GDT: Devils vs. Panthers - 7:00PM MSG+

[Blender]

There has been a lot of missed assignments in his own zone that really have nothing to do with size or strength. Sometimes it looks like half effort. Of course he's young and learning but his IQ is better than the effort on a lot of plays especially in front of his own net.

He's 18, he's going to miss assignments and make mistakes. He's a better defensive player than the vast majority of 18 year old rookies are, and he's being asked to play above where he should be playing. Having Zajac back will hopefully ease up his defensive assignments.

 

[Wingman77]

Can watch this forever.

Between this hit and the one he had along the boards near the penalty boxes earlier in the game, we haven't seen hits thrown around by anybody on this team (minus a couple from Hall early last season) in quite a few years so it was refreshing.

Too many times the last few years and once again this season I've found myself asking why a guy, particularly our defensemen haven't finished a guy off. You do something as simple as throwing a body more often and you give yourself more time and space, altering the on-coming skater's momentum.

I know this will be a wildly unpopular thing to say but I really don't like the way Hischier has been playing the last couple of weeks. And I think some small things really need to be addressed now. Much more so than Zacha.

I have felt the same way, he has looked a bit different than he had the first bunch of games. Still has been effective, but some of his decisions with the puck have been questionable more often than not.

This is of course not losing the perspective that he is just 16 games into his NHL career at 18 years old, rather observations that his game has been a bit different. He is still on that "rookie leash" where it is show us what you got over a decent sample such as 20 or so games, make some minor adjustments as needed in that time period and then take a look at some of the negative areas that have consistently popped up and work on making sure they don't become consistent habits.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

By the time Zajac is back
Hall - Zajac - Palmieri
Zacha - Nico - Bratt
Gibbons - Henrique - Stafford
Wood - Boyle - Coleman

1. Last years top line, chemsitry already exists
2. In a perfect world that line becomes line 1B. They're young but you wouldn't be able to tell Bratt is a rookie based off his play. Nico needs to get away from Hall and Palms rn and he's definitely capable of being the 2C. Hopefully the move to wing with the other studs sparks Zacha's offense.
3. Gibbons had been good. Get invisible Rico out of the top 6. No offense to Stafford but he just isn't as good as Palms or Bratt.
4. All solid 4th line players. Wood and Coleman are the future of the teams 4th line IMO. Alternatively switch Wood and Gibbons if the line is used as a checking line.

I’d like see to Zacha given a shot to play with Nico and Bratt. Might be exactly what he needs.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Blake Coleman continues to be this team's best player each and every game. And by that I mean that he stays true to himself, the team and the way the game is supposed to play. Every single night.

Without a doubt I feel most comfortable when he's on the ice. He's great defensively, he keeps his feet moving, he's got skill, he's great on the PK and he makes his linemates better.

I see so so much of Madden in him and the way he plays and skates.

Without a doubt my new favourite player on this team and in the organization.

You don’t put players in a position to fail. He’s been successfully where he’s at. I would consider him for third line duty, but that’s it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Can watch this forever.

My favorite part isn't caught in that clip, but at The Rock they showed a replay where Haley (on the Panthers bench) is looking on with a look of pure disgust of his face. It cracked me up.

I know this will be a wildly unpopular thing to say but I really don't like the way Hischier has been playing the last couple of weeks.

I dont like Nico on the first line, and I really dont like Nico with Taylor Hall. I'm hoping Nico gets dropped to #2 when Zajac returns, where he wont be seeing a healthy diet of #1/#2 NHL d-men all night long as an 18 year old rookie, and he wont have that #1 line pressure.

Also, I want Zajac's > 50% FO ability on the 1st line rather than Nico's 40% FO abililty. Losing FO constantly is a huge negative on the 1st line.

 

[OmNomNom]

I don't think any credit is due. But thanks.

I just think he was being unfairly written off for various reasons. I just objected to writing him off prematurely because of his age or draft position or reasons other than his actual play. That's all.

If you've seen him play in college or in the AHL his game is translating almost perfectly to the NHL. I thought that was possible and because of that I always thought he was a good prospect. Not really a radical thought.

But... I will say, after seeing him in a more important/larger role this season, I think he's better just a 4th liner. I think his learning process has risen exponentially since he became a Pro just two years ago and I think he skilled enough to play with better players and contribute more.

I def lost confidence in Coleman last year, but still loved the guy since his college career. Kid was a faceoff beast, and I have to admit I totally had a mancrush on him HAHA.

Is he still beasting faceoffs?

 

[NJDevs26]

Coleman played more than 18 minutes last night and deserved every one of them. Not your typical 4th line minutes, even if you're a key PK guy.

He's deserved more icetime and I hope he keeps getting it from the coaching staff.

No offense but that's also a reason why the offense struggled. I wouldn't taut 18 minutes for Coleman as a good thing in a game we were lucky to get two goals and had no shots on a bad Panther team. Did he deserve it last night - I suppose based on the slop most of the rest of the team put out there - but if you're a good team you're not playing Blake Coleman 18 minutes a night.

I def lost confidence in Coleman last year, but still loved the guy since his college career. Kid was a faceoff beast, and I have to admit I totally had a mancrush on him HAHA.

Is he still beasting faceoffs?

45%, not really beasting it to begin with. Boyle's literally the only guy I have confidence in taking faceoffs till Travis gets back.

 

[DerekDevils30]

I don't think any credit is due. But thanks.

I just think he was being unfairly written off for various reasons. I just objected to writing him off prematurely because of his age or draft position or reasons other than his actual play. That's all.

If you've seen him play in college or in the AHL his game is translating almost perfectly to the NHL. I thought that was possible and because of that I always thought he was a good prospect. Not really a radical thought.

But... I will say, after seeing him in a more important/larger role this season, I think he's better just a 4th liner. I think his learning process has risen exponentially since he became a Pro just two years ago and I think he skilled enough to play with better players and contribute more.

I would not be surprised if he ends up as the 3C for awhile, even when healthy. He is decent at faceoffs which is something this team sorely lacks. Having Zajac, Coleman, and Boyle centering lines would certainly improve things.

I think he can handle the defensive responsibilities just fine but would the line become too much of an offensive liability?

 

[Classic Devil]

We could really use a face-off tutor. I wonder if Bobby Holik or Joe Nieuwendyk are available to come in and teach Hischier and Coleman.

 

[glenwo2]

Can watch this forever.

I'm sure Dano is watching this OVER AND OVER AND OVER again himself.

 

[BahlDeep]

When you fire a high volume of shots towards the net, good things happen.

Especially when 95% hit the glass

 

[glenwo2]

Zacha needs to get his **** together. I honestly don't think he's been that bad and he's been quietly doing good things out there, but the team needs for him to elevate his game to the next level. He's improving but you want to see more. Frame and skills are there but it's not just completely clicking yet upstairs. He's still young so I'm not worried but when you have a kid like Bratt on the team that's thinking the game like a 5 year veteran, you wonder what's going on with PZ.

I love Bratt but that's not being very unfair toward PZ. Bratt is a cyborg who has a positronic brain.

PZ just needs more time to develop(he's young enough for that to be true) and I wonder if maybe being sent down to Kowalski and friends isn't such a bad idea...

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Especially when 95% hit the glass

Is that how he led the defense in points last year? Maybe everyone else should try doing that.

 

[BahlDeep]

Is that how he led the defense in points last year? Maybe everyone else should try doing that.

With below average defense. If he was hitting 50-60 points a year it would be a different story. Guy scores a goal by shooting the puck wide and it deflects off a player and you use that as to prove Severson is good. You're desperate to try and prove your point.