Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part II

[guitarguyvic]

Sharks beat the Kings 7-2 two weeks ago. Anything can happen in this league.

Its just two teams in the top 10 in standings playing each other Thursday. Either one winning wouldn’t be surprising. I don’t understand dooming every upcoming game. I am excited for the match up, too bad I won’t be able to watch it.

This team has beaten Carolina, Washington, Florida x2.

I find myself rolling my eyes at like half the takes I see on here.

 

[Devs3cups]

Sharks beat the Kings 7-2 two weeks ago. Anything can happen in this league.

Its just two teams in the top 10 in standings playing each other Thursday. Either one winning wouldn’t be surprising. I don’t understand dooming every upcoming game. I am excited for the match up, too bad I won’t be able to watch it.

Not sure how I’m dooming every upcoming game, I was excited for tonight’s game. But I’m tired of making excuses for this group and pretending everything is a-ok all the time. I’ve done that a lot during the rebuild but this team is at another level now.

The team is in a good spot overall, I’m not denying it at all, and I’ve sais for weeks how they’ve looked good overall since the first Detroit game.

But, right now, the Devils are having trouble scoring goals. They’re not getting solid goaltending either lately. Add to that the fact that they’re not winning a lot at home.

We have a red hot team coming into our building, a team that’s probably the best defensive team in the league. That doesn’t pair well with what we have going on right now.

Can we beat them? Absolutely. But when I take what I have in front of me, I’d definitely bet on the Kings. Not sure how that’s dooming or controversial. It appears to be a bad matchup for us right now.

But, as I said, they can absolutely beat them.

 

[Devs3cups]

This team has beaten Carolina, Washington, Florida x2.

I find myself rolling my eyes for like half the takes I see on here.

They’ve also dropped games to SJ, Detroit, STL, the Isles, the Flames, etc. They’ve beaten good teams for sure, but they’ve also dropped games to bad teams. Good teams lose to bad teams, it happens.

I think we have a good team. But I don’t think any game is a gimme for this team either.

 

[guitarguyvic]

They’ve also dropped games to SJ, Detroit, STL, the Isles, the Flames, etc. They’ve beaten good teams for sure, but they’ve also dropped games to bad teams. Good teams lose to bad teams, it happens.

I think ee have a good team. But I don’t think any game is a gimme for this team either.

This team is a work in progress. But there’s a lot of potential. Kind of reminds me of 2012 but with more high end talent. If Fitz pulls off some shrewd moves to address the weak links they could be a real contender come April.

 

[Devs3cups]

This team is a work in progress. But there’s a lot of potential. Kind of reminds me of 2012 but with more high end talent. If Fitz pulls off some shrewd moves to address the weak links they could be a real contender come April.

I don’t disagree at all. Just having a hard time coping with tonight lol. I would rather lose 5-0 than lose like tonight I think.

 

[Guttersniped]

I don’t disagree at all. Just having a hard time coping with tonight lol. I would rather lose 5-0 than lose like tonight I think.

I wouldn’t.

 

[Devs3cups]

I wouldn’t.

5-0 you just burn the tape. A loss like tonight is so demoralizing.

 

[Guttersniped]

5-0 you just burn the tape. A loss like tonight is so demoralizing.

Again, I don’t feel demoralized. And this was a nail biter, which is tense but exciting. Watching my team get blown out live simply sucks.

We never looked disorganized, or overwhelmed or offensively impotent. Those are common depressing features in losses and I can’t burn my memories of that.

I need to stop defending the honor of this frustrating loss, but it’s least bothersome home loss all year for me because we played so well.

Weak starts have been a problem and we came out like a house on fire tonight. The momentum never really shifted in the Leafs favor at any point, there was no successful pushback from them at any point.

They took advantage of a flub, by Devils skaters and goalie, to tie it up. OT is always a toss-up.

Tonight we simply blew our finishing chances, didn’t have puck luck and faced a hot goalie.

I feel like I’m just arguing with other people’s feelings at this point and will stop lol.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I shat on Markstrom a lot tonight but yeah I rather lose like this, it's probably tiring to lose in similar fashion we have most of our rebuild + last year with a goalie shitting his pants in a game where the skaters put together a masterpiece. The issue is you still have to capitalize on games like this, they got a point + should be thankful that Matthews couldn't hit the net until OT (he missed one in OT before his goal too which is funny). I'm not sure if they'll have their legs again for the masterpiece they had tonight but MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, Markstrom could win them that game and it would absolve the dogshit performance from him tonight lol

Again, I don’t feel demoralized. And this was nail biter, which is tense but exciting. Watching my team get blown out live simply sucks.

We never looked disorganized, or overwhelmed or offensively impotent. Those are common depressing features in losses and I can’t burn my memories of that.

I need to stop defending the honor of this frustrating loss, but it’s least bothersome home loss all year for me because we played so well.

Weak starts have been a problem and we came out like a house on fire tonight. The momentum never really shifted in the Leafs favor at any point, there was no successful pushback from them at any point.

They took advantage of a flub, by Devils skaters and goalie, to tie it up. OT is always a toss-up.

Tonight we simply blew our finishing chances, didn’t have puck luck and faced a hot goalie.

I feel like I’m just arguing with other people’s feelings at this point and will stop lol.

Yeah, it's just PTSD to the past 3-5 years with 22-23 not counting, I understand the mood but the skaters played phenomenal. The issue is you can't waste games like that, they got a point but it should've been a 60 minute win. We'll see what they do, I can see them losing to the Kings and then winning in a close game v Chicago and finishing the homestand 2-2-1.

5-0 you just burn the tape. A loss like tonight is so demoralizing.

A Markstrom elite performance on Thursday would do wonders

 

[Alex NJD]

Not a big deal because 3v3 is such a small part of the game but we only have 1 dman I'm comfortable seeing out there in OT since aside from Luke none of the dmen are good skaters. Should be fixed once Casey and Nemec are full timers in the future but it's just kinda annoying for now

 

[Forge]

Not a big deal because 3v3 is such a small part of the game but we only have 1 dman I'm comfortable seeing out there in OT since aside from Luke none of the dmen are good skaters. Should be fixed once Casey and Nemec are full timers in the future but it's just kinda annoying for now

Not sure I'd want nemec out there a bunch 3x3 either, tbh

 

[NjDevsRR]

3-1 win Thursday

5-2 win Saturday

Don’t @ me if its the opposite. @ me if I am right

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Not a big deal because 3v3 is such a small part of the game but we only have 1 dman I'm comfortable seeing out there in OT since aside from Luke none of the dmen are good skaters. Should be fixed once Casey and Nemec are full timers in the future but it's just kinda annoying for now

Doing Nico-Jack-Bratt as a 3v3 thing should be Keefe's next thing, just to see how chaotic it would be lmao

 

[theoptimist]

I think I would take low testosterone Pavel Zacha over Haula at this point. Just another day wondering why our GM has done nothing to address the center position

 

[BurntToast]

Before we blow up Fitz’s spot, over the goaltending coach. There is another to blame for the Devils goaltending woes:

MB30!!!! (Great Goalie//Meh Manager)

We can try to breaking down the Devils leadership structure, but it’s clear Marty has some major pull.

He suggested/brought over the incumbent coach. He favored the Devils trade for Markstrom. He convince them to take a goalie in round 2 of the draft with better picks available.

 

[Unknown Caller]

5-0 you just burn the tape. A loss like tonight is so demoralizing.

It’s not demoralizing at all. They f***ing dominated. They’re not gonna shoot 2% on a regular basis.

 

[NJDevs26]

Nobody cares about xG after handing away a point in annoying fashion. The fact Markstrom made a couple of good saves earlier in the game doesn’t excuse or make up for allowing that junk in the third period, some of you have a really low bar for goaltending.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Nobody cares about xG after handing away a point in annoying fashion. The fact Markstrom made a couple of good saves earlier in the game doesn’t excuse or make up for allowing that junk in the third period, some of you have a really low bar for goaltending.

Making good saves earlier in the game actually does matter. Everyone is just childishly overreacting. Some of you have an absurd and unrealistic expectation of goaltending and live in an absolute fantasy land because you can’t admit that the team has just had an unsustainably low conversion rate offensively.

No goalie in the world saves every single non-high danger chance. Ridiculous take.

 

[Devs3cups]

It’s not demoralizing at all. They f***ing dominated. They’re not gonna shoot 2% on a regular basis.

The fact they dominated and couldn’t get the W is exactly why I think it’s demoralizing. I agree they played a very good game.

 

[Unknown Caller]

The fact they dominated and couldn’t get the W is exactly why I think it’s demoralizing. I agree they played a very good game.

That’s par for the course for being a Devils fan. This team is dominating some good teams though and will be fine in the long run.

Shooting 1-2% won’t last on a regular basis.

 

[NJDevs26]

Making good saves earlier in the game actually does matter. Everyone is just childishly overreacting. Some of you have an absurd and unrealistic expectation of goaltending and live in an absolute fantasy land because you can’t admit that the team has just had an unsustainably low conversion rate offensively.

No goalie in the world saves every single non-high danger chance. Ridiculous take.

Of course people 'admit' we had a bad game offensively...point is the bad offensive games have not been the norm despite the absurd five shutouts. They've only had six games this year of less than two goals scored. I'll take that effort any day, if the offense becomes a sustained problem then changes have to be made but as of now it isn't. Markstrom's been unimpressive at best all year long behind a defense suppressing scoring chances at an above average level and deserves less of the benefit of the doubt right now.

 

[Nocashstyle]

5-0 you just burn the tape. A loss like tonight is so demoralizing.

To be honest, I’m willing to bet this loss was way more demoralizing for fans than it was for the team. They played well and got goalied. It is what it is.

 

[JimEIV]

Of course people 'admit' we had a bad game offensively...point is the bad offensive games have not been the norm despite the absurd five shutouts. They've only had six games this year of less than two goals scored. I'll take that effort any day, if the offense becomes a sustained problem then changes have to be made but as of now it isn't. Markstrom's been unimpressive at best all year long behind a defense suppressing scoring chances at an above average level and deserves less of the benefit of the doubt right now.

Second half/last third of the season and if they should make the playoffs is why this matters.

Those games just aren't played the same. And if you are going 5/6 games without being able to manufacture a goal in the pleasant days of the season, you have no chance when the grind starts. It's a canary in the coalmine.

And we really shouldn't be acting like this is something new... we've watched for years this same core group pile up the chance with often little to nothing to show for it except a *Deserve to Win Meter" graphic and a bunch of charts to make you believe that soft as shit play is going to break through any day now....for the last 6 years.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Of course people 'admit' we had a bad game offensively...point is the bad offensive games have not been the norm despite the absurd five shutouts. They've only had six games this year of less than two goals scored. I'll take that effort any day, if the offense becomes a sustained problem then changes have to be made but as of now it isn't. Markstrom's been unimpressive at best all year long behind a defense suppressing scoring chances at an above average level and deserves less of the benefit of the doubt right now.

Markstrom has stopped what he's supposed to all year and nothing more. If you were expecting a lights out goalie who steals games for you, then he hasn't lived up to your expectations as a fan.

He has saved expected, so if you just wanted a goalie to provide stabliity and reliability and let the skaters dictate the result of the game, he's lived up to your expectations as a fan.

Given our goaltending issues for years and years, I'm more than thrilled with what Markstrom (and Allen) have provided.

And as we saw in the Rangers game last week, just remember that Markstrom has the upside to be a game changer when he's on. If you ask me whether I'd rather have someone like Stolarz or Markstrom in a playoff series, I'm taking Markstrom every single time.

 

[NJDevs26]

The fact Markstrom's two best games of the year came against a poor Sabres team and a Rangers team playing like dogshit the last month don't make me feel too much better