4 Nations Face Off - Feb 12-20

[Omar Little]

And why should he?

Jack's game is not of the bulking-up-so-he-can-knock-your-head-off style.

HIs game is of the "I'm going to skate circles around you, score on you, then style on you, and there's nothing you can do about it" style.

Jack has to get stronger. It would enhance his game. It's not really much more complicated than that

 

[BostonDevil]

the Devils had a playoff series against the Rangers where the Rangers made the game a slog and tried to be as physical as possible to neutralize Hughes and the Devils.

Hughes walked out of that series like he owned the Rangers.

It’s so weird people act like this series didn’t happen.

The narrative is that he did not dominate, a 4 game, best on best tournament. It's the last thing we saw. Therefore he sucks

I don't think anybody sees Clayton Keller either. He's a special talent. I wish he was on team USA. Keller, Tage, Caufield...oh well. Again, I wanted to be entertained and I definitely was.

Keller is awesome

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

For the Olympics:

IN: Q. Hughes, McAvoy, T. Thompson, Keller, Robertson, Beniers
OUT: Hanifin, Sanderson (though I thought he was good), Trocheck, Kreider, Nelson, Miller

 

[Camille the Eel]

I'm not going to be surprised if Matthews is still dinged up . . . . Having Kreider, Trochek, and Nelson over Keller, Thompson, Caufield, Robertson is still just inexcusable.

Matthews has been playing hurt all season. During the game early on when we outshot them but Matthew’s scored in OT to win it, Chico and Matt discussed it several times as it was obvious to them just watching his loss of speed and lower body strength from his usual baseline. (Groin maybe, or oblique? but that’s speculation). He was not skating the same, is what they remarked. Not striding, not the same first couple steps.

All you need to do, to see the result, is to compare his production this year with the like 70 goals plus or minus last year. He’s nowhere near having the same impact this season and whatever it is affects his finishing.

The roster for the US was just a scandal. We iced far far from our best potential team. Whatever the process was, it mustn’t be repeated for the Olympic Games next year. US hockey should be ashamed of a selection that had guys like Kreider and Nelson over Thompson and Robertson.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

i know the rangers series happened and he played well in it but it wasn't a team like the canes.

He was the best forward in the Canes series in 2023? WTF LOL

For the Olympics:

IN: Q. Hughes, McAvoy, T. Thompson, Keller, Robertson, Beniers
OUT: Hanifin, Sanderson (though I thought he was good), Trocheck, Kreider, Nelson, Miller

I'd keep Sanderson as an extra, he was tremendous

 

[BostonDevil]

I just think that the roster was set up to inflict punishment up front and that's how they thought they would win.

 

[NjDevsRR]

People reinventing history on here

 

[Brooklyndevil]

i'm not saying i agree with whoever this guy is but jack does need to work on his ability to stay up and be stronger on the puck i dont know why he isn't/hasn't but makes me wonder in a tough physical playoff series is he going to no show like against the canes. you can dangle all you want and float avoiding contact over 82 games but playoffs or best of series you can't really hide

Throughout Gretzky’s career he avoided contact. I’m not comparing Hughes to the greatest player of his time or all time in general. That’s just a fact.

 

[JrFischer54]

Throughout Gretzky’s career he avoided contact. I’m not comparing Hughes to the greatest player of his time or all time in general. That’s just a fact.

he could avoid it when the competition was playing at 15% of what he was playing at now its more even

 

[Edmonton East]

i'm not saying i agree with whoever this guy is but jack does need to work on his ability to stay up and be stronger on the puck i dont know why he isn't/hasn't but makes me wonder in a tough physical playoff series is he going to no show like against the canes. you can dangle all you want and float avoiding contact over 82 games but playoffs or best of series you can't really hide

Shame on you. Ya can't agree with me on here or you get the black spot. Better to wait 3ish years when everyone that was in denial comes around and just pretends they weren't vehemently wrong for years. Gotta wait til the opinion is widely accepted or ya get condescendingly chastised by some VERY frequent posters.

Anyway, I gave Jack the Lindy excuse last year. Felt his development stalled in part because Grandpa Lindy was too easy on his favorites. But now I'm seeing the same issues persist under a new coach and while mainly playing with the team's other top offensive player (Bratt). Combine that with looking outclassed in this short tourney and falling every 5 seconds....it's not great. The simple fact that he apparently has an unwillingness to be serviceable in faceoffs as a Center is concerning as well. That's about effort and willingness to do the non pretty stuff. Young Cs get a pass early on, especially when undersized. But holy hell you can't be a top C on any serious team at sub 40%. He isn't a kid anymore. It's absurd and a possible indictment on his maturity that he isn't around 45% at this point. Before someone misquotes this, no, I'm not saying Jack sucks or that faceoffs are the main concern here.

 

[JrFischer54]

Jack has to get stronger. It would enhance his game. It's not really much more complicated than that

but yet people always attack those for saying such

Shame on you. Ya can't agree with me on here or you get the black spot. Better to wait 3ish years when everyone that was in denial comes around and just pretends they weren't vehemently wrong for years. Gotta wait til the opinion is widely accepted or ya get condescendingly chastised by some VERY frequent posters.

Anyway, I gave Jack the Lindy excuse last year. Felt his development stalled in part because Grandpa Lindy was too easy on his favorites. But now I'm seeing the same issues persist under a new coach and while mainly playing with the team's other top offensive player (Bratt). Combine that with looking outclassed in this short tourney and falling every 5 seconds....it's not great. The simple fact that he apparently has an unwillingness to be serviceable in faceoffs as a Center is concerning as well. That's about effort and willingness to do the non pretty stuff. Young Cs get a pass early on, especially when undersized. But holy hell you can't be a top C on any serious team at sub 40%. He isn't a kid anymore. It's absurd and a possible indictment on his maturity that he isn't around 45% at this point. Before someone misquotes this, no, I'm not saying Jack sucks or that faceoffs are the main concern here.

hey i agreed with you jack wasn't strong at all in the series and needs some weight program or something to stay upright. the rest of the stuff i dunno i'll wait to see the playoff outcome before doing massive changes.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Shame on you. Ya can't agree with me on here or you get the black spot. Better to wait 3ish years when everyone that was in denial comes around and just pretends they weren't vehemently wrong for years. Gotta wait til the opinion is widely accepted or ya get condescendingly chastised by some VERY frequent posters.

Anyway, I gave Jack the Lindy excuse last year. Felt his development stalled in part because Grandpa Lindy was too easy on his favorites. But now I'm seeing the same issues persist under a new coach and while mainly playing with the team's other top offensive player (Bratt). Combine that with looking outclassed in this short tourney and falling every 5 seconds....it's not great. The simple fact that he apparently has an unwillingness to be serviceable in faceoffs as a Center is concerning as well. That's about effort and willingness to do the non pretty stuff. Young Cs get a pass early on, especially when undersized. But holy hell you can't be a top C on any serious team at sub 40%. He isn't a kid anymore. It's absurd and a possible indictment on his maturity that he isn't around 45% at this point. Before someone misquotes this, no, I'm not saying Jack sucks or that faceoffs are the main concern here.

This is all the more moronic when you can plainly see that his defensive impact has been very strong this season and he has been turned into an excellent PKer. Hilarious.

You’ve taken the most massive L imaginable with your takes on the goalie situation, so I’d quiet down about how right you are on everything.

 

[HoliksGhost]

I’m glad it’s over. Matthews barely showed up until it was too late. The line combinations sucked. Jack on wing was disheartening to watch. The fact that US could barely maintain Ozone possession really ticked me off. The ultra short shifts backfired. Non calls. Did I miss anything ?

 

[Better Call Sal]

People reinventing history on here

Pfft, that never happens here.

Anything can happen in Jersey! Or nothing at all!

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Ya I think we can love Jack here while recognizing he isn’t even close to on the same level as Mcdavid, MacKinnon, and even Eichel and Matthew’s skill wise.

I don’t think anyone ever thought that Jack was at their level. Those players are bigger and stronger. Jack is what he is a talented player who’s on the small side in height and strength. If you think the Devils can do better, Fitz should trade him for someone bigger and stronger if he can.

 

[Lou is God]

I'd keep Sanderson as an extra, he was tremendous

I was surprised how much speed he has. Kid is going to be a stud if he isn't already.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

I was surprised how much speed he has. Kid is going to be a stud if he isn't already.

I was surprised how large his ears are.

 

[glenwo2]

The narrative is that he did not dominate, a 4 game, best on best tournament. It's the last thing we saw. Therefore he sucks


Keller is awesome

Keller is so underrated, it's criminal.

i'm not saying i agree with whoever this guy is but jack does need to work on his ability to stay up and be stronger on the puck i dont know why he isn't/hasn't but makes me wonder in a tough physical playoff series is he going to no show like against the canes. you can dangle all you want and float avoiding contact over 82 games but playoffs or best of series you can't really hide

Edmonton East only shows up once in a blue moon...TO CRITICIZE.

I have yet to see him praise ANYTHING NJ Devils.

It's how he rolls.

 

[Camille the Eel]

This is all the more moronic when you can plainly see that his defensive impact has been very strong this season and he has been turned into an excellent PKer. Hilarious.

You’ve taken the most massive L imaginable with your takes on the goalie situation, so I’d quiet down about how right you are on everything.

as to the takes of the poster labeled Edmonton, the George Bernard Shaw quotation may apply: "Don't wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."

Or as my uncle once put it: "Don't argue with a fool. People might not notice the difference."

Or finally, the old standard, "Don't get into a pissing match with a skunk."

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Shame on you. Ya can't agree with me on here or you get the black spot. Better to wait 3ish years when everyone that was in denial comes around and just pretends they weren't vehemently wrong for years. Gotta wait til the opinion is widely accepted or ya get condescendingly chastised by some VERY frequent posters.

Anyway, I gave Jack the Lindy excuse last year. Felt his development stalled in part because Grandpa Lindy was too easy on his favorites. But now I'm seeing the same issues persist under a new coach and while mainly playing with the team's other top offensive player (Bratt). Combine that with looking outclassed in this short tourney and falling every 5 seconds....it's not great. The simple fact that he apparently has an unwillingness to be serviceable in faceoffs as a Center is concerning as well. That's about effort and willingness to do the non pretty stuff. Young Cs get a pass early on, especially when undersized. But holy hell you can't be a top C on any serious team at sub 40%. He isn't a kid anymore. It's absurd and a possible indictment on his maturity that he isn't around 45% at this point. Before someone misquotes this, no, I'm not saying Jack sucks or that faceoffs are the main concern here.

faceoffs are (next to) meaningless and I couldnt give a shit less if Jack ever improves on them.

I also couldnt give a shit less how he looked in a 10-day tournament with guys he's never played with before while playing out of position. Has no bearing on the NJ Devils or his future as an NHL player.

Maybe no one agrees with you on things because your opinions are bad? Have you ever considered that thought?

 

[Clam Jensen]

He was the best forward in the Canes series in 2023? WTF LOL



I'd keep Sanderson as an extra, he was tremendous

I also very distinctly recall Jack in the rangers series going out of his way the first 2 games to be physical, but it completely detracted from what makes him effective. He also roughed it up with Aho which was nice.

 

[Whaddagoal]

From this tournament, i think I have a much greater appreciation for Jack Eichel. I wasn't really aware at the poise he has with the puck, and he's generally solid player all around. I never really followed him much around the league with a microscope, but just knowing he was a pretty good player and polarizing for the buffalo situation and Vegas move.

He wasn't spectacular throughout the tournament, but I can see why now he's in a category above a lot of players in the league.

Him, Guentzel, and a few others I hadn't watched a lot of with focus, prior to this tournament, throughout their careers and they were well noticable

Already had known the Tkachuks styles, Larkin, and all the other big name D. Sanderson looked good too in at least that one game.

The other guys played the way I expected. Matthews was enigmatic, Jack Hughes was typical play as he was here.

Brady is an archetype player we should have here, at least one of him on a team. He's just a wrecking ball and has some skill but not quite outstanding skillset (compared to his brother)

 

[Mirka the Turka]

One thing with Hughes is I don’t know if he can really work on his poor strength. He is a small guy, not just in terms of height but in overall weight and muscle mass.

I don’t know what else he can really do, your body has a natural weight in terms of muscle mass and his seems very low. Only thing is if he did steroids but that’s not an ethical suggestion.

You take the good and bad with Hughes, but I don’t think he can work on his strength as much as people think.

From this tournament, i think I have a much greater appreciation for Jack Eichel. I wasn't really aware at the poise he has with the puck, and he's generally solid player all around. I never really followed him much around the league with a microscope, but just knowing he was a pretty good player and polarizing for the buffalo situation and Vegas move.

He wasn't spectacular throughout the tournament, but I can see why now he's in a category above a lot of players in the league.

Him, Guentzel, and a few others I hadn't watched a lot of with focus, prior to this tournament, throughout their careers and they were well noticable

Already had known the Tkachuks styles, Larkin, and all the other big name D. Sanderson looked good too in at least that one game.

The other guys played the way I expected. Matthews was enigmatic, Jack Hughes was typical play as he was here.

Brady is an archetype player we should have here, at least one of him on a team. He's just a wrecking ball and has some skill but not quite outstanding skillset (compared to his brother)

The 2023 Vegas cup run made me realize that Eichel is easily a top 5 player in the NHL. The way he drives plays is insane.

He dominated a very good Dallas team. I don’t think McDavid even dominated Dallas like he did.

If you didn’t follow stats and just watched Eichel with your eye you’d think he’s the third/4th best player in the league behind McDavid Mackinnon Kucherov

 

[JrFischer54]

Keller is so underrated, it's criminal.


Edmonton East only shows up once in a blue moon...TO CRITICIZE.

I have yet to see him praise ANYTHING NJ Devils.

It's how he rolls.

damn thats some dedicated lurker trolling.

From this tournament, i think I have a much greater appreciation for Jack Eichel. I wasn't really aware at the poise he has with the puck, and he's generally solid player all around. I never really followed him much around the league with a microscope, but just knowing he was a pretty good player and polarizing for the buffalo situation and Vegas move.

He wasn't spectacular throughout the tournament, but I can see why now he's in a category above a lot of players in the league.

Him, Guentzel, and a few others I hadn't watched a lot of with focus, prior to this tournament, throughout their careers and they were well noticable

Already had known the Tkachuks styles, Larkin, and all the other big name D. Sanderson looked good too in at least that one game.

The other guys played the way I expected. Matthews was enigmatic, Jack Hughes was typical play as he was here.

Brady is an archetype player we should have here, at least one of him on a team. He's just a wrecking ball and has some skill but not quite outstanding skillset (compared to his brother)

i'm not saying its possible or it will happen but they should do whatever they can to look into bringing him here. really would balance the type of team we have. if it takes nemec to get an extended brady then im fore it

 

[HoliksGhost]

Brady reminds me of Bobby Holik.