GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (21-4-1) vs. New York Islanders (16-11-0), 7 PM, MSGSN

[Brooklyndevil]

Palat and Bastian in for Holtz and Boqvist changes things significantly. I hope they’re both good to go by the end of the year.

Our forward depth is fantastic, I’m not sure what you’re watching.

Really?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Really?

We have a near 250 game NHL vet that hasn’t even gotten in a game after losing multiple wings. We have lots of forwards.

 

[Devs3cups]

Really?

Yes, really. What exactly is your complaint with our depth? We have 4 lines who can contribute (and are contributing). We’re probably one of the teams with the most depth in the league.

Our usual scratches/replacement guys this year can also contribute.

 

[MadDevil]

We have a near 250 game NHL vet that hasn’t even gotten in a game after losing multiple wings. We have lots of forwards.

Yeah but they're not "tough" enough.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Really?

 

[Bcap88]

The Islanders are only in a playoff spot because of Sorokin, who didn't even play last night. Their 5v5 play aside from goaltending is worse than Montreal and they would be in the Bedard conversation without Sorokin in net. There's zero excuse not to at least control play against that team. To straight up get outplayed and to lose to them without their ace is really bad.

The Rangers controlled play at MSG, Philly controlled play in Philly, and Washington controlled play even though we routed them. Hopefully it's just a momentary swoon, but you can't sugar coat these performances. It's been bad.

You do realize they aren’t going to win every game by 3 goals and out shoot every team by 25 shots

 

[Tundra]

Right now this team is looking very soft and that’s on Fitzgerald. This is something he should have been working on, especially when your star players are Nico, Hughes and Bratt. And our forward depth is awful.

We need some minor tinkering at forward. The depth isn't awful. It's more redundant than anything else.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Never a Zacha fan, but I think we lost that trade.

Have to disagree on Haula he has brought a more solid overall game to NJ and Zacha was never going to fully put it together here imo and I liked Zacha but grew tired of what I felt was either lack of confidence or effort no motor....Once Palat is back Haula will go back down in the lines I would assume...

Right now this team is looking very soft and that’s on Fitzgerald. This is something he should have been working on, especially when your star players are Nico, Hughes and Bratt. And our forward depth is awful.

They need grit no doubt Fitz knows it....We are lacking a big physical power forward with a strong inside game...

 

[Bleedred]

The Islanders are only in a playoff spot because of Sorokin, who didn't even play last night. Their 5v5 play aside from goaltending is worse than Montreal and they would be in the Bedard conversation without Sorokin in net. There's zero excuse not to at least control play against that team. To straight up get outplayed and to lose to them without their ace is really bad.

The Rangers controlled play at MSG, Philly controlled play in Philly, and Washington controlled play even though we routed them. Hopefully it's just a momentary swoon, but you can't sugar coat these performances. It's been bad.

Like I said, I agree with you that the performances have been bad going back to the Washington game, but we were playing so great that the best of the very best of NHL teams don’t sustain this level of play over a 30-40 game stretch, let alone an 82 game schedule.

We’re still a 56.5% team at 5 on 5 and even as of now we’re pacing for a overalll shot on goal differential of +670 on the season.

Even Boston is just a 53.5% at 5 on 5 and has a slightly worse overall shot on goal differential than we do.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We are lacking a big physical power forward with a strong inside game...

Palat and Bastian

Like, Devils fans still don’t understand that Palat does play with an edge. Sure, he’s ‘only’ 6 foot and 190 but just YouTube him and youll see a dozen hits right away and a bunch are borderline dirty lmao. He does indeed muck it up.

We also ice Zetterlund and Wood. We have big wingers.

 

[Bleedred]

Never a Zacha fan, but I think we lost that trade.

I say it’s a win because I’d rather have Haula at $2.6 million this year than Zacha at $3.5 million.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have HATED Zacha at $3.5 million this year, it’s not bad for him, but I also would have been highly paranoid (if not somewhat irrationally) that we were going to extend him for even more after this season, until he finally walked at season’s end.

Not to mention that I think Boston gave him a two year deal this off-season and not just one.

Basically we had two options. Extend Zacha at a price too much for what he is for MULTIPLE years or give him a one year deal and lose him for nothing in free agency after this year, which is even less than Haula.

 

[Bleedred]

Man, I’m glad for a nice beach day.

Having to read this board all day talking about lacking grit and depth would have been brutal.

I’m more worried about how unreadable this board will be if we lose the next game than the fact of actually losing it.

God help us.

 

[Devs3cups]

Man, I’m glad for a nice beach day.

Having to read this board all day talking about lacking grit and depth would have been brutal.

I’m more worried about how unreadable this board will be if we lose the next game than the fact of actually losing it.

God help us.

This is kind of it for me. Good teams lose. If we have to read after every game how horrible it is, it’s gonna be a long season haha! They’re not gonna dominate every single game.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Yes, really. What exactly is your complaint with our depth? We have 4 lines who can contribute (and are contributing). We’re probably one of the teams with the most depth in the league.

Our usual scratches/replacement guys this year can also contribute.

Not at the moment. Unless I’m mistaken. And would you kindly name those players besides Johansson.

 

[glenwo2]

Man, I’m glad for a nice beach day.

Having to read this board all day talking about lacking grit and depth would have been brutal.

I’m more worried about how unreadable this board will be if we lose the next game than the fact of actually losing it.

God help us.

WE NEED GRIT!

(or is it Grits?)

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Palat and Bastian

Like, Devils fans still don’t understand that Palat does play with an edge. Sure, he’s ‘only’ 6 foot and 190 but just YouTube him and youll see a dozen hits right away and a bunch are borderline dirty lmao. He does indeed muck it up.

We also ice Zetterlund and Wood. We have big wingers.

I agree I said that in previous page that we are down some toughness due to injury....With regards to Fitz adding someone I think it should be someone that's adds more grit and a net front presence..

 

[Bleedred]

WE NEED GRIT!

(or is it Grits?)

Sure I heard a grits, I just don’t think I actually seen a grit before.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Glad you had fun, Steven.

Great to hear from you, btw.

Wish the outcome was different but C'est la vie. *shrugs*


Hope Wood is okay, though.

That was a vintage Stevens-like hit on him.

Great hit, I was like 200 feet away from it. Completely legal, and part of the game. Hopefully Wood shakes it off and is okay in a game or two.

 

[Guttersniped]

I may browse the main board and post here and there but I absolutely don't give a shit what any other fan bases think of us. Unless you're interacting with fans from other team's in your actual daily life why even bother caring what other fan bases on here or social media have to say about us?

We are fans, we can enjoy our fans chanting in MSG and be annoyed Islanders fans are doing their chants, most of which sound absolutely horrid, in our arena as well. I get why they were chanting but I sure as hell don't have to like it.

I've hated Islanders fans for years, absolutely obnoxious loud mouths like Rangers fans in a different shade of blue. f*** em all.

The “yes, yes, yes” thing is just goofy to me and they are by far the noisiest of opposing fans, I assume brought out by their deep seated insecurities.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I say it’s a win because I’d rather have Haula at $2.6 million this year than Zacha at $3.5 million.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have HATED Zacha at $3.5 million this year, it’s not bad for him, but I also would have been highly paranoid (if not somewhat irrationally) that we were going to extend him for even more after this season, until he finally walked at season’s end.

Not to mention that I think Boston gave him a two year deal this off-season and not just one.

Basically we had two options. Extend Zacha at a price too much for what he is for MULTIPLE years or give him a one year deal and lose him for nothing in free agency after this year, which is even less than Haula.

I agree. Plus Zacha just never seemed to fit in with the team. Just frustrated with Haula’s inability to score.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Couldn’t clear the zone, got cute with the clears (looking at the law offices of Siegenthaler and Severson), tried too many short tap passes that didn’t connect. Similar to the first gel Caps game.

Clean it up, back to basics and don’t Richard around with the puck.

 

[MachoDiablo]

Couldn’t clear the zone, got cute with the clears (looking at the law offices of Siegenthaler and Severson), tried too many short tap passes that didn’t connect. Similar to the first gel Caps game.

Clean it up, back to basics and don’t Richard around with the puck.

That's what I was about to say: too many penalties, trying to be too cute on zone clearances, and the Isles, to their credit, cashed in a whole lot of the opportunities they were given thanks to a combo of both good shots and set-ups on their parts and a couple of shots that Vitek probably should've stopped.

Even so, I didn't get total "last season vibes" last night, either; the Devils didn't look hapless, they weren't far off from playing their kind of game, but again they got too cute too often, took too many penalties, and let some of the Isles' physical play get to them more than it should have. It happens.

I also don't think we should overstate the case of the team being bad lately or anything. Were they sluggish as hell in Philly? Yep, but that's a game where it seemed they were dealing with a flu bug around the locker room. Did the first period against the Rags last time suck? Yes, but the Devils basically dominated the remainder. Nashville? Felt a bit like what was coming in the Philly game, but even then played strong enough to win, just had a rare bad OT.

Would certainly like to see them on top of their game heading into a stretch against Dallas, Florida, Boston, et. al., but there's been some illness and a few poorly timed injuries, plus it's impossible to play on the level they were during the winning streak for THAT long. Not going to freak out over that.