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

[guitarguyvic]

I am concerned that the pec injury has impacted Dougie’s shot. Didn’t what’s his name in Minnesota have the same injury and he was never the same again offensively? If Dougie loses that part of his game he will become a replacement level player.

 

[Deviled]

Devils Fall 4-2 to Hurricanes | GAME STORY | New Jersey Devils

RALEIGH, N.C. \- A hard pressuring Carolina Hurricanes team was a difficult test for the Devils, who despite a late push, fell 4-2. Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes had the two goals for the Devils in the loss. The Hurricanes brought high energy and pressure from puck drop. However, Devils

www.nhl.com

Someone was either very tired or let the AI run rampant with that title (didnt read the article lol). Popped up on my sports app

Edit: title must have been changed. It said 'Hischier, Hughes finish with two goals each in Devils' win vs Canes' with a picture of the Canes celebrating and the scoreboard

 

[Devs3cups]

I am concerned that the pec injury has impacted Dougie’s shot. Didn’t what’s his name in Minnesota have the same injury and he was never the same again offensively? If Dougie loses that part of his game he will become a replacement level player.

He has fired a few bombs since the start of the year. I don't see his shot as weaker. He's been involved in plays and on the ice for a lot of goals for I believe. I'm not too worried. Would be nice to see him score one soon though. How about Thursday?

 

[guitarguyvic]

He has fired a few bombs since the start of the year. I don't see his shot as weaker. He's been involved in plays and on the ice for a lot of goals for I believe. I'm not too worried. Would be nice to see him score one soon though. How about Thursday?

Really? I don’t know, I haven’t noticed a few bomb from him at all, certainly not one that’s been on target. Maybe I’ve overlooked it.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Really? I don’t know, I haven’t noticed a few bomb from him at all, certainly not one that’s been on target. Maybe I’ve overlooked it.

There have been some big shots (slapper and wrist), in some of the first 3 games, but not on target in the net. On target to the goalie, yup.

I'm worried about the accuracy, but maybe it is a function of him missing 3/4th of a season and the whole rhythm isn't there.

NHL EDGE Puck and Player Tracking Statistics - Skaters

NHL EDGE Puck and Player Tracking Statistics for skaters including skating speed, skating distance, shot speed, shot location, and zone time.

edge.nhl.com

 

[Devs3cups]

Really? I don’t know, I haven’t noticed a few bomb from him at all, certainly not one that’s been on target. Maybe I’ve overlooked it.

He definitely hasn't shot as often as before, but I've noticed teams cheating a lot towards him on the PP. That can't help.

 

[glenwo2]

So another day, another f'n LOSS to the Canes AND to a team on the 2nd of a back-to-back.

Same sh*t, different season.

At least this year we won't have many of these B2B's..so that's something, I guess.

 

[devilsblood]

He definitely hasn't shot as often as before, but I've noticed teams cheating a lot towards him on the PP. That can't help.

His shot rate this season looks pretty much in line with his career averages.

 

[My3Sons]

So another day, another f'n LOSS to the Canes AND to a team on the 2nd of a back-to-back.

Same sh*t, different season.

At least this year we won't have many of these B2B's..so that's something, I guess.

This game was frustrating and disappointing but it didn’t seem inevitable and pathetic like last season. They were in this one until the end at least.

 

[Bcap88]

I think people also forget that Dougie is coming back from a serious injury and these are his first games in close to a year


I also think the power play has a different philosophy than force feeding Dougie one timers.

 

[devilsblood]

I think people also forget that Dougie is coming back from a serious injury and these are his first games in close to a year


I also think the power play has a different philosophy than force feeding Dougie one timers.

Still not sure that Bratt opposite Jack is destined to be a great pp. A true shooter would seem to be the better fit, especially with a meh shooter in Nico playing the bumper.

A bomb from the top on the umbrella in Hamilton is more gravy then the should be focus.

 

[glenwo2]

This game was frustrating and disappointing but it didn’t seem inevitable and pathetic like last season. They were in this one until the end at least.

meh. whatever.

Just give me the next game so the Devils won't have to contend with a team that has real-life PLOT-ARMOR. lol

 

[Bcap88]

Still not sure that Bratt opposite Jack is destined to be a great pp. A true shooter would seem to be the better fit, especially with a meh shooter in Nico playing the bumper.

A bomb from the top on the umbrella in Hamilton is more gravy then the should be focus.

I’ve always said timo should be on that side getting fed one timers.

Jack and Bratt want the puck on their sticks and both of them aren’t really deadly with a one timer.

 

[Devs3cups]

If the team keeps winning 2 out of 3 we’ll all be very happy. I’m satisfied with 4-2 to start the year, especially with a new coach/system, injuries to core players and a whacky schedule to start.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Jack is also coming off the shoulder surgery which some of us tend too forget.

 

[StevenToddIves]

If the Utah Hockey Team Players Group whatever-the-f*** offered you a 2nd round pick for Jonas Siegenthaler and a 4th, do you take it?

No.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I also think the power play has a different philosophy than force feeding Dougie one timers.

Then they should have a better puck mover QB that unit, because aside from his shot, Dougie doesn't exactly have a ton of weapons.

 

[MasterofGrond]

It feels like the first PP unit as designed would probably work better with Luke and I wonder if the strategy they're using was originally designed with him in mind.

 

[I Hate Tie DOMI]

Then they should have a better puck mover QB that unit, because aside from his shot, Dougie doesn't exactly have a ton of weapons.

Only works if the puck mover doesn't constantly try to force the puck to Jack no matter what, which is something Luke tended to do too often last year. The defense then just cheats toward Jack and the PP is a predictable mess. Hamilton has a shot and is experienced enough to know that he doesn't need to do that all the time.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Yeah, I'll be honest, I really would like to see Timo stick on PP1. I understand the reasoning to put Noesen in there as a right-handed shot and for all the work he can do down low. I would feel better about Jack or Bratt operating on PP2 along with Luke when he returns, but I don't know that it would ever happen.

Timo's shot is a weapon on the right side, he has shown he has a good one-timer from that spot in the past. I feel like Jack and Bratt are a bit more redundant in terms of their roles, and that if you could deploy one of each on that left hand side on each PP unit, they both could prosper.

What do I know though lol

 

[Triumph]

The problem with Timo is that he's not any good when he isn't shooting. He will often make the wrong play or force a play and it's not worth the difficulty of having 4 lefty forwards to jam that into the lineup. Having a PP2 set up around him should work just fine.

 

[tailfins]

The Devils don't have a 13th forward worth playing, so if any forward gets injured they will run with 7 D.

I don’t understand this. It feels to me like one has nothing to do with the other.

The 6D they are running now can handle 60 minutes. Why would they cut people’s ice time with a 7th D?

7D generally sucks. You’re reducing ice time for all the D and creating inconsistent pairings. 7D is what you want if a) you’ve got Brendan Smith as your 12th forward and PK specialist; or b) you’ve got someone on D to whom you want to give limited ice time (because they are injured, working back from injury, or inexperienced and you are sheltering them).

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I don’t understand this. It feels to me like one has nothing to do with the other.

The 6D they are running now can handle 60 minutes. Why would they cut people’s ice time with a 7th D?

7D generally sucks. You’re reducing ice time for all the D and creating inconsistent pairings. 7D is what you want if a) you’ve got Brendan Smith as your 12th forward and PK specialist; or b) you’ve got someone on D to whom you want to give limited ice time (because they are injured, working back from injury, or inexperienced and you are sheltering them).

It’s just that we have 7 D that are all deserving of NHL shifts. Our extra forward is currently not a guy that can take a regular shift. I’d rather just give Jack, Nico, Bratt, and Timo a couple extra shifts with an extra D available rather than just do that anyway when MacDermid plays 3 minutes (or some schlub from Utica).

 

[Devils731]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846543863839924541

Han’s update for those interested.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Only works if the puck mover doesn't constantly try to force the puck to Jack no matter what, which is something Luke tended to do too often last year. The defense then just cheats toward Jack and the PP is a predictable mess. Hamilton has a shot and is experienced enough to know that he doesn't need to do that all the time.

I like Casey's ability to draw defenders in and then either dish or pull it in for a wrister (we've seen that he won't hesitate to shoot the puck). Dougie doesn't have that ability, so he's not really creating time and space for the guys operating on the halfwall. I think Casey is even better at that than Luke, and is definitely more sure-handed with the puck. It's pretty remarkable how rarely Casey bobbles the puck considering how dynamic he is while moving with it - both Hughes brothers have dynamic hands but it seems like they mishandle it a ton.