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

[Emperoreddy]

Third line isn’t really amazing either. Zajac’s first game back so a pass, but didn’t notice Wood much and JQ looked like a plug. A Sislo type.

 

[devilsblood]

Did Gryba do enough to get scratched for Yakovlev next game?

He spent a lot of time in his office tonight.... The D-zone.

I'd change it up.

 

[devilsblood]

Third line isn’t really amazing either. Zajac’s first game back so a pass, but didn’t notice Wood much and JQ looked like a plug. A Sislo type.

Wood had 7 sog's. 5 in the first. None in the 3rd. but 7 shots are 7 shots.

And JQ put a perfect pass on Zajacs stick at the goal mouth late in the game.

 

[MauDevils]

If Yakovlev plays a game he needs to clear waivers to go back. Probably the only reason Gryba is playing. If they play Yak and he doesn't stick they will lose him or keep him scratched.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Missed the third, but overall frustrating three straight 3rd periods.

 

[Bleedred]

It's not Kovalchuk's fault why they're losing though. Lombardi let their core get old in a young man's league.

And then the new GM (Blake) came in and thought this team was still good enough to compete for a cup, not to mention that he promoted Sutter's right hand man to be head coach, despite the fact they should have probably gotten rid of him if they also got rid of Sutter, since he predated Sutter there. But on the main board, someone explained to me that Stevens was blocked from talking to other teams and interviewing about the head coaching positions while Sutter was still head coach, with the promise that he'd succeed Sutter when that time came. I really think they should have also went with someone else in the GM role, who wasn't continuing the same Lombardi policies and philosophies that got them into trouble in the first place.

Probably a better topic for the OOT scoreboard or around the league thread.

 

[Patrik26]

Haven't had a chance to read all the previous posts. Just got home from the game. Here's what I saw (or didn't see).

Kinkaid - 2 softees. Game never should've been close. He made a lot of really good saves but WOOF! on the first two goals.

Coleman - back to 1st half of last season where he couldn't finish. Finish on the break short-handed and it's 4-2.

Noesen - is he still on the Devils?

Hall - putting up the helpers but seems out of sync and/or not the same burst of speed as last season.

Greene - had Hall on his left and never seemed to give him a look. Saros seemed to be waiting for a pass to Hall and even cheated that way. Greene should've stayed glove side on the shot as Saros was moving away towards Hall.

Wood - another strong effort on goal and then loses the puck at the last moment. Again, the less he has the puck on his stick the better.

I'll catch up on this thread in the morning.

 

[Emperoreddy]

End of the day you have a 3-2 lead in the third, you have to stay out of the box and hold a lead.

You aren’t going to get far if your first thought with a late 3-2 lead is we need to score a 4th to win.

Also annoying because they really did play a pretty good game. Go beat a bad Panthers team on Saturday and I’ll feel better about this one.

 

[Bcap88]

I see Keith left his glove hand at home

 

[Triumph]

If Yakovlev plays a game he needs to clear waivers to go back. Probably the only reason Gryba is playing. If they play Yak and he doesn't stick they will lose him or keep him scratched.

I said this was true the other day, but it's not. Yakovlev is not eligible for waivers this season.

 

[MadDevil]

Did Gryba do enough to get scratched for Yakovlev next game?

He spent a lot of time in his office tonight.... The D-zone.

He played under 14 minutes and didn't make any glaring mistakes, which is pretty much exactly what you want from a short term injury fill in.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Missed this one. Sad we lost but I had a pretty good night myself so like, everyone be happy for me instead.

Go Nico

 

[MadDevil]

I'm one of those who thinks it's still premature to give up on Zacha's offensive game, but what the hell happened to the guy we saw in preseason and the first two games? He's done absolutely nothing offensively since.

 

[R8Devs]

the game was fun to be at, wish there was a better result but 1 point against a top 3 team that's coming off a regulation loss is pretty good. just sucks that 2 out of the last 3 games the Devils had a lead going into the third and have only 1 point to show for it. a win against florida would be nice, a 5-2-1 start would not be bad at all

 

[Cult of Hynes]

the game was fun to be at, wish there was a better result but 1 point against a top 3 team that's coming off a regulation loss is pretty good. just sucks that 2 out of the last 3 games the Devils had a lead going into the third and have only 1 point to show for it. a win against florida would be nice, a 5-2-1 start would not be bad at all

Sorry but one point is not good enough. In 3 straight games they have on pathetic point, and in 3 straight games they have coughed up a lead with less than 5 minutes to go.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Third line isn’t really amazing either. Zajac’s first game back so a pass, but didn’t notice Wood much and JQ looked like a plug. A Sislo type.

I thought Wood was one of our best players in the first - didn't have have a ridiculous amount of shots on goal?

JQ was pretty good - nice pass to Zajac...

 

[billingtons ghost]

I'm one of those who thinks it's still premature to give up on Zacha's offensive game, but what the hell happened to the guy we saw in preseason and the first two games? He's done absolutely nothing offensively since.

I don't know if it is fair to say he's "done nothing" - he's had some really excellent chances that just haven't gone in for whatever reason - I mean, looking at the first few games, he's actually had better looks than Nico and Hall have had. He's had some nifty setups too... perhaps the stick-gripping has commenced because he hasn't looked as great as he did in the preseason.

I think it'll come.

 

[MadDevil]

Sorry but one point is not good enough. In 3 straight games they have on pathetic point, and in 3 straight games they have coughed up a lead with less than 5 minutes to go.

There was 6:20 left in the third when Nashville tied it.

 

[MadDevil]

I don't know if it is fair to say he's "done nothing" - he's had some really excellent chances that just haven't gone in for whatever reason - I mean, looking at the first few games, he's actually had better looks than Nico and Hall have had. He's had some nifty setups too... perhaps the stick-gripping has commenced because he hasn't looked as great as he did in the preseason.

I think it'll come.

I certainly hope so. I don't want him to be Beau Bennett where he has good advanced stats and no finish.

 

[R8Devs]

Sorry but one point is not good enough. In 3 straight games they have on pathetic point, and in 3 straight games they have coughed up a lead with less than 5 minutes to go.

Colorado and Nashville are really good teams and at least those games were to Western Conference opponents so they weren't 4 point games. Philly game sucked but the Devils tied it in the third period, they never had the lead after Philly made it 1-1. Colorado took the lead late but it was tied earlier in the third period. Every team has stretches like these in an 82 game season. where they cough up points they should have had. Nashville just blew a third period lead in their last game against SJ and lost in regulation. Capitals lost to us 6-0 and just lost to Edmonton 4-1 and they won the cup last season. shit happens but the Devils are in position to become 5-2-1 this weekend so it's not as bad it can be. The Colorado/Philly games they probably shouldn't even had the chance to get points in those games but they did.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

This is the way they are presently constructed. Bratt is a high skill player. It's probably not enough, but he can be a 45/50 point player.

I cant disagree with this. But that leaves still another spot that requires a higher skilled talent offensively than Zacha.

 

[Emperoreddy]

There was 6:20 left in the third when Nashville tied it.

This is being a bit pedantic.

 

[Bleedred]

He played under 14 minutes and didn't make any glaring mistakes, which is pretty much exactly what you want from a short term injury fill in.

Didn't he lose the puck on the second goal tonight? The one that was kind of stoppable, but not too bad?

I saw an awful lot of him in the D-zone for my liking. I thought Helgeson was playing again.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I have a lot more faith it will come for Zacha before it comes for JQ.

 

[Bleedred]

I thought JQ was okay, nothing too bad. He barely played. Zacha and Johansson both sucked and Dea looked like a 4th liner.

I thought Wood was the best forward that wasn't on the top line. I did think Zajac had a fine game. Noesen looked pretty bad again, I think he's been pretty crappy to start, which sucks because I really like him and he's seriously one of the best killers we have in 6 on 5 situations, but we rarely ever have a small lead (or any lead in the dying minutes of the last 3 games) for him to showcase that. He did in the Sharks game though, which was the only game we played against a team with the goalie pulled this season.