the play. When you cheat the game, you cheat your team.
3) Contagion. The above flaws are contagious on a young team at this point. You sit/scratch players leaking into that crap and set the tone for getting PP time, top 6, or flat out replaced. If you don't do it now, it will spread and become the mindset of the locker room - especially with the younger players.

Very frustrating to see the change from the first 15 games to this.

 

[MadDevil]

RG, did you have to use 15 games as that mark?

9-3-3.

 

[DerekDevils30]

My North Dakota blinders? What the **** does that even mean?

You're blind to the fact South Dakota is WAAYYYY cooler

 

[Emperoreddy]

Need to play like they played for the final two periods in the firs Columbus game and first period of the second.

They can do it, but need to execute.

Special teams needs a lot of work too. They miss Palms but this PP can do better.

 

[PWiz30]

Wedge is better than Kink.

Conte blew for a decade, fact.
I'd take Barzal right about now.

Take off the North Dakota blinders.

We had a great start but have played weak of late, and miserably tonight.

I've been defending Kinkaid throughout this thread, but IMO Wedge's upside is unquestionably higher than Kinkaid's. He was the one traded for 2 reasons. First, he can't stay healthy, which is a mixture of bad luck and the fact that his style is tough on the body. Second, Kinkaid had his best season at precisely the same time when Wedgewood was ready to challenge for an NHL job. Plus, Wedgewood got hurt again.

 

[Devils090]

Defense really starting to become a the problem we feared it would be, which funny enough has nothing to do with guys like Lovejoy or Moore. Greene has completely lost it, it showed last year and it's certainly gotten worse. Santini was forced into a role he isn't ready for and struggled for awhile before he sat a few games. Severson has been ok but that turnover tonight was brutal and was the turning point of the game. Butcher has been fine but has a bit of a points slump going which is hurting the PP and the offense is in general. Vatanen has been pretty meh but I'll cut him some slack since he's still getting his feet wet, he needs to be our best defenseman which he hasn't been yet.

Goaltending hasn't been great but it's tough to get on Schneider or Kinkaid when guys on just walking right in uncontested on them or Greene decides to screen them for no reason.

We also desperately miss Palms, he not only balances out the top 9 but his prowess on the PP is sorely missed as well.

But all is certainly not lost, I mean it's December 10th and we finally hit a two game stretch where we didn't get a point, that's pretty amazing if you think about it. That said, this division is way to good for us to start dropping points left and right so the coaches and players both better start fixing things or we'll be on the outside looking in very shortly.

On to LA

 

[zharkenby]

It’s a tough night no doubt. Patience is tough to come by but there is no other option.

You’re right. Now Thst I’ve Cooled off... if you are blaming this on Zacha or kinkaid your opinion is now longer relevent to me. Kink made some spectacular saves and zacha had an assist. The biggest issue is definitely mental breaks. And the d. Vatanen has been terrible since he’s been acquired and the last goal was directly on him. Sevs gave one up on his own, as did Andy greene Zajac is absolutely awful, at this point I wonder if he would produce at an echl level

 

[Emperoreddy]

Butcher actually ended his point drought tonight.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

RG, did you have to use 15 games as that mark?

9-3-3.

It was arbitrary but between the 10 and 20 game mark when we stopped wondering when the fluke results would collapse and started seeing how they were really playing was too consistent and repetitive to be a fluke... compared to this. UGH.

 

[zharkenby]

Check that vat responsible for 2 tonight. He stinks

 

[Emperoreddy]

Check that vat responsible for 2 tonight. He stinks

Well that proves it then

 

[MadDevil]

Check that vat responsible for 2 tonight. He stinks

Nico was on the ice for 3 goals against. I guess he really stinks.

 

[glenwo2]

They all stink.

What a lovely way to end the weekend.

 

[Bramskii]

Missed it and really don't want to watch the highlights. Was it as bad as the score indicated?

 

[AfroThunder396]

Clearing the zone is a fundamental thing. It's alarming that an NHL team is struggling with such a basic skill. Even more alarming that it seems to be our veterans struggling with this more than the youngsters.

There's really no excuse. My ball hockey team knows how to clear the zone better than these guys. High and hard off the glass, what is so difficult to understand?

 

[Comparison Ford]

I'm a little late to the party.

What did kinky say?

 

[zharkenby]

Nico was on the ice for 3 goals against. I guess he really stinks.

Vantanen blew coverage on one and turned it over behind the net on another. Nico was bad tonight, but vat directly contributed to 2 goals against

 

[zharkenby]

Also offensively I don’t understand how he was ever good. He’s shown next to nothing

 

[Bleedred]

I'm a little late to the party.

What did kinky say?

I can look up the exact quote and question in a little while, but I guess someone asked him about the goal where Zuccarello mugged Severson on the power play, and he responded something like ''It shouldn't have happened''. I usually wouldn't have a problem with him saying this, and it still isn't a big deal, but it sounds kind of bad when it's uttered by a goaltender that's played pretty poorly on the season.

 

[Bleedred]

Also offensively I don’t understand how he was ever good. He’s shown next to nothing

Do you really want Henrique at $5-$6 million a year? If he's playing with Getzlaf and Perry, he just might get that much. I didn't even wanna touch him at a raise from what he's making now.

He might even be good for a year or two of his next contract, but once that shooting percentage declines, he's gonna be a mess.

 

[Bleedred]

Missed it and really don't want to watch the highlights. Was it as bad as the score indicated?

Unfortunately, it was.

Very bad.

When you get outshot and outpossessed that badly by the Rangers, in a game where you don't the lead the entire night and are trailing for approximately 55 minutes, you're doing A LOT wrong.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'm a little late to the party.

What did kinky say?

Quote is a page or two back. Basically said they were soft with no compete and the PP sucked

 

[Emperoreddy]

Also offensively I don’t understand how he was ever good. He’s shown next to nothing

He has been here like only 5 games. This is insanely premature

 

[NJ07102]

Do you really want Henrique at $5-$6 million a year? If he's playing with Getzlaf and Perry, he just might get that much. I didn't even wanna touch him at a raise from what he's making now.

He might even be good for a year or two of his next contract, but once that shooting percentage declines, he's gonna be a mess.

Actually, you could've kept Henrique and not resign him. 1,5 years of Henrique might just be twice as good as 3 years of Vatanen. At this point I would much rather have Henrique back and in instead of Zajac, who is totally useless at this point. And Vatanen is simply no improvement at all over Santini, Lovejoy or even Prout. He is just as good or as bad as the rest.

 

[MadDevil]

Vatanen has been here all of 5 games and the team as a whole has struggled for most of those games. Give the guy a chance to settle in. Saying he's no better than Lovejoy or Prout is utter nonsense.

Just because Rico is lighting it up in Anaheim now doesn't mean Vatanen won't help the team more in the long run.