GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (10-9-5) vs. Nashville Predators (15-10-1), 7:30 PM, ESPN+/Hulu

[OmNomNom]

if we had league average PP%, we'd have a whopping 4 more goals

i believe our low # PPG compared to our rate also means we don't draw a ton of penalties. meaning we're not threatening enough. shocking, i know

 

[Auto Pilot]

We got bullied tonight plain and simple

We got our scored and out chanced in the second

 

[NjdPass]

Yeah, coaches are ruining these players and going to drive them out.

Special teams again are just killing us.

Seriously, can someone tell me why our 2nd PP unit starts and we don’t have our best players on? Also, can anyone tell my why Graves had 15 mins of ice time? I only watched a little of the game tonight.

Your best players need to be on the ice to be successful. OVI had a 4 min shift tonight….not saying we need that but let’s be real if OVI was on our team…would you be upset if he did that? No cause he’s the best player in the team.

Unless this team wins 5 or 6 in a row now…season is over. Tell LINDY going 5-2-3 every 10 Is not going to get us in the playoffs.

 

[Maine Fan]

I'm not making any statements about what we do this offseason until I see how we play the remainder of this season.

But I can very much see moving on from Recchi. Either very soon or at the end of the season.

Why keep the entire coaching staff excluding the goalie coach.

 

[NJDevs26]

View attachment 489866

if we had league average PP%, we'd have a whopping 4 more goals

i believe our low # PPG compared to our rate also means we don't draw a ton of penalties. meaning we're not threatening enough. shocking, i know

I can't say I have an issue with your general point (of the PP woes overshadowing other legit issues), it just seems that every time the PP bites us it's a momentum change in a loss. Four more goals is probably four more points in the standings they would have with all the close games that have been affected by the PP, which would have us tied for a playoff berth instead of four points out of the second wild card. Prorated that's like a twelve goal/point difference over a full season which is kind of a lot.

 

[Maine Fan]

Of course it isn't. Taresenko was never traded so odds are St Louis was asking for too much.

We also weren't going into the season expecting Wood to be out for the entire year either.

You honestly think that Wood would have fixed this team had he played this season?

 

[NJDevs26]

Obviously Wood's absence hasn't helped. Also obviously they weren't physical enough and had the same PP issues last year with him. And yes I know the response is that well Nico was out and Jack was off for a while, but if you're waiting for a perfect healthy roster it's gonna be a long wait. Although it'd be nice to at least have healthy goalies.

 

[OmNomNom]

I can't say I have an issue with your general point (of the PP woes overshadowing other legit issues), it just seems that every time the PP bites us it's a momentum change in a loss. Four more goals is probably four more points in the standings they would have with all the close games that have been affected by the PP, which would have us tied for a playoff berth instead of four points out of the second wild card. Prorated that's like a twelve goal/point difference over a full season which is kind of a lot.

we need to draw more pens. we have 0 threat, and idk why

do we lack creativity to force pens on us?

 

[jkrdevil]

I'm not making any statements about what we do this offseason until I see how we play the remainder of this season.

But I can very much see moving on from Recchi. Either very soon or at the end of the season.

I somewhat understand this sentiments, but how many times do we have to be fooled by garbage time (in terms of the season production). Performance when the games still matter need to be weighted more in the decision making.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Not sure Wood "fixes" things but he would add an element currently missing since Tyce Thompson got hurt.

Bigger issue it seems is players not being rewarded when their play merits it or getting ice time based on reputation or salary as opposed to production.

Prior to Hughes returning the Devils were playing some of their best hockey with the line of Johnsson-Bratt-Mercer leading the way while Tomas Tatar was playing well with Pavel and Nico and the team was basically rolling four lines.

Rather than slotting in Hughes in a role with maybe Kuokkanen and Sharangovich (a line that was successful last year) the team jumbled everything and has gone back to over using a handful of players to the detriment of the team as a whole.

Ruff and the staff are far better hockey people than that and that call has to be coming from elsewhere - much like last year when the team was going well and then forced Nico into things when he clearly wasn't ready for it.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This is a very good level headed way of taking things .
Thanks for that. It honestly makes me feel better about the team lol. I get way too upset when we suck. Still…. fire Recchi already

5 out of 6 points this week against Ottawa, Philly, and the Isles wouldn't be too bad. Wouldn't be great as they really shouldn't have dropped that extra point to Ottawa, but it's not bad.

Isles will be desperate to finally win at home so we can't be sleeping, but it's a still a game we should be getting something out of, if not outright winning.

Lot depends on how Schimd looks.

 

[Triumph]

I can't say I have an issue with your general point (of the PP woes overshadowing other legit issues), it just seems that every time the PP bites us it's a momentum change in a loss. Four more goals is probably four more points in the standings they would have with all the close games that have been affected by the PP, which would have us tied for a playoff berth instead of four points out of the second wild card. Prorated that's like a twelve goal/point difference over a full season which is kind of a lot.

Four more goals is roughly 1.5-175 points in the standings. It is in absolutely no way 4 points.

 

[Emperoreddy]

You honestly think that Wood would have fixed this team had he played this season?

He is a big, fast, physical, vet, winger who can score. He fits the mold of the type of player everyone says we are missing.

He wouldn't help the PP much but he would have gone a long way to help even the lines out more

 

[tr83]

Wood has shown more as a winger than Rango, Kuok, and Tatar. He is missed

 

[Emperoreddy]

Wood has shown more as a winger than Rango, Kuok, and Tatar. He is missed

He is older then two of them so I would hope.

I was hoping we would get more out of Tatar.

 

[hidek91]

He is older then two of them so I would hope.

I was hoping we would get more out of Tatar.

Tatar's production isn't bad but when watching him, you can easily see why he was benched during the playoffs for both VGK and MTL. Damaged goods but still was worth taking a gamble with the quality of wingers that we have here.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

1. Bernier has been good for us this year. Enough to the point where if he had to fill in for Blackwood than we wouldnt be panicking. Have faith in Schmid atleast before we act like we have no chance to win a game without Blackwood or Bernier in goal. Its going go to take some adjustment but the kid is obviously in the zone right now when it comes to playing. He is 8-0-2 with a .944 save % and a 1.60 GAA. Those are the kind of numbers an NHL allstar would post if they were playing in the AHL that long. Not trying to over hype the kid but I'm looking forward to him getting a chance in goal.

 

[Homedresser]

In general, the lack of professionalism has been there for a long time, since the new owners took over. AJ and Dom were dead-on in their criticism tonight.

Wanting skill and creativity or wanting physicality to me is irrelevant. It's the situation recognition and how slowly these guys are calibrating that worries me. What I like about TB and the classic Red Wings teams is how they adapt to the kind of game being played - if it's a puck retrieval thing, they'll do that. If you're going to give them space and they can carve you up with skating and passing, they'll do that.

I liked the fight from Nico, I like net front goals, I like being willing to get into the corners and the paint, but it's not a style thing to me. It's about the team playing brain dead, reactive hockey, treating every puck possession like the first time they're about to get laid as teenagers. Like they're trying to figure it out on the fly every single time.

How many times have you even seen a touch pass from this team over the past five years? Zero flow and when the game gets rough, they're off it completely. They come off as hockey illiterate.

I'd fire way more people than Recchi and Nas because something behind the scenes seems off to me.

problem is ownership. They still have not shown any interest in putting together a competent hockey roster. Looks like they're more interested in cap savings. This year they'll probably save 8M.

 

[Homedresser]

I was thinking that our 1sr round pick should not be in play but I wouldn’t be opposed to using it in trade for a winger. It would be 2-3-4 years before we see that player as possibly impactful (unless it was a top 3 pick / Bedard) . I’d rather package a pick in trade for a Forsberg / Boeser / Fiala now. At this poi t I’d rather trade for an established and proven player instead of a lotto ticket for a player that might be ready in a few years.

don't kid yourself with not having a top 3 pick. They finish close enough and they'll have a shot at it. They've won 10 out of 25 games and that's with a 4-2 start. They've won 6 games since and 3 wins in the last month. This team definitely has bottom five potential.

 

[captainscott]

problem is ownership. They still have not shown any interest in putting together a competent hockey roster. Looks like they're more interested in cap savings. This year they'll probably save 8M.

yeah totally man. I mean do they even try and go sign the best available free agent ? Any how did hamilton play tonight ?

 

[captainscott]

I’ve officially punted on the season. No longer care . Will catch games when I can but made until December. Not sure what the the long term plan is here on this team. Collecting good players doesn’t make you good. The rangers used to do this from the later 1990’s to the mid 2000’a and were an afterthought every year. I fear the devils are kinda headed there.


Fitz can’t fall in love w every guy that they drafted. Lest we we forgot outside of wood. This is a fully healthy team for most part. The season is 100 pct over as they are incapable of stringing Victories together. Not sure if using the the young excuse is even legit. Roster makeup is more how I’m leaning. Very curious to see what happens at trade deadline. Dumping guys for picks again will be stupid

 

[captainscott]

don't kid yourself with not having a top 3 pick. They finish close enough and they'll have a shot at it. They've won 10 out of 25 games and that's with a 4-2 start. They've won 6 games since and 3 wins in the last month. This team definitely has bottom five potential.

Which is a huge indictment on ruff and fitz. But I agree. We are not the worst of the worst but def bottom 10 w potential for worse if we start getting injuries. Pretty disappointed in ruff and fitz. I like fitz but if he is sitting in his hands it seems watching this thing fall apart.

 

[captainscott]

Fitz should at this point be open to trade talks I think anyone outside of Hughes hamilton Mercer should be a listen. Including hischier nothing against him but I would listen. Brett’s trade value will be at its peak right now but he has been by far our best player. Again I am not advocating trading these guys for pics or young prospects we got that already. Not an easy task so may not happen as you need two teams that are searching for answers or see a chemistry problem in their team. Etc.

 

[Nico13]

Good job.

Wright here we go.

 

[captainscott]

I never bought into that.

But youth was an issue last year, and it's an issue this year. We are very young. It's difficult winning games in this league. Even moreso with this much youth.

Fans don't want to hear it but it's the truth.

I don’t by this. Our defense is not young. Our forwards are young but many are in their 3 4 or 5th nhl season. Yes we are kinda young. But it’s the Type of players we have. We r young on paper but much older in dog years .... so that’s an excuse that I no longer by. We have bad coaching and the wrong players on the roster. Fitz and shero built a collection of players that can’t and won’t win in this league. The longer it takes fitz or the front office to figure it out the more years they are wasting. That’s the truth on youth