GDT: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 PM, MSG, Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the Rock

[Its Always Sundstrom]

who will stand up for their captain tonight?

Same thought I had.

I expect it to be a massacre on the scoreboard and on the ice. It’ll be 3-0 after 1 period with VV in net. Book it.

Yesterday was only 2-1 because the BJs suck. Any other team with a modicum of offense would’ve made it 4, 5-1.

 

[HischierSeDgewOrk]

who will stand up for their captain tonight?

Oliwa, Peluso, Vilgrain, McKay, Stevens...oh wait...maybe Dougie will give him a light push.

 

[longislanddevil]

I thought Schmid was very good last night. Those two goals can’t be faulted on the goalie. He looked calm and poised…so much better positionally that Vanacek, who plays like he’s nervous. I know it’s back to back but come on….why does Lindy hate this kid so much?!

 

[Devs3cups]

I thought Schmid was very good last night. Those two goals can’t be faulted on the goalie. He looked calm and poised…so much better positionally that Vanacek, who plays like he’s nervous. I know it’s back to back but come on….why does Lindy hate this kid so much?!

I don’t want to dog on Schmid cause he didn’t give up anything egregious last night and he played a fine game, but he didn’t face a whole lot of quality stuff either. I saw less bad D-zone stuff last night, even though the 2 biggest mistakes ended up in the back of the net. The 2 goals and the Gaudreau breakaway were probably the 3 big chances he faced all game.

With that said, I definitely would’ve went back with him tonight.

 

[Devs3cups]

Hmmmm

 

[njdevils1982]

Oliwa, Peluso, Vilgrain, McKay, Stevens...oh wait...maybe Dougie will give him a light push.

sad, but true

 

[glenwo2]

This really is a must win.

Wheels are about to completely come off.

I’d like to see a 4 game winning streak or at least 3 out of 4.

This is a not a must win.

This is a "NEED TO WIN AT ALL COSTS".

We've gone way past Must-win games now.

It's a matter of SURVIVAL for this season to remain relevant.

Winning tonight merely stops the bleeding...and that's what we need now.

 

[Bleedred]

@Bleedred intensifies

EVERYBODY should intensify over it.

It’s a f***in joke, that’s what it is.

Vitek wishes he got to play this much last fall, when he was actually playing well and they halted his 3 game win streak to play Blackwood two games in a row.

4-2 Sabres

When was the last time Vitek allowed only 2 goals? Other than against Pittsburgh, who we always beat anyway and the shit hole Blackhawks? Last f***in month?

 

[The Devil In I]

Think at this point you have to assume concussion symptoms started coming back after Nico participated at practice.

 

[Bleedred]

“We can’t play the same goalie on a back to back!”

But you could have a morning skate on a back to back?

“Only four guys skated! And one is injured!”

Remember when the 2020-2021 season started to fall off the rails just like this one (and potentially three of the four Ruff seasons) and Blackwood was played in a back to back? I think they were either both afternoon games or game 1 was an afternoon game and game 2 was a night game like this. I forget. But I know it happened.

Vitek is almost definitely putting Ruff AND Rogalski in their graves.

Akira May put them both there too, but Vitek is literally a metastasis to the process.

 

[glenwo2]

Think at this point you have to assume concussion symptoms started coming back after Nico participated at practice.

If that's the case, Nico's career could be in jeopardy.

IF that's the case, that is.

 

[Bleedred]

Think at this point you have to assume concussion symptoms started coming back after Nico participated at practice.

I had this same thought yesterday when he didn’t play.

If that's the case, Nico's career could be in jeopardy.

IF that's the case, that is.

I don’t think his career is in jeopardy, but this could be more serious than we thought.

And of course it only gives Ruff more rope and has no effect on his insistence that we keep playing the inferior goalie.

 

[My3Sons]

Think at this point you have to assume concussion symptoms started coming back after Nico participated at practice.

My recollection is that before he ever took the ice he should have been slowly ramped up with off ice effort to full exertion and only then let him back on the ice. At this point if he’s still symptomatic just tell him to go back to Switzerland and sit in a dark room until a neurologist clears him to play.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Would love to see Nico make a return tonight but I’m sure that won’t be the case sadly.

 

[theoptimist]

When was the last time Vitek allowed only 2 goals? Other than against Pittsburgh, who we always beat anyway and the shit hole Blackhawks? Last f***in month?

I think it will go 2-0 after 1, 2-1 after 2, and ultimately a 4-2 loss. This is the theme unless the writers really surprise us in episode 19

 

[TF1970]

The coach is secretly happy to have all the guys out because he can have an excuse to fall back on. Same for the GM probably at this point. I do agree that this was a perfect chance to do something different and start Schmid on a b2b to see if that shakes things up at all. But his infatuation with Vanacek will always prevail. Absolute buffoonery.

 

[britdevil]

I'd just like to see an energised start tbh.

Come out, set the tone, throw a few hits if you have to. Get some shots on net and skate HARD.

This team comes out like somebody just put down their dog.

 

[njdevils1982]

it's a joke. cliffton goes headhunting and only gets 2 games while nico is still sitting weeks later.

so pissed

 

[Bleedred]

I think it will go 2-0 after 1, 2-1 after 2, and ultimately a 4-2 loss. This is the theme unless the writers really surprise us in episode 19

Lifting this comment to text to a friend right now.

It almost accurately describes the 23-24 Devils to this point.

Only thing missing is “outshot 13-5 or any number that comes out to doubled up in the 1st period”.

Ironically, I think Buffalo was one of maybe 5 or 6 times this year where we had a decent 1st period where we weren’t outshot.

 

[NJDevs26]

Would love to see Nico make a return tonight but I’m sure that won’t be the case sadly.

I’ve given up even trying to figure out what’s going on, does he have some illness they can’t diagnose like Sal with the inner ear thing? How do you go from being fit to fully practice to practice only with the scrubs to back in limbo?

 

[Bleedred]

it's a joke. cliffton goes headhunting and only gets 2 games while nico is still sitting weeks later.

so pissed

I’ll consider it a victory if he gets destroyed tonight.

I don’t expect anyone to really do anything though.

And please no Ryan Reaves stuff. We know he doesn’t do anything either.

 

[Killing Joke]

Vitek starting is a joke

 

[R8Devs]

I’ve given up even trying to figure out what’s going on, does he have some illness they can’t diagnose like Sal with the inner ear thing? How do you go from being fit to fully practice to practice only with the scrubs to back in limbo?

they were going 11-7 and so you'd want the guys who are playing to play with each other in practice. So Nico practicing in between the 4th liners wouldn't affect the other guys. Nico wasn't out for morning skate today and Lindy didn't explicitly say he'll be out like he did for the other games so maybe he'll play tonight.

 

[glenwo2]

I’ve given up even trying to figure out what’s going on, does he have some illness they can’t diagnose like Sal with the inner ear thing? How do you go from being fit to fully practice to practice only with the scrubs to back in limbo?

Relapse of symptoms?

 

[NJDevs26]

Relapse of symptoms?

If that was the case he’d have immediately gone back into bubble wrap rather than just ramping down, at least if we had a competent medical team