GDT: Devils vs. Yotes : The Boys are back (sort of) 1 pm EST

[Bleedred]

We’re not a terrible team with today’s lineup when we get goaltending.

We were the better team the entire day.

 

[JK3]

Yeesh the Yotes looked terrible, can't believe they're right there in the playoff hunt but then again it's the West sooo yeah.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Devastating for the Coyotes....

That Stepan goal post, Blackwood in the shootout and Zacha squeezing one through, and they may have just missed the playoffs. Keep an eye on it. Leaving that point on the table is huge for them. The Colorado-Yotes-Minnesota-and who knows who else scramble out west is going down to the wire.

 

[glenwo2]

Yeah, sure we’ll be watching in him in the playoffs. we’ll see him sitting upstairs in the CBJ healthy scratch and injured players suite. He can wave to us. That’s if they even make it.

How the hell hasn’t Uncle Jim been banned from this forum yet?

Why are you talking to yourself?

 

[New Jersey Devils]

I am throughly enjoying playing spoilers to these desperate playoff teams. Lottery odds be damned.

 

[Bleedred]

Yeesh the Yotes looked terrible, can't believe they're right there in the playoff hunt but then again it's the West sooo yeah.

Kuemper on a hot streak. That’s what their recent run is. It’s not that they’re terrible, as much as they’re injured right now. Their healthy lineup could contend for a playoff spot like this, but this current depleted roster can only do it with a hot goalie.

And they don’t hardly even play Pickard at all. They’ve got Kuemper in there almost every game. They got Pickard on waivers and Kuemper was the backup before Raanta got injured and shut down for the season.

Kuemper is probably the closest comparable to this season’s version of Kinkaid from last year.

 

[Bleedred]

Why are you talking to yourself?

It’s Uncle Jim! Think I’d be caught dead with that Islanders avatar?

 

[Cheddabombs]

Zacha bringing that heat though

 

[blood gin]

Once you go Blackwood, you never go backwood.

 

[glenwo2]

Once you go Blackwood, you never go back.

or brokeback....okay nevermind.

 

[BahlDeep]

We’re not a terrible team with today’s lineup when we get goaltending.

We were the better team the entire day.

The West is absolutely shit. I think we would be contending for a spot if we played in that conference

 

[Camille the Eel]

Just happy to watch (and for the fans at the Rock to watch) a major league lineup. You can't tell me our guys didn't want this one. The compete level was great.

Seeing a rested and healthy Hischier, and after his absence, and you can see how good he is, a legitimate first line guy. If he gets his shot off a little faster, harder, and improves his release, he will himself be a major threat and can put up 25 or 30 next year maybe.

Zacha too, as everyone has been saying, definitely belongs. He is more than a third line guy.

Also Wood, Mueller, Vats - the defense that paired the last two with Santini, Carrick, Sevs and Greene wasn't bad at all. There was good teamwork and synergy on the back end, we moved the puck out fast and hard on our breakouts and also recovered it well and trapped well in center ice.

 

[Dialamo]

The West is absolutely ****. I think we would be contending for a spot if we played in that conference

Times have changed! 7+ seasons ago, it was the exact opposite.

 

[GeNeXt]

Zacha and Wood seem to have decent chemistry, especially when playing together with another heavy-ish player (Maroon/Stafford). While I don't believe Stafford should be back next season, I do think a guy like Bastian could slot in that role. Big guy with some pretty good hands.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Never upset about 2 points, how did the team look? Was at Top Golf for a friends bday

 

[NJDevs26]

Never upset about 2 points, how did the team look? Was at Top Golf for a friends bday

The 2nd and 3rd were the best I’ve seen this team in weeks. Of course I haven’t actually watched much of the last few weeks. Kuemper was the only reason it even got to a SO

 

[RNCDevil]

There are bad takes, and then there are posts like this.

Since joining the team, Palmieri has 41 power play goals. That's 10th in the entire league over that time frame and more than the next two Devils on that list combined.

I concede that the post was a bit hyperbolic, but in the past 5 years KP has NOT been top 10 any year. I got my stats from NHL.com but willing to concede my analysis could be flawed.

PPs should be about scoring or at least pinning the other team in their zone. I just wish KP would stop overhandling.

You claim a hot take but I don't see your stats adding up. Since 2013, AO has 119 goals, then about 15 players between 75 and 50 and then KP ranks 25th with 46 goals. And hes about 60th overall on points. It's nice definitely. KP is obviously a skilled player and a good shooter, but this is more of a log decay curve so top N can be quit bunched and Ithink he makes too many mistakes for my liking.

 

[Triumph]

I concede that the post was a bit hyperbolic, but in the past 5 years KP has NOT been top 10 any year. I got my stats from NHL.com but willing to concede my analysis could be flawed.

PPs should be about scoring or at least pinning the other team in their zone. I just wish KP would stop overhandling.

You claim a hot take but I don't see your stats adding up. Since 2013, AO has 119 goals, then about 15 players between 75 and 50 and then KP ranks 25th with 46 goals. And hes about 60th overall on points. It's nice definitely. KP is obviously a skilled player and a good shooter, but this is more of a log decay curve so top N can be quit bunched and Ithink he makes too many mistakes for my liking.

Why would you go back to 2013? Palmieri played very little on the power play in Anaheim. Since he's gotten here he's used a lot and he scores a lot of goals. I find it very hard to believe he's a net negative on the power play.

 

[Better Call Sal]

People who shit on Palmieri drive me bonkers.

 

[blood gin]

We aren't a great team, but we are way, way better with guys like Zacha and Hischier in the lineup. Vats too. What a difference that makes.

It was just nice to see them play well. You could tell the lineup had an infusion of legit talent. Still despite the good chances you could tell the team is all out of sorts and the chemistry has faded due to all the roster turnover this year due to injuries, trades etc.

 

[None Shall Pass]

I picked a good game as my first to go to this season. Ha.

How is no one hyping up Nico's game today. Kuemper played incredibly - any other goalie and Nico has three or four points.

 

[Billdo]

I really want Hall with Zacha next year

Sames.

 

[Oneiro]

Bratt-Zacha-Kakko.

That's what I want.

Hook me up, Hockey Gods.

 

[longislanddevil]

I would have been bummed if we lost in OT or the shootout.

I'll never cheer against two points, but one point at this time in the year is like repeated kicks to the pants.

I understand and certainly don’t blame ya. I know it’s somewhat blasphemous and certainly unpopular to root for a loss. Suffice to say, I’m enthralled with Byram/Cozens and want to increase probability of landing one if we don’t win a lottery ball for 1 or 2 in Hughes/Kakko.

Zacha looked like a beast today. His passing and vision right now are impressive. He’s still only 21 and if he can play consistently with this level of confidence, there’s still plenty of room and time for him to realize his potential. He’s a maddening player since it’s games like this in which he shows the offensive tools are there (we already know he’s very good defensively).

It’s a small sample size but Blackwood sure passes the eye test for me. The TV crew showed the team stats for Devils and Coyotes respectively for the season. Oddly enough, many key statistical measures were quite close, except for high danger area save percentage (which I believe the Coyotes were ranked 2nd in compared to 30th for our Devils). That was an eye-opening stat which reinforced to me just how slim the margin is between winning and losing in this league. It is imperative to get quality goaltending. Quite frankly, the Schneider/Kinkaid tandem was amongst the league worst. Exciting to witness the emergence of Blackwood...and Schneider, if nothing else, is surprisingly showing he may have something left in the tank. I was amongst those of us who thought his career was over and that he was shot.

 

[longislanddevil]

Bratt-Zacha-Kakko.

That's what I want.

Hook me up, Hockey Gods.

That line would be absolutely SICK!! Sign me up! Hahahaha