GDT: Your New Jersey Devils @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 PM, MSG+

[Devilsfan992]

When is Cammy coming back? When is Merrill coming back?

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I'm with you. At least have Cory start the next two and then assess for the third game.

Yep. Cory is a star player. We're going to have to depend on that during this stretch.

 

[sunnyvale]

Man I'm feeling for blandisi, he must feel terrible

 

[NJDevs26]

I'll gladly take a point giving up 40 shots on the road with the backup in net. Ugly game for the most part.

We would have been looking at this game though an even worse prism if they had lost 5-2 like they probably should have with the way they played tonight. The best thing about is was Kinkaid looked like last season's version at least for a night.

It's not that I expect them to win every game but all these losses to bad teams are driving me up a wall (particuarly Lou's bad team). Toronto twice, Colorado twice, Columbus twice and Edmonton (how could I forget that one?)...that's what we'll be looking back on if we don't make the playoffs.

 

[Billdo]

The biggest thing to blame this loss, at least in my opinion, is the total lack of ability on faceoffs. Hugely important and we just suck at it.

Positives of this game though are few but Kinkaid and Blandisi in spurts. Kinkaid was terrific.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

Or at least in the OT or shootout. I wouldn't have minded giving the point to Toronto from the playoff race perspective, though it would've been annoying to see them blow the lead. This was a game they had to win. They came out with a bad game and wasted Kinkaid's best play of the season, only getting a point where they could've had two.

Agreed, but I don't care that they lost it in the shootout. I refuse to acknowledge it. Even had they won the gimmick, I'd still be frustrated with the blown lead and the overall performance. This was a bad game against a bad team. Very disappointing.

 

[MadDevil]

Bozak finished with 24 faceoff wins. Just Bozak.

Honestly, when was the last time we won a big faceoff?

 

[Emperoreddy]

Well, a lot of teams have multiple games in hand on us and are about even with us in points. We're at the point where we almost have to win them all if we want to stay alive in the playoff race.

We are absolutely not at the point where we have to win them all. Not even close, and you are assuming all these teams are going to win all their games in hand (which isn't going to happen. Hell the Isles play the Wings Saturday. One of them HAS to lose).

 

[Bleedred]

They blew the extra point. This game had to be won in regulation. Very annoying loss. They didn't play well tonight at all.

If you ask me, I think this is a regulation loss if Schlemko didn't get that goal.

We were on our heels for the better part of the game prior to that goal in the 3rd. Then we took it over and were playing the best we had all night. And then the pulled goalie situation happened.

Believe me, these teams pull their goalies against us because they know we rarely score empty net goals. This was also only the second time we allowed a game tying goal with the other teams goalie pulled, so we don't regularly give up goals in these situations. But we also don't score empty nets to seal the game very much either. I'm thinking back to that Chicago game. They pull the goalie with 8 minutes left. It took them 5 minutes to score on us, but they had the net empty for 5 minutes and all we did was defend.

 

[Zippy316]

I feel like the Penguins are going to pass us and end up in a Metropolitan division spot. If Crosby continues this tear he is going to singlehandedly win them games.

I'm more focused on Bruins, Red Wings, Flyers, and Rangers.

I don't think the Flyers are very good. The Rangers team is deteriorating at this point; their defense is falling apart. Red Wings and Bruins are both good teams, but they're not outstanding.

 

[Emperoreddy]

When is Cammy coming back? When is Merrill coming back?

Cammy maybe Saturday or Monday. Merrill IDK. Severson most likely is in for Gelly Saturday if I was a betting man.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I feel like the Penguins are going to pass us and end up in a Metropolitan division spot. If Crosby continues this tear he is going to singlehandedly win them games.

I'm more focused on Bruins, Red Wings, Flyers, and Rangers.

I don't think the Flyers are very good. The Rangers team is deteriorating at this point; their defense is falling apart. Red Wings and Bruins are both good teams, but they're not outstanding.

Need to focus on the Isles too. They can't gain any traction. They have been playing in neutral for a while now.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

We are absolutely not at the point where we have to win them all. Not even close, and you are assuming all these teams are going to win all their games in hand (which isn't going to happen. Hell the Isles play the Wings Saturday. One of them HAS to lose).

We have to win most of the games that we're playing now, not all of them, in my opinion. Quite a few of the teams have multiple games in hand on us. That's the problem. You can assume they'll probably win at least one of the games in hand, and that would put them even or above us. I'd love to be wrong, of course, I just don't think I am. I think we threw away a point we'll regret tonight.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

If you ask me, I think this is a regulation loss if Schlemko didn't get that goal.

We were on our heels for the better part of the game prior to that goal in the 3rd. Then we took it over and were playing the best we had all night. And then the pulled goalie situation happened.

Believe me, these teams pull their goalies against us because they know we rarely score empty net goals. This was also only the second time we allowed a game tying goal with the other teams goalie pulled, so we don't regularly give up goals in these situations. But we also don't score empty nets to seal the game very much either. I'm thinking back to that Chicago game. They pull the goalie with 8 minutes left. It took them 5 minutes to score on us, but they had the net empty for 5 minutes and all we did was defend.

For sure. This was one of the worst games They played in a while.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We have to win most of the games that we're playing now, not all of them, in my opinion. Quite a few of the teams have multiple games in hand on us. That's the problem. You can assume they'll probably win at least one of the games in hand, and that would put them even or above us. I'd love to be wrong, of course, I just don't think I am. I think we threw away a point we'll regret tonight.

And we play most of those teams again this season so we can just take the points back directly.

And every team has to win more then they lose. No one outside of Florida or Washington is making it in with .500 hockey the rest of the way.

Losing in regulation to Pitt before the break was much bigger then a SO loss tonight.

 

[Bleedred]

We would have been looking at this game though an even worse prism if they had lost 5-2 like they probably should have with the way they played tonight. The best thing about is was Kinkaid looked like last season's version at least for a night.

It's not that I expect them to win every game but all these losses to bad teams are driving me up a wall (particuarly Lou's bad team). Toronto twice, Colorado twice, Columbus twice...that's what we'll be looking back on if we don't make the playoffs.

It's funny because we haven't lost to a really bad team in quite a while before tonight.

Maybe Colorado last month? I can't think of many other bad ones we lost to as of recently. Of course, there's only one or two teams worse than this **** product that the Three Stooges are putting out up there.

We even beat Calgary and Winnipeg last month. But we've lost to too many bad teams, especially earlier in the season. We still have the CBJ 3 more times this season, how fun that will be!

 

[Emperoreddy]

Also this was prime time for a let down game after a big emotional win against our rival, and looking ahead to a game against the team with the best record in hockey.

Take the point and get ready for Saturday.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

And we play most of those teams again this season so we can just take the points back directly.

And every team has to win more then they lose. No one outside of Florida or Washington is making it in with .500 hockey the rest of the way.

Losing in regulation to Pitt before the break was much bigger then a SO loss tonight.

One thing I will say is that February is a huge month for us, definitely playing a lot of the teams we'll be competing for a playoff spot with. If we win a chunk of those games, that would put us in very good standing I think, but we certainly have to play better than we did in Toronto to do that. Maybe this game can be a kick in the pants.

 

[Bleedred]

And why is hockey night live on during a Thursday night?

GTFO out with this! I have to wait an hour to watch Hiney Head's presser. He's last in line, while we go through AV's, Capuano, some **** about the royal red road. Seeing Trautwig and Valiquette laugh at our game highlights tonight.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Agreed, but I don't care that they lost it in the shootout. I refuse to acknowledge it. Even had they won the gimmick, I'd still be frustrated with the blown lead and the overall performance. This was a bad game against a bad team. Very disappointing.

Overall performance was definitely a disgrace. This game better be a wakeup call because we have some very important games coming up. Team needs to be ready for them.

 

[NJDevs26]

One thing I will say is that February is a huge month for us, definitely playing a lot of the teams we'll be competing for a playoff spot with. If we win a chunk of those games, that would put us in very good standing I think, but we certainly have to play better than we did in Toronto to do that. Maybe this game can be a kick in the pants.

Yeah they should definitely know if they should be holding or folding by the trade deadline. Either way I can't see a significant addition this year. I'm not even sure how much we can actually sell considering the two most likely candidates for 'selling' they might want to re-sign (Stemp, Schlemko).

 

[Bleedred]

The Sharks missed the playoffs last year because they lost to so many terrible ****ing teams.

Of course they won every game against Anaheim, if I remember correctly.

But they lost to all kinds of cream of the crap teams, including almost all of them from the East and multiple times to some of them.

 

[glenwo2]

Cammalleri was invisible tonight. I kid, I kid...
Henrique and Zajac close behind him.

Considering the above, I'll take 1 point and move along content.

And I'll take 1 point and move along pissed off.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Yeah they should definitely know if they should be holding or folding by the trade deadline. Either way I can't see a significant addition this year. I'm not even sure how much we can actually sell considering the two most likely candidates for 'selling' they might want to re-sign (Stemp, Schlemko).

I think it's most likely Shero sits pat on deadline day. Seems like the safest course unless something really tempting comes along.

 

[NJDevs26]

And why is hockey night live on during a Thursday night?

GTFO out with this! I have to wait an hour to watch Hiney Head's presser. He's last in line, while we go through AV's, Capuano, some **** about the royal red road. Seeing Trautwig and Valiquette laugh at our game highlights tonight.

Good question...maybe they don't want to do HNL this Saturday up against the 30-hour pregame for the Super Bowl