Devils Serious Cup Contenders

[New Jersey]

Anything Devils related is horrendous

productive post; this will sway devils fans towards a change of heart.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

productive post; this will sway devils fans towards a change of heart.

Devils fans don’t have hearts tho

 

[Bleedred]

Stop with these threads, they’re like a f***in jinx.

 

[Holymakinaw]

Isn't this just bizarre? Just weeks before the season started, everyone had the Devils pegged to miss the playoffs after a Cinderella run last year. But look at them now? 2-0, demolished the Oilers, and then made the Capitals look like a high school hockey team. This team is so good and this is while Hall just has ONE point in two games. Discuss.

LOL.

 

[New Jersey]

Devils fans don’t have hearts tho

 

[Bedards Dad]

what's sad is this thread existing and fans of all different teams being so insistent in reminding us how irrelevant we are.

but as we know, OP on the main board is an accurate barometer of an entire fan base.

Agreed, but I didnt even mention the devils. Yet you called me out for something I didnt fo and have doubled down.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I remember being pretty impressed with the Devils when the Bruins played them last year. It’s not the Devils of old.

Don’t see why what they did last year should be perceived as a “Cinderella” run. I’d bank on that for Vegas for sure, but not for NJ.

 

[Bedards Dad]

Welp, one supposed Devils fan (who no one recognizes from our board) creates an asinine thread and then select fans of other teams act like he somehow represents the general consensus of the Devil fan base. Pissing match of cheap shots ensues.

HF in a nutshell.

It sucks but happens to all teams. Think goe annoyed you would be if your team/fan base got attacked based on threads by fans of other teams.

Main board is a cesspool

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

Not sure if 2 games is a good barometer but we already know they are a good strong hockey team

 

[Rad Dude83]

They are playing better than most of the league. I would definitely say they are cup contenders, if not favorites. All with the 2nd lowest cap too.

 

[New Jersey]

Agreed, but I didnt even mention the devils. Yet you called me out for something I didnt fo and have doubled down.

i projected your joke about the avalanche as being applicable towards *any* fan who celebrates a good start to a season.

OP, who again we can't even verify he's actually a Devils fan, provided context for the rest of us.

there's also a complex about it that you'll never understand due to the fact that the maple leafs are unconditionally the most popular team in all of canada despite not winning since 1967 while the only reason the devils even survived is because of those amazing late 90s/early 00s teams and cups. so yeah, calling our cups irrelevant tends to piss us off. like, we can't all be the rangers who can just piss away five years at a time and/or an elite goalie's career and still have a huge fan base because they've multiplied since 1926.

i feel like i've told this narrative 18,000,000 times, in general, on HF.

 

[Bedards Dad]

i projected your joke about the avalanche as being applicable towards *any* fan who celebrates a good start to a season.

OP, who again we can't even verify he's actually a Devils fan, provided context for the rest of us.

there's also a complex about it that you'll never understand due to the fact that the maple leafs are unconditionally the most popular team in all of canada despite not winning since 1967 while the only reason the devils even survived is because of those amazing late 90s/early 00s teams and cups. so yeah, calling our cups irrelevant tends to piss us off. like, we all can't be the rangers who can just piss away five years at a time and/or an elite goalie's career and still have a huge fan base because they've multiplied since 1926.

i feel like i've told this narrative 18,000,000 times, in general, on HF.

Apology accepted.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I remember being pretty impressed with the Devils when the Bruins played them last year. It’s not the Devils of old.

Don’t see why what they did last year should be perceived as a “Cinderella” run. I’d bank on that for Vegas for sure, but not for NJ.

They play with incredible pace and play, fun to watch. A complete 180 from years (decades) past.

Cup contender? I think not. Playoff contender yes.

 

[New Jersey]

Apology accepted.

not sure if sarcasm, but that was *some* of what i was trying to do there.

 

[LeafFever]

I picked them to miss. I have no regrets after 2 games.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Devils celebrated tonight as if they were already playing in the Cup Finals. It was odd to see during the second week of the season. It was also cute to see them running around knowing Wilson is suspended. The Caps played their backup goaltender and played last night. I wouldn’t take too much away from it. Ultimately the Devils will be competing for the wild card and will lose in round 1 should they make it.

Clearly this is a collected and reasonable response after losing 6-0 in a meaningless game.

We're deeper than last year, the defense is better by subtraction (Moore is gone), and Kinkaid is playing well. 11 goals for in 2 games and Taylor Hall only has 1 point. Most importantly, we have a full roster. Johansson is healthy, Palmieri is healthy, Vatanen is healthy and had a full training camp. But let's not go crazy. We can talk in January.

 

[Bedards Dad]

not sure if sarcasm, but that was *some* of what i was trying to do there.

No I get it, and it's good we both see it. I've done it before myself and will again I'm sure.

 

[My3Sons]

Apology accepted.

A decent number of NJ fans are probably also Yankee fans. They get the issues a team like the Leafs faces. Most fan bases are going to insult the team with the big following. Leafs have a heck of a team right now and plenty of fans of other teams will not like that. I’m guessing most of the anger will originate with other Canadian fan bases. At least it looks that way to me when I see snarky comments in the Nylander thread. NJ fans have to look at the Caps the Pens the Bruins and now the Leafs all as teams favored over NJ in virtually any game. Should be a good season and as a Leafs fan you have great reason to be excited.

 

[HBK27]

Clearly this is a collected and reasonable response after losing 6-0 in a meaningless game.

We're deeper than last year, the defense is better by subtraction (Moore is gone), and Kinkaid is playing well. 11 goals for in 2 games and Taylor Hall only has 1 point. Most importantly, we have a full roster. Johansson is healthy, Palmieri is healthy, Vatanen is healthy and had a full training camp. But let's not go crazy. We can talk in January.

Definitely deeper than last year, even despite no significant free agent signings. Having a healthy team and 2nd/3rd year players progress has made that the case.

Remains to be seen if the defense improves and if Moore really is addition by subtraction, as I believe he's a perfectly average NHL defenseman (which is why Boston gave him $2.75M per year for 5 years). Even his ATOI of 20:01 last season is almost, perfectly...average.

All depends on if Mueller (82 NHL games prior to this season) and Butcher (81 games)...and to a lesser extent right now Santini (75 games) can take their game to another level, above what Moore provided. Same with Severson, who only recently turned 24. You already know what you're getting to a certain extent with Vantanen, Greene and Lovejoy.

Anyway, the Devils are off to a great start but it's still only 2 games. Need to keep it up this month with a heavy home schedule and see how things look heading into November.

 

[HBK27]

A decent number of NJ fans are probably also Yankee fans. They get the issues a team like the Leafs faces. Most fan bases are going to insult the team with the big following. Leafs have a heck of a team right now and plenty of fans of other teams will not like that. I’m guessing most of the anger will originate with other Canadian fan bases. At least it looks that way to me when I see snarky comments in the Nylander thread. NJ fans have to look at the Caps the Pens the Bruins and now the Leafs all as teams favored over NJ in virtually any game. Should be a good season and as a Leafs fan you have great reason to be excited.

That's what always makes me laugh about the insults about the Devils having no fans. Many Devils fans are also Yankee and/or Giants fans, both of which have one of the larger fan bases of the teams in their sports (which are both massively larger than NHL fan bases). So we know what it's like to be part of a large fan base, even if it's not for our favorite team.

Personally, as much as I want to see the Devils succeed financially...as long as they can afford to spend up towards the cap limit when necessary (they have in the past and no indication they won't now), I'm fine with any fanbase jokes as long as it comes with the opportunity to get tickets at a much, much lower price than any other team within the NY Metro area (excluding Islanders).

 

[Brooklyndevil]

They’re looking like Vegas of last season. Although, the Devils started out pretty good last year. I just believe they’re healthier and deeper this season. They could use another dominant offensive winger and I believe they have a future star defenseman in Smith. Contender no, playoffs team if they continue playing relentless 4 line hockey. I think they’re a year away from contending with a UFA signing like Stone or Panarin.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

They play with incredible pace and play, fun to watch. A complete 180 from years (decades) past.

Cup contender? I think not. Playoff contender yes.

After last year (Vegas), I’m starting to believe that any decent looking team can become a Cup contender.

 

[New Jersey]

A decent number of NJ fans are probably also Yankee fans.

Guilty. North Jersey fo lyfe.

And you know damn well the Leafs fans in here who love the Jays just hate our guts.

 

[New Jersey]

Definitely deeper than last year, even despite no significant free agent signings. Having a healthy team and 2nd/3rd year players progress has made that the case.

Remains to be seen if the defense improves and if Moore really is addition by subtraction...

Having a healthy Johansson and Palmieri is basically like a free agent and a half over last year’s team which was still a 97-point team despite A LOT of significant man-games lost.

Nico will get even better. Miles Wood is better. Jesper Bratt is a project but it continues. Zacha looks good. I can go on about promising flashes from Mirco Mueller and Severson just staying the course (which is fine), etc...

Trust the process. The Devils are quietly undergoing a steady renaissance while the rest of HF stays on the Leafs bandwagon, and I’m ok with that.

Trust in Based Shero.

Another edit: In all that I forgot we also have Taylor f***ing Hall lmao

 

[blood gin]

Devils celebrated tonight as if they were already playing in the Cup Finals. It was odd to see during the second week of the season. It was also cute to see them running around knowing Wilson is suspended. The Caps played their backup goaltender and played last night. I wouldn’t take too much away from it. Ultimately the Devils will be competing for the wild card and will lose in round 1 should they make it.

Wins 1 Cup after historic choking futility, suddenly thinks they have the pedigree of the 1980's Oilers