Post-Game Talk: Devils beat Penguins 4-2

[TheUnseenHand]

That was exactly the way we need to play, especially without Jack. It was sloppy at times and really scrambly when pit turned up the pressure/was gifted PPs, but the team just kept pushing and putting pucks on net. We will have to overwhelm with quantity. Just keep pushing and throwing pucks on net.

The passes, for the most part, were way more crisp and so many less bobbles. They were much more decisive too. With passes and with play in general. Bernier with huge saves at the right times. Aggressive PK was a breath of fresh air. Just a really great win.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Dougie has already mentioned during one of his interviews the Pru Center ice hasn't been great.

That’s fine, but both teams are playing on the same ice. Not an excuse for a bad home record. The team has just played very poorly on home ice.

If anything, bad ice would be even more of a disadvantage to the road team who isn’t used to it.

 

[Call Me Al]

Dougie has already mentioned during one of his interviews the Pru Center ice hasn't been great.

it was like 75 degrees opening night so that was to be expected but it shouldn’t be that bad all season

 

[Whaddagoal]

Wanted to mention one more thing. Gauthier had a reasonable game yesterday. He had some noticeably solid boardwork specifically on a few shifts

I know he's our extra forward in general, and that he's like our new Jacob Josefson, (no event hockey), but if he plays like that while he is in the lineup, we will be OK until Hughes and Wood (if Woody ever comes back).......

 

[glenwo2]

More often than not fan bases dread having their teams go on the road.



Then it dawned on me, the Devils are mysteriously terrible at home!? I have a theory it’s due to poor ice quality.

Disagree.

The Pens ICE was s--t and they did fine.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

I haven't watched every game, haven't looked at the metrics or anything, but I swear, from what I have seen, graves has been fantastic. Not at all out of place at the top of the pairings

Top pairing is another one of those things that's way overplayed on these threads.

If you look at Tampa as an example, Hedman, McDonagh and Sergachev are their top defensemen. They rarely play together.

Because one of Rutta or Cernak generally play with Hedman would you call them "top pair "?

 

[glenwo2]

That was exactly the way we need to play, especially without Jack. It was sloppy at times and really scrambly when pit turned up the pressure/was gifted PPs, but the team just kept pushing and putting pucks on net. We will have to overwhelm with quantity. Just keep pushing and throwing pucks on net.

The passes, for the most part, were way more crisp and so many less bobbles. They were much more decisive too. With passes and with play in general. Bernier with huge saves at the right times. Aggressive PK was a breath of fresh air. Just a really great win.

Agreed.

I want to see more of this this afternoon!! Do NOT pull a stinker, Devils!

Oh btw, what was your opinion overall of Bratt's play last night?

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Graves and Severson with over 5 minutes shorthanded each, big reason the PK was 5/5

I still can't believe we got Graves for a 2nd round pick and Maltsev. I hadn't watched much of him on the Avs but did he really elevate his play here, perhaps being traded lit a fire under him?

It was a good year for the Kracken to come in to the league from the Devils perspective.

 

[devilsblood]

Top pairing is another one of those things that's way overplayed on these threads.

If you look at Tampa as an example, Hedman, McDonagh and Sergachev are their top defensemen. They rarely play together.

Because one of Rutta or Cernak generally play with Hedman would you call them "top pair "?

Top pair's will often be a true top pair d-man, and then a defensive oriented guy who might be better considered a middle pairing guy.

Hedman, and whoever he is playing with is the top pair for Tampa.

And that is what Hamilton brought to NJ. He's our TOI leader(Graves is 2nd), and he and Graves are our top 2 5v5 toi guys.

 

[BurntToast]

That’s fine, but both teams are playing on the same ice. Not an excuse for a bad home record. The team has just played very poorly on home ice.

If anything, bad ice would be even more of a disadvantage to the road team who isn’t used to it.

True, but when your team relies on speed and stretch passes, it reasonable to think it could effect them more than a plodding team..

The biggest issues through the home stand was players falling with little explanation, and players fumbling passes (or as Sal calls it “execution”).

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Agreed.

I want to see more of this this afternoon!! Do NOT pull a stinker, Devils!

Oh btw, what was your opinion overall of Bratt's play last night?

I feel like he's pressing and feeling a lot of pressure. He's been ok. Some nights he's not getting help from his teammates, some nights his teammates aren't helping him. On the whole I think he's been in lockstep with the team to this point. Strongly mediocre.

 

[OmNomNom]

I feel like he's pressing and feeling a lot of pressure. He's been ok. Some nights he's not getting help from his teammates, some nights his teammates aren't helping him. On the whole I think he's been in lockstep with the team to this point. Strongly mediocre.

4-2 is strongly mediocre? Can't wait till we're above average

 

[glenwo2]

I feel like he's pressing and feeling a lot of pressure. He's been ok. Some nights he's not getting help from his teammates, some nights his teammates aren't helping him. On the whole I think he's been in lockstep with the team to this point. Strongly mediocre.

That's fair.

@OmNomNom I think what he's saying is that he's STRONG but still in the mediocre stage.

Whereas before, he was Weakly-Mediocre.

Baby Steps, I guess.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

4-2 is strongly mediocre? Can't wait till we're above average

"On the whole". That is to say concerning all games played to this point this year. Last night was by far our best game of the year and it's really not close. If we are talking strictly about last night, most of the team was good.

I may have glanced over that question a little quickly and missed that glen specifically asked about last night. Bratt was good overall last night, as was most of the team.

 

[glenwo2]

"On the whole". That is to say concerning all games played to this point this year. Last night was by far our best game of the year and it's really not close. If we are talking strictly about last night, most of the team was good.

I may have glanced over that question a little quickly and missed that glen specifically asked about last night. Bratt was good overall last night, as was most of the team.

Oh. Yeah I was asking about last night specifically.

I know Bratt sucked dong in the previous game (at least in the 1st two periods) and had been just...there in the other games (though he did have 2 assists taken away during that stretch).

 

[billingtons ghost]

Coming off of injury are we really gonna play him a back-to-back?

I thought the same thing