GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (2-1) vs. Buffalo Sabres (3-1), 7 PM, MSG

[Better Call Sal]

Always cool to see a debut, let’s go Nico Jr.!

 

[JimEIV]

Let's check in on the state of the fanbase 3 games in.

It would appear that despite winning the first 2 of 3 games, the injuries and inconsistencies of some players continue to bug people to no end.

Rest assured, this may be a new record for over the top reactions with a 2-1 record. And hopefully our players have thick skin to be rubber to our pouty fans' glue.

The Sabres are in town and they've....won 3 games?

But coming off their first loss, we'll certainly need to bring a better finishing game than we did the other night. And let's hope that Bernier feels 100% to get back in the net tonight.

Your New Jersey Devils (lineup subject to change)

#37 Pavel Zacha - #13 Nico Hischier (C) - #63 Jesper Bratt
#17 Yegor Sharangovich - #20 Michael McLeod - #59 Janne Kuokkanen
#11 Andreas Johnsson - #18 Dawson Mercer - #90 Tomas Tatar
#16 Jimmy Vesey - #38 Frederik Gauthier - #55 Mason Geertsen

#33 Ryan Graves - #7 Dougie Hamilton (A)
#24 Ty Smith - #28 Damon Severson (A)
#71 Jonas Siegenthaler - #76 P.K. Subban

#41 Scott Wedgewood
#50 Nico Daws

Injuries/Scratches:

#29 Mackenzie Blackwood (Heel/Fear of Needles)
#44 Miles Wood (IR - Bumps and Bruises from a month ago)
#45 Jonathan Bernier (Day to Day - Lower Body Injury)
#67 Marian Studenic (Healthy)
#83 Christian Jaros (Healthy)
#86 Jack Hughes (IR - Separated Shoulder)

Maybe we should introduce this new mascot for Mac and that'll help comfort him

News and Notes:

Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has led the Devils in TOI in all three games played, and most recently led the team with 22:46 TOI vs Washington.

Hamilton (24:31) and fellow blueliner Ryan Graves (22:47) lead New Jersey in ATOI, thus far.

Defenseman P.K. Subban leads the Devils with 11 shots on goal to start the season and the 2012-13 Norris Trophy winner also leads Jersey’s team with eight blocked shots.

In the dots, it’s Michael McLeod who leads New Jersey with a 63.6% face-off percentage and owns a 70.0% face-off percentage when the team is shorthanded.

Pavel Zacha (4g-7a-11PTS) and Jesper Bratt (2g-7a—PTS) led New Jersey in scoring against the Sabres last season. (Perhaps this is a good omen!)

Buffalo Sabres Projected Lineup:

#53 Jeff Skinner - #24 Dylan Cozens - #29 Vinnie Hinostroza
#74 Ramus Asplund - #72 Tage Thompson - #71 Victor Olofsson
#96 Anders Bjork - #28 Zemgus Girgensons - #21 Kyle Okposo (A)
#91 Drake Caggiula - #25 Arttu Ruotsalainen - #15 John Hayden

#26 Ramus Dahlin - #4 Will Butcher
#78 Jacob Bryson - #33 Colin Miller
#8 Robert Hagg - #13 Mark Pysyk

#31 Dustin Tokarski
#41 Craig Anderson

Scratches/Injuries:

#9 Jack Eichel (Anger Built Up in Neck)
#10 Henri Jokiharju (Lower Body Injury)
#20 Cody Eakin (Day to Day - Undisclosed)
#23 Mattias Samuelsson (Healthy)
#37 Casey Mittelstadt (Upper Body Injury)
#86 Christian Wolanin (Healthy)


Will Butcher, 1st pairing defender!

Time to put on our big boy pants and get this big fat dubbbbb

LGD

​

Awesome

 

[Billdo]

The return of Will Butcher and Hayden.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[Better Call Sal]

This all pleases me greatly. This is how it should be between a coaching group and his core. This is stuff I truly cannot imagine the last staff having done, and if they had, cannot imagine it resonating as strongly.

 

[Comparison Ford]

so stoked for Daws!!!

 

[Devilsgrl35]

Blackwood hasn't played yet.

I don't know why I thought he did. My mind is on another planet today

 

[Darkauron]

Hynes and other crew "just stares confused and doesn't say anything when the team sucks."

Man it is nice to have a better coach

 

[My3Sons]

This all pleases me greatly. This is how it should be between a coaching group and his core. This is stuff I truly cannot imagine the last staff having done, and if they had, cannot imagine it resonating as strongly.

To me, they were too focused on the details. I think they were so focused on structure and being responsible that they didn’t play their game. I’d remind them to try to make plays. If they just wait for the game to come to them it won’t happen more than once or twice per game and they are better than that.

 

[ScottyK]

5 point night incoming for Nico, 3g 2a.

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

Sounds like I need to stay up and watch this one

 

[Comparison Ford]

i have a feeling tonight is gonna be a start to something very special with Daws and i have no idea why

just a gut feeling

 

[Whaddagoal]

Just to be clear, from the pre-game Ruff press video (which isn't fully clear from the tweet alone), Ruff had a lengthy TEAM meeting, with everyone to go over their game.

(Not a solo meeting with Nico)

Let's see if the guys are wired in today. Thoses passes better be on the tape, unlike about 50% of the passes last game...

 

[FinnishDevil]

5 point night incoming for Nico, 3g 2a.

That must be some kind of a record for a goalie, no?

 

[Clam Jensen]

This all pleases me greatly. This is how it should be between a coaching group and his core. This is stuff I truly cannot imagine the last staff having done, and if they had, cannot imagine it resonating as strongly.

yea ruff is a pros pro, I really like him.

 

[Saucerhead Tharpe]

pretty hilarious that we're already down to our 4th goalie, that was drafted 12 months ago

not saying I wouldn't give him a shot either, but sheesh

Didn't Vegass have a spate of injuries early in their inaugural season where they went through something similar? Let's hope Daws and the Devils succeed in this situation. A game against this Sabres squad could be just what this team needs.

 

[The Wumpus]

If he gets the win tonight, i'm coining the nickname Dawsome.

THE WIZARD OF DAWS

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Very interested to how Nico does in his first start and how Nico responds to being called out.

 

[youryeah]

this is gonna be the new "who's on first?" gag isn't it

 

[Richer's Ghost]

i have a feeling tonight is gonna be a start to something very special with Daws and i have no idea why

just a gut feeling

He gonna score an empty netter in his NHL debut?!

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

This all pleases me greatly. This is how it should be between a coaching group and his core. This is stuff I truly cannot imagine the last staff having done, and if they had, cannot imagine it resonating as strongly.

That was one of the points I was making in the Team Thread yesterday when posters were worrying about where Tomas Tatar was playing in the lineup. Players like Zacha and Bratt have to take the next step and show they are core players.

 

[njdevil26]

I wasn't worried that much about the loss to the caps. I just want the injured guys to be healthy and I am more concerned about the team getting points against the Sabres and Flames which are two teams they could/should beat.

 

[Eggtimer]

Rested , all our regular D playing , pep talk from Ruff , opponent that is beatable . No excuses for this game. Yes Jack is out but other teams deal with injuries and find a way to win. Pens were missing Crosby Malkin Geuntzel and are now without Carter and they found ways to win.
If we don’t see a good effort tonight it’s going to be a long season. I know it’s game 4 but this is a game we should win if we are thinking we can play meaningful games come the end of the regular season.

 

[tr83]

I will have no expectations tonight.
I will have no expectations tonight.
I will have no expectations tonight.
I will have no expectations tonight.

 

[Bleedred]

I bet Daws is the youngest goalie to start a game for the Devils since Brodeur did it at 19 in 1992.