GDT: Devils @ Wild - 8:00 PM - MSGSN

[Eggtimer]

Bratt cannot be paid more than Jack. He just can't. It doesn't matter that Jack is the best contract in the league.

We can't have $15M+ between him and Nico not producing when we need it most. And not even just not producing, but hardly driving the play and presenting as threats.

I fear what we are seeing if what is going to happen in the playoffs when teams double up and try their best to shut Jack down. Two guys, who should be producing, doing jack (pun intended) shit.

Yes in the playoffs if teams key in on Jack , we need a second nuclear threat. I thought that was Bratt and Nico . Hopefully they still can be but I am not too confident Bratt will be more effective i. The playoffs than he is now. I already want him to not play on the perimeter so much and in the playoffs it will only get harder not to. May e he’s saving it for more important games . What happens to him driving wide on D and generating scoring chances galore ? We need Bratt and Nico at 100% if we want to be a contender

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I swear when some people learn Timo Meier is a mere mortal with flaws, won’t they be surprised.

Don’t get me wrong, at this point I will be a mixture of annoyed and disappointed if we don’t get him (and I don’t normally get this invested).

But this Goofus and Gallant narrative people have with Bratt vs Meier is just bizarre.

Some people live for defending other teams and their players I guess. Boo hiss our top players for not scoring every game.

The Chad elite sniper Timo Meier (shooting 12.7%) vs the Virgin softy playmaker Jesper Bratt (shooting 15%). Bratt was also even on a shit ass team last year while Timo is a -16.

 

[njdevils1982]

One of my favorite wins this year might have been the touchdown we put up on Columbus.

I just wanna torture them on Tuesday.

And I f***in hate their fans too, who are probably over here spying on me slandering the shit out of their sorry ass organization right now.

I'm surprised they don't have a ''SWEPT PRESIDENTS TROPHY WINNERS 2019'' banner in their sorry barren rafters next to Rick Nash's number. And just for a little more space a separate ''SWEPT MOST WINNINGEST TEAM OF ALL TIME 2019'' banner. And one day they can also add ''SIGNED BIG NAME DUMBASS FREE AGENT 2022'' banner to their extremely short list of accomplishments.

Come on @njdevils1982 you know you'd love to see it too.

it's an unfathomable length of ineptitude they have ...which gives me great laughter

 

[Emperoreddy]

They need to clean up their play and we need to rejigger the bottom 6.

Ruff is sending out the BMW line like it's a 2nd line and it has been a disaster.

 

[Guttersniped]

Well, it'll probably be Blackwood (starting him against the Blue Jackets always made sense), so I'll write it off as that.

You can count me down for a ''CALL UP SCHMID!'' in that event.

It does look like the Leafs had their random third or fourth string guy in net for that one, but outshot 40-29 by them? OUCH!


Some people also don't take into account that Bratt is gonna have more UFA years eaten up in his next contract, while Jack has 4 UFA years on his deal? I have a headache and can't figure it out right now, Maybe it's only 3 UFA years for Jack? Since he started playing in the NHL at 18, he probably could have become a UFA at 25, like Bratt coming in at 19 is UFA eligible at 26, rather than the traditional 27.

Just for @Nubmer6, they had a B2B where each team was handed a humiliating home loss.

The Leafs played Samsonov in Columbus and got 3-0 win vs Korpisalo.

Murray’s hurt? What a shocker. Ankle injury.

Woll played, he hasn’t played since 2021-22. He played 4 away games that season. Seemed excited about playing in Toronto so that’s nice lol.

 

[njdevils1982]

They need to clean up their play and we need to rejigger the bottom 6.

Ruff is sending out the BMW line like it's a 2nd line and it has been a disaster.

dance the jigger (and drink it as well)

 

[Devs3cups]

22 points out of the last possible 26. Take that every single day.

We can’t expect to win every game and getting points in the ones you don’t is good.

 

[OmNomNom]

results are fine, but god damn do we need to play better. we haven't had a dominant game in ages

 

[guitarguyvic]

It’s been just two games without jack and we’ve already established that Bratt and Nico can’t be relied upon? These takes are incredibly dramatic.

Here’s the things I’m way more worried about than those two individual players:
- Penchant for going large stretches of time being absolutely horrendous on the breakouts. I think I counted like 5 times when siegenthaler alone attempted to force the breakout up the boards blindly with no regard for the opposition forecheck. This constant turning the puck over with everyone flat footed and being unable to then clear the zone for large stretches is unacceptable from a team at the top of the standings. I blame the coach for the majority of this issue.
- The bottom six has fallen off a cliff for seemingly no reason. Were they just hot to start the season or is something else going on? Miles Wood in particular is suddenly playing at AHL caliber. The coach also shares the blame on this because he continues to roll four lines as if nothing is wrong.
- The coaching as already referenced. Stubborn and much too slow to recognize what we as hardcore fans can assess in half the time. I fear this will have a big negative impact in the playoffs. Lindy absolutely cannot be back next season.

All that being said, this game was actually still an improvement from the the last couple. The first period was a lot of the same crap again, but the second they were the better team and the third was relatively even. They’ve been due for an OT/SO loss given how many of them they’ve been on the right side of so far.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Yeah complete garbage to bag on that Nico and Bratt, Bratt had like 3-4 passes tonight that landed on Haula and Boqvist's sticks in prime spots to score and they either chest sniped Gustavsson or sold the shot while Nico had a 80% GF. They're banking points without their Hart contender, it's fine. That being said, Tuesday needs to be a blowout v CBJ.

 

[Bcap88]

My guess is jack will be back by Saturday (hopefully )

I thought Tatar had his best game of the year, palat looked good as well, severson and nico played pretty solid games overall. Bratt was so so but nothing to complain about

Graves was terrible in the third, haula had the game on his stick and sharangovich did as well.

Mercer had a solid game. Other than that everyone else was meh. Vitek played well

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think some of the issues are a combo of sloppy play, just stuff that needs to be cleaned up, teams having figured out the optimal way to defend our breakout (Ruff needs to adjust), and maybe biggest issue is we are trying to roll 4 lines when we only have two lines that can do anything (when Jack is in the lineup, without him its only one line)

Team needs some reinforcements. Wood is shot. Yegor is slumping hard. Really need to tinker with these lines

 

[Devs3cups]

Yegor is slumping right now because for 3/4 of the season he hasn’t been put in a position to succeed and to play to his strengths. If he gets looks like tonight with consistency (which I’m sure he will if he plays top-6), he’ll score more goals. Bratt and him seemed to click.

Also Wood over him on PP2 is quite frankly baffling at this point.

 

[Bleedred]

I don’t understand why Wood is still on the power play. This feels like it’s gonna go on as long as the dumb PK Subban power play experiment, but at least he had success at one point on the power play.

Wood has 13 career power play points. Zero coming this year and he had 3 goals on the power play in 20-21 and 0 zero assists. He had zero points on the power play of any kind in 19-20 and his last power play assist came on December 31st of 2018 lol. He had 2 power play points in that game, a goal and an assist. He and Severson got the assists on a Sami Vatanen power play goal.

The goaltender on the other team was Anders Nilsson and it was the Canucks lol. That’s now-Devils goalie scout Anders Nilsson.

His last power play goal or power play point of any kind was on March 16th of 2021. Assisted by Subban and Bratt lol. On Jonas Johansson of the Sabres.

 

[Devs3cups]

Since January 1st, we’ve played 16 games. We’ve lost 5 of those games. Out of those 5 losses, 2 have been in regulation.

We’ve lost 2 games in regulation since the start of 2023.

 

[NJ07102]

Would've never lost the game with Jack in the lineup. Nico and Jesper are really good players, but Jack simply is in another tier than those two.

 

[MadDevil]

Since January 1st, we’ve played 16 games. We’ve lost 5 of those games. Out of those 5 losses, 2 have been in regulation.

We’ve lost 2 games in regulation since the start of 2023.

We'd have lost less if those bums Hischier and Bratt did their jobs.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I think Mercer has looked very good in February. Kid is a real gamer and there's another gear in there somewhere for him, production-wise.

 

[glenwo2]

Bratt invisible. Opportunity to step up without Hughes. Just not making it happen.

Do you only show up after games where Bratt does not contribute?

 

[glenwo2]

He's a complimentary player, not a play driver. I hope we get Timo and folks can see the difference and Fitz will know who to throw money at and who to cut loose if they won't play ball.

Never saw a PPG "complimentary" player before.

This must be a first.

 

[StevensRocks]

Never saw a PPG "complimentary" player before.

This must be a first.

Must be

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I fell asleep after the first but I never thought Tatar would be the one to step it up in Jack's absence. Would be nice if the first line could get something going.

 

[Mgd31]

Feel asleep at the end of the 2nd. Expected they would get at least a point and they did . Fine result

 

[theoptimist]

Playoffs is the goal but unclear to me why falling out of second place in the division is acceptable. I want that for the team. The price of staying top 3 is needing to earn points most nights. That’s the price. This conversation about them getting in as a bubble team is some suck ass shit

 

[JimEIV]

I think Mercer has looked very good in February. Kid is a real gamer and there's another gear in there somewhere for him, production-wise.

I also think he looked very good last night.