GDT: Buffalo Sabres (5-8-2) vs. Your New Jersey Devils (6-5-2), 7 PM, MSG+

[jkrdevil]

Tough loss in a tough building

 

[Oneiro]

Anyone think this was our worst game this season ? Somehow we outshot Buffalo too. The coaching staff and the players were awful tonight. Blackwood probably should of had the 3rd goal but he has literally been our best player almost every game he has played. He literally has stole us wins against Boston but when we play teams like Buffalo and pull shit like this its so frustrating.

I'm with you. I don't care what the shots for/against look like, something was very off about this whole performance. This is a game where it seems like Krueger made adjustments to keep us to the outside and the decision making with the puck was weak.

Fatigue already? Feels like a lame excuse.

 

[JimEIV]

Zacha has a point in 9 of the last 10 games, is tied for second on the team in scoring, and is only two points behind Hughes.

Doesn't matter..."underwhelming" is the verdict. We heard it here already.


Once Nico gets two weeks to warm up after a long layoff he is going to show you the true value of .65 ppg.

 

[JimEIV]

Just a real bad mood today.

 

[glenwo2]

Zacha has a point in 9 of the last 10 games, is tied for second on the team in scoring, and is only two points behind Hughes.

Doesn't matter..."underwhelming" is the verdict. We hear it here already.


Once Nico gets two weeks to warm up after a long layoff he is going to show you the true value of .65 ppg.

So I'm guessing we're aiming for Moral victories now.

Might as well.

Especially when this team can't do anything right aside from play like they resemble an NHL team 5v5 and a beer-league Team on the PK/PP.

 

[JimEIV]

So I'm guessing we're aiming for Moral victories now.

Might as well.

Especially when this team can't do anything right aside from play like they resemble an NHL team 5v5 and a beer-league Team on the PK/PP.

Development year.

 

[glenwo2]

Development year.

Ah I see.

You're now throwing that back at my face.

I suppose that's fair.

 

[glenwo2]

I would like one full game where the Devils have some semblance of COHESION.....

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Zacha has about the same PPG as the Tkachuks. I’m sure he’s making the same impact on games as those guys, that’s how it works.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

I'm with you. I don't care what the shots for/against look like, something was very off about this whole performance. This is a game where it seems like Krueger made adjustments to keep us to the outside and the decision making with the puck was weak.

Fatigue already? Feels like a lame excuse.

There was a point in the 2nd period where we were literally giving this Sabres a good scoring chance every time they crossed our blue line to enter our zone. It was helter skelter like a coaches nightmare how bad we were defending. Blackwood made lowkey big saves and the sabres hit posts or shot wide. It didnt stop even after the TV timeouts.

 

[jkrdevil]

Zacha finished last on the team tonight in on-ice CF%. Granted some guys got empty calorie numbers in the third to drop Zacha down, but that he also didn’t get those empty calorie numbers is telling.

glad he is getting points, but it isn’t sustainable. If the season goes the way it is looking over the next week he is probably a guy you pump and dump as best as possible.

 

[Goodforyoursoul]

I was wondering if we inserted too many guys into the line up after the covid break.
I know they’re vets but zajac /nico /vats all at once may be too much?

 

[JimEIV]

Zacha has about the same PPG as the Tkachuks. I’m sure he’s making the same impact on games as those guys, that’s how it works.

He's had little impact...how much impact has Nico had with zero points this season? Or Bratt with zero goal this season or McLeod with zero points in 10 of his 13 games?

 

[jkrdevil]

Per Natural Star trick here are the team numbers tonight 5v5 if you adjust for score/venue. It wasn’t a good performance

 

[Triumph]

Zacha finished last on the team tonight in on-ice CF%. Granted some guys got empty calorie numbers in the third to drop Zacha down, but that he also didn’t get those empty calorie numbers is telling.

glad he is getting points, but it isn’t sustainable. If the season goes the way it is looking over the next week he is probably a guy you pump and dump as best as possible.

He was seeing long stretches of bench in the 4th when Ruff was mostly riding the 1st and 4th lines, who were getting pressure and shots.

 

[jkrdevil]

He was seeing long stretches of bench in the 4th when Ruff was mostly riding the 1st and 4th lines, who were getting pressure and shots.

Yes. But it is also telling that down three goals and needing offense the coach isn’t putting him out there.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Guys I'm totally sure that THIS is the year Zacha turns it around. Those other +270 games were bullshit, these 14 are the ones that REALLY show how good he is. He will definitely keep shooting at twice what he's been shooting at his whole career, and as long as he continues to get points on ENGs and in garbage time he'll easily prove he's a top-6 forward.

 

[My3Sons]

On what planet isn’t it good that Zacha generates offense? He’s been struggling to create offense and if he can become a semi reliable source of offense that is a success. This season is about young players moving forward and Zacha is part of that. Sometimes folks get too personal about how the team has to succeed on specific terms.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

He's had little impact...how much impact has Nico had with zero points this season? Or Bratt with zero goal this season or McLeod with zero points in 10 of his 13 games?

Nico has stunk and McLeod stinks offensively. And?

 

[Emperoreddy]

On what planet isn’t it good that Zacha generates offense? He’s been struggling to create offense and if he can become a semi reliable source of offense that is a success. This season is about young players moving forward and Zacha is part of that. Sometimes folks get too personal about how the team has to succeed on specific terms.

The one where tribalism for and against certain players on the same team happens.

 

[Edmonton East]

From 10 minutes into 1st period onward, it was obvious Buffalo planned to stretch pass all game as a focal point of their strategy. And it remained available all game.

Also, if after 20 games the special teams remain laughably bad, an assistant needs to be fired. Not an exaggeration. If you can't get an NHL PK around 75% in 20 games, you suck at your job. I don't care what your personnel is.

Fun fact: During Ruff's tenure as Dallas' coach (4 years), the team had the 3rd worst PK in the entire league. Rangers' PK also sucked while he was there, yet they are currently top 5 (small sample size).

Ironically,1-2 decades ago Ruff's teams were consistently great on the PK. So this reeks of a guy not adapting to the times and changes in how the game is played.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

How 'bout the character assassination of a guy who really isn't the problem right now?

My statement applies both ways unless you read it with intent one way or the other - for or against. I guess I should have said MSNBC and FOX so each side felt represented equally.

 

[Jets012]

Zacha has about the same PPG as the Tkachuks. I’m sure he’s making the same impact on games as those guys, that’s how it works.

That's a scary stat to think about lol

 

[NJ DevLolz]

From 10 minutes into 1st period onward, it was obvious Buffalo planned to stretch pass all game as a focal point of their strategy. And it remained available all game.

Also, if after 20 games the special teams remain laughably bad, an assistant needs to be fired. Not an exaggeration. If you can't get an NHL PK around 75% in 20 games, you suck at your job. I don't care what your personnel is.

Fun fact: During Ruff's tenure as Dallas' coach (4 years), the team had the 3rd worst PK in the entire league. Rangers' PK also sucked while he was there, yet they are currently top 5 (small sample size).

Ironically,1-2 decades ago Ruff's teams were consistently great on the PK. So this reeks of a guy not adapting to the times and changes in how the game is played.

He isn’t in charge of the pk

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

Still at zero goals right? But hey that CORSI looks good

Was it his fault Nico couldn’t bury a gorgeous set up?