GDT: Game 5 ECQF New Jersey Devils @ Tampa Bay Lightning 3 PM - NBC (TV), OJN (radio)

[Emperoreddy]

Can you fault them? You gotta do anything to win in the playoffs and their tactics worked... the Devils seemed lifeless in game 5 outside of a few chances. They needed to adjust once they figured out Tampa changed their game plan yet refused to be physical. Its a good learning experience.

It isn’t going to win them a cup. Too many teams can do this nonsense way better then them.

This felt a bit desperate. There isn’t a team full of more fake tough guys then Tampa in the playoffs.

 

[glenwo2]

Game 4 sealed it, they had their chances 3 breakaways and countless power plays. To tough to come back from 3-1

Yep. That's where the series was lost.

If even ONE of those breakaways was converted, Devils go to OT and have a THRILLING OT win.

Then they go back to Tampa and lose to them tonight BUT they go back to Jersey and more than likely force a Game 7.


Oh well.

I know it's been said a lot but I'll say it again : Bratt should've played after Game 1.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Bratt playing game 1 would not have made a difference.

 

[glenwo2]

He made the saves he needed to, but we didn’t challenge him as much as we could have in the last two games.

Tampa’s team in front had more to do with t then Vasi. He was good but nothing special.

Speaking of Vas, was I the only one LAUGHING at his Wide-Eyed Look(Focus) that they constantly showed on TV?

He was like prior to every defensive-zone faceoff.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Well you are right that it’s going to be different against a team in Boston that can handle pressure. McAvoy, Chara, Krug, Bergeron (if he’s healthy) helping out down low, will move the puck much better than we did. Plus Boston is more balanced than we are and can generate more secondary scoring if Tampa tries to pound the Pasternak line.

So it’s for damn sure that they won’t be able to play Boston like they played us. Should be an interesting series even if you don’t watch it. And after all it is spring.

 

[NJDevs26]

Now they get a date with the rat squad in Boston who is 1000 times better at this garbage then they are.

This made me laugh more than it should.

Eh this loss felt inevitable after Game 4 and losing Vat but at least they went out on their shield today, especially Cory. We were outplayed anyway but the refs really made sure we didn't have a chance to get any momentum with that joke of a second period.

There've been a number of seasons that ended better where I didn't feel as good about the team at the end of it as I do about this season and this team.

 

[glenwo2]

All year long we had trouble with teams that pressured us. As much as they bullied us, we didn’t handle their pressure on the puck. We threw it away, ran into each other, muffed passes . . . How many ways can you think of to turn pucks over? The difference between our regular season games with them and the playoffs was the pressure they brought. Pressure applied at high pace. They were often on us before we had time even to see. An impressive adjustment for a club to make.

Plus they figured out how not to let Hall beat them. Pulled a Belichick - took away the thing we did best and started pounding and punishing our star as well. Now that wasn’t rocket science, but it was a classic playoff strategy perfectly carried out. And we were not deep enough to adjust by exploiting them elsewhere, or when we tried, Vasilevsky stood tall.

Would've been nice for Hall's line to have another PLAYMAKER (*cough* Bratt *cough*) when it mattered. Palms was an absolute disappointment(last minute pointless goal, notwithstanding) on that line. When they took away Hall, they took away the only playmaker on that line.

 

[glenwo2]

Bratt playing game 1 would not have made a difference.

I was talking about Game 2 and onward.

You know the part in my post where it said that Bratt should've played *AFTER* Game 1?

yeah, that.

 

[MadDevil]

I'm not going to kill the coaching staff for not inserting a player who had 1 goal and 5 points in his last 30 games into the series sooner.

 

[Zippy316]

Lightning defense just completely outclassed ours. All their guys are huge with a long reach and just easily disrupted every scoring chance or rush the Devils had. They could just sweep at the puck without engaging physically with almost every player and stop plays before they even started.

Devils just couldn't find an answer to that. Combine that with getting absolutely no puck luck and the Devils weren't able to control the game at any point. Lightning could just sit back and revert to doing the above until one of their star players got a chance to score.

 

[sattar18]

It isn’t going to win them a cup. Too many teams can do this nonsense way better then them.

This felt a bit desperate. There isn’t a team full of more fake tough guys then Tampa in the playoffs.

I definitely agree that they wouldn't be able to pull this shit again Boston... If Kucherov would had tried that hit on any Boston player he would've been jumped by several Bruins.

But you've got to show the ability to adapt and survive in the playoffs. Tampa knew it would be a closer series if they tried to make it into a track meet so they forced the Devils to play to their biggest weakness which was physical play... kudos to them for adjusting.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm not going to kill the coaching staff for not inserting a player who had 1 goal and 5 points in his last 30 games into the series sooner.

Especially when they were pretty well dominated in Games 2, 5 and the last two periods of Game 4 after losing Vat. One role player wasn't going to make a big difference in any of those games.

 

[glenwo2]

I'm not going to kill the coaching staff for not inserting a player who had 1 goal and 5 points in his last 30 games into the series sooner.

Good.

That's my job.

 

[MadDevil]

Good.

That's my job.

We all have our roles around here.

 

[NJDevs26]

Anyone notice when the Devils were scrambling Vasilevskiy tried to KNOCK his net off its' moorings again?

That's the THIRD time he's done or attempted that this series - NHL refs need to be put on notice.

Oh I definitely did, and if it'd worked I would have been beside myself, that would have been the final **** you from the refs and hockey gods to this team.

I'm not going back through the entire thread cause I know what it must have been like, I wound up watching this game with my friend at the bar so I wasn't really paying attention to much of the pregame or postgame for that matter, what exactly was the story with Noesen? He had to be hurt, right? Surely you wouldn't scratch part of a checking line that's done well in an elimination game otherwise.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This made me laugh more than it should.

Eh this loss felt inevitable after Game 4 and losing Vat but at least they went out on their shield today, especially Cory. We were outplayed anyway but the refs really made sure we didn't have a chance to get any momentum with that joke of a second period.

There've been a number of seasons that ended better where I didn't feel as good about the team at the end of it as I do about this season and this team.

It was, and honestly Tampa could totally have beaten us playing legit hockey too. Quite easily in fact.

This dirty shit where they take advantage of the fact enforcers are phased out and we don’t have Marchand type super star goon to prevent this garbage is still bullshit.

Still proud of the team. I have zero issues with how we went out today. They got smothered by a better team on the road, but they still fought.

 

[nevesis]

What a season boys. Very proud of them. Now I want to see Tampa dominate and run the table.

If they win the cup we get another 1st round pick. Be careful what you wish for.

 

[BenedictGomez]

This dirty **** where they take advantage of the fact enforcers are phased out and we don’t have Marchand type super star goon to prevent this garbage is still bull****.

I'm beginning to wonder if hockey is like fashion, what goes around comes back. Bell bottom jeans were in in the 1970s & made a return in the 1990s. Tie-die was in in the 1960s & made a comeback too.

Are we about to enter an era that due to lax NHL officiating, the "HULK SMASH" player who has a little bit of skill might actually make a return to the game? This series makes me wonder.

If a 7 game series is going to be officiated like Lightning vs. Devils, you'd almost be an idiot to not have a guy out there trying to bruise all their best players.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

If they win the cup we get another 1st round pick. Be careful what you wish for.

Oh damn, forgot about that **** the bolts!

 

[Devils Dominion]

Go Bruins

 

[Emperoreddy]

If they win the cup we get another 1st round pick. Be careful what you wish for.

Oh f*** that. f*** you guys and your well managed rebuild.

 

[Bologna 1]

Hes taken a lot of flack, but I thought Greene had a really solid series overall. Maybe he could have been a little,better on that opening goal,today but he made a lot of good defensive plays and came out favorably from a lot of 1 v 1 battles.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Hes taken a lot of flack, but I thought Greene had a really solid series overall. Maybe he could have been a little,better on that opening goal,today but he made a lot of good defensive plays and came out favorably from a lot of 1 v 1 battles.

The issue with Greene isn’t Greene. The issue is we don’t have a better LD to play above him.

Shift Greene down with him playing middle 6 guys and he is more then fine.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I may just boycott the East playoffs and root for whoever comes out of the West.

I've been rooting for Nashville since the beginning of the playoffs.

 

[NJDevs26]

The issue with Greene isn’t Greene. The issue is we don’t have a better LD to play above him.

Shift Greene down with him playing middle 6 guys and he is more then fine.

I really hope we get to find that out. Somehow finding a #1LD should be priority one on Shero's wishlist this offseason.