GDT: Your New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders, 7 PM, MSGSN/MSGSN2

[devilsblood]

Great comeback win, hopefully it's the turning point of the season!!

I feel like the dominance of the Buffalo game was really the turning point.

Last night was more a continuance of that.

 

[DevilsHughes86]

I feel like the dominance of the Buffalo game was really the turning point.

Last night was more a continuance of that.

Well see, I really like the fight shown by the group last night after being down 4-2. Regardless, let's keep this shit rolling !!!!!!!

 

[Nocashstyle]

I don't know if I've ever identified more with a fellow Devils fan than I have with this girl in the front row after the Isles made it 4-2. I made the exact same face.
View attachment 775023

That’s so perfect. The quick glance over and then the disgusted stare forward

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

Just got home, what a fun f***ing night this turned out to be. Lazar Bazaar in full effect. How Lazar, How Lazar.

Someone take 'How Lazar' as a username before I am tempted to

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Fitz is one of the best GM's in the league and criticizing him constantly on the goaltending based off of this off-season is simply not understanding the goaltending market and what was available this summer.

Ok so why are you constantly bashing Vitek? We all know he sucks, it's getting old. Maybe start blaming Ruff for constantly playing him (although I'm not confident he's the solution, but we'll never know unless he's actually given a chance).

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I agree to a point but why are other teams able to survive mistakes without their nets being filled?

devils scored 5 on Sorokin. He clearly sucks.

 

[MasterofGrond]

devils scored 5 on Sorokin. He clearly sucks.

sorokin, after getting smoked last night, has a .913 sv%, the lowest of his career (and better than vanecek has ever had)

vanecek is at .879

so what exactly are you doing here

 

[Whaddagoal]

Someone take 'How Lazar' as a username before I am tempted to

Should I take up WhaddaLAZAR?

The only thing is if I make it drastically different all you guys will forget me...

"Who is this Lazar Bazar clown...?"

 

[MasterofGrond]

the big takeaway for me from last night, aside from PLAY SCHMID, is that the never say die attitude that I thought was one of the most important aspects of the team last year is still alive and well. Even undermanned on offense this team can score with anybody and when they get it going are suffocating up and down the ice

just wish ruff could get them up for a game before they're down 2 f***ing goals

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

so I'm not a Vitek fanboy. I agree looking at this season, he is the sum of all his parts. And I do think we need better goaltending.

But how many of the 4 can we fault him on? Just in last night's game.

1) A powerplay goal,
2) a breakaway goal,
3) a fluke backhand by a diving Clutterbuck in front
4) a bang-bang pass where the puck was already deflected back by the time he was moving

I guess the Barzal breakaway?

 

[HersheyBob27]

HughesHughes

Great games by jack wow. Holtz gamescore matches up with the eye test- mediocre at best. Still looks lost in his own end. Just stands in a spot like he still doesn’t understand what we are doing

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

So, I don't want to jinx it, but if Dougie is out...

Is it time...?

View attachment 774827

Ruff will probably just put Smith back on D.

 

[My3Sons]

so I'm not a Vitek fanboy. I agree looking at this season, he is the sum of all his parts. And I do think we need better goaltending.

But how many of the 4 can we fault him on? Just in last night's game.

1) A powerplay goal,
2) a breakaway goal,
3) a fluke backhand by a diving Clutterbuck in front
4) a bang-bang pass where the puck was already deflected back by the time he was moving

I guess the Barzal breakaway?

That's how I view it as well. The goals were all tough spots for any goalie. You'd hope for a big save somewhere in there but realistically there were some ugly mistakes by NJ. The goal where the Isles just kept going hard around against the boards before getting the shot was disappointing. The Devils, to my eyes, are way too passive and routinely allow opponents too much time and space on those hard around plays. I still think, like others hav mentioned, that the defense requires so many reads that it slows the players down. Basically, teams try two main things on offense, getting to the middle by carrying the puck or passing, or moving it around the perimeter to allow screens and cutting players to be in front. It shouldn't be that hard to cover the primary areas where plays go but it seems difficult for them. It's frustrating to watch and is too predictable.

 

[The Devil In I]

so I'm not a Vitek fanboy. I agree looking at this season, he is the sum of all his parts. And I do think we need better goaltending.

But how many of the 4 can we fault him on? Just in last night's game.

1) A powerplay goal,
2) a breakaway goal,
3) a fluke backhand by a diving Clutterbuck in front
4) a bang-bang pass where the puck was already deflected back by the time he was moving

I guess the Barzal breakaway?

It's not so much about the individual chances, it just gets to the point of...come on make a f***ing save. Teams are going to give up chances here and there, and you like to think that it's not an automatic goal whenever you do.

I think #3 likely was the worst, in that if he's covering the bottom of the net more it doesn't go in. But yes still a flukey/tricky play for a goalie. Or coming up big on the Barzal breakaway. Just something to gain a little confidence.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I don't think I have ever seen a player take such a big leap as Alex Holtz has in one offseason. Not only is he playing the best hockey of his career, but he has COMPLETELY changed his playstyle from the way he played the year before. His weaknesses have become strengths, he is becoming more involved all over the ice, just everything about his play has been unbelievable. The play where he hustled to pin a player on the boards which immediately led to Jack drawing the 5 on 3 penalty was perfection. And with all of these improvements, I would argue he isn't even fully utilizing his biggest strength, his shot, yet. He's getting a ton of chances but being stonewalled a lot. Once he gets into a groove, good things are going to happen. He has so much swag right now.

I'd like to believe Toffoli has helped him a lot. They are the same type of players.

I don't think anyone is going to point to tonight as a well-played game by the Devils. I'm not seeing anyone say that but I don't read back through the thread. They played kinda shitty and got out with a win. But those are the kind of breaks they haven't been getting lately.

Plenty of posts saying the devils played well this game but losing the game cuz of goaltending. At this point though, it's probably just emotion driven posts but it's really getting old.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

People can blame defense, but our defense isnt worser than SJ defense

I'm 100% confident that it's not the players, but the system.

 

[Devs3cups]

Ok so why are you constantly bashing Vitek? We all know he sucks, it's getting old. Maybe start blaming Ruff for constantly playing him (although I'm not confident he's the solution, but we'll never know unless he's actually given a chance).

I mean, I’m criticizing him because he’s playing under par right now. He’s been an average goalie all his career, but he’s not an average goaltender right now. I’ve said Schmid should get more rope and I expect him to.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Too many confused plays in our own end with us flubbing pucks and not clearing the zone, with turnovers and passes not being cleanly made and sometimes guys nearly running into each other.

Exactly. I just see so many inconsistencies in the defensive zone and just lack of any kind of structure. I refuse to believe NHL d-men can look so clueless...simplify the system or just use a different system ffs.

Hughes brought up in his on-ice interview that the team let Vitek down. That was unprompted so it makes me think that Vitek hasn't lost the room, i.e. he's not a lost cause mentally in NJ. People being done with him on here doesn't matter as long as he avoids the internet.

Now this, I can't agree with. It's like the team telling Vitek, don't worry we'll just play perfect so you don't have to actually do anything lol. Hopefully it was just typical interview talk and not what they actually think, that would be very concerning.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

So I was at the game, and caught some highlights after. Vitek did make some good saves too. I think its easy to forget when the goals go in.

I do agree - at some point.... the summary of his season is that he's giving up goals. I just don't know that I blame him for last night.

I'm not fully in faith with Akira. But I agree he hasn't been given as long of a leash, and should be given some more starts.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Some more fun with gifs, no idea why they're coming out so grainy though. Have to try again later maybe. Making it look like VCR footage.

lol at the lazar goal and how his celebration changed.

 

[Bleedred]

sorokin, after getting smoked last night, has a .913 sv%, the lowest of his career (and better than vanecek has ever had)

vanecek is at .879

so what exactly are you doing here

Making excuses for the goalies like always.

Which is why that poster has me shut off lol.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Sorokin was not very good last night but this is willful misunderstanding of why Vanacek gets criticized, which is that the latter never makes the save on a high danger chance, as opposed to sometimes with Sorokin.

Most aren't excusing the defensive woes or denying that the majority of goalies in the league aren't especially good and it's a bit of a crap shoot. All they're saying is that a goalie who can give them a chance at a league average makes it much easier to stay in games.

No, some posters have gone so far to think that any other goalie would magically fix this team. Literally no one that is on the "vitek sucks" train has mentioned defense being an issue. It's always just vitek sucks, every time.

I still think this system they're using f***ing sucks, but if they refuse to change it, they're going to need a shesterkin / sorokin level of goalie. None of the ones that might be available will change anything. It may reduce overall goals by 1 or 2, but the core issue is still there.

TLDR, yes vitek is crap, but paying out assets to get a marginally better goalie isn't really a good solution. Best thing to do imo, is play Schmid as #1 to see if he can handle it, and simplify the system to better shelter the goalie. I still don't understand why they use a system that requires a good goalie when they don't have one...

 

[Bleedred]

So I was at the game, and caught some highlights after. Vitek did make some good saves too. I think its easy to forget when the goals go in.

I do agree - at some point.... the summary of his season is that he's giving up goals. I just don't know that I blame him for last night.

I'm not fully in faith with Akira. But I agree he hasn't been given as long of a leash, and should be given some more starts.

I think he looked shaky all night before he was pulled.

He was on his belly and crawling around a lot. Not the sign of a confident goalie at all.

I commented on this when it was still 1-1 in the 2nd period. He was making almost every save he made look more difficult than it should have, which is why I think it appeared that he was making good saves.

He’s so bad right now I bet he gets scored on a lot in practice and pre game warmups.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

This is true, but Sorokin is also considered one of the best goalies in the league.

Even the best goalies are going to struggle when facing a heavy dose of 2 on 1's and cross ice one timers. (Which aren't properly represented in the publicly available advanced stats).

When that happens to a guy like Vitek, he's going to get crushed.

Exactly.

 

[Guttersniped]

Man, apologies if it got shared already, but Lazar is such a f***ing beauty. I love that guy. Him and Smith are our Jims from Shoresy.

I remember early on Lazar was just gushing about how much he enjoys being a grinder and someone (reporter?) saying he didn’t know anyone loves doing that lol. I wish I could remember when that was.

The NHL minimum is 775k and you can bury 1.125m in the AHL, 1m is nothing. People who bitch about 4th liners are always hilarious to me.