GDT: Game # 67: Devils host Lightning @7pm ET

[Call Me Al]

These goals at the end of the period is a disturbing trend. Last night and I think maybe against PHX. I've noticed them let down a bit within 10 secs of closing a period. Hope they address it because it's certainly noticeable.

this issue goes back to last season, i'm not sure how they correct it if they haven't yet just hope it doesn't keep biting them in the ass

 

[Bleedred]

I think there were 3 goals scored around the league last night at 19:59 of a period lol.

I already forgot who the one was, but I know the other was the Sharks scoring at 19:59 of the 2nd..

 

[NjDevsRR]

I didn’t have an issue with how they played. Yes, those mental breakdowns need to be cleaned up. But man, before tampa went into lock down mode, THEY COULD NOT KEEP UP. We were skating circles around them in the first. It could have easily been 2-0, 3-0, 4-0 in the 1st. All those bad breaks sunk the momentum. A lot of positives to take out, and some negatives to work on, which may be a blessing in mid March.

I also love what Timo brings. Dude is an absolute animal. Murdering guys, setting up plays and sending many shots to the net. He will be a huge piece of the puzzle for this franchise moving forward.

Start Akira tomorrow. Roll with Vitek in Sunrise then Akira again Sunday. Let’s see what this kid can do with a back to back against Tampa.

Also, I love what Lazar can bring to the 4th line. Dude has a tremendous motor and was impressed with his PK work.

We also struck gold with our 1st and 3rd lines. They look incredible together. It will also just be a matter of time when Jacks line starts clicking.

It’s one loss folks, but I am liking what I am seeing. Full steam ahead.

 

[glenwo2]

I have no problem with pointing out that the goalie didn’t play great. What bothers me is that we simultaneously excuse the odd man rushes that led to those goals.

But are we doing that, though?

I mean...of course we don't want Odd-man rushes but sometimes they happen regardless so it's up to the Goaltender to help erase those mistakes.

Vitek usually did that but this time around, he wasn't able to.

 

[Clam Jensen]

But are we doing that, though?

I mean...of course we don't want Odd-man rushes but sometimes they happen regardless so it's up to the Goaltender to help erase those mistakes.

Vitek usually did that but this time around, he wasn't able to.

Also, people were shitting on Dougie last night so not many were excusing him.

 

[glenwo2]

Schmid needs to be starting until proven otherwise. He's had a fantastic season outside like 1 game.

I would start Vitek this next game to give him the opportunity to rebound from that loss.

Then I would play Akira against Florida.

After that, I'd play Vitek for the 3rd Tampa game.

 

[Bleedred]

But are we doing that, though?

I mean...of course we don't want Odd-man rushes but sometimes they happen regardless so it's up to the Goaltender to help erase those mistakes.

Vitek usually did that but this time around, he wasn't able to.

Shots on odd man rushes aren't extremely dangerous when they are defended.

If the pass gets through then that's when they become extremely hard, if not impossible for the goalie to save. That happened on the first goal against, the shorthanded goal. Not on the others.

They're a little bit harder for the goalie than if someone blasts a non-one timed wrister from the circle on a cycle or power play, as he has to account for the possibility that the pass could get through, causing him to have to go east to west and have virtually no shot on the goal, but that's not at all what happened on goals 2 and 3.

Second goal was a bad goal. It goes right through his arm from about the middle of the circle. He had a really good chance on that one and it slipped through his arm.

Goal 3 was less bad than goal 2, but still one the goalie had a pretty good chance at.

 

[glenwo2]

I would NOT give Blackwood ANY games.

Let him fetch Coffee for Vitek the rest of the way.

 

[Eggtimer]

I would NOT give Blackwood ANY games.

Let him fetch Coffee for Vitek the rest of the way.

Yup. Too late in the season plus 1st in the Metro on the line to try to hold Blackwoods hand and ease him back into the lineup , to only have him shit the bed again and cost us a game. Ya he might play “good” for one game but will eventually blow a game for us and we dont have enough games left to try to figure out which of the three goalies we will use . Go with VV and Schmid and see who outplays who.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

I would NOT give Blackwood ANY games.

Let him fetch Coffee for Vitek the rest of the way.

I think you have to give him 1 game just to see if he's able to play should the other 2 guys get injured.

 

[guitarguyvic]

But are we doing that, though?

I mean...of course we don't want Odd-man rushes but sometimes they happen regardless so it's up to the Goaltender to help erase those mistakes.

Vitek usually did that but this time around, he wasn't able to.

It's not just "sometimes" with this team though. It's more than a good team should be giving up.

 

[glenwo2]

It's not just "sometimes" with this team though. It's more than a good team should be giving up.

Still, though...your goaltender should be able to make those "timely saves" that are the difference between winning and losing the game.

Yes, it's unrealistic to say he should stop EVERY SINGLE shot everytime but for god's sake....give your team a chance, man!

He's done it before....he just had a bad night and failed to do it yesterday.

I'm sure he'll bounce back the next game.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Still, though...your goaltender should be able to make those "timely saves" that are the difference between winning and losing the game.

Yes, it's unrealistic to say he should stop EVERY SINGLE shot everytime but for god's sake....give your team a chance, man!

He's done it before....he just had a bad night and failed to do it yesterday.

I'm sure he'll bounce back the next game.

I'm not sure I understand this sentiment. He's an average goalie. He's not going to come through on those kind of chances on a regular basis. That's the entire point. It's one thing if the team is giving up the expected 1-2 in the game and we still get scored on frequently. But the team is making him face down that scenario way more than that.

You can't in one breath acknowledge we have average goaltending and then in the other demand that said average goaltender stop 3, 4, 5 odd man situations before the game is even halfway over. It makes no sense.

Unlike the goalie, most of our skaters are actually above average players and should be capable of playing responsible enough to not make this a regular thing. They are the ones that should be shouldering the brunt of this responsibility.

 

[MadDevil]

I think to some extent odd man rushes are just a product of how we play. When your defense is as active as ours, sometimes you're going to give up breaks the other way, especially against elite teams that are good at counterattacking. Obviously they shouldn't be giving up too many of them, but I also don't want them to over correct and be less aggressive.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I think to some extent odd man rushes are just a product of how we play. When your defense is as active as ours, sometimes you're going to give up breaks the other way, especially against elite teams that are good at counterattacking. Obviously they shouldn't be giving up too many of them, but I also don't want them to over correct and be less aggressive.

Well if the system calls for them to be so aggressive that they are always going to give up this many, then I’m not sold it’s going to be successful when playing best on best in the playoffs and teams are allowed to get away with more shenanigans that slow down our attack.

 

[Bleedred]

I think to some extent odd man rushes are just a product of how we play. When your defense is as active as ours, sometimes you're going to give up breaks the other way, especially against elite teams that are good at counterattacking. Obviously they shouldn't be giving up too many of them, but I also don't want them to over correct and be less aggressive.

As I've said, if the defenseman makes sure the pass doesn't get through and the only option for the shot is the shooter? The goalie has a pretty good chance on it.

It's when the pass gets through and the goalie has to go east to west (Ruff talks about the goalie moving east to west all the time) that it becomes very dangerous and the goalie has no chance on it. That's what happened on the first goal last night.

Not on goals 2 and 3.

The next time there's a sizable number of games in a night, I'll keep track of how many shots I marked stoppable that were on 2 or 3 on 1's and I know I'll probably make a lot of people mad.

I would say A LOT of them where the pass does not get through, I mark stoppable because they're usually on clear sighted shots, that aren't one timed and from the circles or beyond.

 

[glenwo2]

Meh. Whatever.

Some believe this, some believe that.

THE BOTTOM LINE is that Vitek will have a chance to bounce back with a much better game tomorrow.

And I fully expect it.

I also fully expect the rest of the team to be more "dialed in" to the game as well.


Also, he may be an average goalie but even average goalies can be above-average when the need arises.

And for the most part, he's been above-average (last game was the first time he was below average - Mackenzie Blackwood style - since that Colorado game which, I think, was his debut).

 

[Dylan9z9]

Honestly watching live I thought that was one of our worst games all year. 1st was fine until that awful PP.

But bulk of the game they looked slow. The passing was super sloppy and they put the white flag up early in the 3rd.

That's my take also !

 

[Dylan9z9]

Meh. Whatever.

Some believe this, some believe that.

THE BOTTOM LINE is that Vitek will have a chance to bounce back with a much better game tomorrow.

And I fully expect it.

I also fully expect the rest of the team to be more "dialed in" to the game as well.


Also, he may be an average goalie but even average goalies can be above-average when the need arises.

And for the most part, he's been above-average (last game was the first time he was below average - Mackenzie Blackwood style - since that Colorado game which, I think, was his debut).

Akira Schmid had one bad game this year Vtek had a few I would put in Schnid in the next see what happens. Last person I would start is Blackwood

 

[Dylan9z9]

Sorry but the if the goalie fails to make a save on a clean, unscreened shot from +20 feet out he's going to get criticized.

Goalies are actually allowed to make saves on tough shots. I know, it's crazy, I didn't know that either but apparently it's true. As a matter of fact, that's the reason why we're paying him three point four million US dollars a year.

That's right we should be paying him four million Rubles around 52,000 ...

These goals at the end of the period is a disturbing trend. Last night and I think maybe against PHX. I've noticed them let down a bit within 10 secs of closing a period. Hope they address it because it's certainly noticeable.

I'm thinking we own that record in the league

 

[MadDevil]

I feel like we've also scored more goals late in periods than normal this season. Live by the sword, die by the sword I guess.

 

[glenwo2]

Akira Schmid had one bad game this year Vtek had a few I would put in Schnid in the next see what happens. Last person I would start is Blackwood

I don't agree.

We can't let this loss linger in Vitek's mind.

He needs to get back on that horse(so to speak) and make amends.

If Lindy plays Akira, I think he's making a mistake as we can't be alternating goaltenders in the playoffs.

There needs to be a #1.