GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (11-4-3) @ Wienerpeg Jets (11-4-3), 3 PM, MSG+

[NjDevsRR]

In today's NHL every legit contender has 3 good scoring lines or have very good d cores to compensate. Since our d core is no where near that level, we need to run 3 good lines to achieve consistent success.
The whole fast, attacking, and supportive style is good and seems to work. The problem is when 2/3 centers in the top 9 don't have the speed to play that style it really prevents the team from achieving that fast, attacking identity. Zajac is going nowhere, he's fantastic defensively and still good offensively. Boyle is by no means a bad player but he's a 4C. He doesn't have the speed or offensive ability to hang with the top 9 on an offensive minded team.
These are the best 1st and 4th lines we've iced since the cup run, just need to figure out who slots in where in the middle 6 aside from Bratt and then stick with that lineup. I know we've dealt with injuries but the constant shifting in the middle 6 seems to have created a lack of chemistry between the players.

Top 9 should be Hall Hischier Bratt Palmieri Johansson Zajac Zacha Henrique Stafford. Need Boyle on 4th line along with Wood.

 

[Bleedred]

Top 9 should be Hall Hischier Bratt Palmieri Johansson Zajac Zacha Henrique Stafford. Need Boyle on 4th line along with Wood.

I think as of now, Wood has actually been good enough to play on the 3rd line.

Ideally though, when Johansson is back, that should absolutely be the top 9.

And I wanna emphasize, ice time doesn't mean so much to me, if we're playing Boyle ''3rd line'' minutes, that doesn't matter to me as much as playing him with Henrique or Zacha. Especially with Henrique's really lousy streak that he has going, I don't think pairing him up with Boyle is gonna break that. And I don't think Zacha with Boyle is gonna do much to help him score more, if that's a line when he gets back in there. Boyle is no slouch offensively, he's a decent offensive player, for what he is, but I'd rather play him with Coleman, Noesen, or guys that we don't really have to rely on to score some points.

 

[VoidCreature]

Oddly enough I think these last two games have been Nico's best so far. He just keeps getting better.

 

[Bleedred]

Just watching all the goals again and if Cory had a chance on any of them, it was probably that Trouba goal, the third goal against. Guy walked in and just beat him cleanly with a wrist shot to the glove side. Kind of stoppable.

I don’t think he had the least bit of chance on goals 2, 4 or 5. You can argue goal 1 was a poor rebound, but I don’t think it really was. There was a Jets dude coming at him right as the initial shot hit him and he got the rebound and put it in.

 

[Azathoth]

Oddly enough I think these last two games have been Nico's best so far. He just keeps getting better.

Agree, he’s looked dynamic but just can’t seem to buy himself a goal. Although he’s not the only one.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Good lesson for a young team. Cannot take your foot off the gas.

They got complacent in the 2nd.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

Winnipeg scoring that second goal so quickly to retake the lead is what turned the game around. Up until that point, the Devils had been generating strong chances for nearly two full games worth of play with nothing to show for it. They finally get one and they’re trailing again almost immediately. Credit to the Jets for jumping on them the way they did, but NJ literally fell asleep at the wheel for a few minutes there.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Trying to lip read on this one, and figure out if this kid is saying ''BULL****!'' haha.It almost looks like he's saying ''Boucher'' haha.

He’s saying "boo Jets".

 

[Bleedred]

He’s saying "boo Jets".

I saw him when rewatching the highlights. He was on the Jets feed. I didn’t see him when watching live on the Devils feed.

 

[Better Call Sal]

0-2 with Travis and prob under .500 with Boyle.

Someone's going fishing I see.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I know our record when not scoring first is actually pretty good, but it just feels like we don't play the same when trailing. Our early success was from quick-strike offense, when we forecheck and set up it looks good but usually doesn't end in a goal.

 

[DerekDevils30]

I sometimes wonder why I bother going to Devils games lol. I'm 0-7 when attending. 6 losses to the Jets and 1 loss to the Flames. Oh well.

I really thought they were playing well up until the Gibbons goal. Man oh man did the wheels come off quickly.

I can tell you that Butcher looked amazing. He may be the real deal folks. My Jets buddies thought he and Hischier looked great.

Also nice to meet @Colin226 after the game for a few drinks. Real nice guy. Hope you have a safe flight back!

 

[StvBroDan]

Well Im glad I had to miss a whole lot of suckage that had to be in that game.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I sometimes wonder why I bother going to Devils games lol. I'm 0-7 when attending. 6 losses to the Jets and 1 loss to the Flames. Oh well.

I really thought they were playing well up until the Gibbons goal. Man oh man did the wheels come off quickly.

I can tell you that Butcher looked amazing. He may be the real deal folks. My Jets buddies thought he and Hischier looked great.

Also nice to meet @Colin226 after the game for a few drinks. Real nice guy. Hope you have a safe flight back!

Wpg is too big for the Devils.
Until that changes your goose egg will remain as it climbs to 8-9-10, etc.

Try to come out to NJ for a home game vs another club (Other than STL)
Maybe you will see different results.

 

[NJ07102]

Oddly enough I think these last two games have been Nico's best so far. He just keeps getting better.

Absolutely agree. He looks much stronger along the boards too and doesn't fall down as easily as he did during the first weeks. He is getting shots and plenty of them. Good signs all around.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Wpg is too big for the Devils.
Until that changes your goose egg will remain as it climbs to 8-9-10, etc.

Try to come out to NJ for a home game vs another club (Other than STL)
Maybe you will see different results.

It's definitely on my bucket list to make it out to NJ for a game some day. Would love to come out for a rivalry game against the Rangers

 

[devilsblood]

It's definitely on my bucket list to make it out to NJ for a game some day. Would love to come out for a rivalry game against the Rangers

Ya, if your going to do it, make a Rangers game. Maybe do a two for, get a non rival in as well, so you don't have to deal with the large # of opposing teams fans.

But the mixed crowd does make for a great environment.

 

[glenwo2]

0-2 with Travis and prob under .500 with Boyle.

Trade the whole team for a bag of pucks and let's start rooting for the Rags or Islanders....


....is what you're saying, right?

 

[glenwo2]

I sometimes wonder why I bother going to Devils games lol. I'm 0-7 when attending. 6 losses to the Jets and 1 loss to the Flames. Oh well.

I really thought they were playing well up until the Gibbons goal. Man oh man did the wheels come off quickly.

I can tell you that Butcher looked amazing. He may be the real deal folks. My Jets buddies thought he and Hischier looked great.

Also nice to meet @Colin226 after the game for a few drinks. Real nice guy. Hope you have a safe flight back!

Believe me....some of us(me especially) is wondering that, too.

But the Devils almost always lose to Winnipeg.

I bet if the Jets faced the Devils and only the Devils in a Hockey season, they'd just about go undefeated. Devils just don't match up well AT ALL with them and have never matched up well with them these past several seasons either. Hell, even during our good years, we'd still find a way to lay an egg in Winnipeg. It's nothing new and perhaps going forward you'd stop paying WINNIPEG your hard-earned money to see their team decimate the Devils and instead stay at home and at least have the option to change the channel.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Winnipeg scoring that second goal so quickly to retake the lead is what turned the game around. Up until that point, the Devils had been generating strong chances for nearly two full games worth of play with nothing to show for it. They finally get one and they’re trailing again almost immediately. Credit to the Jets for jumping on them the way they did, but NJ literally fell asleep at the wheel for a few minutes there.

That's why once again the first shift after you either score, or get scored on, is so important. You need to double your focus and aggression in either case. Those shifts are real game changers. Momentum swings. We have been pretty good about it this year; but falling asleep on those "first shifts after" cost us the game in the second period yesterday.

Still, how good is Winnipeg? I'd argue they looked like the best club we've played this year; or as good as any.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

That's why once again the first shift after you either score, or get scored on, is so important. You need to double your focus and aggression in either case. Those shifts are real game changers. Momentum swings. We have been pretty good about it this year; but falling asleep on those "first shifts after" cost us the game in the second period yesterday.

Still, how good is Winnipeg? I'd argue they looked like the best club we've played this year; or as good as any.

Oh for sure. I mean I didn’t have the feeling like the game was over after the second goal against, but it definitely was poor timing to give one up at that point. Looking back on it though, you can tell how it really knocked the team off it’s game. I honestly thought they were playing well to that point. We have a young team though. In the long run, hopefully these experiences benefit them.

As for the Jets, I was impressed with them. They’re a big and heavy team. Really difficult to play against and I’ve always liked Maurice as a coach. I’d have to agree that they’re right up there with the better clubs we’ve played. I used to think losing to the Jets was a sure sign that our team was garbage. Not anymore. The jets are solid this season.

 

[My3Sons]

Oh for sure. I mean I didn’t have the feeling like the game was over after the second goal against, but it definitely was poor timing to give one up at that point. Looking back on it though, you can tell how it really knocked the team off it’s game. I honestly thought they were playing well to that point. We have a young team though. In the long run, hopefully these experiences benefit them.

As for the Jets, I was impressed with them. They’re a big and heavy team. Really difficult to play against and I’ve always liked Maurice as a coach. I’d have to agree that they’re right up there with the better clubs we’ve played. I used to think losing to the Jets was a sure sign that our team was garbage. Not anymore. The jets are solid this season.

WPG has been a bad team for a number of years. They kept all those picks and slowly built. If the new regime is given four or five drafts and we look back I expect that NJ will be at least as talented as WPG if not better.