GDT: Devils @ Oilers - 9:00 PM - MSG

[glenwo2]

Normally, I feel like you and I see eye to eye on goalies, which makes this really weird.

The only thing I'm really interested in picking apart here is elite upside? When has Blackwood shown ELITE upside? You referenced goals saved above expected, but Blackwood has not ONCE been a positive in GSAx in the NHL. Not even in the .918% and .915% seasons. Although he was close. Just barely broke below even. I think it was roughly a -0.5 or so in each year.

When has he shown elite upside? I never really saw elite upside there. I saw GOOD upside, but not elite. And as Devils fans, we should know elite goalies, as we've had two of them over the last 30 years, though the last one just destroyed his hip and declined way too prematurely. I can't remember ever thinking Blackwood had the potential of elite. I mean, MAYBE potential, but I don't think he ever performed at an elite level. Of course this was when he was only 22-23 years old at that time, so to suggest he may one day be elite at that time would not have been fat fetched, but he's clearly not moved any closer to that potential in the last 2 years of play. Those .918% and .915% years were just about 3-4 years ago now. He's slightly improved this year from his death streak last December-onward, but not by a whole lot. Yes, he certainly showed more of a ceiling than Vanecek, but the last two years Vanecek has been MUCH better.

And as far as the athleticism goes, Ondrej Pavelec was one of the most impressively athletic goalies I've seen since Hasek/Brodeur, but he was not at all an effective goalie in the NHL, despite being able to really wow and dazzle with some of the saves he made.

Fitz really hitched his wagon to Vanecek giving him that deal this offseason, which sees him signed the next 2 years after this. Blackwood has to show A LOT if we're gonna bring him back, because I'm pretty sure we could get .900% goaltending or something close to it for just a million bucks next from Nico Daws (who we really didn't do any favors by having so much in the NHL last year) and that $2 million extra would be better allocated elsewhere if he doesn't really turn it around from the last two seasons.

Which lends some credence to the possibility that perhaps Mac is being...showcased for a trade or something? Just spitballing here....as I cannot think of any RATIONAL explanation for Lindy to start him unless it was a call from the top (Fitz) to do so.

 

[Bleedred]

I half kiddingly alluded to this possibility in my initial post...because there's no other reason that makes sense as to why a presumed healthy Vanecek sits two games in a row on the back of a three-game winning streak, this isn't some machevallian plot from Lindy to have Blackwood 'take the beating' in Edmonton, coaches don't think like that anywhere, even in baseball where sending out a pitcher to take a beating has more merit over a 162-game season.

The main paranoia freakout possibility (besides the Bleedism of 'the organization wanting to make Blackwood a thing') is they're hiding some minor (?) injury to Vanecek.

I don't know about hiding a minor injury to Vanecek. In fact, all signs in the post game interviews from both Blackwood and Ruff after last game confirmed Blackwood is dealing with a minor injury (elbow) and he even said as much. Which is why he missed that evening practice last week that preceded the season ticket fan event, which was the night before the Colorado game. There were comments from both that would make one believe that if not for that then Blackwood may have actually started the Colorado game. After Vanecek shut Colorado out they kind of had to start him against Columbus.

I don't really think he was started to take the beating over Edmonton, considering that I'm not completely sure they know Blackwood actually isn't good, kind of like in the same way that the Flyers don't really know Ristolainen is bad and Columbus isn't really aware that Gudbranson isn't good.

Although, there was that one time when Holtby was going for the single season wins record (he wound up falling one short and only tied Marty for it) and Washington came in and started him against us, while throwing the backup to the superior team the next night.

 

[Oneiro]

Criticism coming from people who live in a town where mechanical bull rides are a legit source of entertainment...A bit glasshouse.

 

[The Grinder]

Hughes gonna have a game tonight. I can feel it.

 

[Aurinko]

If we win this game, then we are winning the cup!

Lets faking go then!!!!

 

[Bleedred]

Which lends some credence to the possibility that perhaps Mac is being...showcased for a trade or something? Just spitballing here....as I cannot think of any RATIONAL explanation for Lindy to start him unless it was a call from the top (Fitz) to do so.

I don't honestly think we're trying to trade him.

Maybe if we were out of it at the deadline or closer to the deadline and some team needed the goalie depth. Especially if we knew we weren't gonna bring him back next year.

But in that case, it might mean he had a really bad season and there wouldn't be much interest in him anyway, although Keith Kinkaid was traded during a really bad season and to a team that didn't even play him one stinkin game after trading for him. So anything can happen.

I think Bernier is too much of a liability to really rely on. We'd probably need to see at least 5-6 games from him at the NHL level if we're really willing to trade Blackwood and rely on Bernier to contribute as a backup for the rest of the year.

And honestly, Fitz might know that after extending Vanecek 3 years and knowing he's locked up for the next 2 years, he might already be leaning towards knowing he's gonna have to do away with Blackwood, especially if he can't get and stay above .900%.

 

[Billdo]

I was also lurking earlier and one of them said they went to a wedding in Jersey and it was “a pit” which of course makes me irrationally angry. I can’t stand when people who don’t live here besmirch our beautiful garden state

I mean a lot of Bergen County is gross. Having said that, there is an insane amount of beauty in NJ from farmlands, to mountains, to the ocean. Literally has everything you could want and some things you wouldn't, like Camden or Irvington.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Oh god how many goals is mcdavid gonna pot tonight?

40?

 

[BostonDevil]

Which lends some credence to the possibility that perhaps Mac is being...showcased for a trade or something? Just spitballing here....as I cannot think of any RATIONAL explanation for Lindy to start him unless it was a call from the top (Fitz) to do so.

I think Tatar and Smith are being showcased too.

 

[glenwo2]

I mean a lot of Bergen County is gross. Having said that, there is an insane amount of beauty in NJ from farmlands, to mountains, to the ocean. Literally has everything you could want and some things you wouldn't, like Camden or Irvington.

Hey!!

 

[glenwo2]

Oh god how many goals is mcdavid gonna pot tonight?

40?

Nah. I think he'd want to spread the wealth around.

25 for him; 20 for Drai.

 

[Clam Jensen]

I mean a lot of Bergen County is gross. Having said that, there is an insane amount of beauty in NJ from farmlands, to mountains, to the ocean. Literally has everything you could want and some things you wouldn't, like Camden or Irvington.

People outside of NJ just think it’s Newark from head to toe lol. There are a lot of places in the state I wouldn’t want to be in late at night, but I grew up in Tewksbury, so visitors should make their way to Hunterdon County before judging us! Okay I’m done ranting on this lol.

 

[Bleedred]

I mean a lot of Bergen County is gross. Having said that, there is an insane amount of beauty in NJ from farmlands, to mountains, to the ocean. Literally has everything you could want and some things you wouldn't, like Camden or Irvington.

No but seriously, I don't care. I obviously don't live there anymore, so I couldn't have loved it that much, if I bailed for Florida in my mid-30's.

And right now it's that time of year again. Where I start seeing A LOT more New Jersey plates, as well as Massachusetts and much of the Northeast and Mid Atlantic. A couple of Illinois, Michigan and those states.

And the roads are even more clogged up than usual (like Jersey) and the beaches also start to get a lot more crowded.

 

[glenwo2]

I know that Newark has some rough places but Bergen County consists of towns like Rutherford, Clifton, Lyndhurst, Wallington, and so forth where there are plenty of trees and green...and all-around PLEASANT-NESS.

Calling the County "Gross" is absolutely asinine. (I'm looking at you, @Billdo )

 

[Eggtimer]

I don't honestly think we're trying to trade him.
Maybe if we were out of it at the deadline or closer to the deadline and some team needed the goalie depth. Especially if we knew we weren't gonna bring him back next year.
But in that case, it might mean he had a really bad season and there wouldn't be much interest in him anyway, although Keith Kinkaid was traded during a really bad season and to a team that didn't even play him one stinkin game after trading for him. So anything can happen.
I think Bernier is too much of a liability to really rely on. We'd probably need to see at least 5-6 games from him at the NHL level if we're really willing to trade Blackwood and rely on Bernier to contribute as a backup for the rest of the year.
And honestly, Fitz might know that after extending Vanecek 3 years and knowing he's locked up for the next 2 years, he might already be leaning towards knowing he's gonna have to do away with Blackwood, especially if he can't get and stay above .900%.

 

[Goptor]

Normally, I feel like you and I see eye to eye on goalies, which makes this really weird.

The only thing I'm really interested in picking apart here is elite upside? When has Blackwood shown ELITE upside? You referenced goals saved above expected, but Blackwood has not ONCE been a positive in GSAx in the NHL. Not even in the .918% and .915% seasons. Although he was close. Just barely broke below even. I think it was roughly a -0.5 or so in each year.

When has he shown elite upside? I never really saw elite upside there. I saw GOOD upside, but not elite. And as Devils fans, we should know elite goalies, as we've had two of them over the last 30 years, though the last one just destroyed his hip and declined way too prematurely. I can't remember ever thinking Blackwood had the potential of elite. I mean, MAYBE potential, but I don't think he ever performed at an elite level. Of course this was when he was only 22-23 years old at that time, so to suggest he may one day be elite at that time would not have been fat fetched, but he's clearly not moved any closer to that potential in the last 2 years of play. Those .918% and .915% years were just about 3-4 years ago now. He's slightly improved this year from his death streak last December-onward, but not by a whole lot. Yes, he certainly showed more of a ceiling than Vanecek, but the last two years Vanecek has been MUCH better.

And as far as the athleticism goes, Ondrej Pavelec was one of the most impressively athletic goalies I've seen since Hasek/Brodeur, but he was not at all an effective goalie in the NHL, despite being able to really wow and dazzle with some of the saves he made.

Fitz really hitched his wagon to Vanecek giving him that deal this offseason, which sees him signed the next 2 years after this. Blackwood has to show A LOT if we're gonna bring him back, because I'm pretty sure we could get .900% goaltending or something close to it for just a million bucks next from Nico Daws (who we really didn't do any favors by having so much in the NHL last year) and that $2 million extra would be better allocated elsewhere if he doesn't really turn it around from the last two seasons.

He's 6'4. Thats a lot of upside

 

[StevenToddIves]

Big test for the Devils tonight, and I must say I'm very excited for the game vs. Edmonton. Needless to say, NJ is going to have to stay out of the penalty box if they expect a win tonight. As such, it might be a smart idea to scratch Smith and play Bahl instead.

If the Devils can continue their fine play and get the W, the league is going to really have to start paying attention. From my vantage point, every indication is this New Jersey team is a serious threat to compete for a spot in the playoffs.

 

[Whaddagoal]

I didn't really care about the outcome of this game until I read that one fan on the Oilers' board that seems to have the most irrational hate I've ever seen for a team with basically 0 rivalry and now I kind of hope we kick their shit in.

Yup! Im with you there....

 

[glenwo2]

He's 6'4. Thats a lot of upside

Size isn't everything. (that's what she said but that's not the point)

 

[Better Call Sal]

People outside of NJ just think it’s Newark from head to toe lol. There are a lot of places in the state I wouldn’t want to be in late at night, but I grew up in Tewksbury, so visitors should make their way to Hunterdon County before judging us! Okay I’m done ranting on this lol.

Thinly veiled brag, "I grew up in Tewksbury" "I lived in a mansion"

Just ball busting of course! I grew up in Chester, so not far at all from there. I long ago gave up on the uninformed opinions of NJ as a whole. People don't know how good we really have it here, aside from the taxes.

 

[Bleedred]

People outside of NJ just think it’s Newark from head to toe lol. There are a lot of places in the state I wouldn’t want to be in late at night, but I grew up in Tewksbury, so visitors should make their way to Hunterdon County before judging us! Okay I’m done ranting on this lol.

A lot of the worst, most disgusting part about Jersey is literally the stretch of turnpike from about mile market 95-ish (exit 12) up to about mile market 100 or wherever exit 13 is. You got all the disgusting refineries and it always smells like sulfur. And then you got the airport after that planes taking off and landing right above you.

Tony Soprano's drive in the intro to the show (which isn't even at all geographically in order, but those of us not from Jersey don't realize that and don't any better) is around certain parts of that stretch (Citgo tanks and Elizabeth/Linden refineries).

It's funny how Tony comes off the Lincoln tunnel, then driving through Newark on the turnpike and then he's by the tanks all the way down by exit 12 and then he's somehow in Jersey City off the Pulaski Skyway, then he's in I think Belleville, before finally making his way home, which I believe was in the Caldwell's, though I don't think the show ever actually references exactly what town the Soprano family reside in.

Apparently, Edmonton has it's fair share of refineries (where do you think the name OILers comes from?) as @Cage Helmet has told me about numerous times from his visits.

 

[jkrdevil]

 

[Bleedred]

Not for nothing, but as I preached the word of doom when Smith was brought here on a two year deal, I don't think he's here to be the #7 and to this point (which is only 10 games in, mind you) he has certainly not been the #7.

Possibly by the end of this year he'll be the #7, but I don't think it's happening any earlier than that.

So I don't think it can be expected that he's a healthy scratch any time soon.

I don't like it any more than anybody else does, but I kind of knew when he was signed (especially to a 2 year deal), it wasn't to be a ''Depth'' piece. He was gonna be an every night piece, at least at the start of the first year.

 

[Guttersniped]

I mean a lot of Bergen County is gross. Having said that, there is an insane amount of beauty in NJ from farmlands, to mountains, to the ocean. Literally has everything you could want and some things you wouldn't, like Camden or Irvington.

Why are you dumping on Bergen County to defend NJ? Some people on this board grew up or live in Bergen County.

Sorry if you didn’t live conveniently near NYC (while having mountains and lakes too) but congrats on being nearer to larger tracts of farmland or whatever.

 

[jkrdevil]

I've never actually been to Newark or NJ at all for that matter, but I've always found it weird that people bash the place and talk about how nobody wants to live there when it's literally a bridge away from the city everyone is gaga over.

Like you could travel the same distance in Atlanta and still be in Atlanta.

It’s also the most densely populated region of the country.