Speculation: Who’d you rather: Devils or Hurricanes?

[Pawnee Rangers]

I think it's a terrible idea to root to play one team over another. This feels like an @EdJovanovski reverse Kravtsov jinx.

 

[Larrybiv]

Ok, and if Trouba lands one big hit, that makes their speed not an issue?

It would still be an issue, but might be one less Devils player for the rest of the series. I don't want to see Hughes get seriously hurt, but would lose my sanity with some serious laughter and joy.

 

[Machinehead]

This idea that the Devils are just gonna quit because we hit them once feels like massive cope. We're gonna be forced to accept that they're a good team.

 

[EdJovanovski]

I think it's a terrible idea to root to play one team over another. This feels like an @EdJovanovski reverse Kravtsov jinx.

Nah we’ve had polls like this as long as I remember

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

With the Devils you need to play them patient and tight and take away their space in all 3 zones. If you give them ice and let them dictate the pace then the only hope for winning is Igor stealing it. If you want to outplay them you can't let them use their speed the way they do at their best, you have to play them tight and control the pace of the game. The Rangers are capable of playing this way, we've seen it this season. It's just a matter of whether or not they can do it against the Devils.

Basically I think you 100,000% can NOT come out sloppy and loose vs them in game 1 or in any game for that matter. For game 1 specifically because with a young team that hasn't faced much adversity really all season, the real thing you want to do is make them uncomfortable, a team like that should be a little fragile mentally at least at first so it's something you absolutely need to exploit much how Tampa does seemingly every series they play. If you let them come out and outplay you and get a 2-0 lead in period 1 of game 1 then it's just going to make them super comfortable and they'll be feeling great and play their game. You come out and figuratively punch them in the mouth and have them off their game from the beginning and it will bode well. It's not just hitting, though that's a part of it. It's not letting them have time, frustrating them and taking away lanes, playing tight on them, finishing checks on the boards, blocking shots, not letting any odd man rushes. Just overall frustrating them.

 

[Machinehead]

If anything, Carolina is the team that's gonna get on the plane and go home if you look at them funny, not the Devils.

 

[will1066]

Devils. I Do not think they are ready for this jelly.

Vegas went all the way to the Final their first time. There are no hard rules for this. Sometimes, a team can be wet behind the ears enough that they don't even know what pressure is and how it debilitates. The Cinderella effect to a degree. I think if NJ falls short, it is NEXT year where they'll have pressure to succeed.

 

[Sayba]

Carolina’s offense doesn’t scare me, it would be a close series but think we would win. I’m not sure about the Devils, they can score and we haven’t looked good against them.

 

[Kovalev27]

Both will be tough but I think I’d like to catch NJ wide eyed in the playoffs for the first time early.

And I think I’d like to catch Carolina a bit more worn down in round 2.

NJ though Is the more dangerous team. I just don’t want them settled going into round 2

 

[will1066]

With the Devils you need to play them patient and tight and take away their space in all 3 zones. If you give them ice and let them dictate the pace then the only hope for winning is Igor stealing it. If you want to outplay them you can't let them use their speed the way they do at their best, you have to play them tight and control the pace of the game. The Rangers are capable of playing this way, we've seen it this season. It's just a matter of whether or not they can do it against the Devils.

Basically I think you 100,000% can NOT come out sloppy and loose vs them in game 1 or in any game for that matter. For game 1 specifically because with a young team that hasn't faced much adversity really all season, the real thing you want to do is make them uncomfortable, a team like that should be a little fragile mentally at least at first so it's something you absolutely need to exploit much how Tampa does seemingly every series they play. If you let them come out and outplay you and get a 2-0 lead in period 1 of game 1 then it's just going to make them super comfortable and they'll be feeling great and play their game. You come out and figuratively punch them in the mouth and have them off their game from the beginning and it will bode well. It's not just hitting, though that's a part of it. It's not letting them have time, frustrating them and taking away lanes, playing tight on them, finishing checks on the boards, blocking shots, not letting any odd man rushes. Just overall frustrating them.

It's as much their agility and quickness as their speed that can kill. Their guys are shifty and can juke on a dime, which is dangerous even if you play them tight. They are fast at developing plays and making something out of nothing, whereas we like to slow it down to develop something. The best way to defend NJ is positioning, have bodies in the right places and lanes and getting sticks in there and deflecting chances and rebounds out to the walls and possessing the puck there to go the other way. If we insist on trying to go through the middle, we're toast.

 

[duhmetreE]

Ok, and if Trouba lands one big hit, that makes their speed not an issue?

who said their speed wouldn't be an issue?

you neutralize their speed by hitting them and playing a different type of game. The game plan is to get the puck deep and hit them. Wear them out on the boards. Not to only try and hit them in open ice. If we play pond hockey, our chances go down considerably.

Trouba laying out Hughes was satire not the actual gameplan.

 

[duhmetreE]

With the Devils you need to play them patient and tight and take away their space in all 3 zones. If you give them ice and let them dictate the pace then the only hope for winning is Igor stealing it. If you want to outplay them you can't let them use their speed the way they do at their best, you have to play them tight and control the pace of the game. The Rangers are capable of playing this way, we've seen it this season. It's just a matter of whether or not they can do it against the Devils.

Basically I think you 100,000% can NOT come out sloppy and loose vs them in game 1 or in any game for that matter. For game 1 specifically because with a young team that hasn't faced much adversity really all season, the real thing you want to do is make them uncomfortable, a team like that should be a little fragile mentally at least at first so it's something you absolutely need to exploit much how Tampa does seemingly every series they play. If you let them come out and outplay you and get a 2-0 lead in period 1 of game 1 then it's just going to make them super comfortable and they'll be feeling great and play their game. You come out and figuratively punch them in the mouth and have them off their game from the beginning and it will bode well. It's not just hitting, though that's a part of it. It's not letting them have time, frustrating them and taking away lanes, playing tight on them, finishing checks on the boards, blocking shots, not letting any odd man rushes. Just overall frustrating them.

They should just watch what Tampa did to Florida last playoffs.

 

[haohmaru]

If anything, Carolina is the team that's gonna get on the plane and go home if you look at them funny, not the Devils.

I think you're giving a little too much credit here. The Devils have proven absolutely NOTHING other than they've had a great regular season - something Carolina has been doing for years.

We'll see their mettle in a week or two.

 

[bhamill]

You have to catch somebody to hit them.

Last game, Devils were pulling up and making low percentage plays to avoid being hit by the second period. Any team heavy on the body is a nightmare series for them, and we are in the top tier in that category. ESPECIALLY come playoff time. The bottom line, IMO of course, is that the Devils are a team built for the regular season who feasted on wide open play and loved 3x3 OT and have comparitively little playoff experience. I honestly think they come crashing to earth in the playoffs. NYR on the other hand...

This idea that the Devils are just gonna quit because we hit them once feels like massive cope. We're gonna be forced to accept that they're a good team.

That won't happen, but they've shown what they do when the hitting is consistent. I'm not saying they will quit but they will get worn down, they will pull up to avoid hits, they will rush plays and make bad decisions.

 

[Bob Richards]

I live in NJ. All my friends are Devils fans. To beat them would activate the electricity in my brain like a snowstorm of cocaine.

To lose would be putting a toothpick under one of my toenails and kicking a wall.

Give me Carolina.

 

[Leonardo87]

I live in NJ. All my friends are Devils fans. To beat them would activate the electricity in my brain like a snowstorm of cocaine.

To lose would be putting a toothpick under one of my toenails and kicking a wall.

Give me Carolina.

I just cringed, lol.

 

[duhmetreE]

It feels like Carolina is who we will be playing in the 1st round.

NJD @ WSH and CAR @ FLA decides it.

I'd really love to watch Jersey vs Piles. dont know if that can happen

 

[EdJovanovski]

I live in NJ. All my friends are Devils fans. To beat them would activate the electricity in my brain like a snowstorm of cocaine.

To lose would be putting a toothpick under one of my toenails and kicking a wall.

Give me Carolina.

I guess I'm a lot more optimistic than most, my emotional highs with hockey get very high. I would absolutely cry tears of joy if the Rangers won the cup, I even did seeing Ovechkin finally lift the cup. But I would never cry, throw something, etc over a loss. I get over a loss within 5 minutes, my negative emotions don't get anywhere near as extreme as my positive emotions. So I want Jersey

 

[bl02]

It feels like Carolina is who we will be playing in the 1st round.

NJD @ WSH and CAR @ FLA decides it.

I'd really love to watch Jersey vs Piles. dont know if that can happen

I think you're contradicting yourself?
We can't play Carolina if and watch Jersey play the Piles.
If we play Carolina that means that Florida got 2 points tomorrow and they play NJ.

 

[duhmetreE]

I think your contradicting yourself?
We can't play Carolina if and watch Jersey play the Piles.
If we play Carolina that means that Florida got 2 points tomorrow and they play NJ.

yeah, that's why I said , I dont know if that can happen.

 

[Machinehead]

Last game, Devils were pulling up and making low percentage plays to avoid being hit by the second period. Any team heavy on the body is a nightmare series for them, and we are in the top tier in that category. ESPECIALLY come playoff time. The bottom line, IMO of course, is that the Devils are a team built for the regular season who feasted on wide open play and loved 3x3 OT and have comparitively little playoff experience. I honestly think they come crashing to earth in the playoffs. NYR on the other hand...


That won't happen, but they've shown what they do when the hitting is consistent. I'm not saying they will quit but they will get worn down, they will pull up to avoid hits, they will rush plays and make bad decisions.

Every team has less space in the playoffs. A team with elite speed is more equipped to deal with that.

They're going to be a lot tougher than people think they are.

 

[Synergy27]

Why do people think this Ranger team is capable of playing a “heavy” game. We have Jimmy Vesey on our fourth line.

Who do we have that plays consistently heavy? Trouba. Goodrow. Motte likes to hit but he’s not a rugged, wear you down behind the net kind of player. He wears you down more with skating as I see it.

The kids can wear teams down on the cycle. They can also get exposed hardcore on the counter, especially when playing with the third D pair.

Trochek is a pest and I love him, but heavy? Don’t get me started on his line mates.

Kreider. I mean. He could be but he’s not. We know this.

So, outside of a big time open ice hit or two from the captain, how exactly are we going to be intimidating anyone?

 

[EdJovanovski]

I think Kane is going to surprise a lot of people in the playoffs

 

[bl02]

I think Kane is going to surprise a lot of people in the playoffs

I hope you're right and what we have been seeing in these regular season games is him just "saving" himself for the playoffs. I know Kane has never played a in your face game but he literally pulls up every time he gets close to someone along the board even on the pp. He pulls a Cam Newton "trying to pick up a fumble" in the 2016 superbowl way too often.

 

[Chytilmania]

Would the National broadcast teams suck off the Canes or Devils more?