Post-Game Talk: 1-0 win vs bruins …march 7 '21

[Better Call Sal]

I love the Jack and Ty bromance that they have. Hopefully it’s for years to come.

 

[Lou is God]

Bahl only got size, he's way too slow and his positioning isn't good for a defensive guy. He's like Samuel Morin from the Flyers with even less offensive upside and no mean streak. If you go look at Bears 3rd goal last night you'll see it. Bahl goes for a hit (misses) in the corner and leaves the middle of the ice open, okhotyuk falls to pick up the screener and they scored on a weak wrister. BDevils is just as bad defensively as you can imagine and those guys bring NOTHING offensively.

Oh good God, whatever man

 

[Darkauron]

Bahl only got size, he's way too slow and his positioning isn't good for a defensive guy. He's like Samuel Morin from the Flyers with even less offensive upside and no mean streak. If you go look at Bears 3rd goal last night you'll see it. Bahl goes for a hit (misses) in the corner and leaves the middle of the ice open, okhotyuk falls to pick up the screener and they scored on a weak wrister. BDevils is just as bad defensively as you can imagine and those guys bring NOTHING offensively.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Gotta remember Vats had no camp, thats tough for a dman. I’m giving these players ten games for the benefit of the doubt, that was his 11th game and looked much better. Not having to play with Butcher also helps. Lets see if he improves from here, if not then other options may need to be looked at.

Same. If I remember correctly, he started slowly the last year or two here anyway. He'll be fine.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Bahl is probably one of the youngest DMen in the AHL and hasn't even played 10 games there yet lol imagine making definitive statements on a player in that situation?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Also, I'm not sure who else noticed but I think last night was the third time in four games where Johnsson started at LW on the Hughes line and was demoted mid-game because he was entirely ineffectual. The one goal Hughes has scored in the last 9 or 10 games was while Sharangovich was on his LW. I know I keep harping on it and I apologize, but I think the #1 most important aspect of 2020-21 is the development of Jack Hughes and we need to get him playing with wingers with more speed and skill -- I'd love to see Jack start a game with Wood on his left side, or even Maltsev, who I think has been terrific. Putting Hughes alongside a lackadaisical bottom 6 winger coming off a 7 goal season just does not seem to be a good idea to me.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Also, I'm not sure who else noticed but I think last night was the third time in four games where Johnsson started at LW on the Hughes line and was demoted mid-game because he was entirely ineffectual. The one goal Hughes has scored in the last 9 or 10 games was while Sharangovich was on his LW. I know I keep harping on it and I apologize, but I think the #1 most important aspect of 2020-21 is the development of Jack Hughes and we need to get him playing with wingers with more speed and skill -- I'd love to see Jack start a game with Wood on his left side, or even Maltsev, who I think has been terrific. Putting Hughes alongside a lackadaisical bottom 6 winger coming off a 7 goal season just does not seem to be a good idea to me.

they were not good last night, but the Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt line were basically dominant earlier in the season when they were together

 

[Unknown Caller]

Also, I'm not sure who else noticed but I think last night was the third time in four games where Johnsson started at LW on the Hughes line and was demoted mid-game because he was entirely ineffectual. The one goal Hughes has scored in the last 9 or 10 games was while Sharangovich was on his LW. I know I keep harping on it and I apologize, but I think the #1 most important aspect of 2020-21 is the development of Jack Hughes and we need to get him playing with wingers with more speed and skill -- I'd love to see Jack start a game with Wood on his left side, or even Maltsev, who I think has been terrific. Putting Hughes alongside a lackadaisical bottom 6 winger coming off a 7 goal season just does not seem to be a good idea to me.

Completely agree on Maltsev. On all of the rotating Binghamton/taxi squad young guys we've played (Sharangovich, Merkley, Bastian, McLeod, Kuokkanen, Boqvist, etc.), Maltsev has been my favorite.

 

[JimEIV]

Also, I'm not sure who else noticed but I think last night was the third time in four games where Johnsson started at LW on the Hughes line and was demoted mid-game because he was entirely ineffectual. The one goal Hughes has scored in the last 9 or 10 games was while Sharangovich was on his LW. I know I keep harping on it and I apologize, but I think the #1 most important aspect of 2020-21 is the development of Jack Hughes and we need to get him playing with wingers with more speed and skill -- I'd love to see Jack start a game with Wood on his left side, or even Maltsev, who I think has been terrific. Putting Hughes alongside a lackadaisical bottom 6 winger coming off a 7 goal season just does not seem to be a good idea to me.

Hughes is not using his wingers effectively and at times is trying to do too much by himself.

The only recent goal he scored and the post he post he hit minutes before that were completely individualistic moves...Not saying that is a bad thing... If you can pull it off, hey why not.

But I don't believe Hughes is using his best assets effectively... which is speed to open up passing lanes and precision passing. Not seeing the effective use of those skills and I think has more to do with Jack than his wingers.

 

[StevenToddIves]

they were not good last night, but the Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt line were basically dominant earlier in the season when they were together

Hughes and Bratt were carrying that line, Johnsson literally has 29 shots and 6 points in 21 games despite getting top-6 and PP minutes and playing alongside extremely skilled players. This is, by any measure of analysis, "not okay".

By comparison, Maltsev has 16 shots in 9 games playing bottom 6 minutes with virtually no PP time. Maltsev is better defensively, faster, smarter, more skilled and plays with a higher compete level than Johnsson. And Miles Wood is light years better and faster than Johnsson -- I'd like to see a defense try to match up against a combination of Hughes/Wood elite skating ability. Any way we look at it, the fact is that Johnsson keeps starting games alongside Hughes, does nothing, and then is dropped to the Zajac line by the third period. Am I the only one who finds this tiresome? Asking for a friend...

 

[StevenToddIves]

Hughes is not using his wingers effectively and at times is trying to do too much by himself.

The only recent goal he scored and the post he post he hit minutes before that were completely individualistic moves...Not saying that is a bad thing... If you can pull it off, hey why not.

But I don't believe Hughes is using his best assets effectively... which is speed to open up passing lanes and precision passing. Not seeing the effective use of those skills and I think has more to do with Jack than his wingers.

As always, your analysis is sound. But is it possible that Hughes just... doesn't trust certain guys who have been playing the wing alongside him?

I watched Hughes for two years at the US-NTDP, and I realize it was a different level but Hughes was always trying to open up lanes and get the puck to his extremely skilled wingers, guys like Caufield and Boldy and Zegras and Turcotte and Beecher. But now you're right that he is always trying to get the puck to the net and do too much by himself. But you watch the games -- on a lot of the plays, Johnsson is floating in the low slot in low danger areas; and he's also mishandled as many Hughes passes as he's actually done anything with this season. That's my theory on why Ruff keeps demoting him mid-game.

 

[JimEIV]

As always, your analysis is sound. But is it possible that Hughes just... doesn't trust certain guys who have been playing the wing alongside him?

I watched Hughes for two years at the US-NTDP, and I realize it was a different level but Hughes was always trying to open up lanes and get the puck to his extremely skilled wingers, guys like Caufield and Boldy and Zegras and Turcotte and Beecher. But now you're right that he is always trying to get the puck to the net and do too much by himself. But you watch the games -- on a lot of the plays, Johnsson is floating in the low slot in low danger areas; and he's also mishandled as many Hughes passes as he's actually done anything with this season. That's my theory on why Ruff keeps demoting him mid-game.

Perhaps? Perhaps we don't have wingers who understand how play with a player like Hughes or how to find open ice? Finding open areas is definitively a skill...

But it looks like a concerted effort to get more shots on net...I can't be sure of the "cause" but last season he had 123 shots in 61 games...He already has 53 in 21 this season. Seems to be an effort to increase the volume of his shots?

 

[Camille the Eel]

I don't think you two are saying the same thing?

The "OV" isn't the question

It's the "i" KulIk = Is that "I" long or short?

So do you say Ku-lick or Ku-leek

Like Bobby Holik = Holeek not Bobby Holick

Edit: Oh wait..Are you saying the "O" makes the "I" a short vowel?

The i is long.

 

[billingtons ghost]

This is silly lol Again, no one has said that Covid and the condensed schedule was the ONLY reason that they have struggled but to just completely dismiss it is ridiculous.

They played a fine defensive game yesterday...their best in awhile. But they generated like no offense.

...and won.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Put Maltsev with Hughes and Bratt. They need a big body who can retrieve the puck from the corners.

17 37 21
23 86 63
11 19 59
44 20 14

 

[Unknown Caller]

Put Maltsev with Hughes and Bratt. They need a big body who can retrieve the puck from the corners.

Maltsev-Hughes-Bratt is what I would go with as well. I just don't think Wood thinks the game at a high enough level or has the skill to play with those two. The Devils have limited options, but Maltsev is probably the best fit given what they have.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

...and won.

how many games do you think they'll win this year with that offensive performance? 39 shot attempts at 5 on 5 is a putrid amount.

we're all happy with the win and the defensive performance but the offense is still MIA.

 

[MartyOwns]

Bahl and Okhotyuk aren't good. Doubt they will make any impact at NHL level.

welp

 

[StevenToddIves]

they were not good last night, but the Johnsson-Hughes-Bratt line were basically dominant earlier in the season when they were together

I'm also going to add that I'm a very patient fan. The one time I've cursed at the television this season watching the Devils was the play where Marchand cross-checks Ty Smith in the head and Johnsson -- a supposed veteran presence -- just stands there watching his young star defenseman get cheap-shotted by aa player smaller than he is, and does nothing.

So, even after the win, I was fuming. First off, the NHL needs to stop giving Marchand -- a repeat and repeat and repeat offender -- a pass on his incessant attempts to injure opponents. No penalty on the play is utterly ridiculous. It should have been a 5 minute major and a three game suspension in my mind. To me, this was far worse than Tom Wilson's hit on Brandon Carlo which got him a 7 game ban, and Marchand is a dirtier player than even Wilson.

Second of all, if I'm Lindy Ruff I'm getting up in Johnsson's grill and telling him that -- if he wants to be an NHL player (and he has not performed like one in two seasons) -- part of being on a hockey team is standing up for your teammates. Especially a young star like Ty Smith. There's no way on earth Johnsson should be in the lineup for Tuesday night's game vs. Washington.

Okay, I feel better now that I've vented. Thanks, guys.

 

[NJDevs26]

how many games do you think they'll win this year with that offensive performance? 39 shot attempts at 5 on 5 is a putrid amount.

we're all happy with the win and the defensive performance but the offense is still MIA.

It’s also a very low bar to clear when people describe the defensive performance as good despite allowing 40 SOG. We win when our goalies play well, that’s pretty much the story of the season so far.

 

[Triumph]

Also, I'm not sure who else noticed but I think last night was the third time in four games where Johnsson started at LW on the Hughes line and was demoted mid-game because he was entirely ineffectual. The one goal Hughes has scored in the last 9 or 10 games was while Sharangovich was on his LW. I know I keep harping on it and I apologize, but I think the #1 most important aspect of 2020-21 is the development of Jack Hughes and we need to get him playing with wingers with more speed and skill -- I'd love to see Jack start a game with Wood on his left side, or even Maltsev, who I think has been terrific. Putting Hughes alongside a lackadaisical bottom 6 winger coming off a 7 goal season just does not seem to be a good idea to me.

Maltsev with Hughes? I know Maltsev has been very good in his limited NHL time but the thing that's going to limit his NHL upside is offense - he doesn't have it. Like any good bottom-line NHLer, his instinct is to shoot the puck when he has it near a scoring area, and that's how he's operated so far. It's gotten him a goal on a very low-percentage shot but throughout his career he's shown limited offense at every level and I don't see much reason to think of him playing with a skilled guy like Hughes.

The line is going to live and die with Bratt and Hughes and last night those guys did not have it.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Maltsev with Hughes? I know Maltsev has been very good in his limited NHL time but the thing that's going to limit his NHL upside is offense - he doesn't have it. Like any good bottom-line NHLer, his instinct is to shoot the puck when he has it near a scoring area, and that's how he's operated so far. It's gotten him a goal on a very low-percentage shot but throughout his career he's shown limited offense at every level and I don't see much reason to think of him playing with a skilled guy like Hughes.

The line is going to live and die with Bratt and Hughes and last night those guys did not have it.

Yes, but Maltsev can at least add hockey IQ and compete level, either of which Johnsson does not possess, and Johnsson also does not possess top 6 offensive ability. So, let's try something new.

 

[NjDevsRR]

The line is going to live and die with Bratt and Hughes and last night those guys did not have it.

Which is why a big body who seems like he knows what he is doing can help IMO when those two don’t have it.

 

[Nubmer6]

Bahl and Okhotyuk aren't good. Doubt they will make any impact at NHL level. AHL forwards have been skating circles around them and the physicality hasn't done much in terms of controlling the crease.



Fair enough. He's better off playing top minutes indeed and working on his defense without the pressure of facing the best forwards in the world every night. Just think he has something to offer right off the bat and our season is pretty much over so he's going to get a shot sooner or later



He's smoother than Butcher, but not a bad comp. Walsh still has time on his side and has shown already some nice traits.

I actually always appreciate views that temper our expectations... or at least temper MY expectations.

Perhaps Bahl and Okhotiuk won't be impact players, but they could fit what we need. I think players like Murray and Kulikov helped our D this year, and we're hoping one or both will be their heirs.

 

[glenwo2]

1) shooting a puck on the powerplay that deflected and hit nico

2) posting to instagram after a loss

3) stick tapping

you guys are too much. i can't wait to see what's next

This :

Maltsev lol