Post-Game Talk: Devils drop a turd in the 1st, showed amazing fight in the 3rd (still lost, though)

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Congrats to Nolan Foote on his first NHL goal, it was a great goal too. Devils need guys that can score goals like that.

 

[devilsblood]

Congrats to Nolan Foote on his first NHL goal, it was a great goal too. Devils need guys that can score goals like that.

Being able to release that shot from that tight to his skates and go top corner is pretty remarkable.

 

[MartyOwns]

shara seems like a guy that can consistently score 20 goals with the right linemates. if we can sprinkle some vets in the lineup this is going to be a dangerous team in the next 1-2 years.

goaltending, we need to get someone who can handle 40 games. preferably someone who doesn’t retire in the middle of training camp

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Here is what Pittsburgh's writer from The Athletic had to say last night:

I’ve mentioned this multiple times this season and I’ll say it again: The Devils play so, so hard. While the Penguins’ errors were of the greedy variety and that can’t be ignored, it only became a game in the third period because of how hard the Devils play. They’re a couple of years away, at least, from being a legitimate playoff team, especially considering how good their division is. But there is serious talent and speed on this team, and there’s also plenty of drive.

Most teams don’t play that hard when they’re losing by a touchdown. The Devils never give up, though. Two days earlier against the Rangers, they were down 3-0 in the third period and came back to even the game before finally falling.

There is something very respectable in the way they play.

 

[devilsblood]

Here is what Pittsburgh's writer from The Athletic had to say last night:

Speaks well of a young team in the midst of a long losing streak.

But the losing streak continues, and they need to continue to play hard though it.

 

[Billdo]

After last night I wouldn't be disappointed if Damon Severson was one of the players exposed... If Pavel, Damon, Jesper Bratt, and Andreas Johnsson are all exposed, who do they select?

 

[devilsblood]

shara seems like a guy that can consistently score 20 goals with the right linemates. if we can sprinkle some vets in the lineup this is going to be a dangerous team in the next 1-2 years.

goaltending, we need to get someone who can handle 40 games. preferably someone who doesn’t retire in the middle of training camp

I feel Shara, because of his ability to score on a pretty simple rush up the wing, which his speed enables him plenty of, can score 20 with whoever.

Question imo is can he score enough in an o-zone possession game to score 30 consistently. That goes two direction really, can he score consistently in a grinding possession game? Can he score enough in a skilled possession game where a guy like Hughes is whipping passes through traffic?

Too optimisitic? I don't think so, I don't think that is too crazy of a ceiling.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

imagine a 3rd line with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen on the wings instead of the first line? Hopefully thats what we have in the next 1-2 years with all the guys coming

Foote-Hughes-Holtz
Zacha-Hischier-Bratt
Sharangovich-Mercer-Kuokkanen

(obviously no trades or signings involved there, but you get the picture)

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

They should have locked up Simmonds to a 6 by $6 two years ago when they had a chance. That would be one less key player they would need now.

No, they shouldn’t of and you can keep hammering that same nail when I’ve said repeatedly I messed up on that call, if it makes you feel any better we’re getting the shot kicked out of him.

It’s also convenient to brush off the fact I was in favour of adding someone like Nurse, who’s been lights out for the Oilers when you, ZBC and others were dead set he wasn’t worth it.

The difference between both situations is that I can admit I was wrong whereas you think you’re right all the time, especially with this notion that we should move everyone who’s 28 and older.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

shara seems like a guy that can consistently score 20 goals with the right linemates. if we can sprinkle some vets in the lineup this is going to be a dangerous team in the next 1-2 years.

I've been saying Killorn's name for years. His skillset and pedigree would transform the top-9 - perfect winger for Hughes, and a perfect mentor for our bigger bodies (Foote, Wood, etc.) - and push might finally come to shove re: Tampa's cap situation and related casualties.

Zacha - Hischier - Bratt
Killorn - Hughes - XXX
Kuokkanen - Boqvist - Sharangovich
Wood - Maltsev/McLeod - Studenic/Merkley

XXX eventually becomes Holtz/Mercer, but I wouldn't rule out an upgrade in the interim. If that happens (and the upgrade is a long-term piece), Bratt eventually slides down to LW3 and, in that case, Sharangovich almost certainly becomes the regular 20-goal scorer you hinted at above.

These are certainly trying times, but the forward group is closer than our recent results would suggest.

goaltending, we need to get someone who can handle 40 games. preferably someone who doesn’t retire in the middle of training camp

I trust Fitz to do what he has to do. He did seek out Crawford, after all.

Driedger from Florida would be excellent. Brossoit would work, too. I'd probably avoid guys like Raanta and Elliot due to age/injury concerns, but they wouldn't be terrible. We have options.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

No, they shouldn’t of and you can keep hammering that same nail when I’ve said repeatedly I messed up on that call, if it makes you feel any better we’re getting the shot kicked out of him.

It’s also convenient to brush off the fact I was in favour of adding someone like Nurse, who’s been lights out for the Oilers when you, ZBC and others were dead set he wasn’t worth it.

The difference between both situations is that I can admit I was wrong whereas you think you’re right all the time, especially with this notion that we should move everyone who’s 28 and older.

Who ever said Nurse wasn't a decent to good player? What we said was A) EDM probably wouldnt move him and B) the price would be exorbitant.

I admit when I was wrong plenty. I never thought Sharangovich would be this player after watching him earlier this year, for example.

 

[NJDevs26]

Speaks well of a young team in the midst of a long losing streak.

But the losing streak continues, and they need to continue to play hard though it.

That was my only point last night, yeah we can all hat tip them for their effort (which is itself symbolic of what things have come to, congratulations after a bad first two periods where you’re 99% not to win the game three games in a row) but the results are still 1-9-1 this month and a seven game losing streak. Eventually they’re gonna need to start getting better results bang for their buck, playing more than twenty minutes a night would help.

Even if we don’t care about results, they do. I am encouraged by the fact Jack and Nico - unlike the fans - know this isn’t good enough. It gets harder to play through things the longer the losing continues.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Who ever said Nurse wasn't a decent to good player? What we said was A) EDM probably wouldnt move him and B) the price would be exorbitant.

I admit when I was wrong plenty. I never thought Sharangovich would be this player after watching him earlier this year, for example.

When he was rumoured to be on the block and every Oilers fan wanted him gone, that was last summer btw, you were saying he’s not worth it, his contract isn’t ideal, he’s not the solution to our problems and the fact that an entire fan base wants him elsewhere is a glaring sign as to why we shouldn’t think about it.

As for the price, we have no idea what that is, so thinking you’re right based off an imaginary scenario of your perceived value is a joke. I’m pretty certain you had no clue what Subban was going to cost us, what Boston had to give up for Hall, what we would get for Palmieri and Zajac. Here’s a news flash, none of us do, so acting like it’s borderline impossible because of a set value you came up with, doesn’t validate your point.

As for our kids, that’s great, we got some guys that came out left field and made a name for themselves. Do I want a roster filled with the names you threw out there this morning, 2 years from now... god no! That would only mean that we haven’t added legit talent to the core we already have and instead of being dead last in the league, we’ll be 8th last, if not worse.

 

[The Wumpus]

Foote's goal reminds me somewhat of Elias-to-Arnott in 2000. Not in terms of triumph obviously, but just visually. Big #25 one-timing from the left slot with the puck in his skates.

 

[hidek91]

No, they shouldn’t of and you can keep hammering that same nail when I’ve said repeatedly I messed up on that call, if it makes you feel any better we’re getting the shot kicked out of him.

It’s also convenient to brush off the fact I was in favour of adding someone like Nurse, who’s been lights out for the Oilers when you, ZBC and others were dead set he wasn’t worth it.

The difference between both situations is that I can admit I was wrong whereas you think you’re right all the time, especially with this notion that we should move everyone who’s 28 and older.

The problem with that is, while I appreciate the fact that you're willing to admit you were wrong, if Devils make a single mistake like this, it can sabotage Hughes' and Hischier's primes. The time for risking with long-term UFAs isn't here yet (our core is still too young).

I'm a big fan of Nurse but teams don't give up those pieces *just like this*. It makes (and made in the past) zero sense for Oilers to move on from Nurse unless you offered crazy overpayment like let's say Jack Hughes. It doesn't take a genius to suggest that e. g. Heiskanen would help Devils a lot but the problem is that Dallas will never trade him.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I like the idea of a future Sharangovich-Mercer-Kuokkanen line if things play out well for us. That could be a really fun line of some decent size and skill.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I absolutely LOVED Ruff's presser. He has no clue if he is going to be here next year yet he is sticking up for his guy. Say what you want about a lot of things but this team has a TON of dog in it and it really shows even though we lost. The players aren't happy they lost and clawed back within one on a night the goalies played like shit. I actually could not be happier with how they fought back and pushed after getting the doors blown off in the first two periods.

Bastian had a sick tip and way to lay out Letang, keep playing like that and he can keep the nickname Nasty. Oh my sweet Swiss prince captain, if he doesn't hit the post its a goal. Sharangovich, man the nuts on this guy to make Letang his little bitch and score a sick shorty. Jack I f***ing LOVE his attitude, if no one has watched his presser please do, this kid has literally everything you want in a hockey player and I will fight anyone that say otherwise. Nolan scored one of the more impressive goals of this season imo, yes he was open, but catching a puck with speed on it like that while skating hard on your forehand isn't easy to do and he ripped it top titty. Last but not least Andreas "MANGO" Johnsson, sorry excuse me, MR ELITE GOAL SCORER Andreas "MANGO" Johnsson. Man what can't this guy do, of f***ing everything but score from behind the net. Sorry I am a little f***ed up.

I nominate this for post of the year.

 

[Bleedred]

That fifth goal (the first on Dell) was hilarious. Dell looks like he’s more concerned with tripping or sticking his own teammate (Murray) than anticipating the shot. He probably wouldn’t have stopped it anyway, so I wouldn’t nail him on that goal, but his reaction time was so slow. I’m assuming he was trying to poke the puck away from the guy that had it (Rodrigues I think?) before he could pass it to Blueger in front, which he did.

But he was so late on that, the only guy he made contact with was Murray lol. He was so late that it looks like he was trying to either trip Murray, talk to him or make out with him or something.

 

[njdevil26]

imagine a 3rd line with Sharangovich and Kuokkanen on the wings instead of the first line? Hopefully thats what we have in the next 1-2 years with all the guys coming

Foote-Hughes-Holtz
Zacha-Hischier-Bratt
Sharangovich-Mercer-Kuokkanen

(obviously no trades or signings involved there, but you get the picture)

Is Mercer a center? For some reason he's in my mind as a RW.

 

[BurntToast]

shara seems like a guy that can consistently score 20 goals with the right linemates. if we can sprinkle some vets in the lineup this is going to be a dangerous team in the next 1-2 years.

goaltending, we need to get someone who can handle 40 games. preferably someone who doesn’t retire in the middle of training camp

Ullmark?!

 

[BurntToast]

Is Mercer a center? For some reason he's in my mind as a RW.

Both

 

[TheDuke93]

I don't know about this. Maybe it's getting lost in the blur but I'm not remembering a lot of bad decisions from Merk.

He forces and tries to pull off things that he generally isn't good enough to do in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone he isn't hard on the puck and routinely sends soft passes in dangerous areas, we can say that about a lot of players this season. The last two games he has played relatively simple and not been forcing and he has looked damn good.

 

[Sheros expletives]

Ullmark?!

That would be sweet. The dude loves his bacon chips.

 

[Blender]

He forces and tries to pull off things that he generally isn't good enough to do in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone he isn't hard on the puck and routinely sends soft passes in dangerous areas, we can say that about a lot of players this season. The last two games he has played relatively simple and not been forcing and he has looked damn good.

Yea, Merkley needs to stick to a more simple north-south game right now. He's looked very bad when he has tried to do more than he is capable.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Ullmark?!

Ullmark is a very good goalie, but he's testing the market for a reason. I can't imagine he'll want to go from being a 1a on a shitty team to being 1b on a shitty team.

I would offer him a deal but I'm can't imagine he would take it. Can't hurt to try though.