GDT: Canadians @ Devils, 7:00 PM

[JimEIV]

They definitely started out flat in the 1st period, but from the second half on we absolutely dominated them.

After the 1st period we had 1 goal on 30 shots and they had 3 goals on 9 shots (not counting empty net). That isn't normal and it hasn't happened to this team in a while.

It's pretty common for us to have slow starts but pick it up as the game goes on. That's what happened but their goalie stood on his head and got a little luck. Whatever, shit happens.

I'm watching the 2nd period right now on MSG Encore. They look like they are laboring to skate. It's pure going through the motions.

They look half speed.

 

[Devils731]

They definitely started out flat in the 1st period, but from the second half on we absolutely dominated them.

After the 1st period we had 1 goal on 30 shots and they had 3 goals on 9 shots (not counting empty net). That isn't normal and it hasn't happened to this team in a while.

It's pretty common for us to have slow starts but pick it up as the game goes on. That's what happened but their goalie stood on his head and got a little luck. Whatever, shit happens.

I think this is the Devils standard start.

Come out and try to play their “A” game. Realize the other team has that completely pre-scouted and their gameplan is neutralizing everything you do. Eventually make adjustments to what the opponent is doing after skating into the opponent’s teeth for 5-15 minutes.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Not my favorite player at all but when he is on his game he can be pretty dominant in a way, not necessarily on the score sheet.

For the plus/minus i think it’s pretty normal on a last place team so i wouldn’t really give attention to that.

I seriously don’t think he plays for himself, i think he’s trying, he’s just not the smartest player ever so he gets his goals by creating chaos in the offensive zone more than creating smart plays, if it makes any sense? lol

But yeah, he’s really not the most consistent player.

I was joking with you guys because i know it’s way less sexy thinking you’d get Anderson instead of Meier

Fair points.

I'm not as caught up in the Messiah Timo hype as some on here.

 

[Nubmer6]

They definitely started out flat in the 1st period, but from the second half on we absolutely dominated them.

After the 1st period we had 1 goal on 30 shots and they had 3 goals on 9 shots (not counting empty net). That isn't normal and it hasn't happened to this team in a while.

It's pretty common for us to have slow starts but pick it up as the game goes on. That's what happened but their goalie stood on his head and got a little luck. Whatever, shit happens.

I think the difference is that when we start slow, we've been getting wins because our goalie has stood on his head. When we don't get that goaltending in the first half of the game it's hard to recover.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Slow starts = early round exits.

Figure it out fellas - there's no OT heroics 3 on 3 in the playoffs to save us.

 

[JuJu Mobb]

I remember Craig Rivet raving about him on The Instigators when Anderson was with the Blue Jackets.

But it seems for every game like last night there are two clunkers where he is all but invisible.

And always leery about players who have twice as many goals as assists; with an horrendous plus/minus.

Seems like he plays more for Josh Anderson and his paycheck than for the players around him.

Anderson is a real team guy and leader on the Habs. He just incredibly insconsistent. When he's on tho, he's fun to watch.

His lack of assists is more a product of his lack of hockey IQ.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I'm not going to say I'm *completely* not worried.

They look to me like the classic young team with loads of talent that needs a couple of first round exits to figure out how everything works in the playoffs:
How not to press/panic when things go wrong. (I think we have learned a tremendous amount about this already those year)
How to initiate and respond to physical play, walking the fine line without retaliating and getting called for penalties. Esp when teams goon it up.
How not to 'do too much' and make the simple play.
How to tighten up and close out games.
How and when to sacrifice your body to take a hit to make a play. I think the when part is most important, bc there'll never be a time when I'd want Bratt or Hughes to take a hit but there might be a time when they need to, and I'd like Nico to know that he doesn't have to take every hit so he could stay on the ice longer.
How to not play so f*cking stupid every now and then.
How to recover gracefully when that mistake is made.

I think the thing about our mistakes is how badly we sometimes react to them. You see Jack wipe out over the blueline and you can almost say 'here it comes' and see them all panic and run themselves out of position.

It's just stuff to learn and I'm hoping they're talking about it and it's really good that Nico and Sevs and others recognize it and aren't surprised about what the coach says.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I'm not going to say I'm *completely* not worried.

They look to me like the classic young team with loads of talent that needs a couple of first round exits to figure out how everything works in the playoffs:

Can we include 17-18 as one of our first round exits?

Nico, Bratt, Wood, Severson were on that team so it should count!

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah, the 1st period slow starts have been a recurring theme since sometime in the middle of the 13 game winning streak

Our start against Montreal the first time we played them is one game from back then that I remember being particularly poor. Or at least the start of it was. That might have been one of the first really weak 1st periods or it was sometime a little before that during that same stretch.

Slow starts = early round exits.

Figure it out fellas - there's no OT heroics 3 on 3 in the playoffs to save us.

Yeah, I'm definitely a little worried about a slow start against good teams and not the Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens of the league.

 

[Ducks4Cup]

Meh, I don't think we're catching Carolina and even if the Rags pass us it might serve us better to start the playoffs at MSG considering we're the top road team in the league.

Right now we're still struggling to win on home ice and I could see us easily being too tight if Game 1 was at the Rock.

You don’t know that. Anything can happen, there’s so many points up for grabs.

 

[Lou is God]

You don’t know that. Anything can happen, there’s so many points up for grabs.

I didn't say I did, I was giving an opinion.