The NJ Devils Goaltender Thread

[Ripshot 43]

If only we could have Cory play consistently well, a decent defence (or really any at all) and an ok scoring forward groups. Then we might be in decent shape.

Is that asking for too much?

 

[None Shall Pass]

It's kinda weird that a goalie who, historically, has been very good, is good again after figuring out the serious injuries he's been playing with for the past two years.

Who could have called that?

 

[Billdo]

I don't like this way of thinking. The last part, about Cory needing to be worth his contract. This implies that we need to play him the way he's paid. I've read these arguments for years, all over the forums and about players at all positions. It's not just about Cory or a goalie, but players at any position. ''Oh, this guy gets paid $5 million a year, we can't only play him 15 minutes a night. He has to played more than that''. I think this was an argument about Volchenkov and Salvador at the end.

One of the few things I give Hynes credit for, he hasn't seen it that way or gave him starts based on his contract and how much he gets paid. If he did that last year in March, we probably would have missed the playoffs.

If you look at it this, both our goalies make a combined $6.7, that's not bad for a tandem lol.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

The people who actually thought that Schneider just magically went from one of the top goaltenders in the world to absolute dog sh*t in 1 year are insane. The guy had a couple serious injuries/surgeries. Then during his 20 game winless skid, he actually played pretty damn well in about 5 or 6 of those games. So that's what, 15 or so bad games? Thats not enough sample size to just completely write off a goalie who has, in my mind, been a top 10 goalie in the NHL since 2012.

At this point, I'd say there are about 7-10 goalies I would take over Schneider (age not considered). We still have an above average goalie in Schneids. And MacBlack looks damn good as well.

 

[Devilsfan118]

.934 over last 8 games, 4 wins in last 5.

Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel
Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine
Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko

Players that Cory's elite but untimely goaltending have kept us out of the running for. Let that sink in.

Edit: And to be clear, I'm not blaming the ginger. I'm blaming Lou.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

.934 over last 8 games, 4 wins in last 5.

Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel
Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine
Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko

Players that Cory's elite but untimely goaltending have kept us out of the running for. Let that sink in.

Edit: And to be clear, I'm not blaming the ginger. I'm blaming Lou.

a little premature

 

[Devilsfan118]

a little premature

Not really. Looking* at the statistics and going forward, the odds are not in our favor to pick in the top-5 if we finish the season .500.

If Cory keeps playing like last night, and sees the majority of the action going forward, I think .500 is realistic.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Not really. Look at the statistics and going forward, the odds are not in our favor to pick in the top-5 if we finish the season .500.

If Cory keeps playing like last night, and sees the majority of the action going forward, I think .500 is realistic.

Cory played well last night but Montreal also really only took shots from the outside, I was pretty unimpressed with them. Hurricanes like shooting. Also any team can win a lottery pick and I would assume we will be top 7 no question about it.

 

[Azathoth]

Yea as good as Corey looked last night, if they keep icing that lineup they will lose more often than not.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

.934 over last 8 games, 4 wins in last 5.

Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel
Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine
Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko

Players that Cory's elite but untimely goaltending have kept us out of the running for. Let that sink in.

Edit: And to be clear, I'm not blaming the ginger. I'm blaming Lou.

With the way the lottery works now, it really is completely random as to who gets the top 3 picks. If you come in dead last, the chance you pick 4th overall is actually the most likely outcome at 50.6%. There is a 49.4% chance that you pick in the top 3.

 

[My3Sons]

Cory should, in theory, be better next season since he will start the offseason healthy and ready to work on his game and small details rather than just rehab. He's not so old yet that his basic physical skills can't be maintained from this year to next year. Hopefully, MBW is ready to be a bona fide backup. I'd prefer a vet backup next year in NJ so MBW can get an uninterrupted steady season as a number one in the AHL and play in back to backs etc. Let him do that for one year before making him an NHL backup for a year or two before hopefully taking over.

 

[NJDevs26]

With the way the lottery works now, it really is completely random as to who gets the top 3 picks. If you come in dead last, the chance you pick 4th overall is actually the most likely outcome at 50.6%. There is a 49.4% chance that you pick in the top 3.

It’s a weighted random to be sure but yes this constant emo stuff about Cory costing us draft position is silly, this isn’t the same thing as the other lotteries which were far more heavily weighted toward the bottom teams. For all we know missing out on a meaningless win the last game costs us the winning lotto spot.

It’s more annoying most of Cory’s wins do come in meaningless spots though.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Vintage Schneider - playing outstanding and losing because the team scores 1 or less goal, and winning games we want to lose and ruining our draft position. Classic Cory.

 

[MadDevil]

He really does have the worst timing. He was great when the team was awful his first few years, then was historically bad in 2018 when the team was good (well, at least through April). And now that we're out of it he's good again.

Still, I'd rather see him play well than not. If he can be even just a league average goalie the rest of his career that's at least something we can work with.

 

[None Shall Pass]

For what it's worth, the average league save percentage this year is .909 so far. That is the lowest it has been since the 2008-2009 season, which was .908.

As noted, Cory has been a .934 in his past 8 games. There's only one goalie who has played at least 8 games whose save percentage is that high.

He's not only playing well, he's playing VERY well.

 

[indfin]

He really does have the worst timing. He was great when the team was awful his first few years, then was historically bad in 2018 when the team was good (well, at least through April). And now that we're out of it he's good again.

Still, I'd rather see him play well than not. If he can be even just a league average goalie the rest of his career that's at least something we can work with.

Is there any concern that, rather than "timing", he plays his best in "no-pressure" situations? Not saying that it is (or isn't) the case, but the rest of your first paragraph might lead to that conclusion.

 

[MartyOwns]

For what it's worth, the average league save percentage this year is .909 so far. That is the lowest it has been since the 2008-2009 season, which was .908.

As noted, Cory has been a .934 in his past 8 games. There's only one goalie who has played at least 8 games whose save percentage is that high.

He's not only playing well, he's playing VERY well.

hey at least the devils will have a great draft position!

>schneider shows up

 

[MadDevil]

Is there any concern that, rather than "timing", he plays his best in "no-pressure" situations? Not saying that it is (or isn't) the case, but the rest of your first paragraph might lead to that conclusion.

It's possible, but I think it really is more just injury related issues. I believe he said his hip started bothering him sometime in 2016-17 (I could be wrong about that though). I think what must likely happened last year is he got some kind of rehab/treatment in the summer thar helped, then he aggravated it at some point (probably on that play against Boston). He tried to fight through it, but everything just went south for him.

I think if he keeps playing well and carries it into next season we can safely say the hip was a pretty significant factor over the last couple years. If he falls apart again now that he's healthy, then I think he's probably just done for good.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Is there any concern that, rather than "timing", he plays his best in "no-pressure" situations? Not saying that it is (or isn't) the case, but the rest of your first paragraph might lead to that conclusion.

No because his best games in the second half last season was in the playoffs.

And he was much worse off physically in those games then he is right now. He was not moving well at all against Tampa.

 

[Emperoreddy]

He really does have the worst timing. He was great when the team was awful his first few years, then was historically bad in 2018 when the team was good (well, at least through April). And now that we're out of it he's good again.

Still, I'd rather see him play well than not. If he can be even just a league average goalie the rest of his career that's at least something we can work with.

We were never going to out suck LA or Ottawa, so the hand-wringing over it was always pointless.

 

[My3Sons]

We were never going to out suck LA or Ottawa, so the hand-wringing over it was always pointless.

If the injuries keep piling up who knows how far they might fall.

 

[My3Sons]

MBW should be loaned to a competent AHL team for the rest of the season. Why subject him to this? If Cory plays well in a couple of more games I’d probably sit him the rest of the way and get a couple of goalies off waivers to finish the season.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I have no issues next year in net if we are getting current Cory and current Blackwood

 

[Whaddagoal]

Ditto. We can probably close this thread now ... (actually in seriousness, i'm happy we have a dedicated thread for goalie talk now)

If Cory plays like this we're in good shape. Shit, we might have made the playoffs if he played this way all season (assuming this team didn't get the plague like it did since Hall went down and everyone else months later)

 

[Emperoreddy]

Ditto. We can probably close this thread now ... (actually in seriousness, i'm happy we have a dedicated thread for goalie talk now)

If Cory plays like this we're in good shape. ****, we might have made the playoffs if he played this way all season (assuming this team didn't get the plague like it did since Hall went down and everyone else months later)

We are in the hunt with good Cory and Blackwood. These injuries would have killed the season though.

No team can survive this many players out. It’s insane.