GDT: Devils @ Wild - 8 P.M. - MSGSN2

[Barry Tallackson]

Hate that we’re this decades Oilers

 

[Whaddagoal]

But that's the point. It's pretty difficult to sustain this kind of offense for an entire season. And it would be totally delusional to think it would hold up in the playoffs.

I think this team when fully healthy can pot 3 goals a night easy. Particularly if special teams is firing on all cylinders. This team isn't even last year's team. It's a freaking offense juggernaut so far. And that is with Mercer doing literally nothing and some slow starts (originally from Nico and Meier).

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

They're not at their best collectively but still getting most of the points. That's what great teams do.

13 of 18 is not bad at all for not being super crisp.

Banking those points with Mercer being a literal zero, our best defensive D being off, Nico not producing/out, plus the goalies being mostly poo is a very good thing.

 

[Triumph]

It was a deflection up top, that then deflected off the end of his stick. Weird goal, but I wouldn't call it atrocious.

If that's not an atrocious goal against, your standard has to be Brodeur in the 2003 Finals. The shot was deflected up top but it was at half speed, and Vanecek managed to deflect it between his own legs. No idea what he was doing or why.

He might've been interfered with, I never got a good replay on that, but that's the only excuse.

 

[DerekDevils30]

I think this team when fully healthy can pot 3 goals a night easy. Particularly if special teams is firing on all cylinders. This team isn't even last year's team. It's a freaking offense juggernaut so far. And that is with Mercer doing literally nothing and some slow starts (originally from Nico and Meier).

It is an absolute juggernaut offensively for certain. And eventually Mercer will get going.

 

[Camille the Eel]

a couple of observations - once again Vitek plays well enough to win. He was strongest in the first half of the game when he allowed us to take a dominant lead by making a number of very crisp and alert saves in traffic with the Wild forechecking us heavily.

The game boiled down to us beating their forecheck with 5 on 5 goals and then riding our power play when, attempting to forecheck, Minny took a couple of offensive zone penalties against us.

But - when defending their forecheck - we made a whole bunch of very soft passes in the middle of our ice in our end that were picked off and that we were lucky didn’t cost us.

I absolutely hate those soft little dink passes in the middle of our ice below our blue line, when we gain possession and try to break out. They are suicidal. Sheesh. When you pass the puck pass it hard dammit (Marino, Dougie, various forwards, etc.). We won’t continue to get away with that stuff night after night against good teams.

 

[jkrdevil]

But that's the point. It's pretty difficult to sustain this kind of offense for an entire season. And it would be totally delusional to think it would hold up in the playoffs.

Same token I think it is reasonable to expect the goals against to go down as well.

 

[devilsblood]

If that's not an atrocious goal against, your standard has to be Brodeur in the 2003 Finals. The shot was deflected up top but it was at half speed, and Vanecek managed to deflect it between his own legs. No idea what he was doing or why.

He might've been interfered with, I never got a good replay on that, but that's the only excuse.

Unlucky.

 

[mdj12784]

Jack Hughes points again. I can breathe a sigh of relief

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah, I just watched the third goal again and I’m nailing Vitek for a stoppable goal on it, but even I don’t think it was that bad.

I think it may have been somewhat fluky and unlucky with it going off his stick and in. Looked like he tried to push it out but he only pushed it under him and in.

I didn’t think he did anything wrong on the first two goals and looked good early on. I thought he was shaky in the 3rd and there was even a point where he thought he got scored on when it was still 3-2. It seemed like everyone also noticed that. And he also just barely stopped the next one after the goal that made it 4-3. He played a bit like he was rattled at points when the score was creeping closer.

Yeah, I’d say he should get a stoppable goal for the third, but I didn’t think it was softy of the night material or even as bad as some of his others he’s allowed this year, like a couple in the Buffalo game.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Unlucky.

Skill issue

 

[Hisch13r]

19.83 GF/60 on the PP. Next closest is Rangers at 12.89. Larger gap between us and 2nd than 2nd and 17th

17.77 on 5v4 PPs. Next closest is TB at 11.64. Larger gap between us and 2nd than 2nd and 19th

23rd in 5v5 G/60

PP merchants baby!

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

They are giving up 3+ goals a game for going on 9 games now...I don't give a flying f*** what the xG is.

Sorry that facts offend

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

The closest replica to Kovy slapper we can muster. It's almost a gimme everytime now. Reminds me of peak Kovy slapper. (Atl days)

Kovy's slapper was something different. It was so accurate it would often ping the post and go in.

 

[Bleedred]

I do think Jack has a good chance at the Hart this year if he crosses 100. Even if McDavid finishes with more points (he probably will) than Jack this year, they could give it to Jack if he comes anywhere close.

Much like how Taylor Hall got the Hart Trophy in 2018, even though he didn’t score the most points. And there were even guys that scored over 100 (Claude Giroux for sure) that weren’t even a Hart finalist. And the Flyers even made the playoffs that year.

 

[Whaddagoal]

It is an absolute juggernaut offensively for certain. And eventually Mercer will get going.

I wanted to add also. Last season we had Dougie to lean on only for backline offense. Sevs had taken a bit of a back seat, part bad luck part by design. This season we literally have options (good ones) to get d activations. Alternating Luke and Dougie on ice is a lethal offensive option. Clearly it works for the PPs and it works for ES too.

If any one of them has a down game..... The chance the other will not be able to fill in the offense void is low. Absolutely a "luxury" we haven't had in a loooong time.

 

[NJDevs26]

Sorry that facts offend

How is xG a ‘fact’? It’s a stat based on subjective grading of scoring chances, in other words just a fancier version of an eye test

 

[Triumph]

Not sure how long they're going to stick with Meier and Hughes together but it just does not work. I don't love moving Holtz up to Hughes's line but it seems like the best option. Meier with Haula and Mercer is a solid line.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Same token I think it is reasonable to expect the goals against to go down as well.

Is it though? It's not like it's mostly from bad luck. This is 9 games of them looking sloppy as f*** with the puck in their own end, goaltenders that look like they aren't capable of mitigating leaky defense, and the PK looking mediocre.

Their outrageous offensive numbers are the result of a PP that is clicking at nearly 45%...even the best PP's in the history of the sport have not maintained that kind of success for an entire season, so that's something you should expect to see come down even if they continue to play great there.

 

[Hisch13r]

I do think Jack has a good chance at the Hart this year if he crosses 100. Even if McDavid finishes with more points (he probably will) than Jack this year, they could give it to Jack if he comes anywhere close.

Much like how Taylor Hall got the Hart Trophy in 2018, even though he didn’t score the most points. And there were even guys that scored over 100 (Claude Giroux for sure) that weren’t even a Hart finalist. And the Flyers even made the playoffs that year.

Hall won it because our team was dog shit.

 

[devilsblood]

Skill issue

Do you mean Dougie whiffing on the puck just prior to it hitting the butt of Vanacek's stick?

 

[DerekDevils30]

I wanted to add also. Last season we had Dougie to lean on only for backline offense. Sevs had taken a bit of a back seat, part luck part by designm This season we literally have options (good ones) to get d activations. Alternating Luke and Dougie on ice is a lethal offensive option. Clearly it works for the PPs and it works for ES too.

If any one of them has a down game..... The chance the other will not be able to fill in the offense void is low. Absolutely a "luxury" we haven't had in a loooong time.

And we’re not far off from Nemec chipping in timely offence from the back end. Embarrassment of riches

 

[Bleedred]

Hall won it because our team was dog shit.

That also no doubt was a deciding factor.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Sorry that facts offend

You're still doing this? Deeming something a "high danger" scoring chance is completely subjective. Sorry you don't understand what an actual fact is, "my dude".

 

[Guttersniped]

Hall won it because our team was dog shit.

And the Oilers didn’t make the playoffs.