GDT: #13 New Jersey Devils vs. Chicago Blackhawks

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I don't blame people for doubting and criticizing Zajac. He was awful last year. This season he has rebounded, and hopefully he can keep that up, but he certainly deserved to take some heat for last season in my opinion.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Kalinin did not look out of place onthat line tonight.

 

[Bleedred]

I don't blame people for doubting and criticizing Zajac. He was awful last year. This season he has rebounded, and hopefully he can keep that up, but he certainly deserved to take some heat for last season in my opinion.

He did suck last season, no doubt about that.

He's also not gonna be a 65+ point player this year, that must be what he's on pace for. 10 points in 12 games? 68 points he's on pace for, closer to 70 than anything.

So he's not a 65-70 point player, but I don't think he's the sub 30 point player that he was last season. Everyone made out like he was finished because of a bad season (and it was a HORRENDOUS one at that) at the age of 29 years old.

I thought odds were favorable that he'd bounce back, just because of his age. His age, and that it was just one really bad season. Not multiple ones.

If it was a late 30s player like Zubrus or Elias, I understand the skepticism and putting the player out to pasture. I did too with Zubrus before last season.

Elias is probably declining, one bad season but he's 39 years old.

On the other hand though, a 40-ish point pace Elias would still be a nice addition to this team. Assuming he hasn't declined any further, and this injury hasn't cost him body parts.

 

[Uli Hiemer]

Steve Cangialosi ‏@CangyManMSG 9m9 minutes ago
3 things Devils never did last season: beat Rangers, beat Isles, beat Chicago, accomplished in first 13 games this season.

 

[BigBlueAndRed]

Did they salute the crowd?

Yep they did. They did it also for the Islanders game. Don't know if this is a new tradition or if they appreciate the crowd support they've gotten the last two games.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Steve Cangialosi ‏@CangyManMSG 9m9 minutes ago
3 things Devils never did last season: beat Rangers, beat Isles, beat Chicago, accomplished in first 13 games this season.

Early or not but I do think that says A LOT about this year compared to last.

 

[Bleedred]

What's really gonna be brutal is when Zajac goes cold and we start seeing ''Told you guys he sucked, last year he was finished, it was a hot streak, trade him ASAP'' posts regularly.

 

[Oneiro]

Feels good.

It's nice when most/if not all the gears are turning for a team.

 

[JimEIV]

I don't blame people for doubting and criticizing Zajac. He was awful last year. This season he has rebounded, and hopefully he can keep that up, but he certainly deserved to take some heat for last season in my opinion.

Who wasn't awful last year? Steve Bernier? The team leader had 43 points and the second leading goal scorer had 16 goals...

Common sense tells you a defense first center is only going to get a fraction of the points his wingers get, not unlike every single center in the history of the New Jersey Devils not named Muller or Gomez who were far from defense first.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

He did suck last season, no doubt about that.

He's also not gonna be a 65+ point player this year, that must be what he's on pace for. 10 points in 12 games? 68 points he's on pace for, closer to 70 than anything.

So he's not a 65-70 point player, but I don't think he's the sub 30 point player that he was last season. Everyone made out like he was finished because of a bad season (and it was a HORRENDOUS one at that) at the age of 29 years old.

I thought odds were favorable that he'd bounce back, just because of his age. His age, and that it was just one really bad season. Not multiple ones.

If it was a late 30s player like Zubrus or Elias, I understand the skepticism and putting the player out to pasture. I did too with Zubrus before last season.

Elias is probably declining, one bad season but he's 39 years old.

On the other hand though, a 40-ish point pace Elias would still be a nice addition to this team. Assuming he hasn't declined any further, and this injury hasn't cost him body parts.

You're probably right that Zajac isn't as bad as last year would indicate but also not as good as his current pace suggests. People (myself included perhaps) at times might have gotten a little carried away talking about how poorly Zajac played last season, but that really comes from a place of frustration with his game at that point and disillusionment with the team as a whole for being out of the playoffs for multiple years in a row. I guess I just understand where people are coming from with their complaints about Zajac (and I personally expect more from him than I would from a fourth liner, as I indicated in the team thread), so I'm not going to mock those who had concerns or doubts about him, since last season was worrisome and not likely to inspire trust. At the end of the day, though, I obviously hope for the best from Zajac this season.

 

[Bleedred]

Early or not but I do think that says A LOT about this year compared to last.

Credit to Hiney Head.

He has this team more resilient.

They haven't gotten deflated and fell into a binge of awful play and losing streaks after a couple disappointing losses like the CBJ and Islanders one.

Came out ready to play the next game, unlike when some other partial hiney head was around.

 

[Bleedred]

You're probably right that Zajac isn't as bad as last year would indicate but also not as good as his current pace suggests. People (myself included perhaps) at times might have gotten a little carried away talking about how poorly Zajac played last season, but that really comes from a place of frustration with his game at that point and disillusionment with the team as a whole for being out of the playoffs for multiple years in a row. I guess I just understand where people are coming from with their complaints about Zajac (and I personally expect more from him than I would from a fourth liner, as I indicated in the team thread), so I'm not going to mock those who had concerns or doubts about him, since last season was worrisome and not likely to inspire trust. At the end of the day, though, I obviously hope for the best from Zajac this season.

I won't go into names of posters or anything, but I don't remember yourself as being one of the ''Zajac is finished and useless'' people that I saw a lot in the past year.

There's even a few people who've suggested we trade Zajac and not for just a cap dump, but for useful players. If the guy is really finished and useless, why would we get a useful player or picks for him and with the cap and term remaining on his contract?

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Who wasn't awful last year? Steve Bernier? The team leader had 43 points and the second leading goal scorer had 16 goals...

Common sense tells you a defense first center is only going to get a fraction of the points his wingers get, not unlike every single center in the history of the New Jersey Devils not named Muller or Gomez who were far from defense first.

Most players on our team were awful last year. That's why we finished near the league basement. Zajac was among the awful players, and I would hope that a forward we were paying to be a two-way forward would be a two-way guy, being good offensively and defensively. If he's just good defensively, he's a pure defensive center, and in my opinion, not worth his contract. If he continues to play like he has this year, then he'll be playing more along the lines of what I would hope to see from him. That's my perspective. I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense to you, but it makes sense to me.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I won't go into names of posters or anything, but I don't remember yourself as being one of the ''Zajac is finished and useless'' people that I saw a lot in the past year.

There's even a few people who've suggested we trade Zajac and not for just a cap dump, but for useful players. If the guy is really finished and useless, why would we get a useful player or picks for him and with the cap and term remaining on his contract?

No, I don't think I was that extreme. I rarely get that extreme about anything, to be honest. I'm one of those moderation in everything people.

 

[Uli Hiemer]

Devils getting mad props from Weekes and Boucher on NHL network.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Devils getting mad props from Weekes and Boucher on NHL network.

Any specifics? Definitely deserve it. Not easy to beat Chicago.

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

<3

@TGfireandice: Palmieri: "We know we can compete with anybody in the league and we went out there and we wanted to prove something tonight.”

@TGfireandice: Palmieri said said after losing to Hawks with Ducks in Game 7 of WCF last season, he had this game circled on the schedule.

 

[Uli Hiemer]

Any specifics? Definitely deserve it. Not easy to beat Chicago.

Boucher said he loves how hard working they are and it's about time the league starts giving them respect.
He said he thinks teams take them lightly.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Devils getting mad props from Weekes and Boucher on NHL network.

Tell me more. I love when outsiders are forced to comment positively on the Devils.

ETA: Just saw your other post

 

[Devilsgrl35]

<3

@TGfireandice: Palmieri: "We know we can compete with anybody in the league and we went out there and we wanted to prove something tonight.â€

@TGfireandice: Palmieri said said after losing to Hawks with Ducks in Game 7 of WCF last season, he had this game circled on the schedule.

Love it

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

<3

@TGfireandice: Palmieri: "We know we can compete with anybody in the league and we went out there and we wanted to prove something tonight.â€

@TGfireandice: Palmieri said said after losing to Hawks with Ducks in Game 7 of WCF last season, he had this game circled on the schedule.

Great. Love the vibe from the team this year.

 

[tr83]

Any specifics? Definitely deserve it. Not easy to beat Chicago.

Trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap,

 

[Devils Dominion]

Yep they did. They did it also for the Islanders game. Don't know if this is a new tradition or if they appreciate the crowd support they've gotten the last two games.

Great!

It was spontaneous by Camm vs NYb.

Too bad msg doesn't show it.

 

[Bleedred]

Weekes and Boucher I'm sure also know that if you have Cory Schneider on your team, you're gonna win most of the games that you score more than 2 goals in.

Even Valiquette has given him a lot of praise, despite thinking we'd be better off trading him for Pavelsuck.

Even a lot of the mainboard fans have started to recognize him, I believe he was ranked 5th on the recent offseason goalie ranking polls, which is probably the lowest he should be.

But he'll probably need to crank out 40 wins and a conference finals/SCF appearance to be jocked by everyone.

Like a guy like Ben Bishop constantly is. A good goaltender, though not elite at all. But is considered elite because he's a goaltender on an elite team. An elite team that averaged close to 3 goals per game last year.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Boucher said he loves how hard working they are and it's about time the league starts giving them respect.
He said he thinks teams take them lightly.

Good. He is right. This isn't Pete's Devils anymore. No easy wins to be found here.