GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (3-1) vs. Calgary Flames (3-1-1), 7 PM, MSG+

[NJDevils17]

I love Mercer. His game has so much will and the skill to go with in it....and that's an awesome combo.

Kept hearing Parise over and over for the last year but it’s not as far fetched as I thought

 

[billingtons ghost]

Hopefully they come "flying out the gate" from the 1st period onward in the next game.

That was pitiful from both the first two periods.



Glad I'm not the only one who noticed this :

He could've shot it or passed it to a teammate down low but instead he was thinking PASS ANYWHERE ELSE all the way. I don't understand what Bratt is thinking or if he even is thinking.

He needs some continuity, some confidence and some momentum. I'm really certain he'll come back to his full unicorn self if he gets these 4 solid days of (bag skates err..) practices.

 

[ScottyK]

yep - I actually wouldn't mind him moved up alongside Mercer?

I'd put Vesey with Nico honestly. Both can create space down low. Nico has had to do it all on his own

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

It might depend upon whether they move Mercer to wing. I could see him playing with Jack.

I think I like Mercer at center more, 55% at the dot tonight and most of his shifts started in the defensive zone. Also finding Hughes a power forward winger outside the organization might be better since Holtz is gonna be staple gunned to Jack soon

 

[ScottyK]

Bratt is going to be moved for a equally talented but needs a change of scenery player before game 25 Ala Henrique/Vatanen

 

[New Jersey Devils]

I always thought Mercer could become a rich-man’s Henrique.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I'd put Vesey with Nico honestly. Both can create space down low. Nico has had to do it all on his own

yeah, I think Vesey is a big body who can find open ice, and you're right - outside of Zacha - there aren't too many guys like that on this team. I would REALLY like to see someone other than Nico be 'the guy in front of the net'.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Mercer a good interview as well.

 

[glenwo2]

Bratt is going to be moved for a equally talented but needs a change of scenery player before game 25 Ala Henrique/Vatanen

Name the team that would want him.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Kept hearing Parise over and over for the last year but it’s not as far fetched as I thought

Yea man. I saw Parise in his game. I don't know where the other comparisons come from tbh. His game is really a mirror of Parise.

 

[Billdo]

How your sarcasmometer working?

Oh its working just fine. Got a tune up and everything. Well done!

 

[JimEIV]

Mercer a good interview as well.

It's remarkable that these kids interview so well in general...I could barely put together two sentences when I was 19.

 

[ScottyK]

Name the team that would want him.

Not sure. Just a gut feeling. Had the same prior to the Henrique deal. Obviously can be wrong

 

[Better Call Sal]

Mercer is everything you want in a player. Incredibly happy to have him here.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I love Mercer. His game has so much will and the skill to go with it....and that's an awesome combo.

I was thinking he's a poor man's Coleman, but I'm beginning to think he's Coleman++. That's groovy.

 

[My3Sons]

I would try a forechecking system. Get them skating. They play tentatively when they play a structured system. It doesn’t fit this group.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Like 100% a mirror of Parise. Mercer has the insane forechecking. Probably not as fast though. Also seems to have sick hands like Parise did. I wonder if he's insane at the shootout too. Only thing I'd need to see is if Mercer is master at deflections too, to complete the Parise clone.

 

[Guadana]

If Nico and Sharkannens could score once today and Bratt didn’t fall once at least…

 

[JimEIV]

I was thinking he's a poor man's Coleman, but I'm beginning to think he's Coleman++. That's groovy.

I think this is a much better player than Coleman.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I think this is a much better player than Coleman.

I'm trying to pump the brakes here, Jim. We've only seen him a few games. There is nothing to dislike about him - he'll make rookie mistakes, but he's the full package, otherwise. I'll say the 'much better than Coleman' when he scores 20.

 

[Guadana]

Coleman wasn’t ahl player in his age as I remember. And have goal and assist in his first season.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I would try a forechecking system. Get them skating. They play tentatively when they play a structured system. It doesn’t fit this group.

Ruff is a placeholder in all honesty so we shouldn’t be that mad but at the same time this Devils team is built similar to his Buffalo and Dallas teams that took steps in getting better when he was there. The biggest problems are the bozos in control the special teams in Recchi and Nas.

 

[My3Sons]

I think I like Mercer at center more, 55% at the dot tonight and most of his shifts started in the defensive zone. Also finding Hughes a power forward winger outside the organization might be better since Holtz is gonna be staple gunned to Jack soon

i could see it go either way. I think if Nico really drops to 3C that’s a good problem to have. Long term I think Nico is the veteran leader and the team skews even younger with Mercer Stillman Holtz and whoever pans out and is willing to take a reasonable contract between Zacha Bratt and Shara.

 

[britdevil]

I don't really see Mercer as a comparable to any past player. He's his own talent.

A forechecking machine, with great IQ and tenacity. I think he's very new NHL.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I really lay a lot of blame on the staff for this one. I get changes needing to be made but didn’t understand the shift from the lines that turned it around in the last game, which they ended up reverting to later on in the game.

Couple that with the flatness the players came out with overall and it’s a recipe for what we saw in the 1st period.

Hopefully Bratt and Rango got the wake up call because they’ve been the hardest players to watch over these first 5 games. They’re absolutely capable of more.