Post-Game Talk: Devils continue to own the Bruins 1-0 (How???)

[Camille the Eel]

I would say the Devils played a solid game against the Caps in at least 3 this season. Its not like every game against them was like Fridays performance. I think we even had leads in 3 of the games. But they definitely have our number. They have the perfect balance of size, speed, talent and experience. Boston is lacking the speed and talent in some areas which is why our fast youngsters are beating them to pucks and negating second/third scoring chances on plays. Hence their inability to produce a 5 v 5 goal against us.

Many on here are doom and gloom and like to ignore all of this goo play. I see a ton of positives, especially when you remove covid stretch because that team was flat out EXHAUSTED. Devils are not far off and that is with no Nico and a Hughes who is still a year or two away from consistently producing. I like we are at.

Yes Boston has had problems matching our depth and young legs. They play very aggressive but aren’t as heavy as Washington and don’t have the Caps depth. If you stop Bergeron, Marchand and Pasta and maybe Krecji, you stop Boston. The Caps have 2 or maybe 3 times that number of guys you have to worry about.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yes Boston has had problems matching our depth and young legs. They play very aggressive but aren’t as heavy as Washington and don’t have the Caps depth. If you stop Bergeron, Marchand and Pasta and maybe Krecji, you stop Boston. The Caps have 2 or maybe 3 times that number of guys you have to worry about.

Krecji only has one goal on the season so everyone is stopping him

 

[Blackjack]

Krecji only has one goal on the season so everyone is stopping him

This Boston team gives me flashbacks to when the Devils would win games but couldn't score for shit. It never felt very good, like you were relying way too much on your defense and goaltending.

 

[jkrdevil]

Why is it that Boston - a club that can go toe to toe with Washington - is one and 4 against us this year (with that one in OT) and can’t even score an even strength goal against us in 5 games. While we can’t beat Washington? Match ups. Go figure.

That’s baseball, Suzyn

 

[MartyOwns]

This Boston team gives me flashbacks to when the Devils would win games but couldn't score for shit. It never felt very good, like you were relying way too much on your defense and goaltending.

i feel like that's happened several times this season, where our goalies (blackwood and wedge specifically) got us a few points we otherwise had no business getting.

it's funny, because i think if we were getting the goaltending from schneider that we're getting now, our record over these last few years would look pretty similar to our record now.

but yeah, these 1 goal games are not good for the old ticker. i'd honestly rather win by scoring a few goals and nearly shitting the bed like we did against philly by allowing a late game comeback.

 

[glenwo2]

I’m really glad this staff at least lets Ty play 20 minutes a game and doesn’t try to “Ease” him along. I think we’ve eased him along enough, considering he was probably good enough to play in the league last year and was a very late cut in 2018.

Also, you have to think that considering we had a moron for a Head Coach then, perhaps he should've "made the team" then.

 

[glenwo2]

Blackwood 1st and 2nd star

Ty 3rd

Maybe next time I make the poll, I will put Mackenzie Blackwood, followed by Mackenzie Black, and Mackenzie Wood.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Not one of my better Postgame threads, I admit.

But there was not much to discuss for this game (save Big Mac doing Big Mac things and Ty Smith doing Ty Smith things)


And I keep reading about Kulikov by some here and I agree that he has been a revelation since coming here.

BTW, anyone here annoyed at how his name was pronounced? I mean Koo-LEE-Cough?

I thought it was Koo-Lih-Cough.

You can pronounce it any way you like, man. He won't mind.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Also, you have to think that considering we had a moron for a Head Coach then, perhaps he should've "made the team" then.

Good question - but someone (Bryce?) had a segment talking about how they organizationally changed their plans for the young-uns and made sure that they are going through a year at the AHL level instead of jumping to the league - and how it has really helped the maturity of some guys.

 

[glenwo2]

Good question - but someone (Bryce?) had a segment talking about how they organizationally changed their plans for the young-uns and made sure that they are going through a year at the AHL level instead of jumping to the league - and how it has really helped the maturity of some guys.

That is also a valid point.

Maybe it did help him to be better prepared to transition into the NHL.

But Hynes was a moron so perhaps Ty was already ready to do so...and Hynes just f'ed things up?


Regardless, I'm glad he's here and has been as good as we had all hoped he'd be.

 

[NJDevs26]

Or it’s just better Ty wasn’t around last year regardless when we had no real ‘system’

 

[MartyOwns]

ty smith should be a case study on the value of not rushing prospects. i wish we had taken the same approach with hughes, but oh well

 

[NJDevs26]

It would have taken a ballsy GM with job security to keep Hughes down. Maybe with a couple of #1 OA’s struggling the last two years teams will rethink that he’s gotta play in the NHL by rote approach but organizations don’t want to ‘waste’ 1/7 years of a #1OA before their big money deal.

 

[Colin226]

ty smith should be a case study on the value of not rushing prospects. i wish we had taken the same approach with hughes, but oh well

Watch we'll use our high 1st round pick to draft a defenseman and everyone will flip out when they don't make the team next season...

 

[Blender]

It would have taken a ballsy GM with job security to keep Hughes down. Maybe with a couple of #1 OA’s struggling the last two years teams will rethink that he’s gotta play in the NHL by rote approach but organizations don’t want to ‘waste’ 1/7 years of a #1OA before their big money deal.

I really don't think playing elsewhere would have been more beneficial than playing in the NHL for Hughes, this is just one of those misconceptions because people love looking at prospects lighting up junior leagues while they have peers in the NHL who are struggling, as if the one in junior is further ahead in their development. It just doesn't work that way.

 

[NjDevsRR]

He would have abused everyone in college and wouldn’t have learned what he’s learning now in the NHL.

 

[Bleedred]

Lafreniere looks to be having a rookie season very similar to Hughes season last year. He hasn’t produced any better than Hughes did last year.

And Kakko has 6 points in 27 games. He hasn’t even hit his 30th career point in the league (he’s at 29) and he’s played 93 games.

 

[MartyOwns]

I really don't think playing elsewhere would have been more beneficial than playing in the NHL for Hughes, this is just one of those misconceptions because people love looking at prospects lighting up junior leagues while they have peers in the NHL who are struggling, as if the one in junior is further ahead in their development. It just doesn't work that way.

it certainly works that way when it comes to physical development, which has arguably held hughes back more than anything these past two years.

given the state our team, a simple risk reward analysis tells you he was rushed. in this case, it’s in hindsight. but let’s use what we learned with the rest of our prospects

 

[thethinglonger]

He would have abused everyone in college and wouldn’t have learned what he’s learning now in the NHL.

Seriously this. Even in his draft year, he was scoring at over a point per game pace against NCAA Division 1 competition. The only benefit a year outside the NHL would have benefitted him would be time to get stronger. Last season was a real learning opportunity for Hughes. It was the first season in a LONG time where he wasn't the clear-cut best player on the ice every single game...invaluable experience for him.

 

[newjerseydamo]

Watch we'll use our high 1st round pick to draft a defenseman and everyone will flip out when they don't make the team next season...

People will flip out regardless

 

[Nicomo Cosca]

ty smith should be a case study on the value of not rushing prospects. i wish we had taken the same approach with hughes, but oh well

Yep. And Zacha.

 

[TheDuke93]

Yep. And Zacha.

But if we picked any other forward they would be doing just as well as they are right now

 

[Emperoreddy]

Seriously this. Even in his draft year, he was scoring at over a point per game pace against NCAA Division 1 competition. The only benefit a year outside the NHL would have benefitted him would be time to get stronger. Last season was a real learning opportunity for Hughes. It was the first season in a LONG time where he wasn't the clear-cut best player on the ice every single game...invaluable experience for him.

He will get stronger in the offseasons.

Him learning how the NHL game works will be invaluable long term.