GDT: Devils vs. Sabres - A Special Teams Double Feature! 7:00 PM - MSG+

[Jersey Fan 12]

I mean did you really think the kids would play over the vets when everyone was healthy?

Years ago when I was coaching one of the sophomores who thought he should be starting said, "This ain't the post office."

While I thought it was funny at the time, he had a point.

How many more times do you have to watch Sami do whatever he feels like or get caught out of position before he is removed from the lineup?

And if a guy can sit out all camp but gets a free pass while playing a one-way game and ignoring his defense assignments, what is the incentive for the rest of the team to do their jobs?

Play the guys who earn the time.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Wouldn't mind seeing a top six of:
Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt
Zacha-Nico-Palms

Give Zacha and Nico someone with more of a shoot first mentality. I wish there was a better scorer than Johnsson to put with Hughes and Bratt but at least when they were together they were possession monsters in the o-zone.

I also really hope they get Goose and Zajac off the same line. Having the two slowest skaters on the same line is painful.

Zacha’s the one that needs to have the “shoot-first mentality” on whatever line he’s on.

I don’t see any upside in putting Palmieri with Zacha. Especially with the number of playmakers this team has—they should be on separate lines.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Plus who are we supposed to sit and what better option is on the bench? Butcher for Kulikov or Vat? Meh. Kuokkanen for Gusev? Meh.

People jumped the shark a bit hyping up our depth.

If the Sabres can sit Jeff Skinner there is no logical reason why Jesper Bratt is taking ice time away from guys like Kuokkanen, Sharangovich, Maltsev or even Nick Merkley and/or Jesper Boqvist for that matter.

And despite the hate he receives on these boards, Matt Tennyson on his worst day is far better then Vatanen in his own end; and knows the system and how and when to pinch without leaving his teammates out to dry. But if he's not going to play then Will Butcher with Kulikov is still a better option.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Years ago when I was coaching one of the sophomores who thought he should be starting said, "This ain't the post office."

While I thought it was funny at the time, he had a point.

How many more times do you have to watch Sami do whatever he feels like or get caught out of position before he is removed from the lineup?

And if a guy can sit out all camp but gets a free pass while playing a one-way game and ignoring his defense assignments, what is the incentive for the rest of the team to do their jobs?

Play the guys who earn the time.

The lineup is fine. Guys will be rotated because the schedule is so damn condensed. The players that are in just need to be better.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Absolutely tremendous. Kudos.

 

[JerryGigantic]

​

 

[JerryGigantic]

THIS ARTWORK IS SO GOOD IT GOT ME BACK ON HFBoards... Just, wow.

Has been years... wondering what other old timers are still lurking.

LET’S GO DEVILS!!!

 

[MartyOwns]

THIS ARTWORK IS SO GOOD IT GOT ME BACK ON HFBoards... Just, wow.

Has been years... wondering what other old timers are still lurking.

LET’S GO DEVILS!!!

holy shit a JG sighting

 

[Azathoth]

If the Sabres can sit Jeff Skinner there is no logical reason why Jesper Bratt is taking ice time away from guys like Kuokkanen, Sharangovich, Maltsev or even Nick Merkley and/or Jesper Boqvist for that matter.

And despite the hate he receives on these boards, Matt Tennyson on his worst day is far better then Vatanen in his own end; and knows the system and how and when to pinch without leaving his teammates out to dry. But if he's not going to play then Will Butcher with Kulikov is still a better option.

This is certainly a take.

 

[Nubmer6]

Wouldn't mind seeing a top six of:
Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt
Zacha-Nico-Palms

Give Zacha and Nico someone with more of a shoot first mentality. I wish there was a better scorer than Johnsson to put with Hughes and Bratt but at least when they were together they were possession monsters in the o-zone.

I also really hope they get Goose and Zajac off the same line. Having the two slowest skaters on the same line is painful.

I'm beginning to think the unthinkable and consider splitting up the 4th line to stick Wood back up with Zajac and hope that McLeod and Bastian have enough chemistry that they mesh with a different LW, be it Sharang, Kuok, Boqvist, etc.

 

[Darkauron]

I'm beginning to think the unthinkable and consider splitting up the 4th line to stick Wood back up with Zajac and hope that McLeod and Bastian have enough chemistry that they mesh with a different LW, be it Sharang, Kuok, Boqvist, etc.

Yeah Wood has been useless lately. Needs something to get him started again

 

[NJDevs26]

If the Sabres can sit Jeff Skinner there is no logical reason why Jesper Bratt is taking ice time away from guys like Kuokkanen, Sharangovich, Maltsev or even Nick Merkley and/or Jesper Boqvist for that matter.

And despite the hate he receives on these boards, Matt Tennyson on his worst day is far better then Vatanen in his own end; and knows the system and how and when to pinch without leaving his teammates out to dry. But if he's not going to play then Will Butcher with Kulikov is still a better option.

Comparing Bratt to Skinner is silly, Skinner has 24 points in his last 73 games including one meager assist in 14 this season, Bratt was over .5 PPG last year and has 4 assists in 8 games this year, not great but not terribad either and he’s not exactly the first guy I’d name if we’re looking for people to bench. I don’t think any of those guys you named really did enough to stay in the lineup either.

The Tennyson thing has been played out but no they’re not going to sit Vat for a journeyman who passed through waivers after three games this season where he had zero camp.

 

[ninetyeight]

Yeah Wood and Zajac have chemistry, Zajac in particular has been awful without Wood. I’d also want to see Wood with Nico, even for just few shifts to see if he can wake Nico up. And lets try Gusev with the 4th liners, a floater sniper with two work horses sounds good on paper.

 

[TrufleShufle]

If the Sabres can sit Jeff Skinner there is no logical reason why Jesper Bratt is taking ice time away from guys like Kuokkanen, Sharangovich, Maltsev or even Nick Merkley and/or Jesper Boqvist for that matter.

And despite the hate he receives on these boards, Matt Tennyson on his worst day is far better then Vatanen in his own end; and knows the system and how and when to pinch without leaving his teammates out to dry. But if he's not going to play then Will Butcher with Kulikov is still a better option.

Wait what? This is a legitimate thought???? Sitting Bratt?

 

[billingtons ghost]

At the end of the day, it is either:
- play the vets into shape and hope we can do damage
- play the kids and develop for the future

I'm pretty sure that Lindy has a fork in the road that isn't quite in site yet. The second one is probably better for the future, but I think you have to be prepared to wave the white flag and trade vets at that point. So... my thinking is that until the trade deadline is looming guys like Gusev, Palms, bRaTt(?!?) will have a long leash.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I find it odd that for years, we'd look up and see the whole left side of our defense consist of Andy Greene + scrubs, and say that our right side was stacked.

Now, I look at our left side and think how good it is -

and then the right side ...outside of Severson... blech. Liability.

Progress?

 

[Guttersniped]

Wait what? This is a legitimate thought???? Sitting Bratt?

Yeah, there’s no rational argument taking Bratt for any of those players. There isn’t a good argument for taking Zacha out for any of those players either btw. I’m intrigued by our prospects, I particularly want Maltsev back in, but you can’t bench guys for minor slumps. It would make everyone miserable. The teams is healthy right now, it’s not worst problem to have.

Yes, Vatanen hasn’t been good but Butcher wasn’t particularly good either. Others can go ahead and debate the merits of Tennyson and Carrick but I feel I hit a wall there.

 

[Darkauron]

Lets put Tennyson back in the line up. We won some games when he was there! Cant be worse than this!

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Wood should be playing on a line with Nico or Hughes he's a big power forward who can clean up the junk in front of the net and the wheels to keep up imo.....To me Sharingovich or Maltzev with MM and Bastian would be good....

 

[Nubmer6]

I find it odd that for years, we'd look up and see the whole left side of our defense consist of Andy Greene + scrubs, and say that our right side was stacked.

Now, I look at our left side and think how good it is -

and then the right side ...outside of Severson... blech. Liability.

Progress?

Whack-a-Mole.

 

[mtnet]

Can't take much more of seeing us be the team Buffalo feasts on for points so let's turn it around tonight...LGD.

 

[Cheddabombs]

 

[regulahbread]

GDT of the year.

LGD.

 

[Blender]

Holy shit this is an amazing GDT.

LGD!! Though I expect we will lose again.

 

[glenwo2]

​

This GDT is so damn good.

It would SUCK if the Devils lost again, thus wasting this Gem.