GDT: New Jersey Devils @ Carolina Hurricanes: Niconight Run

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

This is why the sky falls so often on this board.

Can we clinch a playoff spot first, before discussing matchup preferences? Jesus.

 

[My3Sons]

Thorne with Peter McNabb was very good

I ran into Thorne at a Texas Rangers game some years back. I approached him and asked him to give me an enthusiastic “Save Tererri!” He laughed and said that went way back or something close to that. By his reaction I’d say it had been many years since anyone mentioned his Devils work to him.

 

[My3Sons]

This is why the sky falls so often on this board.

Can we clinch a playoff spot first, before discussing matchup preferences? Jesus.

The standings do look more promising today then a week ago. At least we can talk about the playoffs now without it being a joke. I tend to agree with you though that we shouldn’t count our bird in the bush or our chickens in hand or put our cart before the horse gets out of the barn. My guess is that barring a nutty trade or crazy injuries that NJ is in a playoff dog fight all the way down to the wire.

 

[severian]

The standings do look more promising today then a week ago. At least we can talk about the playoffs now without it being a joke. I tend to agree with you though that we shouldn’t count our bird in the bush or our chickens in hand or put our cart before the horse gets out of the barn. My guess is that barring a nutty trade or crazy injuries that NJ is in a playoff dog fight all the way down to the wire.

I think 22 more points will get them in.

 

[My3Sons]

I think 22 more points will get them in.

Maybe. My concern for NJ is that west coast trip. That could be a big stumbling block and keep them close to the pack.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Devils have 23 games left and 70 points. 95 points will like 99.9% be enough to make it. Thats only 1.09 ppg the rest of the way.

FYI for the season overall, we are at 70 points in 59 games (1.19 ppg)

 

[glenwo2]

Maybe. My concern for NJ is that west coast trip. That could be a big stumbling block and keep them close to the pack.

Tough TOUGH games during that stretch.

 

[mtnet]

They have some pride to recover on Tuesday after that last rollover to CBJ

They must capitalize at home this week

 

[Blackjack]

I just did a quick projection and here's where we're at in terms of making the playoffs...

There are only two teams currently out of a playoff spot that could realistically catch us, Carolina and Columbus. Both team are currently sitting at about an 87.5 point pace, and both teams are struggling. The Devils are on pace for just over 97 points.

I'd say at this point not making the playoffs would require a near complete collapse. @Zajacs Bowl Cut points out that we can get 95 points with only 1.09 ppg. Another way to look at it that we get 93 points just playing NHL .500, and for Columbus (who currently has a slightly better point percentage than Carolina) to reach 93 points they'd have to go something like 14-7-2 in their last 23 games.

Long story short: We would need to play the rest of the season like the Rangers, and two of the Islanders, Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes would need to play the rest of the season like the Nashville Predators for us to miss the playoffs. 20-21 games is a really long time to sustain that level of play, but I certainly recognize that it's possible.

That's just the math of it. Also consider that we should get Schneider back at some point, and while Lack and Kinkaid were great the last couple of games, we can look forward to a little more consistency with Schneider, and getting Gibbons back will really help the PK which has been putrid.

 

[severian]

I just did a quick projection and here's where we're at in terms of making the playoffs...

There are only two teams currently out of a playoff spot that could realistically catch us, Carolina and Columbus. Both team are currently sitting at about an 87.5 point pace, and both teams are struggling. The Devils are on pace for just over 97 points.

I'd say at this point not making the playoffs would require a near complete collapse. @Zajacs Bowl Cut points out that we can get 95 points with only 1.09 ppg. Another way to look at it that we get 93 points just playing NHL .500, and for Columbus (who currently has a slightly better point percentage than Carolina) to reach 93 points they'd have to go something like 14-7-2 in their last 23 games.

Long story short: We would need to play the rest of the season like the Rangers, and two of the Islanders, Blue Jackets, and Hurricanes would need to play the rest of the season like the Nashville Predators for us to miss the playoffs. 20-21 games is a really long time to sustain that level of play, but I certainly recognize that it's possible.

That's just the math of it. Also consider that we should get Schneider back at some point, and while Lack and Kinkaid were great the last couple of games, we can look forward to a little more consistency with Schneider, and getting Gibbons back will really help the PK which has been putrid.

The bottom line is the Devils need to make some noise and pick up some big points at home this week. 5/6 would really have everyone feeling good.

 

[MachoDiablo]

Yeah, I don't want the team to take anything for granted, but the numbers bear out that the Devils have an incredibly high chance to sew up a playoff spot without too much drama. That's fair to point out, but I do have to remind myself a lot that this is a young team and weird things can happen late in the season.

On the announce team: no, they're not perfect, but I do appreciate that they don't crap on other teams or hound the refs too badly unless a call is egregious. Too many small market announcers go full metal homer on stuff like that, and it's bush league. We were spoiled rotten with Doc for so many years, it's just tough to move away from the best.

That said, I always laugh when I notice how hard Steve has worked the past few years to stop pronouncing it like "SCAAAAR!!!".

 

[Camille the Eel]

The bottom line is the Devils need to make some noise and pick up some big points at home this week. 5/6 would really have everyone feeling good.

One game at a time. If we keep winning, we are holding all of the cards. But Columbus is a revenge game. They took us behind the shed ten days ago. Win this game and our season series with them is even. If we play 500 with them, the Penguins, the Islanders, our path to the playoffs is clear.

We have scored 17 goals during this 4 game win streak. Slightly more than 4 a game per average. With the current goal tending, that's what we will need. If we can continue to put up 3 + or 4 a game, we will be in it for sure, even if it goes down to the wire.

I am not confident we'll see Cory again this season. Next thing we'll hear is there's been sports hernia surgery and we'll see him in October. All the more reason to keep scoring. Of course they know that. They've always known it. For this club this year, it's always been "as the goal scoring goes so go the points." That's what got Edmonton and Toronto turned around last year. Best thing about Shero is he grasped that that's the name of the game in the new NHL, post lock out. You can be smaller and faster, if that's what it takes to score.

Bruins figured that out too, and got rid of Luksic for youth and speed. Pittsburgh figured it out to win two cups. I wonder if Nashville will get over the top this year with the older style team? We'll see.

 

[Devils090]

Maybe. My concern for NJ is that west coast trip. That could be a big stumbling block and keep them close to the pack.

Nashville-Vegas-Cali teams-Pittsburgh

Brutal stretch, I’d be happy with 7 points

 

[NJDevs26]

Maybe. My concern for NJ is that west coast trip. That could be a big stumbling block and keep them close to the pack.

While that is definitely a brutal five games they’re starting to do what they need to now and building up a cushion so that even if they go 1-3-1 or 1-4 they’ll be fine as long as they keep winning before then.

 

[OmNomNom]

i'm gonna be bold and say we go 3-1-1 on the west coast trip. book it.

 

[glenwo2]

Yeah, I don't want the team to take anything for granted, but the numbers bear out that the Devils have an incredibly high chance to sew up a playoff spot without too much drama. That's fair to point out, but I do have to remind myself a lot that this is a young team and weird things can happen late in the season.

On the announce team: no, they're not perfect, but I do appreciate that they don't crap on other teams or hound the refs too badly unless a call is egregious. Too many small market announcers go full metal homer on stuff like that, and it's bush league. We were spoiled rotten with Doc for so many years, it's just tough to move away from the best.

That said, I always laugh when I notice how hard Steve has worked the past few years to stop pronouncing it like "SCAAAAR!!!".

True but there are some times when that is warranted...and all they do is come up with EXCUSES for something that is inexcusable.

Also, Cangy constantly harping on the achievements of an opposing player needing blah-blah to reach a milestone....

...and because of that JINX, it happens at the Devils expense!!

Sorry but if they were just a bit more Homerish and didn't do the above mentioned, they'd be close-to-perfect.

 

[glenwo2]

Nashville-Vegas-Cali teams-Pittsburgh

Brutal stretch, I’d be happy with 7 points

Of those teams, I think Nashville is the team that can outright shut us down, period.

San Jose has, for some reason, giving us problems but maybe that's just due to us not facing them often enough.

The Kings are beatable.

Anaheim could be an up-and-down fun barnburner.

And I still say we match up very well with the Pens.



As far as Vegas goes, I don't know and don't want to speculate on how the Devils do against them since they haven't faced them as of yet. Their first game happens during a 3-game homestand on March 3rd.

 

[njdevils19]

True but there are some times when that is warranted...and all they do is come up with EXCUSES for something that is inexcusable.

Also, Cangy constantly harping on the achievements of an opposing player needing blah-blah to reach a milestone....

...and because of that JINX, it happens at the Devils expense!!

Sorry but if they were just a bit more Homerish and didn't do the above mentioned, they'd be close-to-perfect.

I don't care for when cangy calls opposing players by their nicknames. Silly complaint but am I alone?

 

[Cheddabombs]

I love Cangi and Dano. They may be bumbling fools at times but they're our bumbling fools. Cangi calls a great game, gets very excited at appropriate times, acknowledges the opposing team's players and their talents, etc. Dano has his quirks but his love for the Devils is amazing and it's fun to hear him have fun calling these games. He's a Devil through and through.

 

[njdevils19]

I love Cangi and Dano. They may be bumbling fools at times but they're our bumbling fools. Cangi calls a great game, gets very excited at appropriate times, acknowledges the opposing team's players and their talents, etc. Dano has his quirks but his love for the Devils is amazing and it's fun to hear him have fun calling these games. He's a Devil through and through.

Dano also will admit when we got away with one . And his inability to let go of the past and how games used to be called is always amusing. Man sal has been a major upgrade over Johnny Mac. I even like the hockey show guy talking analytics.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Dano also will admit when we got away with one . And his inability to let go of the past and how games used to be called is always amusing. Man sal has been a major upgrade over Johnny Mac. I even like the hockey show guy talking analytics.

My favourite is when Dano's in the middle of one of his stories about the ol' days, then Cangi interrupts him to actually call the game, and Dano comes back to it minutes later. "Just to finish up that thought partner..."

And yeah Sal is awesome!

 

[Emperoreddy]

Dano calling Steve “partner” always cracks me up. Did since he started doing it last year.

Also agree on Sal. He has been a fantastic addition to the broadcast team. Great he is still with the team. If it wasn’t this I would have really hoped he got a coaching job here instead.

 

[njdevils19]

My favourite is when Dano's in the middle of one of his stories about the ol' days, then Cangi interrupts him to actually call the game, and Dano comes back to it minutes later. "Just to finish up that thought partner..."

And yeah Sal is awesome!

Sal literally gives the person he is interviewing zero ability to give an answer sal isn't looking for. He basically tells them what is happening and dates them to disagree lol.

 

[Wingman77]

With MacLean, you almost fear that if how he came across as an announcer is any indication of his coaching.....which would not be surprising in the least, yikes.

 

[Blender]

With MacLean, you almost fear that if how he came across as an announcer is any indication of his coaching.....which would not be surprising in the least, yikes.

Sal sounds way more like a coach should than MacLean ever did. Who knows what MacLean is like in the room though.