Post-Game Talk: Devils drop a turd in the 1st, showed amazing fight in the 3rd (still lost, though)

[TheDuke93]

No way you expose either of those two. One of the glaring deficiencies of the Devils is size and abrasiveness.

The area of the franchise that seems to be deepest is smaller, playmaking forwards.

It would seem that the Devils biggest decision is which of those forwards to keep and which to expose.

After last night I wouldn't be disappointed if Damon Severson was one of the players exposed as well.

The Kraken can only take one player.

If Pavel, Damon, Jesper Bratt, and Andreas Johnsson are all exposed, who do they select?

Can you send me your dealers number? GAWD DAMN that shit must be good.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Is Mercer a center? For some reason he's in my mind as a RW.

In my mind he’s our lord and savior. I guess we differ in what position he’ll play.

 

[MichaelJ]

I like the idea of a future Sharangovich-Mercer-Kuokkanen line if things play out well for us. That could be a really fun line of some decent size and skill.

I don’t think they’d do it, but the organization has the depth to develop and run 4 solid lines if they choose to. That third line looks exciting. They could spread things out even more, for instance:

Foote-Hughes-Holtz
Zacha-Hischier-Bratt
Sharangovich-Boqvist-Mercer
Kuokkanen-McLeod-RW4*

*Bastian? Thompson? Clarke?

That’s without any potential veterans upgrades through free agency or trades. There’s good reason to be bullish on the entire forward group as is and the position the organization is in to make improvements as well. Castron deserves a lot of credit.

 

[TheDuke93]

Being happy your team scored 6 goals in the 3rd, when we gave them a touchdown to start off the game and continued our losing streak is not something you should be happy about.

This loser mentality or silver lining stuff is getting depressing to read. Getting out of the 1st period down by 3 is now a normality, which is nothing short of a disgrace.

I mean no one was happy about it????? Being down by 3 in the first is a normality because our goaltending is trash and we have played two of the highest scoring teams in the league the past 5 games. Oh right and this should also be the part were I remind everyone that we are missing 2 of our top 6 forwards and have had to play kids that most likely aren't ready, especially without practice up in the line up. Or the fact that counting we replaced 3 NHL regulars on the blueline with guys that have played a combined 12 games on the season prior. Context totally being ignored, I would expect to lose and lose big playing Pitt especially when PK, Smith and Mack are all ruled out before puck drops. If using context is a loser mentality so be it.

 

[TheDuke93]

I still find it kind of hilarious that Johnsson finally scored and it was basically because the goalie screwed himself.

What do you mean the guy is a f***ing sniper! Do you realize the type of skill it requires to go five hole, from behind the net? Better rename that soccer movie to Bend it like Johnsson.

 

[TheDuke93]

If he keeps making plays like we have seen of late, maybe he doesn't need to be an "energy" player?

Now I think all NHL players need to be energy players to some degree, Nico brings it, Bratt at his best brings it, I think Hughes brings it. The lack of it, imo has held Zacha back. So Merk like everyone else needs to bring it.

But was Merk a guy who was always viewed of as an "energy" guy? Look at his draft year, 70 assists in 72 games. His first year in the AHL, he was a ppg player. The resume says he was, at one point, a skills guy.

I don't believe he thinks the game at a high enough level to be the player he was in the AHL at the NHL level. I hope he proves me wrong because he certainly flashes, hell he might just need to sit down with Bratt and Ruff to figure out how to get him more consistent.

 

[theoptimist]

Definitely not the depressed Devils of years past. Good to see them claw back even if short by a goal.

 

[TheDuke93]

Here is what Pittsburgh's writer from The Athletic had to say last night:

Now listen here Mr. Zajacs Bowl Cut that is not negative enough and we don't accept morale victories here of any kind. It's all a disgrace!

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

I mean no one was happy about it????? Being down by 3 in the first is a normality because our goaltending is trash and we have played two of the highest scoring teams in the league the past 5 games. Oh right and this should also be the part were I remind everyone that we are missing 2 of our top 6 forwards and have had to play kids that most likely aren't ready, especially without practice up in the line up. Or the fact that counting we replaced 3 NHL regulars on the blueline with guys that have played a combined 12 games on the season prior. Context totally being ignored, I would expect to lose and lose big playing Pitt especially when PK, Smith and Mack are all ruled out before puck drops. If using context is a loser mentality so be it.

There’s no justifiable reason to give up a 6 spot after 40 minutes, none. Detroit has a weaker roster then us and have more points then us.

At some point, we have to stop with the excuses and man the f*** up. We looked like a pickup team yesterday when goals were going in by the second. We’re playing like dog shit and there’s no way around it.

 

[TheDuke93]

imagine a 3rd line with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen on the wings instead of the first line? Hopefully thats what we have in the next 1-2 years with all the guys coming

Foote-Hughes-Holtz
Zacha-Hischier-Bratt
Sharangovich-Mercer-Kuokkanen

(obviously no trades or signings involved there, but you get the picture)

I expect something more like this.

Foote-Hughes-Mercer
Bratt-Hischier-Holtz
Sharangovich-Boqvist-Kuokkanen

 

[TheDuke93]

Is Mercer a center? For some reason he's in my mind as a RW.

He play's center in juinor's because he is their best option. Lot's of scouts view him as RW at the NHL level, Fitz called him a RW when we drafted him, he also played RW at worlds.

 

[TheDuke93]

Yea, Merkley needs to stick to a more simple north-south game right now. He's looked very bad when he has tried to do more than he is capable.

I legitimately think the hardest thing for young players to figure out is that they have to simplify to succeed and pull of the more flashy plays they did at the junior level. Not comparing anyone but watch Sid play he is literally a grinder that just so happens to one of the most talented players ever. His whole game is so simple and then when you give him too much space he does something insane.

 

[TheDuke93]

There’s no justifiable reason to give up a 6 spot after 40 minutes, none. Detroit has a weaker roster then us and have more points then us.

At some point, we have to stop with the excuses and man the f*** up. We looked like a pickup team yesterday when goals were going in by the second. We’re playing like dog shit and there’s no way around it.

We literally are a pick up team man. They played 3 guys that Ruff said he had skate hard and lift because he didn't expect to lose Smith, Subban and Mack before the game. Between those 3 we replace 115 games of experience this season with 20. This is after replacing 135 games from 2 defensemen and 2 forwards who all played a substantial amount of minutes for the team. Subtract 250 games worth of players from Detroit and tell me they wouldn't be dog shit. This is absolute f***ing nonsense to not even consider.

 

[MartyOwns]

RW4*

*Bastian? Thompson? Clarke?

stud? wood?

you’re right, we do have a lot of promising forwards and that’s not including any UFA signings. there’s only so many chairs at the table though. somebody’s going to have to go, and we have a goaltending problem. i wonder who we would make good partners with.

 

[Nubmer6]

Yea, Merkley needs to stick to a more simple north-south game right now. He's looked very bad when he has tried to do more than he is capable.

I think that's something he's learning. He hasn't played all that many NHL games and is probably still figuring out what he can and can't get away with.

 

[TheDuke93]

stud? wood?

you’re right, we do have a lot of promising forwards and that’s not including any UFA signings. there’s only so many chairs at the table though. somebody’s going to have to go, and we have a goaltending problem. i wonder who we would make good partners with.

Someone that want's a big winger with size, Zacha would be my guess. I don't want to sell him off if his return isn't good though.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

We literally are a pick up team man. They played 3 guys that Ruff said he had skate hard and lift because he didn't expect to lose Smith, Subban and Mack before the game. Between those 3 we replace 115 games of experience this season with 20. This is after replacing 135 games from 2 defensemen and 2 forwards who all played a substantial amount of minutes for the team. Subtract 250 games worth of players from Detroit and tell me they wouldn't be dog shit. This is absolute f***ing nonsense to not even consider.

I get all that and I’m not expecting this team to win a single game down the stretch because we are that bad but I am expecting to limit the opposition to something reasonable and giving up 3 or 4 after 20 minutes isn’t acceptable.

I don’t know how this can even be debated.

 

[TheDuke93]

I get all that and I’m not expecting this team to win a single game down the stretch because we are that bad but I am expecting to limit the opposition to something reasonable and giving up 3 or 4 after 20 minutes isn’t acceptable.

I don’t know how this can even be debated.

Because or goaltending is literally trash and our defense isn't very good outside of Smith, PK and Murray. Tennyson, Butcher and Carrick aren't NHL caliber defensemen and Siegenthaler is a question mark who was a calculated risk. We very well might have played this game with TWO defensemen who belong in the NHL. Not to mention Butcher and Carrick are offensive guy's who do not play well in their own end. Dell and Wedgewood should be in the AHL but they are literally the best we got. I have said time and time again I do not know why we give up so many goals early, it absolutely bothers me, but it really should not be unexpected considering our current lineup.

 

[MartyOwns]

Someone that want's a big winger with size, Zacha would be my guess. I don't want to sell him off if his return isn't good though.

i think woods value is through the roof right now. and i don’t think his game will age well. zacha too

 

[TheDuke93]

i think woods value is through the roof right now. and i don’t think his game will age well. zacha too

I don't want to trade Wood because he is a high character guy and players seem to love him. Plus I think he is a great mentor to all the hard working guys in the bottom six, mainly McLeod and Bastian, but if the right deal was available I would move him.

 

[Guttersniped]

No way you expose either of those two. One of the glaring deficiencies of the Devils is size and abrasiveness.

The area of the franchise that seems to be deepest is smaller, playmaking forwards.

It would seem that the Devils biggest decision is which of those forwards to keep and which to expose.

After last night I wouldn't be disappointed if Damon Severson was one of the players exposed as well.

The Kraken can only take one player.

If Pavel, Damon, Jesper Bratt, and Andreas Johnsson are all exposed, who do they select?

The bigger question is what hallucinogens you selected to come up with that list.

They aren’t exposing two of their leading scoring, who make make less than 3m, or the defenseman tied for highest ATOI and who only makes 4.16m.

You got one name right though with Johnsson, add Butcher and then one RFA gets a contract and gets put in the second exposure slot. It could be Merkley. And then you just need one more dude who doesn’t get protected.

 

[TheDuke93]

The bigger question is what hallucinogens you selected to come up with that list.

They aren’t exposing two of their leading scoring, who make make less than 3m, or the defenseman tied for highest ATOI and who only makes 4.16m.

You got one name right though with Johnsson, add Butcher and then one RFA gets a contract and gets put in the second exposure slot. It could be Merkley. And then you just need one more dude who doesn’t get protected.

I want his drugs bad tbh.

 

[glenwo2]

More like :

 

[NJDevs26]

Ullmark is a very good goalie, but he's testing the market for a reason. I can't imagine he'll want to go from being a 1a on a shitty team to being 1b on a shitty team.

I would offer him a deal but I'm can't imagine he would take it. Can't hurt to try though.

Yeah I don’t really consider him an option since he’ll either be a starter on a bad team or a 1B for a better team next year.

 

[Edmonton East]

No way you expose either of those two. One of the glaring deficiencies of the Devils is size and abrasiveness.

The area of the franchise that seems to be deepest is smaller, playmaking forwards.

It would seem that the Devils biggest decision is which of those forwards to keep and which to expose.

After last night I wouldn't be disappointed if Damon Severson was one of the players exposed as well.

The Kraken can only take one player.

If Pavel, Damon, Jesper Bratt, and Andreas Johnsson are all exposed, who do they select?