GDT: Devils @ Blue Jackets - Jingle All the Way - 7:00 PM - MSG

[Bleedred]

This game and the Leafs game are anomalies in my opinion. I don’t lump them in with let’s say the Sharks, Avs, Flames, Bolts shutout games. Those are two completely different sets of games in terms of team performances. I will take a game like tonight any day.

I still think that Calgary game was one of our worst this year. Not as bad as the Tampa home game, but we didn’t have much of a scoring chance at all that game, other than two Jack breakaways.

The Sharks game was good probably in the 3rd or maybe the second half of the game; but pretty meh in the first half

The Avs game was meh all the way through.

I didn’t really think we were that bad in the Tampa game though.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Mercer came into the season playing well but this is starting to look like who he is. A third line player who's a 50 pt player on a good team. If you can trick a GM into giving up something big with him as the main piece, sure, take it. I just don't think it works cap-wise right now. His deal is looking, at best, appropriate for who he is right now.

But if Barry was still infatuated and straight up would do Mercer for O'Reilly, I don't think I'd say no, even if ROR is on the downswing. At least you're getting someone with more of a pulse at that slot.

Haula, at least you can say he's in line with his career averages. This is who he is for the most part. Ditto for Cotter.

It would be nice for the 4th line to matter but I don't think it does. Mercer and Haula not generating enough is really the biggest issue.

I bet Fitz is kicking himself not moving off him for Helly in the 2023 offseason but all of us would've hated that. I truly don't know what gotten into Mercer in the end of 2023 that we haven't seen anything since. Also wonder what a Mercer to SJ trade would've looked like if he was apart of the Timo package but he was white hot that month as well to the point you couldn't trade him. A lot of what if's with him, hopefully he can bring back that form but it might be his equivalent to Blackwood's February 2020 before covid. 2 historical months for just average NHLers

 

[Emperoreddy]

Nico's line gets saddled with some of the hardest defensive minutes in every game.

Might be asking too much of Mercer to take those assignments and find his offensive game again at the same time.

 

[Oneiro]

Mercer's still young. I just don't know if he's a consequential player either way, but he's at the age where you need to some kind of uptick or progress.

It's fine to draft a third liner in the late 1st round. Happens all the time and getting an NHLer at all is itself a win. But it's a bummer in that if he was anything like a Parise-lite or Kunitz-lite, this team would be over the top. Probably the most disappointing thing is that he can't really create opportunities without the puck because he's not great at finding the soft ice. That combined with mediocre defensive play and mid physicality...He's a bit disappointing, there's just no question.

 

[britdevil]

Confident Jack is either dominant Jack or careless Jack. He was both tonight.

At least he ain't Simple Jack.

 

[Billdo]

Saw this L coming a mile away. Lesser opponent, mid week, playing well prior. It was always written this way.

 

[Guttersniped]

These ice times are really something.

3rd Period Shifts & Ice Times (Totals)
Jack 7 - 10:12* (21 - 25:05)
Bratt 7 - 10:09* (22 - 23:05)
Meier 7 - 9:57** (19 - 19:51)
Hischier 7 - 9:52** (22 - 23:59)
Noesen 10 - 6:40 (23 - 16:23)
Mercer 5 - 4:45 (18 - 17:03)
Palat 5 - 4:08 (19 - 14:29)
Haula 6 - 3:56 (22 - 13:15)
Cotter 6 - 3:14 (19 - 11:18)
Dowling 4 - 3:02 (14 - 8:29)
Tatar 4 - 3:00 (16 - 9:09)
Bastian 4 - 2:32 (14 - 8:09)

Luke 8 - 10:34** (26 - 26:26)
Hamilton 6 - 6:36 (21 - 17:56)
Pesce 6 - 4:52 (23 - 19:27)
Siegenthaler 5 - 4:15 (19 - 16:17)
Dillon 5 - 4:13 (19 - 15:43)
Kovacevic 5 - 3:27 (19 - 16:07)

*last shift to end game - 2:50
**last shift to end game - 3:16

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I had hope at the start of the year where he was playing well but he's reverted back to his play from last season. The problem with Mercer is that he's not a good skater, not physical enough to win board battles or be a net front threat and not skilled enough to create offense for Nico or Meier. Even on the PK he doesn't win board battles and doesn't cover enough ground to really be effective defensively. I'd definitely being looking to move him for a player that can effectively play with Nico and Timo and allow that line to thrive again.

Maybe we should have traded him for Kakko. I’m sure the Rangers would have been down on that trade.

 

[Billdo]

These ice times are really something.

3rd Period Shifts & Ice Times (Totals)
Jack 7 - 10:12* (21 - 25:05)
Bratt 7 - 10:09* (22 - 23:05)
Meier 7 - 9:57** (19 - 19:51)
Hischier 7 - 9:52** (22 - 23:59)
Noesen 10 - 6:40 (23 - 16:23)
Mercer 5 - 4:45 (18 - 17:03)
Palat 5 - 4:08 (19 - 14:29)
Haula 6 - 3:56 (22 - 13:15)
Cotter 6 - 3:14 (19 - 11:18)
Dowling 4 - 3:02 (14 - 8:29)
Tatar 4 - 3:00 (16 - 9:09)
Bastian 4 - 2:32 (14 - 8:09)

Luke 8 - 10:34** (26 - 26:26)
Hamilton 6 - 6:36 (21 - 17:56)
Pesce 6 - 4:52 (23 - 19:27)
Siegenthaler 5 - 4:15 (19 - 16:17)
Dillon 5 - 4:13 (19 - 15:43)
Kovacevic 5 - 3:27 (19 - 16:07)

*last shift to end game - 2:50
**last shift to end game - 3:16

Trying to claw their way back in. Literal nothingness coming from the bottom 6, I get it. The bottom 6 doing absolutely nothing for weeks now is a massive problem.