GDT: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings, 7 PM, MSGSN

[PKs Broken Stick]

I think one of the reasons why they hired Fitz was that I remember him saying once he was hired that he thought the team wasn't as far people previously thought in house which I always thought was at Shero but it could've been someone else that was removed as well int hat time period. The Palmieri thing was something I remember from Harris's presser right after Shero got fired and him consistently saying that this team doesn't have to wait this long to be good and that the pieces were there to win ASAP.

So Fitz convinced them to keep the rebuild going after firing Shero who refused to accelerate it? Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

[jkrdevil]

One thing that's very suspicious is that Markstrom is backing up tonight + Vanecek is sitting granted the injury/being sick with these rumors lol

Well there is that (apparently Markstrom was also tossing pucks into the crowd which is apparently unusual)

 

[Whaddagoal]

PP2 is putrid

Thats why they gotta shake it a bit.

PP1 is way too static right now too. Lots of perimeter stuff. They want that perfect play but it wasn't there. Needed to just flip it up front for a chance at a scrum go.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Well there is that (apparently Markstrom was also tossing pucks into the crowd which is apparently unusual)

Ya I just saw that pop up on my TL too, a lot of smoke to the Devils fire there. Makes me also wonder if Lindy is going heavy on Daws because Markstrom might be in soon

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

They won’t do that…Lindy may be an airhead but he’s not literally certifiable. Either Bahl or Miller and his 105 MPH slap shot that always finds goalie pads will be the next to be binned off. Or Smith goes back to forward and it’s bye bye Holtz. But Nemec is going nowhere

I'd love to be as confident as you about this but, no sorry, I'm not.

 

[jkrdevil]

Fitz was hired because he was cheap (the pandemic had already struck by that point), and the team got blocked by what may have been their first choice (Chayka).

 

[Whaddagoal]

Miller gets me worried for our own guys when he take that shot, lol. He ain't no Dougie with that accuracy, but he surely has power.

Flashbacks of Subban almost killing the captain always run deep.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Ya I just saw that pop up on my TL too, a lot of smoke to the Devils fire there. Makes me also wonder if Lindy is going heavy on Daws because Markstrom might be in soon

I'm staying up til the end of the Flames game to see what happens.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Fitz was hired because he was cheap (the pandemic had already struck by that point), and the team got blocked by what may have been their first choice (Chayka).

Wasn't the Chayka thing overblown and he wanted to come here and work for something related to the arena and not the Devils specifically?

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm staying up til the end of the Flames game to see what happens.

After the last four games (which should have been four wins based on goalie play) I could care less about a goalie move tbh…this team clearly has other issues too

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

After the last four games I could care less about a goalie move tbh…this team clearly has other issues too

At least this helps my narrative how bad Lindy is lol, I look more sane after my rants

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Wasn't the Chayka thing overblown and he wanted to come here and work for something related to the arena and not the Devils specifically?

He was going to be head of analytics for the entire Harris Blitzer enterprise supposedly: "a role overseeing aspects of other sports teams in the owner's portfolio" so not just the Devils but Sixers and Crystal Palace.

However the Coyotes got majorly pissed once they got more details so it very well could have been a GM interview and job offer.

Why were the Coyotes so angry that GM John Chayka quit?

Chayka's decision to quit the team came as a shock. The team's scorching public statement thereafter was even more surprising.

www.espn.com

 

[DerekDevils30]

Now a global mod on the trade board says the trade is done and will be announced after the game. Guess I’m staying up for a bit lol

 

[Oneiro]

If Jack said that pay to watch me play thing, that’s f***ing embarrassing and he’s going to cringe at it hopefully sooner than later.

 

[Bcap88]

I’m good as a goalie they are 2-1-1

After allowing 2(?) 5 on 5 goals in that span

 

[NJDevs26]

If Jack said that pay to watch me play thing, that’s f***ing embarrassing and he’s going to cringe at it hopefully sooner than later.

I mean it is accurate and I don’t mind him chirping a two bit punk…the embarrassing part is not actually giving a performance worthy enough to pay for before and after making that comment.

 

[Bcap88]

If Jack said that pay to watch me play thing, that’s f***ing embarrassing and he’s going to cringe at it hopefully sooner than later.

I mean worse things are said on the ice

He just got caught by the camera

I mean it is accurate…the embarrassing part is not actually giving a performance worthy enough to pay for before and after making that comment.

Oh cmon lol

He leads the team in every offensive category

This is just non sense

 

[Bleedred]

With Sieges back soon even Nemec is at risk now. I don't know what they will do now.

Sit Smith for Sieges? Sit bahl for Sieges? Sit Bastian for smith and Sieges?

Holtz is at risk at this point... He may lose his spot for smith. Haha arghhhh.

I don’t think it’ll be Nemec.

It’s probably gonna be a throwback to opening night/opening week where Colin Miller sits so Smith can stay in.

But I do think they may recognize they can indeed healthy scratch Smith. He has been healthy scratched this year, just not as frequently as last year.

 

[Billdo]

Thats why they gotta shake it a bit.

PP1 is way too static right now too. Lots of perimeter stuff. They want that perfect play but it wasn't there. Needed to just flip it up front for a chance at a scrum go.

I hate being that guy who yells shoot but you're spot on. Nobody wants to shoot.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I mean, I know every teams fans hates their teams coach and thinks they do all kinds of dumb stuff, but we are justified here, right? Like, we aren't all crazy. How these things can seem so obvious to us casual fans but the coach of the team is either oblivious to them or just negligent is beyond me. Outside of the obvious horrible coaches we have had, I can't remember hating this many different things about a coach before. Like, one or two pet leaves, sure. But hating virtually every decision, every system choice, every player management decision, etc.? I don't remember feeling that way. Not about JL, not about Sutter, not about Deboer.

It's justified. Ruff is a major hindrance on this team.

They have plenty of talent to be at least a wild card

Look, I'm one the most anti-Lindy guys you'll find here...but they changed the structure a week ago and every game since they've looked very solid defensively and given up very very few goals with the exception of Vitek's vomitus performance against Calgary. I don't think you can pin this loss on him. 3rd game in 4, 4th in six. These guys aren't robots and no matter what they're not gonna win every game for the rest of the season.

There's a very real chance they can keep playing well like this the rest of the way and still miss. And that's where the real mediocrity of this coaching staff will be exposed. It's unforgiveable that they waited this long to make such obvious adjustments.

Lindy Ruff is like the Minnesota Wild of coaches. Not bad enough to be considered awful, but mediocre enough to never see any real sustained success or reach the mountaintop.

Not getting at least a point annoys me, but I was ok with getting 4 out of 6 this week when it started, just figured it would be in a different order.

Just need to go and be big boys on Saturday

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don’t think it’ll be Nemec.

It’s probably gonna be a throwback to opening night/opening week where Colin Miller sits so Smith can stay in.

But I do think they may recognize they can indeed healthy scratch Smith. He has been healthy scratched this year, just not as frequently as last year.

Its going to be Miller. It should be Smith but it will be Miller

Smith js playing his offside right now. Siegs slots in, Miller sits, Smith slides over.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

The old man in me was annoyed at Jack's outburst, but he's a kid still in many ways, part of growing up. The competitive fire burning in him is more important than some dumb behavior in one game against a western conference team (in a key stretch but still).

 

[Billdo]

I don’t think it’ll be Nemec.

It’s probably gonna be a throwback to opening night/opening week where Colin Miller sits so Smith can stay in.

But I do think they may recognize they can indeed healthy scratch Smith. He has been healthy scratched this year, just not as frequently as last year.

Holtz will be benched and Smith with be LW4. Book it.

 

[Triumph]

Also Hall got traded didn't he? There's no way ownership would've approved that if they wanted to accelerate the rebuild. Can't remember if that was when Shero was still here or not but either way

It was, Shero made that trade.

Its going to be Miller. It should be Smith but it will be Miller

Smith js playing his offside right now. Siegs slots in, Miller sits, Smith slides over.

Smith is not playing his offside. He can play on the right side, nominally, but he absolutely should not ever be doing that.

 

[Bleedred]

I still think there’s a chance at the wild card. I think third in the division is probably done. Still an outside chance with a regulation win Saturday. And we also gotta watch Pittsburgh, as they have games in hand on us. They’ve been struggling lately too, but are getting their free pass go win over Chicago. I do believe they even lost to Chicago on opening night.

We’re better than Detroit. I wanna see Detroit go down the toilet so all the Yzerman worshippers can be sent down a peg or two.

It’s frustrating because you know there will be more games like this. Especially with Montreal and Washington next week. And the Rangers and Lightning also. We gotta also beat some good teams.