GDT: Devils vs. Blackhawks - 7:30PM MSG+

[Emperoreddy]

I took a decent amount of heat around here last year for fuming over Kalinin playing with Zajac and Palmieri, to ''Shut down the other top lines''.

And Kalinin sucks at offense, he's terrible at it.

And people here are complaining about Zajac playing with Hall and Palmieri? Zajac is one of our leading scorers this year.

There's a small but vocal amount of people on this board that exaggerate how badly Zajac's offensive game is, as much as some fans and writers around the league still claim that Pekka Rinne is an elite goalie.

Zajac has been playing very well to start this season.

People legit need to give him a break.

We aren't scoring more because Rico, Camm, and Palms are sleep walking out there.

 

[Billdo]

This is how I feel. We just need to tighten up and get a little more scoring depth. And three of our biggest guns are ice cold right now.

I mean, two years ago, could you really imagine out-possessing Chicago for most of a game? A goal by one of Cammalleri, Palms or Rico gives us the insurance to win most nights like this.

Two years ago has nothing to do with now. That's like saying 15 years ago we were awesome, how has Chicago won 3 of the last 7 cups?

 

[John Pedro]

But that wasn't the problem. Hall and Zacha had plenty of chances tonight.

If you want to point fingers on offense, you have to look at Camm, Palms, and Rico.

I agree with you, I just think that Zacha and Hall together give this team a better chance at scoring goals.

not saying we lose cause of it, just really frustrating to see a great duo separated cause of defensive matchups.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

I know this was the Blackhawks but this is not the hawk teams of the past in my opinion. We should of won this game even with Crawford standing on his head. We stopped playing as hard after we got the 2-1 lead and it was so obvious. I don't blame the Fiddler penalty and I don't blame the Auvitu turnover. There was more than those acute moments that led to the loss.

 

[Bleedred]

Zajac has been playing very well to start this season.

People legit need to give him a break.

We aren't scoring more because Rico, Camm, and Palms are sleep walking out there.

Henrique and Cammalleri specifically.

Palmieri has put up some points, even if he's not playing great.

Cammalleri and Henrique have been pretty bad.

I can't believe Henrique on that shot attempt 7 or 8 seconds into OT.

At least force the frickin goalie to make a save! We hadn't gotten more than one shot in over 15 minutes of play!

 

[John Pedro]

I know this was the Blackhawks but this is not the hawk teams of the past in my opinion. We should of won this game even with Crawford standing on his head. We stopped playing as hard after we got the 2-1 lead and it was so obvious. I don't blame the Fiddler penalty and I don't blame the Auvitu turnover. There was more than those acute moments that led to the loss.

maybe their heads were just in wrigley field and they didn't care much about tonight's game

 

[Kurt Cobain]

I also don't like Hynes reason for switching Zajac and Zacha,even though I already knew that was the reason. He overthought that one and Zacha isn't you average 19 year old when it comes to the little things. Toews is a great player but he's not Mario Lemieux, screw Toews.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Henrique and Cammalleri specifically.

Palmieri has put up some points, even if he's not playing great.

Cammalleri and Henrique have been pretty bad.

I can't believe Henrique on that shot attempt 7 or 8 seconds into OT.

At least force the frickin goalie to make a save! We hadn't gotten more than one shot in over 15 minutes of play!

Camm doesn't seem to know where the puck is. His timing is really off.

Rico is neck deep in his cold streak where he is just straight invisible.

Palms can't hit the net, which is infuriating because he gets so many good chances.

 

[JimEIV]

Quick synopsis: Devils made a couple of big mistakes. Devils are not good enough to make a couple big mistakes.

Tampa Next.

 

[Kurt Cobain]

maybe their heads were just in wrigley field and they didn't care much about tonight's game

Most of em are probably blue jays fans anyway, but seriously this Hawks team isn't anything special.

 

[RSeen]

It is a good thing we have some depth at LW coming up in the minors b/c Cammalleri looks like less than half the player he has been. The fact he is declining isn't shocking considering age and the injury history, but the severity of the decline is. He is literally useless out there right now.

 

[Bleedred]

While more people here complain about JJ than Zajac, the percentages are pretty uneven.

I would say that Zajac gets the more unwarranted criticism. There's a very small but vocal crowd that act like Zajac has been a 25-30 point player ever since 2010, when he's only had one full season that was that poor.

There was even one person that suggested that Sergey frickin Kalinin was a victim of having offense robbed and stifled by having to play with Zajac! FFS!

 

[MNDevilsfan]

I don't think Palmieri has been that bad. He hasn't been standing out, but 2 G 2 A 16 shots is pretty reasonable over 7 games.

Cammelleri has looked really off, but is still generating a decent number of chances. I am willing to wait a few more games and see if he gets it together before waving the red flag. It is a little concerning given he's coming off a long injury, though.

Henrique has had a very slow start to the season. Really not generating much, but he;s also spent a lot of time with linemates like DSP and Bennett, so, who knows if that's a factor. I'm sure he'll get going at some point though.

 

[John Pedro]

Most of em are probably blue jays fans anyway, but seriously this Hawks team isn't anything special.

They've got no depth because of Kane/Toews new contracts.

 

[Emperoreddy]

DSP is another guy I'm growing tired of.

I'm ready to put BB in that spot and being Boosh back in.

On the plus side Lappin looked quite good tonight.

 

[Bleedred]

It is a good thing we have some depth at LW coming up in the minors b/c Cammalleri looks like less than half the player he has been. The fact he is declining isn't shocking considering age and the injury history, but the severity of the decline is. He is literally useless out there right now.

He's definitely looking straight up UGLY and terrible out there.

But I don't think 7 games is a reasonable enough sample size to point to a decline.

Even though he is getting up there and he is looking every bit of 37 these first half a dozen and one games. And I know he's only 34, not 37 yet.

 

[Oneiro]

Two years ago has nothing to do with now. That's like saying 15 years ago we were awesome, how has Chicago won 3 of the last 7 cups?

We're in a rebuild right now. Winning and closing out games helps but we're talking about 50% turnover in less than a year.

Going toe to toe with Tampa, Chicago, and Anaheim while still tightening up the system is not a small thing when you consider that we have been the slowest team in the league for nearly five years.

Progress is not pretty but, sure, feel free to whine. That's half of why the boards exist.

 

[RSeen]

They've got no depth because of Kane/Toews new contracts.

Blackhawks window for a cup is closed IMO.

 

[Billdo]

I don't think Palmieri has been that bad. He hasn't been standing out, but 2 G 2 A 16 shots is pretty reasonable over 7 games.

Cammelleri has looked really off, but is still generating a decent number of chances. I am willing to wait a few more games and see if he gets it together before waving the red flag. It is a little concerning given he's coming off a long injury, though.

Henrique has had a very slow start to the season. Really not generating much, but he;s also spent a lot of time with linemates like DSP and Bennett, so, who knows if that's a factor. I'm sure he'll get going at some point though.

Cammalleri looks finished TBH.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We're in a rebuild right now. Winning and closing out games helps but we're talking about 50% turnover in less than a year.

Going toe to toe with Tampa, Chicago, and Anaheim while still tightening up the system is not a small thing when you consider that we have been the slowest team in the league for nearly five years.

Progress is not pretty but sure, feel free to whine.

All the more reason we can't be making some of the mistakes we did tonight.

We aren't ready to be able to make up for penalties and turnovers like that.

 

[RSeen]

He's definitely looking straight up UGLY and terrible out there.

But I don't think 7 games is a reasonable enough sample size to point to a decline.

Even though he is getting up there and he is looking every bit of 37 these first half a dozen and one games. And I know he's only 34, not 37 yet.

It is too small of a sample size, so I should have clarified. But based on how he looks so far, a decline is noticeable unless he is injured.

He hasn't looked this bad his entire time here.

 

[Bleedred]

DSP is another guy I'm growing tired of.

I'm ready to put BB in that spot and being Boosh back in.

On the plus side Lappin looked quite good tonight.

I wouldn't be opposed to a DSP/Boosh swap at all.

But for the love of god keep JJ upstairs in the box. Make him some more meatballs, make sure there's always enough ice in his glass. Do whatever you gotta do, but he's not a solution after a game like this.

I do applaud Hynes for stapling him up there and even putting him on the 4th line after that opening game though.

 

[JimEIV]

While more people here complain about JJ than Zajac, the percentages are pretty uneven.

I would say that Zajac gets the more unwarranted criticism. There's a very small but vocal crowd that act like Zajac has been a 25-30 point player ever since 2010, when he's only had one full season that was that poor.

There was even one person that suggested that Sergey frickin Kalinin was a victim of having offense robbed and stifled by having to play with Zajac! FFS!

Lol. I. Zajac gets far too much grief. I love him.

 

[Billdo]

We're in a rebuild right now. Winning and closing out games helps but we're talking about 50% turnover in less than a year.

Going toe to toe with Tampa, Chicago, and Anaheim while still tightening up the system is not a small thing when you consider that we have been the slowest team in the league for nearly five years.

Progress is not pretty but, sure, feel free to whine. That's half of why the boards exist.

I'm not whining about anything other than half of people blaming things that were not why we lost. It infuriates me to see so many people picking these asinine reasons why we lost. They're the same people who blame the refs too.

I didn't expect much different this year than last, I'm looking long term.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Basically we won't be winning in bunches until Two of Rico, Cammy, and Palms wake up.

Hall is doing everything out there. Zacha is doing just about everything we can ask from him (he is snakebitten right now, but he is generating).

4th line is grinding. We need our other top forwards to get going.