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

[AfroThunder396]

If we beat Detroit tonight then we're 6-3-1 in the first ten which is honestly better than I thought it would be. This is just the first 1/8th of the season with a new system, new players, and two top-4 defensemen injured.

I don't care if the wins are against bad teams, wins are wins and points are points, and we need both of them. Keep the record above water while they figure this out.

My level of concern is only like a 3 or 4 right now, and a lot of it has to do with the goaltending which is certainly better than Vanecek/Schmid/Blackwood but I'm not convinced they are to be relied upon. They look both look old and inconsistent.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Speaking of Hamilton, minus-3 tonight but not much commentary here or in the GDT.

I think the bigger problem is the Dillon-Dougie pairing as a whole. I don't expect them to be together for much longer because they've had more bad showings than good.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

would love this guy simply so we didn’t have to play him. i swear he scores every time we play a team that has him.

He's a Devil killer for sure but I've stated why I think he'd be great with Jack, he's an effortless skater + his shot is so f***ing lethal he doesn't need to pepper the goalie which is exactly what Jack needs. He needs an efficient scorer from his wing, not someone who needs 5-6 shots a game to score.

 

[Devils731]

NJ have been torched on the high cycle. Their low zone protecting the house just isn’t working. They are allowing 3 guys high time and space to get dangerous chances off.

I think the rest of their game looks promising, they generate a ton of scoring chances when they arent pinned in their own end.

Agreed with this, I made a similar comment during the game.

Earlier in the year the Devils were getting out and actually hassling the puck at the defensive blue line. Last 2 home games they’ve been much more passive where they’re gliding out somewhere vaguely in the area of the point man. I even complimented the hassling of the point men early in the year and how that was a needed change, so it’s disappointing it’s reverted lately.

I don’t know which is the true way the Devils want to play. The more challenging early year or the more passive last 2 games. I’m assuming it’s the former with Keefe talking about guys needing to work more. If so, it probably means the wingers are dropping a little too low to try and lend additional slot support so it may still fall into the “breaking old habits” category.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Agreed with this, I made a similar comment during the game.

Earlier in the year the Devils were getting out and actually hassling the puck at the defensive blue line. Last 2 home games they’ve been much more passive where they’re gliding out somewhere vaguely in the area of the point man. I even complimented the hassling of the point men early in the year and how that was a needed change, so it’s disappointing it’s reverted lately.

I don’t know which is the true way the Devils want to play. The more challenging early year or the more passive last 2 games. I’m assuming it’s the former with Keefe talking about guys needing to work more. If so, it probably means the wingers are dropping a little too low to try and lend additional slot support so it may still fall into the “breaking old habits” category.

Some of this will get fixed with Luke mainly because his ability to make an outlet is arguably the best on the team, I actually think he'll thrive under Keefe. Some of their defensive zone woes are some of the guys, mainly the dmen, carrying the puck like a grenade and hope playing it to the forwards

 

[Blackjack]

Rangers forwards (early 30s) improve every year, every year is a career year, the back half of the contract that was supposed to be an albatross is now a fantastic bargain

Devils forwards (early 20s) wait this guy can’t play with that guy, he had an injury 18 months ago you can’t expect him to just bounce back this quickly, Keefe said something nice about me so time to disappear completely for three games

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Rangers forwards (early 30s) improve every year, every year is a career year, the back half of the contract that was supposed to be an albatross is now a fantastic bargain

Devils forwards (early 20s) wait this guy can’t play with that guy, he had an injury 18 months ago you can’t expect him to just bounce back this quickly, Keefe said something nice about me so time to disappear completely for three games

Zibanejad has been complete ass at 5 on 5. Kreider had that one crazy season, mostly fueled by insane PP finishing. Seems like most of the fan base can’t stand him half the time.

 

[Blackjack]

Zibanejad has been complete ass at 5 on 5. Kreider had that one crazy season, mostly fueled by insane PP finishing. Seems like most of the fan base can’t stand him half the time.

Please don’t dignify my petulant whining with an earnest response

 

[Better Call Sal]

Please don’t dignify my petulant whining with an earnest response

At least you're self-aware.

 

[glenwo2]

If we beat Detroit tonight then we're 6-3-1 in the first ten which is honestly better than I thought it would be. This is just the first 1/8th of the season with a new system, new players, and two top-4 defensemen injured.

I don't care if the wins are against bad teams, wins are wins and points are points, and we need both of them. Keep the record above water while they figure this out.

My level of concern is only like a 3 or 4 right now, and a lot of it has to do with the goaltending which is certainly better than Vanecek/Schmid/Blackwood but I'm not convinced they are to be relied upon. They look both look old and inconsistent.

Detroit's tomorrow...there is no game tonight.

 

[NjDevsRR]

If we beat Detroit tonight then we're 6-3-1

Too bad we don’t play tonight

 

[RSeen]

I think the bigger problem is the Dillon-Dougie pairing as a whole. I don't expect them to be together for much longer because they've had more bad showings than good.

What change are they going to make? I think Luke and Pesce are going to be a pair, don't think they will go Luke and Dougie. Siegs and Kovacevic have been our best pair so far so not sure they will get broken up.

 

[Better Call Sal]

What change are they going to make? I think Luke and Pesce are going to be a pair, don't think they will go Luke and Dougie. Siegs and Kovacevic have been our best pair so far so not sure they will get broken up.

Balance is important. I would likely put Siegs with Dougie since we've seen them be successful in the past and Dillon with Kovacevic.

I'd love to keep Siegs and Kovacevic together, but Dillon and Dougie as a pairing have had a few disaster games and I think I read Keefe already separated them in the 3rd last night so I think he recognizes it as well.

 

[JrFischer54]

If we beat Detroit tonight then we're 6-3-1 in the first ten which is honestly better than I thought it would be. This is just the first 1/8th of the season with a new system, new players, and two top-4 defensemen injured.

I don't care if the wins are against bad teams, wins are wins and points are points, and we need both of them. Keep the record above water while they figure this out.

My level of concern is only like a 3 or 4 right now, and a lot of it has to do with the goaltending which is certainly better than Vanecek/Schmid/Blackwood but I'm not convinced they are to be relied upon. They look both look old and inconsistent.

the goaltending? part of the reason the team has 6 wins is because the goaltending. thats the least of the worry. just provide average/good goaltending

 

[Deviled]

Too bad we don’t play tonight

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849119477033738415

 

[Devils731]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1849119477033738415

due to last night’s game, I was able to pull a player aside and ask him how practice was going today, he said:

 

[theoptimist]

Word is out that you can hit our star players and nothing will happen. No Kucherov revenge slash or Marchand face wash. Just rock the guy and he'll go back to the bench like

Mitch Marner has come along way in this department. Hopefully Keefe encourages our teenie boppers to be more consequential.

Another pet peeve of mine is the fake fight after the big hit. What was Palat even doing?

 

[Hisch13r]

lmao We're keeping dumb and dumber together

If we beat Detroit tonight then we're 6-3-1 in the first ten which is honestly better than I thought it would be. This is just the first 1/8th of the season with a new system, new players, and two top-4 defensemen injured.

I don't care if the wins are against bad teams, wins are wins and points are points, and we need both of them. Keep the record above water while they figure this out.

My level of concern is only like a 3 or 4 right now, and a lot of it has to do with the goaltending which is certainly better than Vanecek/Schmid/Blackwood but I'm not convinced they are to be relied upon. They look both look old and inconsistent.

The Wings f***ing suck. We better be dominating that game up and down the ice.

 

[NJDevs26]

Too bad we don’t play tonight

We’d surely lose a back to back lmao

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[BostonDevil]

Random thought: Toffoli would be a better fit on this team than last year's team

 

[Forge]

Speaking of Hamilton, minus-3 tonight but not much commentary here or in the GDT.

He's rocking like an .835 5 on 5 save percentage and a .935 PDO. He doesn't look great, but its exacerbated by those figures which should normalize.

 

[JrFischer54]

i dunno what everyone else is seeing out there so far this season but to me it seems like the same attitude same mindset same woe is me attitude when the game gets hard. this isn't a doom post so dont take it as such but just basing it on what they have looked like so far. i said yesterday i still think they will make the playoffs and maybe it just takes more time for sheldon to break through to them its sad that is even the case after another coaching change.

 

[Devs3cups]

Maybe that means they’re back?

 

[HoliksGhost]

Detroit's tomorrow...there is no game tonight.

Thank god