GDT: Devils vs. Predators - 7pm, MSGSN

[NJ07102]

He didn’t do very much to slow us down. We just unfortunately didn’t finish any of the near half dozen chances in the 3rd to close it out and they got a nice lucky bounce.

I think they did. They had the cycle going for long stretches and kept on grinding and grinding. Sure they didn't create much out of it, but this game tires the opponents. That's what they could do to fight our speed game and I thought it worked pretty well.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

This was excellent coaching by Hynes. They did what they could to slow us down and it worked. Of course there is luck involved when you score the tying goal with seconds left, but all in all the Preds deserved it. This is how inferior and slower teams are going to play us in the playoffs and the guys have to learn from it. Of course, with Bastian and Wood in the lineup it might have been a different story. But it is what it is.

Stopping 3 breakaways made Hynes look like Scotty Bowman!

 

[Guttersniped]

I usually agree with your posts but I was happy with the night overall. Unless you think players like Dougie and Siegs playing bad is a trend there is nothing to be worried about. I could not stress enough how big it would be for this team to have Holtz and Bahl playing well long term. Do you realize how important players on ELCs playing well are for LTIR teams like NJ?

You aren’t emotionally devastated?

Man, I was out of town for a Caps romp and came back for a disappointing OT loss to the Preds but I’m ok with that. It’s one point folks.

I don’t know the future but I do know we aren’t winning the President Trophy with a .799 win % like the 1995-96 Red Wings
or with a .780 win % like the 2018-19 Lightning
or with a .744 win % like the 2021-22 Panthers
or with a .738 win % like the 2009-10 Capitals
Etc Etc

We will lose games, if people are going to wig out over every single loss, particularly those that come with loser points, this is going to be a long year.

“It can’t turn into a long losing streak”. Well a losing streak will happen at some point too, but if a fear of a potential losing streak is hindering you’re ability to enjoy the first time we’ve have a good team in a decade than you might want lighten up.

 

[Guttersniped]

He didn’t do very much to slow us down. We just unfortunately didn’t finish any of the near half dozen chances in the 3rd to close it out and they got a nice lucky bounce.

If you play Hamilton very physical you can get him off his game and guys like Niederreiter can do that.

Not sure Wood changes much by being there other than giving us four lines actual lines.

Him not being there means Smith had to play forward and Bahl got to play so I’m ok with fate forcing this staff to see another example of why Bahl should play more.

 

[Eggtimer]

The team's improved at settling things down when the quick transition play isn't there, but they still create problems, after high stress puck battles, with some of the no look stuff.

This . Teams that take away the neutral zone give us some problems . We are way better at dealing with that this year but still gives us issues . I agree on the back pass shit in our own zone . Turned it over a few times that way .

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Sucked but got a point and Bahl and Holtz showed flashes.

I will say this, do yourself a favor and go see this team live. The essence of their play especially in the second has to be seen live. It’s mesmerizing.

Not saying they are cup contenders yet, but with a chance for decent amount of roster turn over next year, checked this squad out. You’ll appreciate them more live.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I think they did. They had the cycle going for long stretches and kept on grinding and grinding. Sure they didn't create much out of it, but this game tires the opponents. That's what they could do to fight our speed game and I thought it worked pretty well.

No one is saying anything like this if Nico buries his breakaway, Jack finishes that glorious chance, or they don’t get that fortunate bounce at the end. Nashville played like they always play and stole 2 points. It wasn’t some coaching masterpiece by Hynes.

 

[Devils731]

No one is saying anything like this if Nico buries his breakaway, Jack finishes that glorious chance, or they don’t get that fortunate bounce at the end. Nashville played like they always play and stole 2 points. It wasn’t some coaching masterpiece by Hynes.

I disagree, I was saying in the latter half of the second period that Nashville was playing the game how they wanted at that point. A slower, cycling game against the walls with a lot of body contact.

The Devils also had moments where they dictated the game. The Devils have been very good at dictating the pace and place of engagement in most game; Nashville did a good job in dictating the game to their own pace and engagement place for longer stretches than most other teams have this year.

So I do think Nashville gets some credit for dictating the game for somewhere in the 10-20 minute range when a lot of teams have struggled to even dictate for 5-10 minutes.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I know looking at the numbers it wasn’t Vanecek’s best game but I’ll have to look at the goals again to see if I fault any of them on him. The game tying goal probably because you wish he absorbed the initial shot? But I haven’t watched replays yet and I was on the far end of the rink so I didn’t get a great initial look at it.

 

[My3Sons]

No one is saying anything like this if Nico buries his breakaway, Jack finishes that glorious chance, or they don’t get that fortunate bounce at the end. Nashville played like they always play and stole 2 points. It wasn’t some coaching masterpiece by Hynes.

Or the break where Hischier had to pull a Predator down the ice like a sled dog but because of game management they couldn’t call a penalty so Hischier’s chance was minimized?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I disagree, I was saying in the latter half of the second period that Nashville was playing the game how they wanted at that point. A slower, cycling game against the walls with a lot of body contact.

The Devils also had moments where they dictated the game. The Devils have been very good at dictating the pace and place of engagement in most game; Nashville did a good job in dictating the game to their own pace and engagement place for longer stretches than most other teams have this year.

So I do think Nashville gets some credit for dictating the game for somewhere in the 10-20 minute range when a lot of teams have struggled to even dictate for 5-10 minutes.

They pinned us in a few times. I don’t think Hynes needs special credit for getting his guys to play exactly like they play every game for a couple stretches of the game. Is the expectation now that we’ll just do whatever we want at will?

There will be some back and forth, especially playing with Brendan Smith as the 12th forward. The line jumble likely played more into any disarray than anything.

 

[Blender]

Or the break where Hischier had to pull a Predator down the ice like a sled dog but because of game management they couldn’t call a penalty so Hischier’s chance was minimized?

Game management was in force hard down the stretch there. Typical NHL garbage.

 

[Call Me Al]

i guess. we had a pp with 3 minutes to go that’s on us not capitalizing

 

[Guttersniped]

No one is saying anything like this if Nico buries his breakaway, Jack finishes that glorious chance, or they don’t get that fortunate bounce at the end. Nashville played like they always play and stole 2 points. It wasn’t some coaching masterpiece by Hynes.

Nashville has some higher end physical skill players, it’s actually a team that could cause us more problems if it was… better. They rode a crazy shooting % and hot goalie last season.

I will say the Eastern Conference, particularly the Metro, should be grateful that Carolina lowballed Niederreiter because he’s a handful. He was the prototypical Cane and they really miss him.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Nashville has some higher end physical skill players, it’s actually a team that could cause us more problems if it was… better. They rode a crazy shooting % and hot goalie last season.

I will say the Eastern Conference, particularly the Metro, should be grateful that Carolina lowballed Niederreiter because he’s a handful. He was the prototypical Cane and they really miss him.

I wanted him in the offseason, especially at the number and term he signed for. Surprised there wasn’t a bigger market for him.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I mean they (Devs) were the better team in regulation, and absolutely dominated the 2nd. But just how it all ended was devastating. You're 8 seconds from getting a win and then in 40 seconds you have lost the game. Felt like they coasted the end of the third, like they already had in the bag and it back fired. Like many I didn't like the starting lineup for the OT and they played it sloppy. 1 point is good, and there's (almost) always some good things to takeaway even in loss. I was super happy for Holtz. But the initial feeling is depression and I can't help it.

Yeah quick fix to that is a victory over the Flyers or even quicker fix is look at our record....LGD'S

 

[Devils731]

They pinned us in a few times. I don’t think Hynes needs special credit for getting his guys to play exactly like they play every game for a couple stretches of the game. Is the expectation now that we’ll just do whatever we want at will?

There will be some back and forth, especially playing with Brendan Smith as the 12th forward. The line jumble likely played more into any disarray than anything.

I’m not saying the expectation is the Devils will always do what they want at will…but for almost 20 games they’ve basically been doing whatever they want at will.

So Nashville should get credit for being one of the better teams at preventing the Devils from playing their game almost the whole game. I don’t really care if that credit is for the players or coaches, it’s probably some of both.

 

[severian]

The fact that he can play some fwd as well as rhd does add to his usefulness.

Haven’t checked lately but for awhile his on ice #’s were great too.

I think some of the Smith “hate” is that he squeezes Bahl out of the lineup.

Smith is a great 6/7 guy. The reason this team is so much better so far is that he is playing as a #6 and not like previous years where someone like Smith would be our #3.

 

[JK3]

Game should have been over if they buried one of those 47 glorious chances in the third.

Bahl looked pretty good, a little shaky/rusty here and there but over all solid. Nice to see Holtz bury one, he looked pretty good overall too. A couple of hiccups in his own zone but overall not bad at all, he was working pretty hard along the boards, not just floating.

 

[MachoDiablo]

Yeah, I refuse to be bummed about this loss; there's a few injuries, what appears to be a flu bug going around the locker room, and they still stormed back to take a point and mostly got an unlucky bounce at the end of regulation. Shit happens.

That said, I can't help sometimes getting the same mindset I got watching the Mets from April through August this past season; I'm watching my favorite teams play at historically great paces (put it this way, the last time the Mets won 100 game I was only three years old), but suddenly that means I find my brain nagging me with "they CAN'T be playing like this if they want to make it to the Cup final/World Series!" or something. It didn't get to me last night, but I had a flash of it in my mind when I saw them get kind of sloppy in OT.

Just the nature of shifting expectations when you go from "I just want my team to compete" to "I want them to maim, destroy, and annihilate everyone".

 

[FooteBahl]

I hope everyone realizes the value of Wood after this loss!

Even though he has the hockey IQ of a potato, I agree.

 

[Bleedred]

I know looking at the numbers it wasn’t Vanecek’s best game but I’ll have to look at the goals again to see if I fault any of them on him. The game tying goal probably because you wish he absorbed the initial shot? But I haven’t watched replays yet and I was on the far end of the rink so I didn’t get a great initial look at it.

I thought the rebound on the first goal was pretty weak on him actually. Not really on the game tying goal.

He’s partly to blame for the OT goal I think. He didn’t exactly give it away (Sharangovich got possession barely) but I think he put him in a bad position.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I understand the team not being happy with that last PP but I also get the thought with it. Conservative tends to be death in sports but we prevented them from even getting a chance until less than 20 seconds to go. I think you all hope more ideally for the ability to close out a one goal lead since that is how tightly games tend to be played in the later months and playoffs.

I find it hard to be mad, it was more jarring if anything else and I think our young team can learn from adversity.

Also, I don’t think there’s much to be upset about with the deployment for overtime. It worked and we had possession to start, we simply cocked it up. Shit happens in 3 on 3.

 

[FooteBahl]

I understand the team not being happy with that last PP but I also get the thought with it. Conservative tends to be death in sports but we prevented them from even getting a chance until less than 20 seconds to go. I think you all hope more ideally for the ability to close out a one goal lead since that is how tightly games tend to be played in the later months and playoffs.

I find it hard to be mad, it was more jarring if anything else and I think our young team can learn from adversity.

Also, I don’t think there’s much to be upset about with the deployment for overtime. It worked and we had possession to start, we simply cocked it up. Shit happens in 3 on 3.

It was strange because it went against everything that has shown to be us finally reaching the “fast, supportive and attacking” system we strived for under Hynes.

During our 13 game heater we never backed down from being relentless. It was just weird to see.

 

[Devils731]

I understand the team not being happy with that last PP but I also get the thought with it. Conservative tends to be death in sports but we prevented them from even getting a chance until less than 20 seconds to go. I think you all hope more ideally for the ability to close out a one goal lead since that is how tightly games tend to be played in the later months and playoffs.

Ruff’s quote on the last PP after the game I found a little bit of wanting his cake and eating it too.

He said the PP was too conservative (true) but Ruff also put out a second defenseman on the PP signaling through his action that everyone needed to play it very carefully.

It’s not a surprise Marino and the rest of the PP were unsure exactly what to do and how to approach that shift so Ruff basically going “the players screwed that up against my wishes” isn’t totally fair to the players.