GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (7-2) vs. Arizona Coyotes (0-9-1), 7 PM, MSG+

[NjDevsRR]

Unless I'm not doing enough research on the analytics, which I admit that I don't look at much of them, just the basic corsi and relative corsi stuff on hockey reference, he's actually playing ridiculously good right now. Small sample size, but a ridiculous relative corsi rating for a guy that's gotten 22.8% of his starts in the O-zone and 77% in the D-zone. A relative corsi of +2.5 and fenwick of +5.1 is insane for that kind of usage.

I'm not sure if those are sustainable numbers for the usage he's getting, we'd have to ask someone who follows these stats closer than I do, but he's been pretty damn good. Madden and Pandolfo never even had those numbers, although they were old and already declining by the time these stats started being tracked.

I didn't think much of this player before this year, but he's definitely one of the unsung heroes so far.

Night and Day from last season. He's hungry.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Tim Peel really wanted Arizona to win

 

[Its a Trap]

Tim Peel really wanted Arizona to win

Still tho...

 

[BenedictGomez]

- Hayes is pretty much useless outside of being a screen on the PP so hopefully Boyle takes over that role once he's healthy.

It's not that Hayes is a bad player, he isnt; the problem is that he is a square peg in a round hole on this team. He has no foot speed, and when the entire Devils game has been retooled for quick pace and instantly the puck's going the other way, he just doesnt mesh with that style. Honestly, they should move him for a 4th Round pick if they can and call it a day.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Also, did Prout pretty much perfectly screen the ginger on that one Coyote goal?

I could be wrong, but it looked to me like Cory would have made the save, but instead of trying to block the shot by going down, Prout made a perfectly timed, weird ballet move right in front of Cory.

 

[glenwo2]

Everything said this should have been a L.

We played a tough one last night. The lineup was a mess with injuries, babies being born, etc. Arizona was desperate for a win, refs were calling the game like ****.

Somehow we still got the W though.

You forgot also :

BEN F'N LOVEJOY was in the lineup.

 

[Its a Trap]

It's not that Hayes is a bad player, he isnt; the problem is that he is a square peg in a round hole on this team. He has no foot speed, and when the entire Devils game has been retooled for quick pace and instantly the puck's going the other way, he just doesnt mesh with that style. Honestly, they should move him for a 4th Round pick if they can and call it a day.

Well Boyle certainly doesn't have the foot speed for the team but he's going to be in the lineup when he comes back. Zajac isn't really a speedy 30 year old either. He's easily slower then Palmieri.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Oh, and for the various Mueller haters out there, he led all 7 Devils defensemen in ice time tonight, and was credited with SIX blocked shots.

You all might want to contact John Hynes via email with your expert opinions on why he played him too much.

 

[glenwo2]

Bratt really had some chemistry with Hall tonight. Both made smart plays to find each other for their goals. Hope to see more of that throughout the season.

Bratt's had some chemistry whenever he played with Hall for awhile now.

They didn't just start having chemistry.

But of course, you would've known that if you DVR'd that game you missed.



Seriously, though....Those two fit on the same line like a glove.

I would keep Nico off Hall's line, though.

 

[Its a Trap]

Oh, and for the various Mueller haters out there, he led all 7 Devils defensemen in ice time tonight, and was credited with SIX blocked shots.

You all might want to contact John Hynes via email with your expert opinions on why he played him too much.

It's not like...he hasn't sucked or anything like that. It's good that he had a great game but that doesn't mean he didn't suck before that.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Well Boyle certainly doesn't have the foot speed for the team but he's going to be in the lineup when he comes back. Zajac isn't really a speedy 30 year old either.

I don't think Boyle is a fit for this team either, but it's not like Shero could possibly have predicted how well Gibbons & Coleman would look.

Zajac has average speed, which is fine. He's valuable for winning faceoffs and killing penalties, both skills that are incredibly valuable.

 

[Its a Trap]

I would keep Nico off Hall's line, though.

Totally disagree. They've made some nice plays when out on the ice together.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It's not like...he hasn't sucked or anything like that. It's good that he had a great game but that doesn't mean he didn't suck before that.

He hasnt sucked, he's been a 22 year old NHL rookie on D, and in that context he's been fine. Better than Prout or Lovejoy for heaven's sake.

Also defensively better than Butcher too, FWIW, but nobody cares what Butcher does on D so long as he's racking up assists.

 

[Blender]

I don't think Boyle is a fit for this team either, but it's not like Shero could possibly have predicted how well Gibbons & Coleman would look.

Zajac has average speed, which is fine. He's valuable for winning faceoffs and killing penalties, both skills that are incredibly valuable.

Zajac not being the quickest is fine anyways, as long as he is playing with at least one quick winger. He's usually playing a very defensively responsible game and is going to be the trailer going into the offensive zone anyways.

 

[glenwo2]

Totally disagree. They've made some nice plays when out on the ice together.

True but we can't afford to have two players who turn the puck over. Bratt with Hall(and whomever else) line; Nico with whomever else on the 2nd line.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Just returned from 311 with a smile on my face. Awesome concert and a Devils win!

I watched the condensed game but anyone care to help summarize who stood out aside from the scoresheet?

 

[Its a Trap]

He hasnt sucked, he's been a 22 year old NHL rookie on D, and in that context he's been fine. Better than Prout or Lovejoy for heaven's sake.

Also defensively better than Butcher too, FWIW, but nobody cares what Butcher does on D so long as he's racking up assists.

I have no idea why I get lumped in with that sterotype cause I'm aware of his defensive inefficacies. But his defensive f***ups are much more acceptable considering he's a point machine for the time being. Mueller is bad defensively and has nothing else to show for it. Why is it a problem to say that he's sucked to start the season? Severson has sucked too and he's only 23. I don't see you using his age to justify it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I watched the condensed game but anyone care to help summarize who stood out aside from the scoresheet?

No. It's really not possible. Bratt stood out, but he's on the scoresheet.

It was a pretty crappy game other than the fact the Devils won. Coleman & Gibbons were surprisingly good again if I were forced to call something out.

 

[Blender]

No. It's really not possible. Bratt stood out, but he's on the scoresheet.

It was a pretty crappy game other than the fact the Devils won. Coleman & Gibbons were surprisingly good again if I were forced to call something out.

Yea, I'd say Bratt, Hall, and Gibbons who were all on the scoresheet, and Coleman who had a very solid game as usual.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Severson has sucked too and he's only 23. I don't see you using his age to justify it.

It's a good point I suppose. There's no doubt Severson will get better from here, all 23 year old D-men do.

That said, he's an unusual case in that he already has something like 210 NHL games under his belt, so in that context I dont go as easy on him as I do on people like Butcher, Mueller, or Santini who are pure NHL rookies. There's a fairly significant difference there even though they're all very young.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Mueller stinks and stunk tonight too regardless of ice time. Don’t really care considering all the other positives this year though.

 

[VoidCreature]

Don't look now, but both Butcher and Hall have more points than McDavid. Bratt is tied with him.

 

[Better Call Sal]

How was Nico overall? I saw Keller pick pocket him for his goal.

 

[BenedictGomez]

How was Nico overall? I saw Keller pick pocket him for his goal.

Not very good, one of his poorer games thus far.

Zacha wasnt great either after playing his best game of the season Friday night.

 

[Bleedred]

Night and Day from last season. He's hungry.

He just looked like an AHL player last year, but he looks like a legit shutdown NHL guy, just 10 games into this season. Looks much better than Fiddler in that role last year, I know Fiddler was ancient and near the end.

He’s playing as well as I had hoped for Boyle to play, had he been in. They could combine on a pretty good line when he gets back. Coleman is also playing in a role that he’s excelling at, and not asked to be played on a line we need a bit of offense from. Which was the mistake with a few other players in the past few years.