GDT: Devils @ Sharks, 4PM - MSGSN

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Balances out. We lost more games we should've won tbh, I'm glad they're finding ways.

Yeah, for sure. Wouldn't be surprised if the Devils win a few more like that.

 

[Bleedred]

My preseason prediction, and I never made an official number of points prediction, but it was something like a little better than NHL.500-ish, because Blackwood plays too many games and sucks while playing them, Ruff gets fired mid-season, Brunette takes over and we just never recover and finish with maybe 85 or a few more. 90 if things were good.

 

[bossram]

I had a feeling the Devils were taking SJ pre-game. LGD!

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Figured to be a slog after the Devils scored on the first shift of the game.

Bruins have made a habit of pulling out wins when they didn't have their proverbial fastball.

Impressive to see the Devils do the same.

As Lindy Ruff says, "Getting comfortable being uncomfortable ".

 

[Bleedred]

They're getting hockey karma too, they shouldn't have won that Canes game and tonight. Wasn't bound to happen when they lost those games in December.

#Marketcorrectionsarereal!

 

[Devs3cups]

Even the Kings game they either shouldn't have won or shouldn't have won nearly as easily as they did. Quick gifted us that game.

Karma for us handing out games off of the back of horrible goaltending last year.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Glad we stole that one. Kraken are a little scary.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I love the VV celly.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

Thanks for the win everyone. First time picking the Devils in the pickem pool. Got dicey for a bit. But you pulled it off.

We took Zacha off your hands so I say this is a win/win for us all

Not a win-win until you come back for Haula!

 

[MasterofGrond]

Nice to have a team that finds a way to win rather than finds a way to lose

 

[Hisch13r]

Glad we stole that one. Kraken are a little scary.

Their shooting has been insane this year and it's really carrying around a pretty middle of the pack team. Vitek showing up strong will make that game a lot smoother

 

[Bleedred]

We've probably made up for a lot of the ''Deserve to win O'meter'' wins that were losses or at least a decent amount by winning some of these games that we maybe don't deserve to win, on top of the two pretty recent un-goalie'd wins we got from Carolina and LA.

 

[severian]

My preseason prediction, and I never made an official number of points prediction, but it was something like a little better than NHL.500-ish, because Blackwood plays too many games and sucks while playing them, Ruff gets fired mid-season, Brunette takes over and we just never recover and finish with maybe 85 or a few more. 90 if things were good.

Blackwood is fine as a backup. His numbers might improve too without the team leaning on him to be the guy. I’m fine with the rest of the starts being split 2-1ish in favor of Vanacek, and it seems like Ruff has reached that conclusion as well.

 

[Bleedred]

Their shooting has been insane this year. Vitek showing up strong will make that game a lot smoother

It's hilarious how bad their goalies are.

Jones is as bad as he is everywhere else over the last 5 years, yet he has all these wins and even when he has these hot streak benders and gets a shutout or two, he still plays bad enough when he doesn't that he can't stay above .900% lol.

 

[Guttersniped]

If only someone, anyone told you a big turnaround was possible with this squad if we got better goaltending and some added depth on D.

If only you realized we were top 10 in goals forced when healthy last season

If only 100 posters told you this over the last year.

If only….

If you thought we were going to go from 63 points to +100 points in one season… you are a very optimistic person.

There’s a difference between believing this team was going to get better, even a lot better and entering the playoff race, and foreseeing what has actually occurred.

I, for one, knew the offense was there but we’re way better defensively than I thought possible.

 

[NjDevsRR]

The tide turned when Haula was reunited with Jack

 

[Hisch13r]

If you thought we were going to go from 63 points to +100 points in one season… you are a very optimistic person.

There’s a difference between believing this team was going to get better, even a lot better and entering the playoff race, and foreseeing what has actually occurred.

I, for one, knew the offense was there but we’re way better defensively than I thought possible.

Tbf I didn't think they'd be "this" good but also while yeah we got 63 pts we weren't really a 63 pt team. We were like an mid 80ish pt team. That level of goaltending never holds year over year and our best player and best Dman missed a lot of time/wasn't himself. With health, upgraded goaltending, and Marino it wouldn't have been that crazy to think 100ish was right there for the taking.

 

[NjDevsRR]

If you thought we were going to go from 63 points to +100 points in one season… you are a very optimistic person.

There’s a difference between believing this team was going to get better, even a lot better and entering the playoff race, and foreseeing what has actually occurred.

I, for one, knew the offense was there but we’re way better defensively than I thought possible.

Not 100+

But a good team? Absolutely.

I also showed Jim in the offseason of how many teams had 30+ point improvements over the years. So he was specifically told, many times.

 

[MasterofGrond]

4 of the next 5 are against pretty good teams though, need to play some solid hockey and grind out some points

 

[MachoDiablo]

Oh my God, we won a shootout!

Did get tired watching them get skated off the ice for awhile early on, but had to remind myself that it was the third game in four days while being on the other coast, stuff happens. Thank God they're getting a couple days to rest before taking on the Kraken.

Now to keep the heater going!

 

[MasterofGrond]

We were really closer to a true talent 75-80 point team last year with a little health and simply regularly bad goaltending instead of apocalyptically bad.

But 80 to likely 100+ is still huge

 

[Based Anime Fan]

We need to bring back GDT bingo. This was a great card from the time.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Damn that was a wild 10 pages to read. Had ‘em all the way.

 

[Bleedred]

Blackwood is fine as a backup. His numbers might improve too without the team leaning on him to be the guy. I’m fine with the rest of the starts being split 2-1ish in favor of Vanacek, and it seems like Ruff has reached that conclusion as well.

I wouldn't get too comfortable with that. I'd say Vitek should probably play close to 3 of every 4. Maybe 2.5 of every 4.

I think it was after the Detroit/St. Louis back to back set that I said we have 2 more sets of back to backs this month and the only games Vitek shouldn't play if available are one of each of the back to back's and maybe one other. He sat the LA game and the next back to back are the final two games before the break. So maybe he sits one other game other than that?

Although, there's only 5 more games before the break and 4 of them are against teams either in a playoff spot or just outside (Pittsburgh) who probably will be in a playoff spot by the time we get to that game, if I had to guess. The one non-playoff team being Nashville.

And the schedule is actually kind of spread out until then, except for the back to back. Two whole days without games between this one and Seattle. Another two whole days without games between Seattle and Pittsburgh (though a cross country flight in between). And then one night between Pittsburgh and Vegas both at home, with one other night in between the Dallas/Nashville back to back road games.

 

[Mgd31]

Palat was awesome today.

Let him and Hischier cook