GDT: Games 82 Devils Vs. Capitals 7:00 PM - That's a Wrap

[Bleedred]

Holy Shit watching the beginning of this game because I was out to dinner last night....Blackwood is complete horseshit my god he sucks

Goals 3 and 4 were no chance, but goal 1 SUCKED. That's a routine blocker save more often than not. Blackwood off his angle though and I think it even went through his arm.

Goal 2 wasn't a bad one, but I'd have to think that puck hits goalies more than we realize it and we just don't notice it because it isn't a goal against. Especially a big BLIMP like Blackwood's size, that probably hits him in his big bloated chest protector.

It's so fitting that we come back with Schmid and he doesn't allow a goal. It's almost like as soon as Schmid came in, we were destined to come back and win this.

The universe has been sending us signs all year and this was yet another.

I do believe we're potentially down in a wild card spot (god forbid below that) if Blackwood doesn't get injured against Edmonton and didn't miss 1.5 months. That gave Vanecek the net pretty much for good, and then when it looked like he could lose it again, Blackwood got bombed by the Bruins right before Christmas and we didn't look back from there.

Even if Blackwood didn't play any of the games Vanecek got anyway in November and December, you know he would have at least played all the games Schmid played and some of those could have very well went the other way. Because Schmid wouldn't have been up here or even been a thing.

 

[My3Sons]

From day one he has been a better all around player than Zacha..Brings more to the ice than him....

Zacha played in the best situation a complementary player could ever play in on a team where everything went right and he managed all of 21 goals and 57 points? Meh. Tatar woukd have scored more than Zacha had the roles been reversed. Haula provided plenty of what Zacha gave NJ and his ripple effect as a guy who has been there and done that and actually tries every game rather than once in a while is a far better fit on NJ. Boston fans will only see the real Zacha once Bergeron and Krecji retire and the team asks him to step up as the first line center with no veteran insulation. I’m sure that will go well just like when the rug was pulled out from hf darlings Suzuki and Thomas and they were handed the keys and promptly drove STL and MTL into a ditch.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Goals 3 and 4 were no chance, but goal 1 SUCKED. That's a routine blocker save more often than not. Blackwood off his angle though and I think it even went through his arm.

Goal 2 wasn't a bad one, but I'd have to think that puck hits goalies more than we realize it and we just don't notice it because it isn't a goal against. Especially a big BLIMP like Blackwood's size, that probably hits him in his big bloated chest protector.

It's so fitting that we come back with Schmid and he doesn't allow a goal. It's almost like as soon as Schmid came in, we were destined to come back and win this.

The universe has been sending us signs all year and this was yet another.

I do believe we're potentially down in a wild card spot (god forbid below that) if Blackwood doesn't get injured against Edmonton and didn't miss 1.5 months. That gave Vanecek the net pretty much for good, and then when it looked like he could lose it again, Blackwood got bombed by the Bruins right before Christmas and we didn't look back from there.

Even if Blackwood didn't play any of the games Vanecek got anyway in November and December, you know he would have at least played all the games Schmid played and some of those could have very well went the other way. Because Schmid wouldn't have been up here or even been a thing.

I'd want goal 4 due to the circumstances but it's not something I'd overly get mad at a goalie for giving up, lol. The guy absolutely reeks, can't believe I took him after a good preseason over Vanecek in my fantasy keeper league. That pick alone cost me like $400, lol.

 

[My3Sons]

That's exactly what I meant by "poor son of a bitch"...first time ever he's had the opportunity to play on a good team.

I feel bad for him. The bulk of his career is likely passed him and I personally think he's a significant talent who has had his career squandered away playing for terrible teams.

To be fair, Sevs can sign a short one or two year deal with NJ to go on a couple of playoff runs. Sure he would leave some money on the table but you are talking about a guy who has made about 30 million so far and even signing with NJ for $4 mil for one more season he will get a nice retirement contract after next season from someone. I will miss him when he is playing elsewhere and I don’t begrudge him for going where he will get paid the most but he can probably delay that for a year and stick around.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd want goal 4 due to the circumstances but it's not something I'd overly get mad at a goalie for giving up, lol. The guy absolutely reeks, can't believe I took him after a good preseason over Vanecek in my fantasy keeper league. That pick alone cost me like $400, lol.

I never claimed I was always right. I'll take the L on my prediction a couple months ago that the Islanders and Panthers were NOT making the playoffs this year. I'll take the L on Haula scoring more than the 9 goals I said he'd top out at when he only had 2 goals in 40-something games. I'll take the L on most things. I'll take the L on ''RUFF MUST BE FIRED!''.

However, I have been spot on with my goalies for a long time, especially Devils goalies. I said Schneider's second half of 2019 was a mirage, a market correction and he wasn't gonna bounce back and he wouldn't be .920% over a full season. It was always ''Well he was injured''. I also said Schneider isn't gonna get an NHL contract after we bought him out and guess what? He didn't. He's played fewer games than Keith Kinkaid has in the NHL in the last 3 years. Now he probably threw a lot of that away by signing with Lou. The Islanders have only played 1 game in the last 3 years with a goalie that wasn't Sorokin or Varlamov. That's 220 regular season games. I think both guys have had short term injuries since then, but he only was up dressed as the backup, outside of that one game against us in April of 2022. Signing with Islanders every year pretty much ended any chance of him getting more NHL games. If he had signed with teams that had poor goalie injury luck like Andrew Hammond with the Habs, maybe he gets in more games in the NHL in the last 3 years.

I also said Blackwood ain't gonna bounce back. I said I'm skeptical he will ever be good again. I think he may have a good season in the NHL again at some point, but it won't be a trend. It will be random, like Quick and Bobrovsky's seasons last year. Or like Craig Anderson this year! It was always ''Well he was injured (when isn't he?)'' or ''He had covid''. It's never ''Oh he had a bad AHL career before he even got to the NHL''.

So you can put me in a straight jacket, tell me to get therapy, but god dammit I've been right on the goalies for years now. Certainly the Devils goalies.

I got one more, because I haven't released my bowels completely yet. How about ''Keith Kinkaid will not be in the NHL in 2 years from now'' which I think was from about January of 2018? It was a month away from being two years. Montreal waived him in December of 2019 and he ain't been a full time NHL goalie since. He's been called up every year since. He's had at least one start in the 3 seasons since then, which I remember someone tried to contradict me on the ''He'll be out of the league in 2 years'' by saying ''But he still gets call ups! He's still started games!''.

I've taken A LOT of grief here (not from everybody, but from some people and I remember the names) over my goalie observations and proclaiming these guys to be done and finished and that's why I'm such a pompous, raging, toxic ASSHOLE about it.

In conclusion, I'm not always right, but I've never been wrong on the goalies!

 

[Dylan9z9]

Goals 3 and 4 were no chance, but goal 1 SUCKED. That's a routine blocker save more often than not. Blackwood off his angle though and I think it even went through his arm.

Goal 2 wasn't a bad one, but I'd have to think that puck hits goalies more than we realize it and we just don't notice it because it isn't a goal against. Especially a big BLIMP like Blackwood's size, that probably hits him in his big bloated chest protector.

It's so fitting that we come back with Schmid and he doesn't allow a goal. It's almost like as soon as Schmid came in, we were destined to come back and win this.

The universe has been sending us signs all year and this was yet another.

I do believe we're potentially down in a wild card spot (god forbid below that) if Blackwood doesn't get injured against Edmonton and didn't miss 1.5 months. That gave Vanecek the net pretty much for good, and then when it looked like he could lose it again, Blackwood got bombed by the Bruins right before Christmas and we didn't look back from there.

Even if Blackwood didn't play any of the games Vanecek got anyway in November and December, you know he would have at least played all the games Schmid played and some of those could have very well went the other way. Because Schmid wouldn't have been up here or even been a thing.

I just watched the 4th goal Blackwood had all kinds of time to cover that puck if he wasn't so f***ing slow. He is ridiculously bad at tracking the puck

 

[HoliksGhost]

I’m having regular season withdrawals already… what an amazing year to watch this team develop right before our eyes… freaking crazy crazy season!!!

 

[Bleedred]

I just watched the 4th goal Blackwood had all kinds of time to cover that puck if he wasn't so f***ing slow. He is ridiculously bad at tracking the puck

It looked like another bad rebound at one angle, but I don't think it really was.

Obviously, not EVERY goal is BAD. They never are. Goalies give up goals MOST games. There's a much greater chance that a goalie is giving up at least 2 goals on any given night than him getting a shutout that night. So yes, goals against happen. Not all of them are bad. Most of them aren't, even on the BAD goalies and a goalie doesn't need to justify every single goal allowed.

But when you've been this bad for the last 3 years, you don't get the benefit of the doubt. I just went today and looked at who has been worse than Blackwood since February 20th of 2021, since it's been a while since I've done so. With a minimum of 25 games played, there were a few guys that are third string AHL call ups (Jonas Johansson was one I remember) and maybe Hutchinson was another? Good ole' John Gillies was worse, but hasn't played 25 games. And we know he isn't any good. Andrew Hammond was also worse, but again didn't come near the 25 game watermark in the NHL since that date.

Brian Elliott was even with him since that date, but he's old and ready to retire after this year. Even Martin Jones has been slightly not as bad. Mrazek was pretty close. Nico Daws as well, but obviously he ain't played nearly as many games and we all know he wasn't ready for the NHL.

Sometimes goalies have unlucky bad seasons and there's no explanation for it, but we're talking about a guy that's been an .893% over 77 games now. Do we have to get to 100 games of this before we say ''Yup, okay, throw the damn towel. He isn't NHL caliber''.

 

[Dylan9z9]

It looked like another bad rebound at one angle, but I don't think it really was.

Obviously, not EVERY goal is BAD. They never are. Goalies give up goals MOST games. There's a much greater chance that a goalie is giving up at least 2 goals on any given night than him getting a shutout that night. So yes, goals against happen. Not all of them are bad. Most of them aren't, even on the BAD goalies and a goalie doesn't need to rationalize every single goal allowed.

But when you've been this bad for the last 3 years, you don't get the benefit of the doubt. I just went today and looked at who has been worse than Blackwood since February 20th of 2021, since it's been a while since I've done so. With a minimum of 25 games played, there were a few guys that are third string AHL call ups (Jonas Johansson was one I remember) and maybe Hutchinson was another? Good ole' John Gillies was worse, but hasn't played 25 games. And we know he isn't any good. Andrew Hammond was also worse, but again didn't come near the 25 game watermark in the NHL since that date.

Brian Elliott was even with him since that date, but he's old and ready to retire after this year. Even Martin Jones has been slightly not as bad. Mrazek was pretty close. Nico Daws as well, but obviously he ain't played nearly as many games and we all know he wasn't ready for the NHL.

Sometimes goalies have unlucky bad seasons and there's no explanation for it, but we're talking about a guy that's been an .893% over 77 games now. Do we have to get to 100 games of this before we say ''Yup, okay, throw the damn towel. He isn't NHL caliber''.

Dump this clown

 

[JimEIV]

To be fair, Sevs can sign a short one or two year deal with NJ to go on a couple of playoff runs. Sure he would leave some money on the table but you are talking about a guy who has made about 30 million so far and even signing with NJ for $4 mil for one more season he will get a nice retirement contract after next season from someone. I will miss him when he is playing elsewhere and I don’t begrudge him for going where he will get paid the most but he can probably delay that for a year and stick around.

His last deal was a sweetheart deal at 4.16 His career earnings are 27.85 million over 9 years. That's really peanuts for a top 4 defender. And he was a top 4 defender the entire duration of his contract.

If I were his agent I'm not letting him leave a dime on the table as his next contract is probably his last opportunity at big pay day.

 

[Bleedred]

Dump this clown

He's a $1 million dollar a year, two way contract caliber goalie.

I had him down for about $1.5 million for one year contract from some NHL team next year, but now I'm thinking it might be closer to $1.2-$1.3 million for one year.

I was thinking along the lines of the deal Samsonov got from the Leafs. He had better seasons than Samsonov had before this year, but his last 3 seasons are way below .900% and that's in a league where the league average over the last 3 combined seasons is .906% or so (.904% this year) and it's not like being below .900% when the league average was .915%. 10 years ago.

We also have a scarcity of good goalies right now more than we have had in quite some time and he's only 26 and not 29 or 30. So he'll get a deal from somebody.

 

[Dylan9z9]

5 min left in the 2nd so far Darcy Kuemper doing his best Dominik Hasek

Peter Boyle doing his best Genucil commercial

 

[My3Sons]

5 min left in the 2nd so far Darcy Kuemper doing his best Dominik Hasek

Peter Boyle doing his best Genucil commercial

RIP Peter Boyle. He was buddies with Lennon.

 

[My3Sons]

His last deal was a sweetheart deal at 4.16 His career earnings are 27.85 million over 9 years. That's really peanuts for a top 4 defender. And he was a top 4 defender the entire duration of his contract.

If I were his agent I'm not letting him leave a dime on the table as his next contract is probably his last opportunity at big pay day.

I get that but the money will likely be with a struggling team. He will have made himself irrelevant as an NHL player. I haven’t done the math but if he could trade $3 mil out of say $25 mil to spend an extra year with the resurgent Devils I’d tell him to think about it. At a certain point the money is diminishing returns. If NJ goes on a cup run he will be kicking himself.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Easy solution with Severson is to win the whole thing this year.

 

[Bleedred]

This game felt like we were gonna come back and win at some point from late in the 2nd.

I was about ready to throw it and rest guys for the the 3rd, until it got to 4-2 late in the 2nd. Then I figured we were coming back.

 

[JimEIV]

I get that but the money will likely be with a struggling team. He will have made himself irrelevant as an NHL player. I haven’t done the math but if he could trade $3 mil out of say $25 mil to spend an extra year with the resurgent Devils I’d tell him to think about it. At a certain point the money is diminishing returns. If NJ goes on a cup run he will be kicking himself.

I'm honestly not sure what you are proposing? You want Severson to sign a cheap one year deal with NJ?

The idea is kind of insulting if I understand you correctly..."Hey Damon can forgo ufa to keep this seat warm for Nemec...oh and by the way, can you do it cheaply".

Perhaps the market will be weak this off season for RHD, I don't know? But I'm pretty sure someone will be willing to pay 30-36 million on a 5 or 6 year deal.

 

[My3Sons]

I'm honestly not sure what you are proposing? You want Severson to sign a cheap one year deal with NJ?

The idea is kind of insulting if I understand you correctly..."Hey Damon can forgo ufa to keep this seat warm for Nemec...oh and by the way, can you do it cheaply".

Perhaps the market will be weak this off season for RHD, I don't know? But I'm pretty sure someone will be willing to pay 30-36 million on a 5 or 6 year deal.

No. I’m not advocating anything but I can’t feel too bad that he’s going to miss out on the team’s future. It’s his choice. My only point is that if he wanted to stay he could. Look at what Bergeron and Krecji did.

 

[JimEIV]

No. I’m not advocating anything but I can’t feel too bad that he’s going to miss out on the team’s future. It’s his choice. My only point is that if he wanted to stay he could. Look at what Bergeron and Krecji did.

Bergeron has made 96 million and Krejci has made 71 million over the course of their careers and they have been among the top paid Bruins for a very long time and both are in the twilight of their careers.

There simply isn't a reasonable path forward for Severson. In real dollars he's making 5.1 this season. Have you ever seen a 28 year old top 4 Dman take less heading into UFA?