GDT: Game # 12: Blues @ Devils, 7:30PM, NBCSN

[njdevil26]

I thought the game was crap to be honest. Yeah they had some pressure... but how many shots were actually good scoring chances? Seems like no one can shoot on this team.... then after they go down 1-0, they can't even put a breakout or zone entry together. If not for Schneider, it would have been 4-0 last night.

 

[Jersey Man]

Anyone get a mystery puck? I wish they would do more than 500, I was talking to a couple people who said they got there an hour before the doors even opened and they didn't get one.

I missed out but did the 50/50 raffle. $10 = 10 tickets and lost after the second

Someone told me and no idea if it's true that people were buying more than one puck? It was an employee to one of the gift shops on the concourse. I tried getting the puck around 7 which was beyond too late.

About that game last night though...probably the lamest performance on offense I've ever seen in person. Can't say anyone stuck out besides Jagr here and there.

 

[MadDevil]

Did Zajac find a stash of Zarkhov's sticks in the equipment room or what?

Never thought I'd see the day when Zajac and Josefson were tied in goals. And Jake's played half as many games.

 

[glenwo2]

Never thought I'd see the day when Zajac and Josefson were tied in goals. And Jake's played half as many games.

So when are we all going to be in agreement that Travis's contract coupled with his less-than-satisfactory performance make him an overpaid albatross of a player?

It's now become obvious that without ZP to play alongside with, he's basically a JAG. He should really phone Zach and tell him thank you a billion times since him leaving eventually led to Travis getting that considerably-large contract in retrospect.

Anyway, I'll still root for him because of the old "root for the jersey, not the name" mantra. However, my patience has worn thin as far as he goes.

 

[Tundra]

So when are we all going to be in agreement that Travis's contract coupled with his less-than-satisfactory performance make him an overpaid albatross of a player?

It's now become obvious that without ZP to play alongside with, he's basically a JAG. He should really phone Zach and tell him thank you a billion times since him leaving eventually led to Travis getting that considerably-large contract in retrospect.

Anyway, I'll still root for him because of the old "root for the jersey, not the name" mantra. However, my patience has worn thin as far as he goes.

Actually, Pierre McGuire and Dave Strader brought up his hefty 5.75 cap hit through 2021 during the broadcast. Something Dano and Steve would never dare utter. I really liked the NBC sports broadcast team since they were extremely knowledgeable and unfiltered.

 

[glenwo2]

Actually, Pierre McGuire and Dave Strader brought up his hefty 5.75 cap hit through 2021 during the broadcast. Something Dano and Steve would never dare utter. I really liked the NBC sports broadcast team since they were extremely knowledgeable and unfiltered.

Have nothing against Pierre except that he's weird and seems to have a creepy stalking mentality in that he knows where every player lives.


Strader seems to be just there. He calls the games and what you see is what you get. I'm not a fan of his but I don't mind him either since it could be much worse(Sam Nosen).....


And I do remember them mentioning that cap hit on the air which, no question, Steve and Dano would be raked over the coals by Lou for bringing it up during a Devils telecast.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

I'm not too upset about last night because we basically hung with the Blues, who are probably a top three team, for most of the game.

We had quite a few chances in the first two periods. Ryder is a bit snakebitten right now.

Zajac and Jagr were awful and need to play better.

Cory came up big quite a bit too.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

What bugs me most about Zajac this season is not necessarily the lack of finishing ability, but the turnovers and seemingly boneheaded plays. He's forcing a lot.

Zajac will never be a world beater offensively and I'm fine with 45+ points, so long as he continues being a possession monster. But not with the giveaways he's had this year.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm not too upset about last night because we basically hung with the Blues, who are probably a top three team, for most of the game.

We had quite a few chances in the first two periods. Ryder is a bit snakebitten right now.

Zajac and Jagr were awful and need to play better.

Cory came up big quite a bit too.

I'm not happy at all about last aside from Cory making a few big stops-but then lets one in he admittingly should have stopped even though it was a quick shot.

STL was on the backend of a back to back, 3rd in 4 nights and missing Statsny and Oshie. The Devils did NOTHING to expose that and tire them out in the first period.

They let the Blues dictate the pace of the game all the way through, then Hitchcock drew them back to the trap/wall with 10 minutes left in the 3rd.

I counted maybe 2 quality Devils scoring chances all night long.

That is a WEAK effort by the home team when you look at the above mentioned factors.

Their heads were not in the game.
Not much hitting, unforced giveaways, trouble handling routine passes, passing up shot opportunities, not a semblence of passion nor urgency.

I wonder what Pete and his staff are telling these guys on the bench & between periods.

 

[Brick City]

sometimes you have to realize that the other team gets paid to play hockey as well. I thought the blue played a great defensive game last night didn't let anything in from middle ice, my hats off to them. the devils gave it their all, my problem is their all with this group of forwards will not beat good teams on many nights, so send help lou is my only point

Yeah after having slept on it, I will agree it was a solid effort against a top team through the first 40 minutes. However, the Devils would not have beat an AHL squad with the nonsense they pulled in the third period.

Ugh the dearth of forwards is a problem and the Clowe signing, which I recall not being celebrated around here, is starting to turn sour even earlier than expected. The future of the young D better be as bright as we all hope/expect so the team can turn its attention to the forward corps.

Anyone get a mystery puck? I wish they would do more than 500, I was talking to a couple people who said they got there an hour before the doors even opened and they didn't get one.

I'd love to know how because I got in after 6:30 and they were gone.

Friend said he got there at 6:45 and snagged an Elias; also recalled that there were a bunch left (he was at a table by the high school hockey jerseys). I got there around 7:10 and overheard on a food line that they were gone.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I would try Rutuu with Jagr and Zajac. Other than that we really don't have many other option I can think of, unless one of Cammy or Havlat return.

 

[ajdevjet]

I thought we played well enough to win the game for sure, not sure what others here were watching but anyway if Ryder scores and if zajac could finish we could have won 2-1, cant win em all, gotta come back strong thursday and get some points....boy does this team look different without camy in the line up.



BTW windmill save reminded me of #30

 

[Marv4Life]

This team was rested with a couple of days off. The Blues just came off a 4-3 SO win on the road the night before missing their key guys. To not even get a lousy point against them at home is pathetic. Sorry but it's the truth. Team doesn't look like a playoff club to me. Shameful especially with the excuses for this loss and trying to spin it as it were nothing.

Is the Semin trade idea still illogical?

 

[Missionhockey]

I thought we played well enough to win the game for sure, not sure what others here were watching but anyway if Ryder scores and if zajac could finish we could have won 2-1, cant win em all, gotta come back strong thursday and get some points....boy does this team look different without camy in the line up.



BTW windmill save reminded me of #30

Same here.

There was one time Marty robbed Holik like that after he jumped over the river. Used to put a smile to my face.

 

[ajdevjet]

This team was rested with a couple of days off. The Blues just came off a 4-3 SO win on the road the night before missing their key guys. To not even get a lousy point against them at home is pathetic. Sorry but it's the truth. Team doesn't look like a playoff club to me. Shameful especially with the excuses for this loss and trying to spin it as it were nothing.

Is the Semin trade idea still illogical?

truth is we lost 1-0 not 5-0, truth is the blues are one of the best teams in the NHL, truth is we were missing a key guy also, truth is its only 12 games into the season, truth is the sky is not falling, truth is it aint that bad.

 

[Cheddabombs]

This team was rested with a couple of days off. The Blues just came off a 4-3 SO win on the road the night before missing their key guys. To not even get a lousy point against them at home is pathetic. Sorry but it's the truth. Team doesn't look like a playoff club to me. Shameful especially with the excuses for this loss and trying to spin it as it were nothing.

Is the Semin trade idea still illogical?

Depends, is the Semin proposal the one that includes Larsson or Gelinas going the other way, on top of other assets? If so then yes that is illogical, and will always be. We aren't a Semin away from contending. He's not exactly young either and we might only get a few years until his contract is up and he might leave. If Larsson or Gelinas are being traded, it's going to be for a young forward that we could work with for the distant future.

That said, last night's game doesn't change my view on this team. They are still mediocre, no need to make knee-jerk reactions. The Blues are a very good team, especially defensively. Very well-structured, and Allen is a really good goalie despite the weird thought around this board that if a goalie is young he should be easy to light up...

 

[billingtons ghost]

This team was rested with a couple of days off. The Blues just came off a 4-3 SO win on the road the night before missing their key guys. To not even get a lousy point against them at home is pathetic. Sorry but it's the truth. Team doesn't look like a playoff club to me. Shameful especially with the excuses for this loss and trying to spin it as it were nothing.

Is the Semin trade idea still illogical?

Yes.

The reason being is that this team and system needs guys who aren't fragile and who can generate offense WITHIN THE SYSTEM. Brunner was a 20+ goal scorer when he came here and even now he's having trouble contributing.

Ryder has been a no-show.

With Semin, you are getting a better skating, more talented, better-in-all-three-zones Ryder, with twice the streakiness, twice the coach-killing drama and twice as fragile mentally at a ridiculous price.

If you could tell me we could get another Henrique - or Landeskog or some guy like that - for one of our stud young Dmen and a draftpick...

Someone who clearly can step into a role and contribute and isn't another guy we will be scratching our heads about.... then I would do it.

 

[glenwo2]

truth is we lost 1-0 not 5-0, truth is the blues are one of the best teams in the NHL, truth is we were missing a key guy also, truth is its only 12 games into the season, truth is the sky is not falling, truth is it aint that bad.

truth is that the Devils need to get points in order to make the playoffs.

truth is they didn't get any last night.

truth is that they're going to have a tough time of it up in St. Louis and then Detroit.

truth is without Cammy/Havlat, the Devils are exactly like they were last season but with the addition of our Young Defensemen.

 

[captainscott]

I'm not happy at all about last aside from Cory making a few big stops-but then lets one in he admittingly should have stopped even though it was a quick shot.

STL was on the backend of a back to back, 3rd in 4 nights and missing Statsny and Oshie. The Devils did NOTHING to expose that and tire them out in the first period.

They let the Blues dictate the pace of the game all the way through, then Hitchcock drew them back to the trap/wall with 10 minutes left in the 3rd.

I counted maybe 2 quality Devils scoring chances all night long.

That is a WEAK effort by the home team when you look at the above mentioned factors.

Their heads were not in the game.
Not much hitting, unforced giveaways, trouble handling routine passes, passing up shot opportunities, not a semblence of passion nor urgency.

I wonder what Pete and his staff are telling these guys on the bench & between periods.

no you are not understanding the makeup of the roster that was on the ice last night.. 3 of the 4 four lines on the ice played to their capabilities last night. that is what these guys are capable of, it was not that their heads were not in the game or they didn't try. that have guys in that lineup that cannot penetrate a good defensive team as st Louis is. so I wasn't happy either but don't want to criticize last nights group cause I don't think they are that good. get cammalari and havlet back will make a difference and somehow someway find another forward. that being said we are better off this year than last and have a fighting chance at the playoffs but will not compete with the elite teams with this group of forwards consistantly

 

[captainscott]

truth is that the Devils need to get points in order to make the playoffs.

truth is they didn't get any last night.

truth is that they're going to have a tough time of it up in St. Louis and then Detroit.

truth is without Cammy/Havlat, the Devils are exactly like they were last season but with the addition of our Young Defensemen.

I agree but the difference is this year they are least earning some points early against the teams they have a chance against. but this is a lower half team certainly with a couple injuries and even them fully healthy it's a question mark, it doesn't take a hockey genius to know this team needs a 2 or 3 player shakeup at the forward position, and hopefully until that happens they can keep their heads above water. there are about 3 forwards that I want gone on this team or in drastically different roles. hopefully the front office recognizes the needs and tries to address it

 

[captainscott]

I thought we played well enough to win the game for sure, not sure what others here were watching but anyway if Ryder scores and if zajac could finish we could have won 2-1, cant win em all, gotta come back strong thursday and get some points....boy does this team look different without camy in the line up.



BTW windmill save reminded me of #30

the most positive thing I took out of last nights game was their defensive system play. most of the blues chances game off individual mistakes and I thought it was the best system game they played all year defensively which the will need to replicate to win at a regular clip. so that is a positive but I expect many more nights of frustrating offense now need to focus and steal one in st Louis and make it all go away

 

[Bleedred]

Didn't they have a team wide flu too? Consider me in the unimpressed group as well.

Penalty killing has been a problem in almost every game this season. The power play has bailed it out a few times, or we'd have a few less points/wins.

 

[Missionhockey]

truth is we lost 1-0 not 5-0, truth is the blues are one of the best teams in the NHL, truth is we were missing a key guy also, truth is its only 12 games into the season, truth is the sky is not falling, truth is it aint that bad.

While I don't exactly endorse the position of the poster you just quoted, I really believe they should have at least come away with a point last night. Good team or not, any time you are playing a team that played the night before at home you need to come away with something.

However, it's a marathon, not a sprint, so I'm not too worried about it.

 

[RSeen]

Jagr only has 18 shots so far, Clowe has 15. These guys need to start shooting. Both have had pretty bad starts. Jagr looks like he isn't quite the same player as last season and has declined.

 

[Bleedred]

Jagr only has 18 shots so far, Clowe has 15. These guys need to start shooting. Both have had pretty bad starts. Jagr looks like he isn't quite the same player as last season and has declined.

Let's see how he looks with a better winger than the crumbling skeleton of Dainius Zubrus, before writing him off as declined.

It's time to give Ruutu a shot on that line. Zubrus is good for nothing, other than killing penalties at this point.