Post-Game Talk: Devils beat Sabres 4-3 in OT! The Zacha Edition

[My3Sons]

He has been great since game 1 but he has been better since being paired with Severson.

He is also logging more minutes.

He isn’t being sheltered and is playing at least well enough defensively that it doesn’t detract from his offensive impact. That’s a fantastic start for him. It’s noticeable how different the game is most of the time when Smith and Sevs are on the ice.

 

[Hisch13r]

Or you try to trade Gusev now since he doesn’t seem to have a future with NJ.

I doubt you'll get much back now. You're better off trying to get him producing again and then moving him. I don't think guys like Sharangovich, Merkley, Maltsev have done enough to justify moving Gusev now for scraps and replacing him

 

[NJDevs26]

Or you try to trade Gusev now since he doesn’t seem to have a future with NJ.

For what, a third rounder? Maybe a conditional two? Might as well just eat it and keep the depth for this hellish schedule.

 

[Devil X]

This team is in a different place with a even slightly better PK.

We dont lose some of these games. We are playing very well 5v5 but if we cant figure out the PK then it doesnt matter if we are the best team in the history of the NHL 5v5.

After our good start and seeing how hard this team battles I almost forgot what we are supposed to be. Im very happy to see growth from our young players night in and night out. Wins are great the more the better but even with losses watching these guys play and thinking about a year or two down the road is awesome.

While I understand some posters issues with Zacha and want to compare this to other times we have seen "flashes" this isnt anything like that. His consistency has been there all season. Hes rounding out his game it would appear. He has an 8 game point streak that started BEFORE Nico came back. Hes played with all different players. Im very happy for Pavel and his growth.

Getting to tone in and see Hughes, Smith, Severson, Blackwood, Nico, Zacha, Bratt, and then a fun rotation of hard working rookies and fringe players working their tails off will make this season fun.

The future is finally looking bright.

 

[Billdo]

Imagine if they were even league average on the PK...

 

[Devils731]

Imagine if they were even league average on the PK...

Vice Versa, imagine if even strength goaltending had only been really good instead of otherworldly.

 

[NJDevs26]

Vice Versa, imagine if even strength goaltending had only been really good instead of otherworldly.

Hello beginning of 2019 again.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I never even said he struggled. I said before that he was fine. That's not even what I was talking about there. The point was that them having like a 6-0 goal differential was due to a lot of luck

This guy did. And you quoted me, so....

Smith was struggling beginning of the year with Tennyson, looks completely different with Severson.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Palms has 6 pts in his last 6 games and hit 2 posts today. He's been good

He's been fine production-wise, but he just has 0 chemistry with Hughes tbh.

 

[Devils731]

He's been fine production-wise, but he just has 0 chemistry with Hughes tbh.

Today, they both had good looks at the other player hitting the offensive blue line with speed a few times. The better Palmieri post was off one of those plays, I believe.

I don’t think they’re perfectly complimentary but they fit “ok” together, I think. It’ll probably improve some as they play more together.

 

[Blackjack]

Hello beginning of 2019 again.

Yeah, we'd be staring into the abyss.

 

[Hisch13r]

This guy did. And you quoted me, so....

I quoted you saying "Numbers wise they got caved because Tennyson. I wouldn’t say he looked “amazing” though. I thought Smith looked fine to start the year. Outside of the first Philly game where he was downright awful. He and Severson dominate every game now". I said "fine" not "struggled"

He's been fine production-wise, but he just has 0 chemistry with Hughes tbh.

Jack was better with Bratt than Palms but the Nico line isn't getting broken up. Hughes-Palms have also been better with Johnsson as the 3rd piece as opposed to Sharangovich. Outside of swapping Goose and Palms which I don't see happening there's really no other option than keeping Hughes and Palms together

 

[Tretyak 20]

That seems to be Kuokkanen's dilemma (or Ruff's, rather).... I like them both, but hard to say which would should be solidly in the lineup each game.

I know its probably anathema at moment, but the only guy that probably would be realistic option to take out would be Bastian, but no one wants to break up that line as its "doing its thing..".

But if you have to pick another player to keep both Sharangovich and Kuokkanen, it probably would be Bastian in my eyes...

Until any drastic problems, its hard to field any breakup of that 4th line in reality.

Bastian is becoming for the '21 Devils what Peluso was for the '95 Devils. Not very skilled, but it's got to be hell trying to battle him down low for three periods.

 

[Devil X]

He's been fine production-wise, but he just has 0 chemistry with Hughes tbh.

I feel like that is changing. I felt they had a pretty good game tonight. Sometimes its just about playing more and more the player if its not natural.

I think they are coming around together.

 

[glenwo2]

The soft clear attempts are something that needs to be cleaned up. Especially with them struggling. Lead to prolonged zone time and the eventual goal.

Someone mentioned Bratt's poor clear attempt (I think it was you) and this goes back to my befuddlement as to why Bratt is on the PK and not the PP?

 

[Emperoreddy]

*sweatingdog.gif*

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

I’ve always been pretty hard on Zacha, but my “he just is what he is at this point” might look pretty silly if he keeps this up. I know we’ve been down this road before, and fool me once and all...but this feels different.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Palms is simply not doing enough. Johnsson still looks good, but his production has dried up too.

Hughes long term wingers don't appear to be on the team yet.

We're getting breakout years from Zacha and Wood, and we still have Holtz, Nolan and Mercer in the minors. I'm not concerned.

 

[Devil X]

I’ve always been pretty hard on Zacha, but my “he just is what he is at this point” might look pretty silly if he keeps this up. I know we’ve been down this road before, and fool me once and all...but this feels different.

We might had been "down the road" a block before we turned around. This is much further down the road. Much further.

 

[NJDevs26]

We might had been "down the road" a block before we turned around. This is much further down the road. Much further.

That and most of the time we were down the road a block was under the head coach who just lost to Detroit twice in a month

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Bastian is becoming for the '21 Devils what Peluso was for the '95 Devils. Not very skilled, but it's got to be hell trying to battle him down low for three periods.

Thought he was real strong and was hoping he would pop in one late in the game. Think he's a bit more skilled than Peluso; though there is definitely a Crash Line vibe to that group.

 

[Hisch13r]

I’ve always been pretty hard on Zacha, but my “he just is what he is at this point” might look pretty silly if he keeps this up. I know we’ve been down this road before, and fool me once and all...but this feels different.

He was putting up points but this is the first game I felt like he actually played really well as a whole

 

[MadDevil]

I’ve always been pretty hard on Zacha, but my “he just is what he is at this point” might look pretty silly if he keeps this up. I know we’ve been down this road before, and fool me once and all...but this feels different.

I will gladly eat a heaping portion of crow and ask for a second and third course if Zacha really is finally breaking out.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Nico's game is starting to get there. He was stronger tonight.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Went with Zacha, Nico and Wood but I thought Andreas Johnson should have been an option too. The Hughes line easily could have had a few goals and was dominant at times. I also liked some of the things the Zajac line did.