Prospect Info: MacKenzie Blackwood -G- (42nd Overall 2015)

[NJDevs26]

what would make you nervous? Arent goaltender supposed to be able to do that with ease?

He's 225 pounds, playing like he's a much lighter goalie like Kinkaid or Tuukka Rask and overly being extended with this defense. Maybe I'm just used to Marty's free-easy style, Cory not being overly athletic and smaller guys like KK, Terreri and Hedberg. Big guys like Blackwood shouldn't be too liberal with smaller goalie athletic type saves unless they have to, and with this defense he has to. Big goalies should be more about positioning ideally.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Slashed someone in the neck. Fired a puck into the stands. Also threatened to beat the hell out of a fan lol.

I hope he's alright. I want to see more of him and think he deserves to keep playing up here the rest of the season with how good he has looked

The crazier the goalie, the better.

 

[Nubmer6]

He's 225 pounds, playing like he's a much lighter goalie like Kinkaid or Tuukka Rask and overly being extended with this defense. Maybe I'm just used to Marty's free-easy style, Cory not being overly athletic and smaller guys like KK, Terreri and Hedberg. Big guys like Blackwood shouldn't be too liberal with smaller goalie athletic type saves unless they have to, and with this defense he has to. Big goalies should be more about positioning ideally.

I don't consider KK a smaller goalie. He's 6'2". In fact, before I looked it up, I thought he was bigger than Cory. He certainly looks bigger in net than him right now.

 

[Wingman77]

I don't consider KK a smaller goalie. He's 6'2". In fact, before I looked it up, I thought he was bigger than Cory. He certainly looks bigger in net than him right now.

Out of Cory, Kinkaid, and Blackwood, Kinkaid certainly looks and plays like the bigger of the 3 goalies. Blackwood moves the best out of the 3 and that contributes to him playing a smaller style because he is able to get into positions that the other 2 aren't. Cory's movement has never been great even when he was playing well and it has led to him having a tougher time springing backwards or laterally when the puck carrier/puck gets behind his body. Kinkaid hulks over the play a bit more and moves decently, but because of the way he tends to hulk over, he gets caught out of position easily and is why we see him further out of the net than he should be at times.

Blackwood is the biggest of the 3, but plays like the smallest.

 

[Nubmer6]

Out of Cory, Kinkaid, and Blackwood, Kinkaid certainly looks and plays like the bigger of the 3 goalies. Blackwood moves the best out of the 3 and that contributes to him playing a smaller style because he is able to get into positions that the other 2 aren't. Cory's movement has never been great even when he was playing well and it has led to him having a tougher time springing backwards or laterally when the puck carrier/puck gets behind his body. Kinkaid hulks over the play a bit more and moves decently, but because of the way he tends to hulk over, he gets caught out of position easily and is why we see him further out of the net than he should be at times.

Blackwood is the biggest of the 3, but plays like the smallest.

I presume by "smallest" you mean quickest. Cory just seems to play so deep in the net and hunched over that he just LOOKS small to me. Blackwood started playing deep, but has been coming out and cutting angles more as he gets more comfortable in the NHL.

 

[Wingman77]

I presume by "smallest" you mean quickest. Cory just seems to play so deep in the net and hunched over that he just LOOKS small to me. Blackwood started playing deep, but has been coming out and cutting angles more as he gets more comfortable in the NHL.

More or less, yea his athleticism allows for him to be in positions and move well for goalies his size. Some goalies his size are in net and their body size is what they use to their advantage.

Part of why Cory plays deeper could be as a result of him knowing that once he gets "beat" that there isn't much of a chance for him to sprawl back and make an attempt to thwart the puck from going in with a more acrobatic type of save. This isn't to take away what he provided here and in Vancouver when he was playing better, especially here where he helped keep some bad teams in games that they otherwise wouldn't have been in. Hopefully he can regain some form again after these injuries and whatever else might be hindering him, be it here or elsewhere.

 

[Nubmer6]

Part of why Cory plays deeper could be as a result of him knowing that once he gets "beat" that there isn't much of a chance for him to sprawl back and make an attempt to thwart the puck from going in with a more acrobatic type of save.

To me, it's the classic sign of a goalie that's lacking confidence. It's not even just his positioning, it's his posture. His shoulders are slumped, which takes away width and makes him look even smaller.

 

[varano]

I assume that blackwood is just having soreness with him still being day to day

 

[Cheddabombs]

I assume that blackwood is just having soreness with him still being day to day

Team is off today, we'll find out more tomorrow

 

[glenwo2]

We need Blackwood back in Net....BADLY.

 

[NJDevs26]

We need Blackwood back in Net....BADLY.

For what lol...just let him go back to the minors and not be tainted by this ****show. He's already got a good taste in his mouth from his first few games, I'd rather not ruin it with repeated exposure to this sorry outfit, which will be even sorrier after the deadline.

 

[mtnet]

Team is off today, we'll find out more tomorrow

Apparently the team was off tonight as well

 

[OmNomNom]

come back, we miss you

 

[Ripshot 43]

I thgink the team is purposely keeping him out “injured” so he stops ruining our chances at s better draft pick. Next year they throw him back out there with our high 2019 draft pick, Ty Smith and Nico

 

[Devils Dominion]

Will he be ready by Saturday's national tv game vs Philly and Carter Hart?

 

[My3Sons]

Will he be ready by Saturday's national tv game vs Philly and Carter Hart?

Yes the big Blackwood versus Hart showdown for the title of which team wasn’t as bad as the other one for a day. That’s what the viewers of a national game are tuning in to see. I’m sure even NYR NYI and even LA and CHI fans will find it riveting.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Yes the big Blackwood versus Hart showdown for the title of which team wasn’t as bad as the other one for a day. That’s what the viewers of a national game are tuning in to see. I’m sure even NYR NYI and even LA and CHI fans will find it riveting.

I think FLA and Pitts fans would find it interesting too
Actually any hockey fan.

Match-up of two promising young netminders

 

[My3Sons]

I think FLA and Pitts fans would find it interesting too
Actually any hockey fan.

Match-up of two promising young netminders

I’m sure the tv ratings will set records for bad teams starting rookie goaltenders in January.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I’m sure the tv ratings will set records for bad teams starting rookie goaltenders in January.

I'm not worried about ratings.

I want Devils fans across the country to see Big Mac get a win on NHL Network

 

[My3Sons]

I'm not worried about ratings.

I want Devils fans across the country to see Big Mac get a win on NHL Network

Of course that would be nice and I’m sure several will tune in given the way the season has gone.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

honestly who cares

the fans that want to see the games find a way, whether it be NHL CEnter Ice or through streams

 

[Devils Dominion]

Of course that would be nice and I’m sure several will tune in given the way the season has gone.

I'm getting a little concerned to see how you're steering into a lot of more negative posts of late.
Is everything ok?

 

[My3Sons]

I'm getting a little concerned to see how you're steering into a lot of more negative posts of late.
Is everything ok?

Thanks for the kind words. I’m ok. No worse than the usual for an over stressed lawyer with kids a wife dogs and in laws. I think I’m just being cynical about the season but I’m still a proud Devils fan. I should be more reasonable in my commentary.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Thanks for the kind words. I’m ok. No worse than the usual for an over stressed lawyer with kids a wife dogs and in laws. I think I’m just being cynical about the season but I’m still a proud Devils fan. I should be more reasonable in my commentary.

You are one of the best here, I enjoy your insight

 

[My3Sons]

You are one of the best here, I enjoy your insight

I’m just old and hence more patient and my career forces me to view things in a balanced way. I’ve also been fortunate to root for a slew of teams that have won titles so it’s easy for me to be pragmatic. I can understand the frustration of a younger fan who maybe didn’t pick up hockey until the last cup run and is stunned at the failure since then and also roots for the Jets and maybe the Nets or Knicks. That’s tough on any fan. I was there from way back and saw really bad teams and lots of wheel spinning waiting for the team to become more than a so so playoff team. This current era isn’t nearly as bad to me as that was.

And on point - I’m cautiously optimistic on MBW. I know last year in the AHL he was bad but he was doing very well in the ECHL playoffs before injury and apparently he may have had an eye problem that has been resolved. The early returns on his NHL play have been great. He has all the tools and hopefully he can weather the storm of this season.