GDT: Devils vs. Canucks - Hughes vs. Hughes - 1:00 PM MSG+

[haak84]

A week ago we were trading for Desmith because Blxkwood couldn’t hack it.

Folks need patience.

No. We weren’t. One person was though.

A gusev/Bratt Combo is not going to excel in hynes system. A Rooney/Hayden will.

I get the frustration but Bratt is just as soft as gusev. The dude would kill it in the khl but if I see one more weak push to try to look like he’s knocking the defender off the puck I’m going to scream. The difference between a plug with intensity and a euro skilled soft player is how they engage a potential puck battle.

 

[haak84]

Also Blackwood has special abilities. There’s no way Schneider could do what Mac did today in net coverage and positioning. He is legit a special talent if he can think the game like the greats. His puck tracking in tight was incredible to watch.

 

[NJDevs26]

Well two days ago the decision to start Blackwood was panned here, now it's basically his net till further notice since he's had the two best goalie games of the year.

 

[haak84]

Well two days ago the decision to start Blackwood was panned here, now it's basically his net till further notice since he's had the two best goalie games of the year.

And in January last year this whole board considered Blackwood the savior. I get it— it’s really fickle with an inherit volatile position. The bride he curse. That’s not going to change.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Also Blackwood has special abilities. There’s no way Schneider could do what Mac did today in net coverage and positioning. He is legit a special talent if he can think the game like the greats. His puck tracking in tight was incredible to watch.

Agree. That is why I was so surprised when posters were so down on him after the Sabres game. Plays one bad game and people are talking like we have to ride Cory.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Well two days ago the decision to start Blackwood was panned here, now it's basically his net till further notice since he's had the two best goalie games of the year.

And being compared to the Hamburgerer.

Point being this is small sample sizes for everyone on a team trying to find its away.

Making bold statements that so and so is the second coming or total crap forever isn’t wise.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Well two days ago the decision to start Blackwood was panned here, now it's basically his net till further notice since he's had the two best goalie games of the year.

He only gave up one ES goal to Drai against the Oil as well.

 

[Oneiro]

I am down with this level of savagery.

 

[MadDevil]

And being compared to the Hamburgerer.

Point being this is small sample sizes for everyone on a team trying to find its away.

Making bold statements that so and so is the second coming or total crap forever isn’t wise.

It wouldn't be HF without them though.

 

[Ripshot 43]

i shall. for all of you. may my sacrifice not be in vain

 

[Tretyak 20]

Couldn't agree more… yet, they're light years better then Gusev!

So better to have players who can't score and can't defend than players who can score and can't defend? We won today because Blackwood stole a game - not because our offense was good enough.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Jacky Boy with his 1st career goal while dancing past his older brother

Damn... I went and got overzealous and had to be specific.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Gusev is a good player, and certainly NHL caliber. It's gonna take him a bit, but he will be fine. He's probably the only guy on the team I feel like will score more often than not when he has an open chance and possibly our only player that can score in a shootout.

 

[Tretyak 20]

A week ago we were trading for Desmith because Blxkwood couldn’t hack it.

Folks need patience.

Yeah. Apparently scoring at a 30 goal pace isn't good enough to belong in the NHL.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I think we need to keep Jack with Hall and Palms. He looks better with a couple of steady veterans as his wings.

When Nico is back, he should center the Gusev and Bratt line.

Zacha moves down to play with Wood, whom he has had good chemistry with in the past.

 

[NJDevs86]

I’m not thrilled with Gusev at 5v5 at all. His skating stride and pace is a little puzzling and he is a defensive liability. Bratter needs to get going and playing with Gusev has not helped him at all.

Hall-Hischier-Bratt
Zacha-Hughes-Palmeri
Coleman-Zajac-Simmonds
Wood-Rooney-Hayden

Bratt has had success with Hall and Nico. Zacha needs to play with Hughes to shelter him and Palms is their shooter. Zajac’s line and Rooney’s line have been good in their roles.

Gusev and Boqvist need to play in the top 6 but I don’t see a spot for them. If either play with Hughes then that line will get stuck in the D zone routinely.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Oh yeah....I'm sure he was SOLELY responsible for stopping the Rags and Nucks from Scoring on all their PPs....SINGLE-HANDEDLY!!




Furthermore :

Awww... but come on - if Bratt doesn't get PP and PK time and they take 6 penalties, that means that PKers like Rooney will get +6minutes if they play half the PK. so Rooney had like 7:58 otherwise, Zacha 10:53... Hayden 6:00...

 

[MartyOwns]

I think we need to keep Jack with Hall

BuT ThEy aRe BoTh pLaY dRiVeRs tHaT WiLL NeVeR wOrK

 

[billingtons ghost]

And being compared to the Hamburgerer.

Point being this is small sample sizes for everyone on a team trying to find its away.

Making bold statements that so and so is the second coming or total crap forever isn’t wise.

Hamburgular. Wtfs a Hamburgerer. Don't compare MacBlack to that.

 

[Billdo]

Just watched the game... Hughes' mom is kind of a rocket.

 

[Bleedred]

Well two days ago the decision to start Blackwood was panned here, now it's basically his net till further notice since he's had the two best goalie games of the year.

I figured he'd be sitting for a decent stretch after the Buffalo and Edmonton games, but then Cory allowed 3 goals against Boston (which was his best game, outside of before he got injured against Winnipeg) and got blown up for 6 against the Panthers and they gave Mac another crack.

But I was very in favor of giving Big Mac the Rangers game after the disaster against the Panthers, as annoyed as I was with him after those last two starts.

 

[Bleedred]

Also Blackwood has special abilities. There’s no way Schneider could do what Mac did today in net coverage and positioning. He is legit a special talent if he can think the game like the greats. His puck tracking in tight was incredible to watch.

I don't agree.

Cory used to be able to do that, but not anymore. He's pretty shot.

But if you're suggesting Schneider just can't do that now, then I agree for the most part.

 

[Bleedred]

A week ago we were trading for Desmith because Blxkwood couldn’t hack it.

Folks need patience.

I'm still very much in favor of trading for DeSmith (if it's a fifth round pick or later or just some player we don't need, like whoever is this year's version of Dalton Prout. Maybe Carrick?), if not for goalie insurance and just sticking him in Binghamton (like we did with Eddie Lack two years ago) unless he's needed. And with Cory's injury history the past several years, there's a good chance he will be needed at some point. Our readily available goalie depth after these two is really scary.

 

[Camille the Eel]

We have played 1 more game than 6 of the next 7 teams in front of us. The two teams directly behind us have played 3 fewer games. We haven't made up any ground and we are still in a pretty decent hole.
We are going to be playing catch up for a while.

It is nice to win a couple though.

Only 74 games to go to even out those games at hand.

 

[Bleedred]

Hamburgular. Wtfs a Hamburgerer. Don't compare MacBlack to that.

Career minor leaguer Andrew Hammond, who had that fluke hot streak in 2015 with the Senators. He was already 27 years old when he made his NHL debut, whereas Big Mac just turned 22 less than two weeks before his debut in the NHL. Hammond was also never really a legit prospect at any point, while Blackwood was.

Aaron Dell of the Sharks is more comparable to Hammond for me. Both made their NHL debuts at 27 and both had a really hot start to their careers and fizzled out. Hammond was out of the NHL in far fewer games than Dell though, who still remains in the NHL. And Dell has been used exclusively as a backup, whereas Hammond was the clear cut starter during that late season surge and hot streak in Ottawa and the first 2 games of the playoffs that year.