GDT: The Lizard Man Returns: Predators vs. Devils, 7:30 PM, NBCSN

[PizzaAndPucks]

What other 1st overall pick is getting 3rd pairing minutes their rookie year with offensive dynamos like Miles Wood and Wayne Simmonds ? Hughes will be fine. Age and experience will help him get better as a player.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Oh. And other thing that stuck out to me... Severson was just... listless on a couple of their goals.

Sevs being Sevs. He can be great and meh in one game.

If someone could just polish his d reads consistency, he'd be a great player. Also with his pinching timings...

 

[jkrdevil]

I swear he got tips from Brodeur or something lol. It's weird how he suddenly became a threat in the shootout.

Yea, Marty told him to come in with speed. Which is what he has done since then.

I'm not sure why more players who don't have exceptional hands don't do this. Going slow gives the goalie more time to react.

 

[glenwo2]

Third year, but he's missed significant time. And I honestly think the staff has something to do with it. Look in the pinned AHL/ECHL, where I made a post from the Athletic today. Their turnaround coincided with them changing their system to no longer mirror ours. Not only did they get better defensively, they picked it up offensively too. As I said there, you can't score if you don't have the puck.

I wish I can sticky this 'cause it's right on the money and it's exactly what I was talking about with brit.

Once we get a real NHL head coach with a SANE NHL system in place, we will definitely see a turnaround like we've seen in the AHL affiliate.

 

[jkrdevil]

Anyways, looking at Nashville's underlying numbers before Hynes and after Hynes. They aren't awful because they are a talented team, but across the board their 5-on-5 have dropped since he came on board. That doesn't seem ideal when you have subpar goalie-ing.

 

[Edmonton East]

What other 1st overall pick is getting 3rd pairing minutes their rookie year with offensive dynamos like Miles Wood and Wayne Simmonds ? Hughes will be fine. Age and experience will help him get better as a player.

He's had numerous opportunities to play with decent players and on the PP.

He hasn't performed well. Simple. Enough excuses for the kid. He's been disappointing even for me...and I had wayyyyyyy more realistic expectations than a lot of folks. Really don't like his interviews either. Same stuff you saw pre-draft. Would hope getting your ass handed to you night in and night out would humble ya a bit, but apparently not.

Kid has a lot to work on and needs to fill out, as expected...or should have been expected. So not gonna get hung up too much on this year. BUT. He better stop looking lethargic and like he doesn't give a shit in the dzone and backchecking. All you need to do is try, bud.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Fun fact: This is the first Devils game Kenny Albert has called since 2012

Haha, he actually called quite a few. Usually our National game a season. This season we had him twice.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Nico wide open on 3v1 and 2v1 in OT and doesn’t touch the puck..

Killed me. Yup move the puck early on those situations. Give and go. Get the defense turning and chasing. We held the puck until it was too deep and even the 3 on 1 didn’t result in an honest shot.

Nico has come back from the All Star game with a solid understanding of how to play 3 on 3.

 

[Triumph]

He's had numerous opportunities to play with decent players and on the PP.

He hasn't performed well. Simple. Enough excuses for the kid. He's been disappointing even for me...and I had wayyyyyyy more realistic expectations than a lot of folks. Really don't like his interviews either. Same stuff you saw pre-draft. Would hope getting your ass handed to you night in and night out would humble ya a bit, but apparently not.

Kid has a lot to work on and needs to fill out, as expected...or should have been expected. So not gonna get hung up too much on this year. BUT. He better stop looking lethargic and like he doesn't give a **** in the dzone and backchecking. All you need to do is try, bud.

Hughes was bad tonight but

A: He's advanced a ton since opening night

B: He's gotten garbage luck, both with his own finishing and his line's finishing.

A lot of people are going to be 'surprised' how good Hughes is next year.

 

[Camille the Eel]

And yeah second straight uneven game from Blackwood. Didn’t like how badly he was beat on those 2 on 1s against Ottawa either. He overcommitted early on both.

But the kid is a battler and I love how in both games he battled back to be tough and save the game in OT.

In the shootout tonight you could see their book on Blackwood. Shoot the puck and lift it. You don’t beat him easily down low. You won’t deke him easily when he’s deep in the net or backing up. So shoot the puck and go high. Maybe freeze him with a move first. They beat him clean twice in the shootout tonight and when that happens to your goalie you won’t often win the extra point.

 

[Nubmer6]

He's had numerous opportunities to play with decent players and on the PP.

Frankly, I don't like him on the PP at all. I'm much rather Goose or Bratt take his spot on PP1. I think both (especially Goose) would be a much better distributor and shooter in that position.

 

[Nubmer6]

And yeah second straight uneven game from Blackwood. Didn’t like how badly he was beat on those 2 on 1s against Ottawa either. He overcommitted early on both.

But the kid is a battler and I love how in both games he battled back to be tough and save the game in OT.

In the shootout tonight you could see their book on Blackwood. Shoot the puck and lift it. You don’t beat him easily down low. You won’t deke him easily when he’s deep in the net or backing up. So shoot the puck and go high. Maybe freeze him with a move first. They beat him clean twice in the shootout tonight and when that happens to your goalie you won’t often win the extra point.

I've said this before... I believe that if Blackwood learns to poke check, he'll take his shootout play to a whole new level.

 

[MichaelJ]

Really don't like his interviews either. Same stuff you saw pre-draft. Would hope getting your ass handed to you night in and night out would humble ya a bit, but apparently not.

Im glad I’m not the only one who thinks he’s annoyingly smug.

 

[glenwo2]

I've said this before... I believe that if Blackwood learns to poke check, he'll take his shootout play to a whole new level.

Really wish Marty would get more involved here, go up to Blackwood and tell him "Dude...that Hockey Stick you have isn't for Decoration".

 

[Satans Hockey]

And what the hell are many of you complaining about?

Every preds point is potentially a victory in June.

f*** that, I want Nashville and Arizona to miss the playoffs.

 

[NJDevs26]

And what the hell are many of you complaining about?

Every preds point is potentially a victory in June.

Based on what, getting the 2nd rounder from 50 to 40? Big deal. I don't mind if they win in spite of his coaching but I don't want Hynes to suddenly turn into Scotty Bowman there either, mostly cause of his over-the-top advocates.

 

[MadDevil]

I just randomly clicked on page 20 of this thread. Couldn't be bothered to watch the game.

But man, you need to practice some breathing exercises.

It's just his shtick. Or at least I hope it is. If he's really that angry all the time he's going to have a stroke or heart attack at a young age.

 

[Nubmer6]

Based on what, getting the 2nd rounder from 50 to 40? Big deal. I don't mind if they win in spite of his coaching but I don't want Hynes to suddenly turn into Scotty Bowman there either, mostly cause of his over-the-top advocates.

Based on pushing the 'Yotes out of the playoffs.

 

[R8Devs]

Based on what, getting the 2nd rounder from 50 to 40? Big deal. I don't mind if they win in spite of his coaching but I don't want Hynes to suddenly turn into Scotty Bowman there either, mostly cause of his over-the-top advocates.

to push arizona out of a spot for the draft in june. the former coaches (hynes/deboer) could really do the Devils solid if they can get their teams to make the playoffs

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Based on what, getting the 2nd rounder from 50 to 40? Big deal. I don't mind if they win in spite of his coaching but I don't want Hynes to suddenly turn into Scotty Bowman there either, mostly cause of his over-the-top advocates.

Getting the 1st from ~15 to <14.

 

[NJDevs26]

Well Nashville's not the only one that can bump Arizona out, especially since they're not even in the same division. I'd worry more about Arizona getting a top three spot in that mediocre Pacific.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

**** that, I want Nashville and Arizona to miss the playoffs.

Sure.

But Nashville is one of the possible teams to overtake them in the standings and every position in this draft is valuable to the Devils.

The 1st rounder much more so.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Well Nashville's not the only one that can bump Arizona out, especially since they're not even in the same division. I'd worry more about Arizona getting a top three spot in that mediocre Pacific.

The point is we should want Nashville, Chicago, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Vegas, and even Montreal to surge.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I'm just going to give Preds Dmen credit and move on. We put up 5 goals, but there was some really nice stickwork from Josi and others that cut passes that could've really turned into goals easily enough on the odd-man rushes.

Hughes had about as bad a game as I've seen him play. Zacha made some nice plays but there were some ewww passes there too. Blackwood wasn't good. Defense was its typical awful, all over the ice - just weird decisions and terrible coverage.

I'm not sure why folks are hating on Wood all the time - he's actually put together a few good games there and he's really the only guy who consistently gets to the front of the net, and who consistently pushes the defense back on rushes a few times a game. At only 22 yrs old, I think if he finds a soft landing place on the right line - he's going to be a big asset along the lines of Tom Wilson someday.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

**** that, I want Nashville and Arizona to miss the playoffs.

Even though it might take Nashville to make it for AZ to miss out?