ZachaFlockaFlame
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Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part II
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I think there's 2 things that need to happen. Yayyy wooo Palat scored tonight but he needs to go down to the 4th line. Also Cotter-Haula cannot ever be a thing again. I was saying this like a month ago and yet they're still together stinking it up. Cotter needs to go up with Jack-Bratt for now until you either add a guy or he stinks it up on that line. Timo-Nico-Mercer wasn't bad tonight as a line. That line has not been good this year but fine give it another look if you want and go Tatar-Haula-Noesen as the 3rd line. If Timo-Nico-Mercer manage to figure it out then that looks good to me. Obviously also Noesen and Mercer swapped on those lines is A-OK with me. They gave up on Tatar-Haula-Mercer way too quick. They were together for like 4 minutes the other night before they gave up on it.
Acting like the sole determinant of who wins the Cup is a regular season save percentage is ridiculous. It would be nice if Markstrom were playing well right now, but it is a long season.
Thats a wild point to make when the average goaltending team last season was one win away from winning the Cup. That final game they played was won on that game alone, not what the regular season goalies averages were.
ZachaFlockaFlame
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The idea is that they were playing well for those teams before the playoffs started and it's usually a good indicator to how those teams defend/play in front of those goalies. The Devils skaters have been tremendous for the majority of this season and they still can't get the answer in net consistently was my counterpoint. Just magically thinking it'll flip for Markstrom is an equally absurd ask
Didn’t Blues win with Binnington at a .911ish save percentage? Which 5 years ago is basically what Markstrom is now if you adjust to average save percentages by year.
We all can cherry pick anything we want. But many cup winners and cup finalists had average goaltending in the regular season.
Goaltending in the postseason is a different animal and there are always many outliers every postseason.
Lets improve the forward crop to the point where the only thing we have to complain about is Markstrom (who we are stuck with anyways, good or bad)
We all can cherry pick anything we want. But many cup winners and cup finalists had average goaltending in the regular season.
Goaltending in the postseason is a different animal and there are always many outliers every postseason.
Lets improve the forward crop to the point where the only thing we have to complain about is Markstrom (who we are stuck with anyways, good or bad)
NJDevs26
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I mean for 2025 that’d be a great frigging outcome, especially with how loaded the East is…the East and West are like the NL and AL in MLB
ZachaFlockaFlame
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My bar for Jacob Markstrom is higher than Stuart f***ing Skinner, come on, what are we doing here? I also don't think this roster has a McDavid/Drai/Bouchard esque run from their skaters. They need to be similar to like a Dallas type.
The East is absurdly winnable this year and the Devils would probably one of the favorites along with the Caps Panthers and Canes if they got a legit Markstrom. Probably even over those teams besides Florida.
Thats absolutely fine. I want better goaltending too. Hopefully we will see a better Markstrom, lots of season left.
But that particular argument is just not sound when there are many instances of average regular season goaltending teams making and even winning the cup.
Obviously many great goaltending teams win it all. Thats obvious. But this current NHL crop of goaltending is just mediocre, league wide. I want a team to win despite of that and dominate play. As we saw tonight, just need those few upgrades to help with finishing.
ZachaFlockaFlame
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They're not getting out of the East with this Markstrom, no shot in hell, which was my original point. He's had maybe 3-4 solid games and the rest of it is the offense spotting him 3-4 goals a game consistently and sometimes more like the doofus Caps games
Devils731
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On NaturalStatTrick Markstrom is actually positive on Goals Saved Above Expected by a small number. 20th in the league.
So he hasn’t been great but I think the narrative that he’s been awful may be a bit overdone.
So he hasn’t been great but I think the narrative that he’s been awful may be a bit overdone.
guitarguyvic
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Why? Markstrom has been an average goalie for years.
This board continues to have the weirdest takes with goaltending.
We will see how he does in the second half. He is an interesting goalie. Goes through long stretches of great play and then not so much. @Bleedred can probably give a better outlook on what to expect for the rest of the season.
I am not writing him off yet.
ZachaFlockaFlame
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League average this year so .901
Markstrom's career .909
Markstrom this year: .907
So he's actually below average to his career but above average to the league. Again, it's ok to have higher standards for your goalies. The Jon Gillies, late Cory Schneider and whatever the f*** else we've had has made this fanbase have absurd PTSD when it comes to goalies.
Emperoreddy
Show Me What You Got!
Adin Hill was a cup champion starter two years ago.
There is zero reason Marky can't get hot at the right time for the playoffs.
There is zero reason Marky can't get hot at the right time for the playoffs.
guitarguyvic
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Every time Mercer's name has come up in trade talks the last couple of years I think we've all been pretty much in lockstep against the idea. Now in retrospect...I 100% would rather have had Mercer go for Meier instead of Zetterlund. Crazy how things change and can pan out very differently than anticipated. Maybe all these pundits who were throwing him into the trade rumors were onto something.
Winning the last two on the home stand would be cool.
20-10-3 record going into a relatively easy stretch of Blues, Jackets, Pens and Rags
I have faith
20-10-3 record going into a relatively easy stretch of Blues, Jackets, Pens and Rags
I have faith
He's been fine for the most part. Not as good as he was last year, but that's kind of been his pattern of alternating good with average/bad seasons the last few years.
NJDevs26
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They didn’t trade all they did for him to be an average goalie.
guitarguyvic
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What does this have to do with thinking that the difference between him and Skinner is huge?
Also LOL @ thinking that being .002 below his career average a third of the way into the season is statistically significant.
Goalie market has been stupid unfortunately. Teams are actually dying for average goaltending and thats basically the price lately.
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I have faith. A W against the Kings would be huge, but I'm not holding my breath. Hard ask.
guitarguyvic
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That's just silly...Fitz giving up the assets he did does not suddenly make the guy he traded for better than he really is.
ZachaFlockaFlame
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Oilers didn't trade jack shit for Skinner. If he sucks, who the f*** cares, they still have pieces to go out and fix that spot? The Devils traded an assload for Markstrom to solidify their net and they're winning despite not because of him. Hope that clears that up. I can't believe how you guys are coddling this guy. Vitek does any of this shit last year and you'd ask for trading or cutting him on spot
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