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

[Devils731]

The team is 24-15 (24-12-3, if you wanna be the NHL about it). Who cares what we call it? It's a good team that can compete against anyone and needs a bottom-6 upgrade or two to be even better. Enjoy it, sheesh.

You’re missing out on the obvious key weaknesses teams are choosing not to exploit but will exploit when the games really matter.

For my 2 cents, I agree with this post. I don’t care what we semantically call the team or if they’ll succeed in the playoffs. I suspect they have as good a chance as anyone with their record does, which is good.

 

[Triumph]

The trouble is, even settling on a definition that doesn't shift goalposts involving the 2024-25 Devils is tricky - the Devils, to me, wouldn't be coming out of nowhere, because they won a playoff round in 2022-23. So if our definition is 'team that hasn't won a playoff round in 5 years', the Devils are excluded. If our definition is 'team that has won 1 playoff round in the last 5 years', now it includes the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning, which whoops, nobody had been mentioning them at all. In short, it all just depends on where you want to draw the line, which is fake.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

 

[MasterofGrond]

I have no concerns about the devils beating the caps in the postseason. It’s not a lock or anything, but I believe the devils are the better team and it will be clear come April.

The Canes are tough because they’re a legitimately good team, are very well coached, are maybe a little bit of a stylistic mismatch, and the devils won’t get the face them in the ECF (lol). But the devils are as good as any team in the East, and I really truly believe that.

The team that honestly scares me more than anybody right now is the lightning. They’re good, have a couple game breaking talents, and they have so much experience that I think it might swing the pendulum back to “it matters.”

 

[Omar Little]

I have no concerns about the devils beating the caps in the postseason. It’s not a lock or anything, but I believe the devils are the better team and it will be clear come April.

The Canes are tough because they’re a legitimately good team, are very well coached, are maybe a little bit of a stylistic mismatch, and the devils won’t get the face them in the ECF (lol). But the devils are as good as any team in the East, and I really truly believe that.

The team that honestly scares me more than anybody right now is the lightning. They’re good, have a couple game breaking talents, and they have so much experience that I think it might swing the pendulum back to “it matters.”

To play the Lightning in the playoffs would be a nice problem to have as they certainly won't be a wildcard team which means we'll be in the ECF. Agree with your assessment though. I just don't see some of the Washington Capital's success lasting the full year. Protas and McMichael are note PPG players in my mind and Thompson / Lindgren, while good, are not as good as they've performed

 

[billingtons ghost]

The idea that the devils aren’t likely to go far this year because they haven’t made the playoffs enough or won enough rounds before this is silly and not backed up by anything objective. And yes that includes winning it all.

Do I think they can get past a Washington or Carolina? I’m not super confident, but it has nothing to do with what the devils have or haven’t done in the seasons before this.

Nowhere, anywhere, is anyone saying this.

Sheesh. Can you guys just not plan the parade yet.

You make it sound like I'm being weird for saying:
1 I would like a better track record and team depth before calling a team 'elite'. Maybe winning a few playoff rounds and being consistent over a season instead of a 20 game stretch.
2 Agreeing with Jim and others that I think that come playoff time we might have more of a struggle against Carolina bc of their playing style/size and Tampa and the Caps, and we could use more bottom 6 grit.

 

[Forge]

So markstrom now has 12 goals saved above expected (6th) in all situations per money puck and he's +11 per natural stat trick in all situations.

Pretty good.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Nowhere, anywhere, is anyone saying this.

Sheesh. Can you guys just not plan the parade yet.

You make it sound like I'm being weird for saying:
1 I would like a better track record and team depth before calling a team 'elite'. Maybe winning a few playoff rounds and being consistent over a season instead of a 20 game stretch.
2 Agreeing with Jim and others that I think that come playoff time we might have more of a struggle against Carolina bc of their playing style/size and Tampa and the Caps, and we could use more bottom 6 grit.

Jim was in fact implying that the devils won’t go far…he cited results from the past six seasons as why we aren’t in the same class as our likely first round opponent. That’s the discussion you’re replying to. Then you yourself shifted the goal posts to make it about who specifically wins the entire tournament. Now you’re shifting the goalposts again and pretending that past results were not part of the argument.

 

[New Jerseys Devil]

...
I see no reason barring bad injury luck why this team can't at minimum replicate the 22-23 success.

Because that would require the Rangers to make the playoffs too

 

[NjDevsRR]

I also do give our team a lot of credit for that first series win in 23. Rangers were a good team (107 pts). Best goalie in the world, best PP, solid 5 v 5 play, many long stints in the playoffs. It wasn’t like it was an easy opponent. Add in that we were down 2-0 going to MSG, thats a big series win and says a lot about this core.

Canes humbled them in the second round and that will be burned in the back of their minds come playoff time.

I am excited.

 

[HBK27]

Really disappointed NJ doesn't play tonight instead of NYE. The party I'm going to will surely have the Fiesta Bowl on the TV, so will have to settle for glancing at the game on my phone from time to time.

6:00 game on New Year's Day is rather sweet though. Earlier would've been better, but I'll take it.

 

[Mgd31]

Really disappointed NJ doesn't play tonight instead of NYE. The party I'm going to will surely have the Fiesta Bowl on the TV, so will have to settle for glancing at the game on my phone from time to time.

6:00 game on New Year's Day is rather sweet though. Earlier would've been better, but I'll take it.

I agree its annoying. And now we play back to back with travel between games in less than 24 hours against a rested Kings team.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I agree its annoying. And now we play back to back with travel between games in less than 24 hours against a rested Kings team.

Thankfully thats just an hour bus ride

 

[Mgd31]

Thankfully thats just an hour bus ride

Ah I thought we were playing San Jose tomorrow for some reason.

 

[Triumph]

I also do give our team a lot of credit for that first series win in 23. Rangers were a good team (107 pts). Best goalie in the world, best PP, solid 5 v 5 play, many long stints in the playoffs. It wasn’t like it was an easy opponent. Add in that we were down 2-0 going to MSG, thats a big series win and says a lot about this core.

Canes humbled them in the second round and that will be burned in the back of their minds come playoff time.

I am excited.

I will say that while the Devils did get it together and come back from 0-2, something which I don't remember them doing in my lifetime, I do think the Rangers besides Shersterkin did end up folding in that series, and they would've been an easy out for whoever faced them next. Good on the Devils for not quitting, and obviously Schmid was incredible, but the Rangers had no pushback in Games 5 and 7.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I will say that while the Devils did get it together and come back from 0-2, something which I don't remember them doing in my lifetime, I do think the Rangers besides Shersterkin did end up folding in that series, and they would've been an easy out for whoever faced them next. Good on the Devils for not quitting, and obviously Schmid was incredible, but the Rangers had no pushback in Games 5 and 7.

Games 3 and 4 was the series. Rangers were the better team in game 3 IMO. Devils win that in OT and then took over from there.

 

[Devils731]

Like we are always telling other fans, Luke is a defensive juggernaut who can also bring good offense.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

This is the best Devils team in awhile. Yes 2022/23 was a record setting regular season team but this lineup is alot more experienced and built to play against bigger/physical teams. The team from 2022/23 might of been a bit more better in the bottom 6 but if they played each other heads up we would win the goaltending and defensive pairing matchup. I'll take that over the occasional extra bottom 6 goal here and there.

 

[NJDfan86]

Pool Party might be interesting from a fit perspective - replacing Tatar with a 6’4 RHS feels like a Fitz move but he won’t bring any scoring. Seems to be skating pretty well this year too.

Probably not worth the experiment, but I expect Colorado or Carolina might be taking a look.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[HBK27]

What are the chances of Gritsyuk coming over and playing for NJ this season?

SKA's season ends 3 1/2 weeks before NJ's and currently SKA is the 4th seed in their conference, so looking at a 4/5 matchup - meaning it's not unreasonable to think they could go out in the first round.

Is there anything in the NHL/KHL agreement that would prevent him from coming over as soon as SKA's season is over? Would be a very nice addition to the bottom 6 for a (hopefully) long playoff run.

 

[HBK27]

Definitely the right move - these are the types of games you have MacDermid on the roster for.

I know he gets a decent amount of shit here, but I like having him on the roster. Seems like a good locker room guy, knows his role and is seemingly fine with being a healthy scratch for long stretches and usually wins his fights.

 

[MartyOwns]

Pool Party might be interesting from a fit perspective - replacing Tatar with a 6’4 RHS feels like a Fitz move but he won’t bring any scoring. Seems to be skating pretty well this year too.

Probably not worth the experiment, but I expect Colorado or Carolina might be taking a look.

seems like he just wasn’t a fit in pitt. he could be an interesting reclamation project for someone though.

 

[Omar Little]

What are the chances of Gritsyuk coming over and playing for NJ this season?

SKA's season ends 3 1/2 weeks before NJ's and currently SKA is the 4th seed in their conference, so looking at a 4/5 matchup - meaning it's not unreasonable to think they could go out in the first round.

Is there anything in the NHL/KHL agreement that would prevent him from coming over as soon as SKA's season is over? Would be a very nice addition to the bottom 6 for a (hopefully) long playoff run.

I think the operating assumption has been he’ll sign once their season is over and there has been public statements to that effect

 

[Better Call Sal]