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

[JimEIV]

MoJo would be racking up assists if Zacha or the plug-in RW on that line could bury a shot. I sincerely wonder what games you all are watching. The man is a great playmaker. He's not even on my list of worries.

Zacha would be raking up assist if the two plugs he played could finish. We can ying-yang all day.

I am watching 2 players who both have historically had 2 to 1 assist to goals in the NHL playing on the same line with a 4th liner every night. I am watching very poor decisions by the coaching staff regarding this line.

 

[Azathoth]

When Bratt is back I would like them to try Hall-Nico-Bratt and try Palms with (lack of)MoJo and Zacha and see if giving them a shooter would help the line. Or if they want to ease Bratt back, keep Palms on the 1st line and I wouldn't mind trying a second line of Wood-Zacha-Bratt. Zacha and Bratt are great passers and Wood loves to shoot the puck.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Mojo has been playing with grinders and that's not how you maximize his talent. First off, he's stuck playing with Pavel Zacha and that right there is the main reason why we aren't getting any secondary scoring from our "2nd line".

At some point, PZ has to get his shit together.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Marcus Johansson is a career 40-50 point player.

Pavel Zacha has a (admittedly short) career high of 25 points in a season.

There is a very obvious reason why the 2nd line is not scoring, and it's not because of the best player on that line. It probably is because of the guy who has played 7 games and has zero points to show for it.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Mojo has been playing with grinders and that's not how you maximize his talent. First off, he's stuck playing with Pavel Zacha and that right there is the main reason why we aren't getting any secondary scoring from our "2nd line".

At some point, PZ has to get his **** together.

Yep

I don't think any of us expected 7-0-0-0 before the season

 

[Maine Fan]

Second goal was stoppable, but forgivable.

Last goal was ****, but not nearly as bad as the first.

You can't say I'm biased, because he's allowed 5 stoppable goals this year, but all 5 came in the last 3 games. He was scored on probably 8 times before he allowed one stoppable goal, but they're coming in droves now.

Bleed, he still has done a good job for the Devils. Tonight it may have been a soft goal but the surge from Nashville was overwhelming. Yet he kept the team in the game and they earned 1 point. The way he has been playing I don't want him to sit on the bench for 8-12 games when Cory comes back. I look for something like Boston using two goalies effectively.

 

[Billdo]

Putting Palmieri with Johansson and Zacha will do wonders for them when Bratt comes back.

 

[BahlDeep]

Marcus Johansson is a career 40-50 point player.

Pavel Zacha has a (admittedly short) career high of 25 points in a season.

There is a very obvious reason why the 2nd line is not scoring, and it's not because of the best player on that line. It probably is because of the guy who has played 7 games and has zero points to show for it.

Marcus Johansson played on one of the best offense in the league for the previous 5+ years before joining the devils.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Putting Palmieri with Johansson and Zacha will do wonders for them when Bratt comes back.

We hope. Putting a lot of pressure on a 2nd year player in Bratt. The Devils have some bullets to move to get a score. However, it’s early and teams aren’t yet ready to make moves. We just need to hold on to Smith and Walsh.

 

[Call Me Al]

would not split up the top line at all that’s crazy. especially before trying bratt and mojo together, that line looked great on preseason you have to at least try it when bratt comes back

 

[Billdo]

We hope. Putting a lot of pressure on a 2nd year player in Bratt. The Devils have some bullets to move to get a score. However, it’s early and teams aren’t yet ready to make moves. We just need to hold on to Smith and Walsh.

I don't think it puts any pressure on Bratt. Hall and Nico will do what they do with whoever is there.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Pavel Zacha , or whoever our 2nd line center might be, is the key to our success IMO.

I'm not saying that he needs to finish the year with 60 pts but he has to be relevant offensively. Our 3rd line is pure gold, our 4th line is doing what is asked of them and our top line is our engine. That's why we need our 2nd line to step up in order for us to be a playoff team cause we can't expect Hall to post MVP type #'s every year.

I wouldn't mind moving some future for a more established center knowing Nico is our #1 guy for the next decade and McLeod will eventually take over Zajac's role on our 3rd line. Zacha is also a good candidate to replace Zajac and that's why I wouldn't mind it one bit if we were to move one or the other with picks/prospects for someone like Duchene or Kadri for example.

Having a veteran presence down the middle on our 2nd line would completely change this team and would take us from bubble team to a playoff contender.

 

[JrFischer54]

i saw some people posting how incredible the shots were that beat kinkaid. thing is he cost the devils the game last night. the forsberg ppg was the only goal i dont fault him on. everything else i'm sorry but you gotta stop those from out high. sure hes been great this year and i'm sure he will get another crack saturday. seeing how he plays then will tell really what type of goalie he is.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

i saw some people posting how incredible the shots were that beat kinkaid. thing is he cost the devils the game last night. the forsberg ppg was the only goal i dont fault him on. everything else i'm sorry but you gotta stop those from out high. sure hes been great this year and i'm sure he will get another crack saturday. seeing how he plays then will tell really what type of goalie he is.

He made ridiculous saves on top of ridiculous saves to start the game and had a brain cramp on the Weber goal. How you can fault Kinkaid on that OTL is beyond me and I would even say that the reason we were actually up a goal or two at one point was because KK kept us in it earlier on.

 

[Bleedred]

Bleed, he still has done a good job for the Devils. Tonight it may have been a soft goal but the surge from Nashville was overwhelming. Yet he kept the team in the game and they earned 1 point. The way he has been playing I don't want him to sit on the bench for 8-12 games when Cory comes back. I look for something like Boston using two goalies effectively.

I don’t wanna see him sitting on the bench for 8-12 games either. Although a lot of that is because I also don’t think Cory is or will be good enough to play those 8-12 consecutive games.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I think a Zacha shift to wing is unavoidable at this point, you certainly can't give up on a guy when he's 21 but his lack of production is a major issue.

I get that he's good defensively, but he can continue to do that as a winger. Just give him less responsibilities and let him simplify his game. Let him hit, let him take risks, let him shoot.

We've tried centering him with great players, big players, fast players, grinders, superstars....none of that has worked. There needs to be a major shift in the way he's being used.

Parise was drafted as a center and played there his first ~40 games, then Lou shifted him over to LW when he got behind the bench and he never looked back.

 

[Emperoreddy]

He has to actually shoot though. It doesn’t matter where you put him if he keeps oferpassing.

We have not really centered him with great players. Not for any extended period of time.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

He has to actually shoot though. It doesn’t matter where you put him if he keeps oferpassing.

We have not really centered him with great players. Not for any extended period of time.

He's been best when playing with Wood. I'd try something like Wood-Zacha-Bratt but that leaves MoJo on our 3rd line with Zajac and Colemen and that's not the best way to utilize him.

Honestly, having to find Zacha linemates in order to get him going is starting to get a little annoying.

 

[Maine Fan]

I don’t wanna see him sitting on the bench for 8-12 games either. Although a lot of that is because I also don’t think Cory is or will be good enough to play those 8-12 consecutive games.

Sorry Bleed, that was my feeling without saying it. I was being subtle. Problem is money, who sits a goalie making $6M. I would prefer an every other game or one out of three with the third being based on the game played by each.

 

[Triumph]

Zacha's a center. The Devils don't have any other great options in the middle. I think last night was a fine night for their line getting chances, Dea just didn't finish the big chances he was set up for.

 

[BahlDeep]

Do some people actually watch games?

MJ is soft, sucks at cycling. He's a perimeter player that played on one of the best offense in the league prior to joining us.

 

[Bleedred]

Do some people actually watch games?

MJ is soft, sucks at cycling. He's a perimeter player that played on one of the best offense in the league prior to joining us.

His time here has been disappointing to say the least. In 39 games (including 3 in the playoffs) he has 16 points. That’s well below his career norm before coming here.

 

[MadDevil]

Yep

I don't think any of us expected 7-0-0-0 before the season

Haven't you picked against the Devils in every game this year?

 

[Devils Dominion]

Haven't you picked against the Devils in every game this year?

PZ stat line, not team record.

 

[New Jersey]

I think the most annoying part about last night is the fact that we can actually *compete* with teams like Nashville now and still lose in gross fashion.