Devils 2019-20 team discussion (news and notes) - Season begins!

[The Devil In I]

I'm pretty sure that's roughly the lines we'll see whenever we play a team with a stacked top line. Wants Coleman with Zajac to have a better line to match up against the top line. Wood on that line is just f***ing stupid though.

 

[BahlDeep]

Severson - Subban..... lolll

Against the Bruins....


f*** this idiot

 

[NJDevs26]

Besides coleman and cory, everyone else has started off poorly... esp hamburgler 2.0

I don't know why you keep calling him that other than just to annoy people or holding a grudge for the kid playing circles around Kinkaid, it's been explained to you before but there's a bit of a difference between a late 20's career minor leaguer who was never a prospect and an early 20's high draft pick who is a prospect. Especially since 'three' starts doesn't make the kid a one-hit wonder.

Maybe Blackwood busts but even if he does the two still aren't remotely comparable. It's like comparing Nicklas Bergfors with Stephen Gionta.

 

[mtnet]

Even as an experiment it looks goofy having Rooney centering Bratt and Gusev. Wood promoted, get real.

Let's hope Hynes regains his senses before the game. Maybe he wants to be let go.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Wow, every time I read “Hamburglar 2.0” I thought he was talking about the other teams goalie so I didn’t bother to read the post. Thats a load of bull and straight up trolling to bother people.

 

[Auto Pilot]

Even as an experiment it looks goofy having Rooney centering Bratt and Gusev. Wood promoted, get real.

Let's hope Hynes regains his senses before the game. Maybe he wants to be let go.

I can’t wait for him to go. It’s just painful to watch this team under his garbage coaching.
I’ll never get what some in this fanbase saw in him that they feel the need to defend every piece of crap move he’s made and will continue to make behind the bench.

 

[The Devil In I]

I don't like the lines but the defense being weak combined with being forced to shelter 2 forwards that are very weak defensively (Hughes and Gusev), you're gonna end up with some odd looking lines. A weak defense sort of necessitates having a strong checking line that you match up against teams with a stacked top line (so Zajac-Coleman has to be a pairing). No one really liked how Gusev's defensive play dragged down the top line when that was tried out, and I don't think anyone would consider putting him with Zajac-Coleman on defensive matchups...and he certainly ain't gonna be paired with Hughes again anytime soon. So there ya have him, 4th line.

I think the only change that could make this look better is swapping Wood out for Boqvist and put Bratt on the Zajac line (or maybe the top line).

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri/Bratt
Coleman-Zajac-Bratt/Palmieri
Zacha-Hughes-Simmonds
Gusev-Rooney-Boqvist

 

[Auto Pilot]

Rooney has no business on this team. Non.

 

[DEVILS130]

Bratt on the 4th line is absurd

 

[Jersey Fresh]

The Rooney thing needs to die.

 

[Blender]

Look how much better our PK has been with Rooney in the lineup though.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I don't like the lines but the defense being weak combined with being forced to shelter 2 forwards that are very weak defensively (Hughes and Gusev), you're gonna end up with some odd looking lines. A weak defense sort of necessitates having a strong checking line that you match up against teams with a stacked top line (so Zajac-Coleman has to be a pairing). No one really liked how Gusev's defensive play dragged down the top line when that was tried out, and I don't think anyone would consider putting him with Zajac-Coleman on defensive matchups...and he certainly ain't gonna be paired with Hughes again anytime soon. So there ya have him, 4th line.

I think the only change that could make this look better is swapping Wood out for Boqvist and put Bratt on the Zajac line (or maybe the top line).

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri/Bratt
Coleman-Zajac-Bratt/Palmieri
Zacha-Hughes-Simmonds
Gusev-Rooney-Boqvist

This entire post is a perfect illustration of how poorly constructed this lineup may prove to be. The pieces are not fitting.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Why is Boqvist here? Can we just send him back to Sweden already?

 

[Auto Pilot]

Why is Boqvist here? Can we just send him back to Sweden already?

when’s he gonna find his way in another game? After they end the losing streak? Or when this 4 game losing streak extends into a longer one? If he can’t find his way into the line up now during a 4 game losing streak, when will he?

 

[captainscott]

calm down on the boqvist talk,, switching out a fourth line center isn't an issue... guys need to score and goalies need to stop pucks...

 

[captainscott]

4 games in and here is my opinion:

Nico has looked pretty good in each game. He is going to the dirty areas but his wingers (hall and gusev) don’t join him, they just stand around and watch.

Travis has looked decent in each game

Vatanen has looked decent defensively in each game. He has made some careless stretch passes up the middle but that can be fixed.

Coleman was great the first 2 games and invisible the next 2

I like having Simmonds on the team which ironically was my least favorite move this summer

Blackwood having low confidence does not mean he is a bad goalie

Players who need to step up
Hall - he had a good game against edm
Gusev - he needs to backcheck and skate harder. Consistently giving up on too many plays - looks like a floater
Butcher - looks nervous
P.K. - step up and be a leader on the defense. I don’t want to see him play down to severson/butcher/vatanen level. We all know he is better.

Jesper Bratt - for whatever reason he seems to be in hynes dog house. He looks like one our best and most complete players and he should be getting more ice time, going in the shootout, and seeing the ice on 5 on 3s

I would not mind scratching gusev in favor of Boqvist at this point. Also don’t scratch zacha for freaking Rooney unless we are actively trying to lose.

seems fairly spot on

 

[Edmonton East]

Give me Hughes - Zacha - Bratt. C'mon.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't think Boqvist playing would make much difference to the team right now. Just don't know what value there is in him not playing. Hopefully he is learning how not to play at least.

 

[Triumph]

Why is Boqvist here? Can we just send him back to Sweden already?

He is going to play a lot of games this year if he stays healthy. The Devils have been very lucky to escape injury to their forwards for the first 4 games. He absolutely should not be sent back to Sweden.

 

[The Devil In I]

I don't think Boqvist playing would make much difference to the team right now. Just don't know what value there is in him not playing. Hopefully he is learning how not to play at least.

Yep roster decisions, specifically on the level of like...McLeod vs Rooney or Boqvist vs Wood, are far from a pressing issue when our biggest issues are a shit defensive system and an 0-for-the-season powerplay.

I think they need to swap up the PP1 set up a bit. While fully understanding that "all skill" isn't the way to go for a PP set up, I think Zajac, Simmonds, and Palmieri on PP1 is a little too much grinding/shooting and not enough finesse. Maybe swap one of them out for Bratt/Gusev.

 

[JK3]

Isn't this the same lineup as the other nigh which was their best game so far? The one where the Goose Rooney Bratt line actually scored.

Goose definitely should play down in the lineup to get his feet wet a bit more, yeah he's scored but he looks really bad on the other side of the puck. Bratt unfortunately is a casualty of these wacky lines.

 

[theoptimist]

I'm not going to bash Wood, but he sucks.

 

[longislanddevil]

Gusev should be nowhere near a line that is going to face top competition. He has done some good things in the offensive zone but has dragged down every line he’s been on including a line with Hall and Nico. He needs some time to figure it out.

Fair take...respect your opinion. I do think there’s enough defensive acumen there with Zajac/Coleman to mask Gusev’s defensive deficiencies but understand where you’re coming from. Bratt though? I don’t think he AND Gusev should be relegated to bottom line minutes with Rooney in favor of Wood.

 

[Camille the Eel]

If the matchup is as predicted above, Wood will be on Marchand, Coleman on Pasternak, Zajac on Bergeron. Might work. At least no huge speed default. Unlike with McDavid, Travis can keep up with Bergeron.

We matched up pretty well with the Bruins last year.

 

[Auto Pilot]

Isn't this the same lineup as the other nigh which was their best game so far? The one where the Goose Rooney Bratt line actually scored.

Goose definitely should play down in the lineup to get his feet wet a bit more, yeah he's scored but he looks really bad on the other side of the puck. Bratt unfortunately is a casualty of these wacky lines.

we still lost the game. Going back to the same lines in game we lost is foolish. Just like the changing up lines that had us up 4-1 was foolish