GDT: Devils @ Golden Knights, 10 PM, MSG+: Calm Down, Neddily Diddily Diddily

[Camille the Eel]

Good game. McLeod and Johnsson points and a WIN
Thats all Im here for

McLeod for all the criticism of him (myself included) has had 3 points in the last two games. His line has been our best line both games.

Nice to see Z's defensive game and Boq to see his confidence growing is a real good sign...He played good on the boards as well and on his goal he stuck with it which really shows he's gaining confidence in his skill set....

after a horrible turnover that resulted in a partial breakaway in the other direction, Boqvist showed amazing speed getting back, catching up with the forward and breaking up the play. That was a great play.

 

[Triumph]

Boqvist is playing good hockey, I won't say otherwise but there's no way I'm penciling him as our 3C next year because he's on a run at a time that means absolutely nothing for us.

Pavel Zacha had his best runs at the end of several seasons because nothing is on the line and I see the same thing going on with Boqvist. There's nobody else on our roster that can take his spot so he's playing without a care in the world and that's great but let's not act as if he's arrived and he's a shoe in to crack our roster next year.

We saw first hand what we looked like when one of Nico and Jack missed several games. Dawson Mercer saved us from being a bottom #3 team and to not get a veteran 3C who can take some of the added workload we give to Nico and Michael would be borderline suicidal.

I'd flank Boqvist on the wing and let him fly up and down the ice but he shouldn't be a lock at all, if we're actually serious about competing next year, to be our 3C come puck drop in October.

Except that a veteran 3C just isn't available, as I tell you over and over and over. Boqvist should be a lock for the roster next year. The Devils are not going to find a better player in the offseason. Also what Boqvist is doing now at center is better than anything Pavel Zacha ever did at that position.

 

[Buck Dancer]

Except that a veteran 3C just isn't available, as I tell you over and over and over. Boqvist should be a lock for the roster next year. The Devils are not going to find a better player in the offseason. Also what Boqvist is doing now at center is better than anything Pavel Zacha ever did at that position.

Thinking that no veteran 3C will be available during the offseason is absurd lol. You go on and on about adding a legit goaltender, as if it's something that easily done when it'll be borderline impossible... yet you think adding a veteran 3C is the hardest thing to do when in reality, there's going to be options left and right.

Andrew Copp is the 1st name that comes to mind and there's about 20 other names that can be added to that list as well. Do they have to be elite, absolutely not but saying Boqvist is a lock is foolish and premature, to say the least. He would be my "last case scenario" in regards to my wish list and I would try and bolster that position during the offseason. If it can't be done, we'll have Boqvist as a safety net but that's about it.

As for Zacha, he's always been utilized in a top #6 role, which isn't close to what Boqvist has had to deal with since his call up. It's also do or die for Boqvist and like I said, he's playing ok for the past couple of weeks but Zacha has accomplished way more than what Jesper has been giving us since we drafted him.

 

[RangerDoggo]

That Boqvist goal was hilarious. What was Lehner doing lmao

Nothing, obviously

 

[Bleedred]

That Boqvist goal was hilarious. What was Lehner doing lmao

Softy of the night for me.

And I wouldn't have even given it the softy of the night if it was scored the same exact way, only with Lehner actually watching it go in and beat him, but his poor (un)awareness on it was just unforgivably bad.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Utilizing BQ at 3C will save on cap for a while which is a way to succeed in this league if he continues his stellar play. Thats a worthy gamble.

 

[Triumph]

Thinking that no veteran 3C will be available during the offseason is absurd lol.

Andrew Copp is the 1st name that comes to mind and there's about 20 other names that can be added to that list as well. Do they have to be elite, absolutely not but saying Boqvist is a lock is foolish and premature, to say the least.

ADD THE NAMES! GIVE ME ALL OF THE NAMES. Andrew Copp is playing 18 minutes a game, he is not a 3rd line center, he is going to sign for upwards of $5M this offseason. Not a 3rd line C in any sense.

Expecting to see a list of names in your next post. I know I won't.

As for Zacha, he's always been utilized in a top #6 role, which isn't close to what Boqvist has had to deal with since his call up. It's also do or die for Boqvist and like I said, he's playing ok for the past couple of weeks but Zacha has accomplished way more than what Jesper has been giving us since we drafted him.

Just a lot of blather here, as ever. Just count up the points and say who's better, don't talk about who plays with whom or where they play, the fact that Zacha gets to play lots with Hischier and Bratt and Boqvist never plays with either.

Boqvist's p/60 5v5 this season are better than Zacha's ever have been. His top linemates this year are Kuokkanen, Johnsson, Vesey, Tatar - these are the 4 forwards he's played 100 minutes with this year.

 

[glenwo2]

Softy of the night for me.

And I wouldn't have even given it the softy of the night if it was scored the same exact way, only with Lehner actually watching it go in and beat him, but his poor (un)awareness on it was just unforgivably bad.

You know else was just unforgivably bad?

Cangy COMPLETELY missing the puck going in and *assuming* that Lehner made the save when he stood there like a statue.

 

[Buck Dancer]

ADD THE NAMES! GIVE ME ALL OF THE NAMES. Andrew Copp is playing 18 minutes a game, he is not a 3rd line center, he is going to sign for upwards of $5M this offseason. Not a 3rd line C in any sense.

Expecting to see a list of names in your next post. I know I won't.



Just a lot of blather here, as ever. Just count up the points and say who's better, don't talk about who plays with whom or where they play, the fact that Zacha gets to play lots with Hischier and Bratt and Boqvist never plays with either.

Boqvist's p/60 5v5 this season are better than Zacha's ever have been.

Boqvist never plays with our best player because he has no business playing in a top #6 role. That right there is enough to give you a clue lol.

As for the 3C debate, you seem to think and I remember you saying it as well, that they're almost as hard to get as top line players, which is absurd. Copp was playing heavy minutes in Winnipeg since they had no other options and the same thing is happening in NY, where Strome has missed some playing time. Why is it that you're so hung up on TOI as a way to tag where a player is suited in a lineup? I'll be able to give you names when rosters will be re-adjusted during the offseaon because teams will have to make some space to fit other contracts, to fit UFA's who will get signed come July 1st, to make some room for up and coming prospects, etc, etc, etc.

Giving you names now is meaningless and pointless because we have no idea what all those rosters will look like in 2 months from now. Do you think that all 32 rosters will look identical to what they are today? Just look at our team, we have Holtz who will most probably crack our lineup, meaning someone will get the boot, so the same thing will happen to the 31 other teams.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Boqvist never plays with our best player because he has no business playing in a top #6 role. That right there is enough to give you a clue lol.

“Kyle Palmieri never plays in top 6 in Anaheim because hes not good enough.”

“Siegenthaler never plays in top 4 on caps because hes not good enough “

What fantastic logic you have there Buck. Well done.

 

[Buck Dancer]

View attachment 532854

I love how Jesper Boqvist is now this can't miss stud that can't do no wrong lol.

All I have to say is that if Boqvist is our 3C to start the season for us next year, we better hope to god that Nico and Jack play all 82 games. That's all I have to say about that and I won't have my hopes too high for us to compete for a playoff spot.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I love how Jesper Boqvist is now this can't miss stud that can't do no wrong lol.

No one is saying that. Your last post is just uber comical, I couldn’t resist.

 

[Buck Dancer]

No one is saying that. Your last post is just uber comical, I couldn’t resist.

What's comical is having posters pencil in Jesper Boqvist as our 3C next year and saying that there's no options out there that would be better than him... now that's funny.

You should reserve your meme's for those instead lol

 

[NjDevsRR]

What's comical is having posters pencil in Jesper Boqvist as our 3C next year and saying that there's no options out there that would be better than him... now that's funny.

You should reserve your meme's for those instead lol

You are making bizarre statements and are completely over blowing the qualifications for a 3C. What Boqvist has been doing is better than most 3C’s….

And my memes provide levity and laughter to folks while you provide frustration in yours. So you shouldn’t be poking at people.

 

[Bleedred]

I was really done with Boqvist a few months ago, but there's no logic in arguing against him right now.

He clearly just had no business being in the NHL full time in 19-20 (which he was for the first few months, before we sent him back to Binghamton) and now he clearly does.

Most people just have a problem acknowledging that no player is consistent every game or every 10-20 game increment or whatever. It's why the whole ''Schneider is a .920% the last 20 games'' stuff is actually a thing and is used as evidence that he can't be a bad player because that means more than his last 120 games.

And it's the same thing on the other end. Like Boqvist having 6 points in his last 10 games or 7 in his last 12. That's not why he should be here next year, because he's producing at a 50 point pace over 10 games, but because he's producing at a 33 point pace over 82 games. And if Boqvist could get 33 points (he won't this year, he won't come close to having finished with 82 games in the NHL) in an 82 game NHL season while playing the minutes he's getting right now then that's great.

Boqvist wouldn't be getting a spot next year based on these last 10 or 12 games, but based on his 50 games overall this season.

After reading my post, it does read like it could be an anti-Boqvist post, but my intentions were to highlight that Boqvist is going to get a spot next year (which I believe he SHOULD) because of his 50 games overall this year (pacing for 33 points as of now) and not just because of his 6 points in the last 10 games, which seems to be the argument as to why he shouldn't get a spot next year.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

No need to replace a cheap, young, improving player. Literally not an issue, despite the “interior forward” obsession or whatever. He’s getting good results.

 

[NjDevsRR]

@Buck Dancer

Here is the 106 pt, 3rd place in the league starting 3C.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I definitely was not on the Boqvist bandwagon earlier in the season, but he has really broken out. Pre-2022 he was an empty calorie 3rd line center, maybe - he could score a bit, but he was destroyed territorially. Definitely the sort of player you want to upgrade as soon as possible.

He's shown a lot of possibilities here in the last 3 months.

That is why there is more than analytics. I thought his film always showed glimpses of what he could be if used properly.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Boqvist is playing good hockey, I won't say otherwise but there's no way I'm penciling him as our 3C next year because he's on a run at a time that means absolutely nothing for us.

Pavel Zacha had his best runs at the end of several seasons because nothing is on the line and I see the same thing going on with Boqvist. There's nobody else on our roster that can take his spot so he's playing without a care in the world and that's great but let's not act as if he's arrived and he's a shoe in to crack our roster next year.

We saw first hand what we looked like when one of Nico and Jack missed several games. Dawson Mercer saved us from being a bottom #3 team and to not get a veteran 3C who can take some of the added workload we give to Nico and Michael would be borderline suicidal.

I'd flank Boqvist on the wing and let him fly up and down the ice but he shouldn't be a lock at all, if we're actually serious about competing next year, to be our 3C come puck drop in October.

He isn't a winger, you clearly haven't been following along closely.

 

[Buck Dancer]

You are making bizarre statements and are completely over blowing the qualifications for a 3C. What Boqvist has been doing is better than most 3C’s….

And my memes provide levity and laughter to folks while you provide frustration in yours. So you shouldn’t be poking at people.

I speak the truth, which hurts the feelings of some who seem to think that our entire roster has to be filled with homegrown prospects.

Having a key role on a team is more important than just having good analytics. If you’re useless on the PP and the PK as a bottom #6 center, you’re not helping your team.

@Buck Dancer

Here is the 106 pt, 3rd place in the league starting 3C.

View attachment 532858

Your idea of what a 3C should be is beyond stupid.

View attachment 532859

So taking one of the worst bottom #6 lineups out of all the 16 teams who are about to make the playoffs, who will most probably get bounced out of the 1st round because of just that, again, justifies your point how exactly?

What it does is actually solidify mine lol

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

People keep pointing to Boqvist's offensive potential/projection however it will be the defensive side of the ice where I see the most potential.

He smoothly covers the most ground out of all our forwards, including Hughes. That is a combination of skating and angling. Combine that with his length and it allows him to backcheck and close of lanes both in the neutral zone and defensive zone. He still has a lot to learn about positioning in his own end, a proper head coach/system should allow him to improve at that.

As I said on twitter, the two things he needs to improve are his release and strength on the puck (maybe put on 5 or 10 pounds).

 

[Ripshot 43]

He was doing his best statue impersonation

View attachment 532832

Why is the Statue of Liberty wearing a garbage bag?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

That is why there is more than analytics. I thought his film always showed glimpses of what he could be if used properly.

I wonder what his zone entry and exit stats look like for earlier in the year to now. It seems like he’s using his borderline elite skating much more and it’s helping him in all zones.

 

[NJDevs26]

Boqvist also never plays with our best forwards because two of the three are centers and he’s been used as a center himself. The only one he could theoretically play with is Bratt, who’s generally gonna be with one of the top two.

I also don’t understand why we’re just ignoring the fact Mercer could be the 3C, has the organization said he’s now a winger forever? If Boqvist is good enough to keep Mercer on the wing that’s a good thing. If not they can still solve the 3C from within

 

[Triumph]

Boqvist never plays with our best player because he has no business playing in a top #6 role. That right there is enough to give you a clue lol.

I am not saying he should play with the best players. I'm saying he's putting up good results with 4 guys who you think should not be on the team (or in the NHL). He's breaking even while playing with a gaggle of mediocre forwards. That's really good on this team.

As for the 3C debate, you seem to think and I remember you saying it as well, that they're almost as hard to get as top line players, which is absurd. Copp was playing heavy minutes in Winnipeg since they had no other options and the same thing is happening in NY, where Strome has missed some playing time. Why is it that you're so hung up on TOI as a way to tag where a player is suited in a lineup? I'll be able to give you names when rosters will be re-adjusted during the offseaon because teams will have to make some space to fit other contracts, to fit UFA's who will get signed come July 1st, to make some room for up and coming prospects, etc, etc, etc.

I think it's easier to get a top line player than a 3rd line center, yeah. I never thought about it in those terms before, but yes - the reason for this is that there are 96 'top line players' and only 32 3rd line centers. Many wings can switch wing, but most wings cannot play center.

Maybe you should do some thinking as to why both Winnipeg and the Rangers cannot find a player better than Andrew Copp to play 2nd line center.

You will never give me that list of names, I already know that. It's just funny to watch you come up with excuses why you can't.

Giving you names now is meaningless and pointless because we have no idea what all those rosters will look like in 2 months from now. Do you think that all 32 rosters will look identical to what they are today? Just look at our team, we have Holtz who will most probably crack our lineup, meaning someone will get the boot, so the same thing will happen to the 31 other teams.

Teams don't boot 3rd line centers with the attributes you want. These are the players they tend to hang on to with all their might.