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

[Camille the Eel]

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

Our problem has been puck possession and really rotten play in center ice too. We can’t get the puck and cough it up and can’t retain it. That was the issue in much of this game and for long stretches of all our games.

 

[JimEIV]

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

Coleman was still in the USHL at 19...then did 4 years in college.

 

[billingtons ghost]

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

Ultimately - yeah, you bet. Now? I'm not sure. We certainly need to get them skating - and our D is certainly better. I think as soon as we see that MacBlack is back and can withstand some pressure, and our D pairings are fully stable (no rust on Ty, Subs/Siegs pull it together), then ... yeah. I mean it was breakdown city for the most part - and we required excellent goaltending tonight to win.... and we got, well, mediocre.

 

[ScottyK]

Mercer can be truly special. Can't wait to see how we ruin it

 

[WetWholphin]

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.

mercer is a fantastic stick handler, one of his best skills if not best.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Our problem has been puck possession and really rotten play in center ice too. We can’t get the puck and cough it up and can’t retain it. That was the issue in much of this game and for long stretches of all our games.

Can't complete a pass. Lots of standing around and puck watching. Only Zacha really forced the play up ice - and Bratt later after the benching.

 

[My3Sons]

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 are control the special teams in Recchi and Nas.

that’s fair. I hope they figure it out. I hope Fitz isn’t dictating style. This group is not skating and they seemingly try to play a zone defense which they just aren’t suited to play. At least not yet.

 

[Omar Little]

I hate the devils press trying to make this something of a moral victory for having given some effort in the 3rd period

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

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.

Yeah I mean I think it’s still going to sting seeing Miro and Makar rip it up in Dallas and Colorado respectively while the pick we had was used on a bottom 6 player. Roster wise, if Nico is our 3C, that’s an amazing situation because there’s a lot of teams who would clamor for that situation but at the same time you don’t wish or hope your first overall pick is playing that role when you draft them. I’m not the biggest fan of Stillman, I think Fitz and company reached on him due to the Blake Coleman nostalgia but if he proves me wrong I’ll gladly eat crow. Holtz seems like a blue chip prospect, just hope we don’t rush him up this year for the sake of it.

 

[billingtons ghost]

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.

If Bratt and Shara continue to play like shit, we can sign them for under $4m, so I guess there's a bright side?

 

[Billdo]

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.

Here's something that will really get your juices flowing then... Mercer is still a teenager. Coleman broke into the NHL at 25.

 

[Barry Tallackson]

Geertson is the softest goon I’ve ever seen. No bark, no bite, just black hole.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

completely agree

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah I mean I think it’s still going to sting seeing Miro and Makar rip it up in Dallas and Colorado respectively while the pick we had was used on a bottom 6 player. Roster wise, if Nico is our 3C, that’s an amazing situation because there’s a lot of teams who would clamor for that situation but at the same time you don’t wish or hope your first overall pick is playing that role when you draft them. I’m not the biggest fan of Stillman, I think Fitz and company reached on him due to the Blake Coleman nostalgia but if he proves me wrong I’ll gladly eat crow. Holtz seems like a blue chip prospect, just hope we don’t rush him up this year for the sake of it.

The issue with Holtz is he is a dependent player. Tonight he’s have been standing around waiting for passes that never came. I agree with those saying he needs Jack to creat for him. Stilllman fits the scrappy identity Fitz wants to play. I’m surprised at how sluggish Shara looks so far. I thought he would be solid .

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah I mean I think it’s still going to sting seeing Miro and Makar rip it up in Dallas and Colorado respectively while the pick we had was used on a bottom 6 player. Roster wise, if Nico is our 3C, that’s an amazing situation because there’s a lot of teams who would clamor for that situation but at the same time you don’t wish or hope your first overall pick is playing that role when you draft them. I’m not the biggest fan of Stillman, I think Fitz and company reached on him due to the Blake Coleman nostalgia but if he proves me wrong I’ll gladly eat crow. Holtz seems like a blue chip prospect, just hope we don’t rush him up this year for the sake of it.

Makar is amazing but I watch tons of Dallas and Heiskanen on NJ would not be amazing. He’s very smart but he’s buttery soft and on NJ he’d be hard pressed to get to 30 points.

 

[WetWholphin]

dawson mercer will be what we think nico can become. he should stay at center. it is also imperative that the team not put too much pressure on him this year. keep his minutes down and give him good PP time. this kid has star potential.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The issue with Holtz is he is a dependent player. Tonight he’s have been standing around waiting for passes that never came. I agree with those saying he needs Jack to creat for him. Stilllman fits the scrappy identity Fitz wants to play. I’m surprised at how sluggish Shara looks so far. I thought he would be solid .

I wouldn’t be worried about that, Hughes will feed the guy enough. He’s gonna have the best shot/release this team’s fanbase has seen since Kovy, I think that highly of the guy. His skating could be an issue but with how lethal his shot he’ll thrive with how Hughes is as a playmaker. Yeah, I’m really confused on Sharangovich but maybe he was a flash in the pan but at the same time he should be playing the half boards on the powerplay or the bumper on PP1. A lot of bad personnel decisions to start the year so far.

 

[JimEIV]

Here's something that will really get your juices flowing then... Mercer is still a teenager. Coleman broke into the NHL at 25.

He had a couple of real unfortunate injuries early on though. He broke his leg his junior year when he was tearing it up...he had 19 goals in 27 games when he broke his leg and many thought he would come out after his junior year...that injury prevented that ..

then his first year pro in Albany he separated his shoulder and needed surgery causing him to miss the entire year after only 14 games.

 

[My3Sons]

I wouldn’t be worried about that, Hughes will feed the guy enough. He’s gonna have the best shot/release this team’s fanbase has seen since Kovy, I think that highly of the guy. His skating could be an issue but with how lethal his shot he’ll thrive with how Hughes is as a playmaker. Yeah, I’m really confused on Sharangovich but maybe he was a flash in the pan but at the same time he should be playing the half boards on the powerplay or the bumper on PP1. A lot of bad personnel decisions to start the year so far.

Shara has a fair amount of NHL ability. He’s big can skate and shoot. He’s typically a go for it sort of player. He looks off but then again most of the team does.

 

[jkrdevil]

completely agree

The goalies let in the first 4 goals in under 8 shots. You can absolutely criticize the goaltending. It was not of NHL standards tonight.

 

[Omar Little]

There was two breakaways, Siegenthaler let a guy half a foot shorter than him bully his way from the blue line to the slot and roof it, a point shot that was tipped top shelf, and a guy wide open in the slot with 3 seconds to pick his spot

 

[Barry Tallackson]

Daws was deep in his crease on two goals

 

[StevenToddIves]

Can't complete a pass. Lots of standing around and puck watching. Only Zacha really forced the play up ice - and Bratt later after the benching.

I felt Mercer was very, very good tonight, as well. I'm taking the continued fine play of the kid as a reason not to be too upset with this game, which otherwise was, shall we say... substandard.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

First mangiapane goal was soft as butter but that was a sick play by a guy on an insane goal streak to start off the year

 

[Whaddagoal]

That game was abysmal from start to finish.

Nothing probably said here is any surprise, but: This game looked as bad or worse than the Washington game, particularly the 1st period. PP is awful, absolutely awful. If Recchi can't fix this, he's got to go.

Bratt and Sharangovich had some mind boggling decision making with the puck. I can't even understand what is going on in their mind, tactically. Passing up good shooting opportunities, or passing it to the double-covered guy.

Kinda laughed when i saw Ruff temporarily put the old lines back (for a short while) and then shook them back up again later in game.

I need to see replays of some of the early goals (it was on my far side of arena, but I assume it wasn't all on Nico Daws.

Hischier, Siege, Graves had a pretty mediocre game. Same with Subban, and Sevs. Dougie came away with points but his game wasn't awesome either.

The end score is highly deceptive. The game was far more lopsided and awful for the majority of time, minus when Calgary gave up and NJ made a futile late push.