GDT: Devils @ Penguins 7:00 MSG

[None Shall Pass]

Vitek had himself a nice game too. 913%, and the two goals against were anything but easy saves. Hopefully he'll be a little less in his own head.

 

[JrFischer54]

I can't help but think of @JrFischer54 when Bill said (following the breakaway with Bratt and Toffoli) he didn't fault Bratt for passing it to the one who is leading the Devils in Goals...

I bet Jr's answer would be : "I fault him"

Because that's what you do, bud.

sorry bro just holding the top players accountable someone has to! got 2pts out of him tonight!

 

[Saugus]

Vitek had himself a nice game too. 913%, and the two goals against were anything but easy saves. Hopefully he'll be a little less in his own head.

A little hibachi will cure what ails him.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Seriously, Lazar is such a mensch. He's the perfect throwback, lunchpail guy. I adore players like this.

Love him. The last 4th line guy we had that I liked this much was Ryan Carter.

 

[Saugus]

I am always rooting for Palat these days. I think the rage buyout talks or posts I see on twitter are taken it way too far.

I know the goals haven't been there so far, but he's getting the assists now at least. Contract maybe a problem in two seasons but I like his game when he isn't forcing the passes. I think he is trying to force plays in absence of the stars not playing because he feels he has to make it happen.

He created that goal play for holtz by intercepting/blocking the play and rushed down to sidewall. Good anticipation to create rush and good board play.

He's the guy who immediately stood up for Nico also this season.

Palat's assist was well deserved, his excellent board work created a chance out of what initially looked like a nothing rush.

However, there were a few flaws in his game. For example, he got very lucky that his most glaring turnover (a tape to tape pass to an uncovered Karlsson in the high slot) didn't result in a goal against.

 

[New Jersey]

luke hughes

superstar

 

[Devs3cups]

It’s manbearpigs cousin. Half fish, half dog, half late first round steal.

 

[Triumph]

People aren't going to like Dougie for the same reason why GMs have never fallen in love - he takes dumb penalties, he's not a great skater, and he will make bad reads. He will also make great reads as he did on the Devils' 2nd goal, creating that play by stepping up on a bad pass.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Palat's assist was well deserved, his excellent board work created a chance out of what initially looked like a nothing rush.

However, there were a few flaws in his game. For example, he got very lucky that his most glaring turnover (a tape to tape pass to an uncovered Karlsson in the high slot) didn't result in a goal against.

Those forced pass turnovers are definitely a flaw in his game right now. I sense it will settle out when he's not going to be leaned on as heavily as now with Hughes Nico out.

I just don't get why some of our fans (not necessarily all here but I see a few) want to rush him outta the team so quickly and bring up his contract as if he is playing like a guy on last legs....particularly it feels like each mistake he makes a flurry of posts come in as if he should be off the team and keep projecting how bad it will be soon. Dougie has a bit of that feel with some of the posters too.

For half a decade or even longer we didn't have much of any veteran winners/gamers, we were a terrible team, and we finally get one or two committed and people seem to want to project the story of how terrible they will be soon and how bad a mistake the contract is.

I want to have gamers like palat willingly eager to play for this team, so I feel our fans should be a little more supportive of these guys.

 

[Triumph]

When Palat had the puck along the boards before the Holtz goal it was in a position of initial strength and I was thinking to myself, 'Don't f*** this up, Ondrej' - while his territorial numbers are good and he will start scoring goals, I am concerned about his decision-making/getting to loose pucks.

 

[NJDevs26]

Vitek had himself a nice game too. 913%, and the two goals against were anything but easy saves. Hopefully he'll be a little less in his own head.

We’ll see tomorrow, I hate that he has to play against the Rangers at the scene of the crime last postseason.

 

[NJDevs26]

Seriously, Lazar is such a mensch. He's the perfect throwback, lunchpail guy. I adore players like this.

I still roll my eyes at Lindy scratching him in Game 7 after he scored in Game 6, even though it worked out I suppose hah

 

[Better Call Sal]

Love him. The last 4th line guy we had that I liked this much was Ryan Carter.

Another guy I adored!

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I don’t think Dougie will age poorly at all. I can see a scenario down the road where Luke and Nemec are playing 24+ minutes a night and Dougie feasts on lesser competition. In a few years, the going rate for top pairing dmen will likely be well over 9 million. This is a world where Darnell Nurse makes 9.25 per year too lol.

 

[Whaddagoal]

I still roll my eyes at Lindy scratching him in Game 7 after he scored in Game 6, even though it worked out I suppose hah

Lazar is playing lights out so far this year (for his expected role). Great upgrade over wood.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

Palat's assist was well deserved, his excellent board work created a chance out of what initially looked like a nothing rush.

He seems to make really good plays from that area of the rink.

But I do remember at the time (before the goal) thinking "see, this is what he does. hopefully it translates.... f*** YEA!"

 

[Louskoolaid89]

lol Dougie has a bad game and people are ready to ship him off to the glue factory, ignoring that he's been arguably our most steady defenseman all season. When Marino, Siege, Bahl, and Smith were showing their asses the first 10 games of the season, Dougie and Luke were the only ones pulling their weight.

Dougie has 5 points in 5 games since Jack went down. He has 35 shot attempts in his last 5 games (!) and is #1 on the team in on-ice Corsi For, with 15 shots on goal. 6th of 19 in CF% (excluding Miller), 5th of 19 in SF%, 2nd of 19 in xGF, 2nd in HDCF, and has an xGF% of 58.11%.

Yes he has some obvious defensive warts that we will have to live with, but the vast majority of nights his positives will outweigh his negatives. It's a bad game, shit happens.

Despite a bad game overall he made the game tying goal happen from his own end.

 

[Saugus]

I don’t think Dougie will age poorly at all. I can see a scenario down the road where Luke and Nemec are playing 24+ minutes a night and Dougie feasts on lesser competition. In a few years, the going rate for top pairing dmen will likely be well over 9 million. This is a world where Darnell Nurse makes 9.25 per year too lol.

So basically, Dougie for the Damon Severson Experience in 2025. I'd be on board with that.

 

[MadDevil]

I mean, somebody has to fill the WTF shoes now that Severson is gone.

 

[Devils731]

People aren't going to like Dougie for the same reason why GMs have never fallen in love - he takes dumb penalties, he's not a great skater, and he will make bad reads. He will also make great reads as he did on the Devils' 2nd goal, creating that play by stepping up on a bad pass.

Dougie is a unicorn’s unicorn.

Normally you think of a unicorn as an atheltic freak, instead Dougie is a unicorn because his value comes from the end opposite of his body and athleticism.

You wouldn’t expect this tall, slow guys value to come mostly in the offensive and neutral zone but here is Dougie defying the odds.

 

[Mirka the Turka]

Dougie has one of the best shots in the league. And I mean that in the sense that besides his good slapper he has amazing placement with his wrist shot that either goes in or confuses the goalie. That second goal he created was based off quickly flicking it on the goalie which led to a good rebound.

I can’t think of any Dman post lock-out that the Devils ever had with that ability. Really thankful to have signed Dougie, he’s a big part of this teams success and is quite underrated by our fans.

 

[JimEIV]

Dougie has one of the best shots in the league. And I mean that in the sense that besides his good slapper he has amazing placement with his wrist shot that either goes in or confuses the goalie. That second goal he created was based off quickly flicking it on the goalie which led to a good rebound.

I can’t think of any Dman post lock-out that the Devils ever had with that ability. Really thankful to have signed Dougie, he’s a big part of this teams success and is quite underrated by our fans.

I agree. Watching him shoot the puck is pure joy for me.

That said his defense can be a trainwreck on some nights and decision making can also be strange on occasions.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Dougie is a unicorn’s unicorn.

Normally you think of a unicorn as an atheltic freak, instead Dougie is a unicorn because his value comes from the end opposite of his body and athleticism.

You wouldn’t expect this tall, slow guys value to come mostly in the offensive and neutral zone but here is Dougie defying the odds.

I mean....

It's clear...

I agree. Watching him shoot the puck is pure joy for me.

That said his defense can be a trainwreck on some nights and decision making can also be strange on occasions.

Everytime he shoots the puck I am half expecting it to be a goal. He just has that knack which has hardwired this expectation.

Maybe it's because of the OT winners. Maybe it's because of the opening night goal 1 game of devil's career. Maybe from playoffs...

 

[Triumph]

Dougie has one of the best shots in the league. And I mean that in the sense that besides his good slapper he has amazing placement with his wrist shot that either goes in or confuses the goalie. That second goal he created was based off quickly flicking it on the goalie which led to a good rebound.

I can’t think of any Dman post lock-out that the Devils ever had with that ability. Really thankful to have signed Dougie, he’s a big part of this teams success and is quite underrated by our fans.

I can't think of any Dman the Devils have had like this, period.

I'll leave some guys out b/c search on h-r costs money, but, most shots on goal in a season by a Devils/Rockies D, sorted by me remembering them:

Cirella: 158
Beck: 271
Driver: 205
Stevens: 215
Niedermayer: 179
Rafalski: 178
Zidlicky: 128
Subban: 151
Severson: 158
Hamilton: 275

All those 200+ shot seasons came before I was a fan of the team. The Devils just haven't had D like this who get up in the play and fire it - Subban was like that but he was shot by the time he made it to New Jersey.

 

[Aurinko]

Love him. The last 4th line guy we had that I liked this much was Ryan Carter.

There's few. I also loved Ryan Carter.

McLeod and Bellemare are also players on top of my list. Both feel like outstanding players.