Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2023-24 season begins!

[Emperoreddy]

Jack and Bratt have definitely gotten better, but I think Toffoli and Luke have the most to do with the PP being way better.

Luke can’t shoot it like Dougie but he’s much more mobile and is great at manipulating the lanes. Toffoli is great in small space and has that right handed stick he can use to feed the slot on one touch passes.

Couple those elements with two of the best distributors in the game with Jack and Bratt and you have the magic we’ve witnessed so far.

Luke to me is the biggest reason. The way he can just dance the blue line.

It's stuff that Dougie and Severson could only dream to do. Think of how often last year we would lose the zone and waste time because of flubbed plays along the blue line by the QB

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Leftover from the Wild GDT but I'll bite. Enough with the pile on Vitek already.

Can someone tell me which of the three goals were on him?

A power play blast by one of the league's top scorers? A goal mouth scramble with two players left alone? Or a freak bouncer off a partially blocked shot?

Couple that with the shorthanded breakaway stop and his clutch saves with the score 4-3 and it seems like winning goaltending.

The .880 save percentage has more to do with the Devils limiting the number of shots than it does with any deficiencies on Vanecek's part.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Man wtf are these lines though. There has to be a better way to get the most of the players than randomly putting McLeod, Lazar, and Holtz with players they don't belong with.

Could work great. Think of the mismatches with a Nico-Holtz-Bastian line against most team's third and fourth lines?

 

[devilsblood]

Luke to me is the biggest reason. The way he can just dance the blue line.

It's stuff that Dougie and Severson could only dream to do. Think of how often last year we would lose the zone and waste time because of flubbed plays along the blue line by the QB

The fact that he took the top spot from a talented veteran this early in his career is remarkable.

Maybe I haven’t been combing these threads that much but it seems to have been a quiet transition.

 

[Guadana]

Could work great. Think of the mismatches with a Nico-Holtz-Bastian line against most team's third and fourth lines?

Devils pipe dream to use Nico as a third line center.
I believe Devils still should act like they want to sign next deal with him.

 

[BurntToast]

Whats crazy, Dougie has feasted on pp2! Both power plays have done well.

 

[theoptimist]

2C McLeod. You’re welcome.

 

[haak84]

Luke has been a revelation. He is going to be so so good. Reminds me so much of Niedermeyer.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Whats crazy, Dougie has feasted on pp2! Both power plays have done well.

Dougie muttering to himself quietly in the corner....

"Luke took my PP1 spot.... I will feast on the 5 on 3 anchor spot . Bwauhaha."

.... Maybe.

 

[BurntToast]

Viteck, was good at times, but he seemed rattled after the first goal. My “anxiety” levels go up when the goalie is lost after every shot. He was barely tracking the puck.

I think the team as a whole was better 5v5. Minny was held to under 20 shots until the 3rd.

I also feel there may be a correlation with Devils getting power plays and their struggles 5v5. Teams thump the Devils, clutch/grab, and interfere.

 

[forceten]

Vitek has a habit of getting mentally unsettled and you can see it in his physical movements. He'll look around or behind him, he'll shift his positioning. He'll seem to "jump" or "dance". Too much movement. And sometimes he turtles deep into his net which provides too much net to shoot at.

Luke becoming PPA QB makes sense because he's not the featured shooter. Dougie on PPB is, so that's why he's where he is. We have two loaded PP units that are more complete then we have had before.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Luke has been a big part of the PP succes but I’ve been also digging the movement on it now. Bratt’s goal last night is a great example.

Look at where he was when Timo hit the post, then where he is as he gives it to Jack and how he wiggles his way to the opposite side to receive TT’s pass. More dynamic versus the static atrocities we’ve seen in recent seasons.

 

[The Wumpus]

Could imagine how their parents must feel? I know it's only a month into the season but wow.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Luke has been a revelation. He is going to be so so good. Reminds me so much of Niedermeyer.

Still very much a work in progress; particularly in his own end.

Gets himself in bad spots; hopefully he learns as his career goes forward.

Can have a nice career as a Keith Yandle-type offensive defenseman.

He has the potential to be much more than that.

 

[Triumph]

Still very much a work in progress; particularly in his own end.

Gets himself in bad spots; hopefully he learns as his career goes forward.

Can have a nice career as a Keith Yandle-type offensive defenseman.

He has the potential to be much more than that.

lol. When Keith Yandle was 20, he was playing in San Antonio. Luke Hughes is PP1 on the best power play in the league. Try again.

 

[Nubmer6]

 

[Sdevils42]

Noticed it last year in the POs. Doesn't have the most skill but has poise with the puck, doesn't just look to dish or flip around the boards. Is he a top 6 guy on a Cup team? Prob not, but can def play 3C imo.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I will not get prematurely baited by this run of good McLeod

Sure hope it continues tho

 

[Call Me Al]

helps that he’s playing center to bratt who has 7 points in these 2 games

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I am going to go back to this, but I still don't think the D is playing THAT poorly. It isn't good enough, but the numbers say they are doing okay.

at 5 on 5:
5th fewest CA/60 allowed
11th fewest xGA/60
11th in fewest HDCA/60
30th in SV%

 

[Sdevils42]

I still need an explanation for how Boston just keeps winning this much in the regular season. That team has zero center depth, but can't lose a game. I don't get it.

Admittedly thought they'd fall off huge this year. This is a team that just knows how to win regular season hockey games. Tremendous structure and team defense. What we've seen is this doesn't always translate in the POs.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Noticed it last year in the POs. Doesn't have the most skill but has poise with the puck, doesn't just look to dish or flip around the boards. Is he a top 6 guy on a Cup team? Prob not, but can def play 3C imo.

he can't. He has proven that time and time again. He doesn't have the offensive game to play in the top 9.

 

[Nubmer6]

he can't. He has proven that time and time again. He doesn't have the offensive game to play in the top 9.

Keep in mind that players DO evolve. I wouldn't want to rely on him in the top 9, but maybe he actually got better, or maybe he had to be put in a scoring role with less defensive expectations to bloom.

Or, maybe he simply matched up well against Minnesota.

 

[Triumph]

he can't. He has proven that time and time again. He doesn't have the offensive game to play in the top 9.

He hasn't proven it time and time again. He's clearly a different player than he was two years ago - he has more confidence carrying the puck and he's able to do more things while skating. That said, he's never going to be able to shoot, and so that probably keeps him out of a top 9, but he's got more offensive skill than he is given credit for here.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Still very much a work in progress; particularly in his own end.

Gets himself in bad spots; hopefully he learns as his career goes forward.

Can have a nice career as a Keith Yandle-type offensive defenseman.

He has the potential to be much more than that.

I think he has a chance to be the next Marc-Andre Bergeron