GDT: Washington Capitals @ Your New Jersey Devils, 3 PM, MSG

[Guttersniped]

Will we ever beat the caps? Right now it feels like we have never beat them. Their average age is like 60 and they are still beating the shit out of us every time.

You'd think that salary cap and entry draft would eventually even things out, but some teams just keep winning while the devils rebuild is now 8 years long and seems like there's another 3+ coming.

Doesn't even seem like the same team than early in the season. When was the last time Hughes scored? Palms doesn't do anything, Johnsson is shit again. Zajac can't play hockey anymore at this level, he touches the puck three times per game and the opponent has it three seconds later. Subban is awful at everything except back skating. Vatanen is dogshit, even when he is positionally correct (which is rare) he doesnt do anything, doesn't play the puck, doesn't play the man, just stands there. Blackwood is now just a goalie, we can forget the vezina talks.

Right now I feel like they could pretty much trade everyone and I wouldn't care. Even Hughes who will definitely bounce to Toronto when his rfa is over unless we magically get Luke this draft.

I should probably take a break on watching hockey, since I can't process this like an adult anymore..

You know Hughes is American, right? He’s bouncing to Toronto of all places. The Leafs thing is for Canadian stars. And he’s 19 so it’s a wee bit early to worry about that.

This is an ugly losing streak but most of the other teams in the NHL went through one of these themselves.

Yeah, things are enormously frustrating and some are particularly bothering me. Nico better be ok because I don’t know if I could handle him being out again after only getting 5 games. I don’t get playing Blackwood when complained out fatigue when he returned from the COVID protocol list.

I still don’t think that means that’s everything is the worst ever or it will take 3+ years for some reason (or that this has somehow been a 8 year rebuild).

 

[haak84]

maltsev belongs here. bratt definitely has some flaws to his game. he is great at open ice and zone entries. creating space out of nothing down low.

he is awful at entering the zone down the wing and gets pushed over for some puck battles.

his open ice game is so electric though. his skating, hip work, edge control and puck possession work is a thing of beauty.

 

[Bleedred]

Blackwood should sit for a game or 2 and maybe get his focus back.

He should have sat today.

 

[youryeah]

mac needs a rest. was pretty surprised to see him starting again today. I didn't think dell was too bad in his first game he played..

I wanted to see the johnsson - hughes - bratt line again. that was fun

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah Blackwood better sit Tuesday and Sunday or Lindy's comitting malpractice.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

Ruff said the plan is for Blackwood to play three games a week and four if the first of the back to backs is light.

 

[NJDevs26]

Ruff said the plan is for Blackwood to play three games a week and four if the first of the back to backs is light.

Yeah that's the quote I saw yesterday which clued me in to maybe he'll actually play him today but you can't just blindly do that at the beginning of a long, compressed stretch. This isn't exactly the playoff drive, ration the starts early then if we're still somehow (cough) in it late, then you go to the whip. You don't go to the whip now, especially when he's already allowed 3+ goals in his previous four games before today.

Is this staff just forgetting Blackwood's only played a handful of games in eleven months BEFORE getting COVID? Ease into it as much as possible with this schedule for crying out loud. Three games a week is more than keeping him busy as it is.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

In listening to post-game and then watching the highlights - the scary thing is for as bad as things looked at times, the Devils nearly escaped with a point.

 

[Camille the Eel]

In listening to post-game and then watching the highlights - the scary thing is for as bad as things looked at times, the Devils nearly escaped with a point.

Yeah. They were the aggressor all game long. We managed a counter attack here or there, a shift once in a while, but they took the play to us all day. Amazing we made it as close as we did and that if our goal tending had held up we would have won.

 

[The 29th Pick]

You know Hughes is American, right? He’s bouncing to Toronto of all places. The Leafs thing is for Canadian stars. And he’s 19 so it’s a wee bit early to worry about that.

This is an ugly losing streak but most of the other teams in the NHL went through one of these themselves.

Yeah, things are enormously frustrating and some are particularly bothering me. Nico better be ok because I don’t know if I could handle him being out again after only getting 5 games. I don’t get playing Blackwood when complained out fatigue when he returned from the COVID protocol list.

I still don’t think that means that’s everything is the worst ever or it will take 3+ years for some reason (or that this has somehow been a 8 year rebuild).

the kids were born in the U.S. but grew up in Toronto

 

[MauDevils]

In listening to post-game and then watching the highlights - the scary thing is for as bad as things looked at times, the Devils nearly escaped with a point.

Only because of two enormous softies. We probably should have been shutout today because nobody can hit the net.

 

[glenwo2]

Only because of two enormous softies. We probably should have been shutout today because nobody can hit the net.

yeah.

That is the unfortunate truth.

Samsonov was half-asleep in that game.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Worrying about Hughes leaving in 8 years is classic HF Boards brain. C’mon man.

 

[MartyOwns]

Ruff said the plan is for Blackwood to play three games a week and four if the first of the back to backs is light.

i think that plan will change if we drop a few more games

 

[njdevils1982]

 

[Bcap88]

Stop expecting Bratt to score over 50 points lol

 

[broman]

Neutral lurker dropping by. For all the highlight reel braincramps, Vats did hold the fort with Kulikov in PK for what was finally a clean sheet. So it's unlikely that Ruff would kill that in the bud by sitting Vats.

 

[Bcap88]

In listening to post-game and then watching the highlights - the scary thing is for as bad as things looked at times, the Devils nearly escaped with a point.

But they didn’t

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Smith, Bratt, Hughes, Hischier, Zacha should be PP1.

Who's shooting the puck on that PP?

Way too many pass first guys.

 

[TonySoprano]

Who's shooting the puck on that PP?

Way too many pass first guys.

Zacha should have been the shoot 1st guy on the PP for the last 4 years. He is just now starting to use it more often. Hopefully get gets back to a similar play style as he was in Sarnia

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Stop expecting Bratt to score over 50 points lol

Points are the least of my concerns. Carelessness and consistency are far bigger issues. For the second week in a row he lost Alex Ovechkin in coverage.

You would think he might be a priority in your own end.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

The Devils are getting 60% of the shot attempts when Bratt is on the ice and he has 6 points in 11 games while shooting 3.6%. Pretty sure he’s gonna be okay.

 

[glenwo2]

But they didn’t

yep.

"Almost" is only good for Horseshoes and Hand-grenades.

 

[glenwo2]

The Devils are getting 60% of the shot attempts when Bratt is on the ice and he has 6 points in 11 games while shooting 3.6%. Pretty sure he’s gonna be okay.

Didn't you hear?

"Points are the least of McLeod's Dad's* concerns"(see above)

Apparently, Bratt has to turn into a full-fledged Defenseman now.

*Amerisuomi Kiekko

 

[NJDevs26]

Stop expecting Bratt to score over 50 points lol

He’s got the talent to have 50+ seasons. He has to score a few more goals and stay healthy to do it but it’s not outrageous to think he can do it consistently down the road.