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

[Billdo]

He forces and tries to pull off things that he generally isn't good enough to do in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone he isn't hard on the puck and routinely sends soft passes in dangerous areas, we can say that about a lot of players this season. The last two games he has played relatively simple and not been forcing and he has looked damn good.

His sauce on the Nico goal was beautiful. Elevated, landed flat, perfect placement for a quick shot. Really nice play.

 

[Nocashstyle]

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

Agreed about Wood’s game. I think Zacha’s game will age fine. I could see him carving out a pretty long career as a respectable bottom sixer.

 

[TheDuke93]

His sauce on the Nico goal was beautiful. Elevated, landed flat, perfect placement for a quick shot. Really nice play.

Agree he saw the ice very well last game and didn't force anything. I think he has some skill he just needs to know when to use it.

 

[devilsblood]

He forces and tries to pull off things that he generally isn't good enough to do in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone he isn't hard on the puck and routinely sends soft passes in dangerous areas, we can say that about a lot of players this season. The last two games he has played relatively simple and not been forcing and he has looked damn good.

Testing your limits doesn't strike me as low IQ.

The last 2 games he's made some fantastic high end passes.

I'm not seeing this "simplify the game" thing.

 

[Triumph]

Merkley is capable of high-end passes, the trouble is that he cannot get in position to make those plays because he's too slow and not strong enough on the puck. He has always been a high-level passer, his issue in juniors is still his biggest problem now - he can't score goals. I'd like to see him dealt for another AHL all-star player in another organization who has similarly gone through waivers, preferably an RHD.

 

[devilsblood]

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)

Potential lineups like this, and I'd very easily pencil in the Wood McLeod Bastian line for the 4th, is why I would not look to add any long term veteran fwd's.

Not sure if Zajac would want to come back for next year, but 1 year deal for a guy like him makes a lot of sense to me. And to your point Shara, Zajac, Kuok was excellent.

 

[TheDuke93]

Testing your limits doesn't strike me as low IQ.

The last 2 games he's made some fantastic high end passes.

I'm not seeing this "simplify the game" thing.

Yes I certainly think testing limits isn't low IQ, but her routinely will skate himself into a bad position and instead of dumping the puck down the wall. I can 100% appreciate players trying things I really can, but there is a time and place to do so and he routinely in my mind has not done that. High risk low reward plays should almost entirely be viewed as frankly just dumb. High risk high reward plays are an entirely different thing and those I do not hate coming from a young player trying to find his way.

You saw it with Wood a ton in his early career, we would be making a line change and he would try rushing 1v5 lose the puck and then give up a high quality scoring chance the other way for no reason. For Merkley he has been dumping more pucks as opposed to forcing them through the middle of ice, which ultimately leads to extended possession and has the defense chasing a bit more which leads to better chances. I feel his passes through the center are also way more calculated.

 

[glenwo2]

Agree he saw the ice very well last game and didn't force anything. I think he has some skill he just needs to know when to use it.

There's a fine line between being a scrub and being a useful scrub.

Merk seems to have morphed into the latter.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

I like turtles.

delete.

Or I think Merk needs more time to see what’s up. Give him credit, has played well with Nico.

 

[TheDuke93]

There's a fine line between being a scrub and being a useful scrub.

Merk seems to have morphed into the latter.

Let's see if he keeps playing smart.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I really liked Foote's goal. That's a goal most guys on this team are not capable of.

 

[Guttersniped]

I've been saying Killorn's name for years. His skillset and pedigree would transform the top-9 - perfect winger for Hughes, and a perfect mentor for our bigger bodies (Foote, Wood, etc.) - and push might finally come to shove re: Tampa's cap situation and related casualties.

Zacha - Hischier - Bratt
Killorn - Hughes - XXX
Kuokkanen - Boqvist - Sharangovich
Wood - Maltsev/McLeod - Studenic/Merkley

XXX eventually becomes Holtz/Mercer, but I wouldn't rule out an upgrade in the interim. If that happens (and the upgrade is a long-term piece), Bratt eventually slides down to LW3 and, in that case, Sharangovich almost certainly becomes the regular 20-goal scorer you hinted at above.

These are certainly trying times, but the forward group is closer than our recent results would suggest.



I trust Fitz to do what he has to do. He did seek out Crawford, after all.

Driedger from Florida would be excellent. Brossoit would work, too. I'd probably avoid guys like Raanta and Elliot due to age/injury concerns, but they wouldn't be terrible. We have options.

Drieger should be a hot commodity I have to assume Florida tries trades him so they don’t lose him for nothing but they need a team without a goalie to protect. The Sharks?

 

[Guttersniped]

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.

No you’re wrong I threw a giant party after the game yesterday to celebrate the goaltending. I’ve never been happier in my life, I’m adopting a baby boy next week and naming him Dell Wedgewood.

 

[TheDuke93]

No you’re wrong I threw a giant party after the game yesterday to celebrate the goaltending. I’ve never been happier in my life, I’m adopting a baby boy next week and naming him Dell Wedgewood.

That's because your a kind soul and good person. The rest of us are degenerates.

 

[Guttersniped]

That's because your a kind soul and good person. The rest of us are degenerates.

 

[glenwo2]

So....are we done talking about this game that felt like a win?

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I tend to think he doesn't play with enough intensity, at least not for a guy a bottom 6 guy.

Edit: Not that it is a great stat, but his hit stats are pretty good.

His shots per are also good, but they seem to be fairly quiet, whatever it is, he needs to get those goals up.

We will agree to disagree on intensity and most games he plays he's noticeable imo

 

[devilsblood]

We will agree to disagree on intensity and most games he plays he's noticeable imo

I'm not a hater. I think he's been OK, and the recent assists have been eye opening.

Edit: Glazed over the "energy" part, (ironically I need a nap so...) but I don't think he's been a dog, I just don't think he's been at the Wood/McLeod level, though that could be a speed size thing more then an energy thing.

 

[My3Sons]

That's because your a kind soul and good person. The rest of us are degenerates.

Speak for yourself. I’m no degenerate. I prefer to think of myself as a miscreant

 

[TheDuke93]

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 didn't even include Bratt or Zacha in here lol.

 

[RyGuy]

I dont know if the commercials are different when watching games on NHL.TV, but did anyone else notice the awkward OTC boner pill commercial that was played every other break?

 

[BurntToast]

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.

50+ mil in cap space!

Imagine if the Devils didn’t give up 4-7 goals a game...

 

[MichaelJ]

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.

Fitz has a lot of assets to play with. From the outside, it looks like a great position to be in. I’m sure the evaluation on who to keep (if they sign FA’s, trade for young veteran scorers or defensemen, etc), but having this base to work with plus cap space plus two 1sts is great positioning.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

I really liked Foote's goal. That's a goal most guys on this team are not capable of.

Best knee-down one timer from the on a cross ice pass from a #25 since this:

 

[My3Sons]

Fitz has a lot of assets to play with. From the outside, it looks like a great position to be in. I’m sure the evaluation on who to keep (if they sign FA’s, trade for young veteran scorers or defensemen, etc), but having this base to work with plus cap space plus two 1sts is great positioning.

Teams really have fought against doing anything as much as possible with a few exceptions. I expect the same next season. Teams are reluctant to add cap and also reluctant to expend assets or give great value to shed cap.