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

[Guttersniped]

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

You don’t see passes then.

 

[Devils Pride 26]

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

You think it’s bad now, wait until playoffs and the checking picks up.

 

[JimEIV]

Nevermind

 

[Nocashstyle]

Wood and McLeod just ain’t it.

This past month Severson has also fully transitioned back to his vintage self.

 

[NJDevs26]

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

I don't think anyone wants to be a bubble team per se (that would require a little bit of a collapse), but how many times have we seen in the playoffs that seeding really doesn't matter? We had multiple years where we won divisions and got bounced early, while three of our finals runs we were a middle seed.

Not to mention our road record this year is a behemoth compared to a mediocre home record.

 

[Guttersniped]

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

Who is discussing us getting in as a bubble team?

More specifically, who is realistically passing us to knock us out of the top 3? The Penguins? The Caps? The Isles?

Is that something you’re worried about now? For real?

I don’t see how that’s an actual current concern but if you like inventing problems that don’t exist, have at it I guess.

We have a 3 point lead and a game in hand on the Rangers. Unfortunately they’re actually quite good now and have been on absolutely on fire.

It’s a playoff race, you know, a competition where other teams can win a bunch of games too.

Under the spoiler you can see the top 7 teams in GF% in the last two months.

The Top 3? Boston, the Rangers and Carolina.

The Rangers went 17-4-3 (.771) and the Hurricanes went 19-4-2 (.800).

Those two teams had the best win % in the entire NHL over the last two months. The Bruins were 3rd. It sucks but that’s how it is in the Metro.

The Top 8-15 is in the next spoiler, and spoiler alert: we’re 13th in GF%. And we went 13-8-4 (.600).

So “acceptable” or not, we might have trouble fending off the Rags. That’s what usually happens when you play worse and win less than another team.

But we do still have a led on them, so that’s nice. How melodramatic you want to be about it is up to you.

Spoiler: Dec 12 - Feb 12 Top 7

Spoiler: Dec 12 - Feb 12 Top 8-15

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Wood and McLeod just ain’t it.

This past month Severson has also fully transitioned back to his vintage self.

McLeod is fine in his role. He's not contributing offensively but he's not a liability either. Cannot say the same for Wood.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Lots of passengers. He’s definitely one

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

Ages meaning since Thursday?

 

[Nocashstyle]

McLeod is fine in his role. He's not contributing offensively but he's not a liability either. Cannot say the same for Wood.

His metrics are actually even worse than Wood.

If he wasn’t good at faceoffs and decent on the PK, he would be the whipping boy over Wood. At the end of the day, they both don’t deserve to be in the lineup on a nightly basis, yet here we are.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

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.

Not close to accurate. Jack and Jesper are pretty much the same tier; basically elite offensive players but inconsistent with their all around play.

Nico is on a plane above those two because he can play any role and is a true center, unlike Jack Hughes to this point in his career.

According to the Minnesota announcers last night, Jack Hughes leads the NHL in overtime points; basically Gary Bettman gimmick points.

 

[Triumph]

View attachment 649158

His metrics are actually even worse than Wood.

If he wasn’t good at faceoffs and decent on the PK, he would be the whipping boy over Wood. At the end of the day, they both don’t deserve to be in the lineup on a nightly basis, yet here we are.

GSVA doesn't take into account his FOGO role. His defense is being dragged down by Wood - it isn't good and was never great, but there's no reason to think it's this bad.

 

[Lou is God]

Not close to accurate. Jack and Jesper are pretty much the same tier; basically elite offensive players but inconsistent with their all around play.

Nico is on a plane above those two because he can play any role and is a true center, unlike Jack Hughes to this point in his career.

According to the Minnesota announcers last night, Jack Hughes leads the NHL in overtime points; basically Gary Bettman gimmick points.

Jack and Bratt are not on the same tier, really not even close.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

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

Was even more impressive with the desperation with which the Wild was playing (basically fighting for their playoff lives in front of a roaring crowd).

The Devils were also able to withstand the physical advantage enjoyed by the bigger Wild; an encouraging sign heading toward playoff hockey.

 

[Call Me Al]

Not close to accurate. Jack and Jesper are pretty much the same tier; basically elite offensive players but inconsistent with their all around play.

Nico is on a plane above those two because he can play any role and is a true center, unlike Jack Hughes to this point in his career.

According to the Minnesota announcers last night, Jack Hughes leads the NHL in overtime points; basically Gary Bettman gimmick points.

do you even watch the games? jack is inconsistent? you must be factoring his first 3 years into the equation and not paying any attention to how he’s been playing since his return from the shoulder injury

 

[JimEIV]

Jack and Bratt are not on the same tier, really not even close.

I agree. Jack is showing things no other forward on this team can.

Just looking at his last 10 games. 18 points - 9 goals and 9 assist - 45 shots...

Shit, it would take any other forward we have at least a 1/3 of the season to put up the 9 goals Jack did in 10 games

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

do you even watch the games? jack is inconsistent? you must be factoring his first 3 years into the equation and not paying any attention to how he’s been playing since his return from the shoulder injury

Was actually thinking of his last game against Vancouver.

After scoring two goals early in the game and the Devils established a 4-1 lead it was his non chalance in transition that contributed to two Canucks goals.

As I said, offensively with the puck he is elite; he can do things with the puck on his stick that few players can.

In terms of defending and using his skills to make the players around him better, he is still a work in progress - not unusual for a player who has dominated at every level coming up (think Jack Eichel would be the most apt comparable).

 

[Nocashstyle]

GSVA doesn't take into account his FOGO role. His defense is being dragged down by Wood - it isn't good and was never great, but there's no reason to think it's this bad.

Miraculously Bastian’s isn’t though. And he spends just as much time 5v5 with Wood too.

Yeah at the end of the day, there’s always going to be a lot of context missing from these types of metrics. But to me, the eye test and numbers show that McLeod is as bad as Wood. McLeod just doesn’t take the same dumb penalties and is good at faceoffs.

do you even watch the games? jack is inconsistent? you must be factoring his first 3 years into the equation and not paying any attention to how he’s been playing since his return from the shoulder injury

The other day he called the most productive 5v5 forward in the NHL this year a “nice offensive player who contributes on the PP.”

So no, I’m sure they don’t. Don’t even engage.

 

[Devs3cups]

We’ve had 2 games since January 1st where we didn’t get at least 1 point, the team is collecting points like mad and I’m reading stuff here that makes it seem like we’re not even in the playoffs and a legit bottom feeder.

Fanbase is in absolute shambles.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I need a break from this place lol takes are all over the map.

I know the past several seasons have bred a lot of doom and gloom into the fanbase but take a look at the standings and go take a walk outside today. Maybe have a nice beer or two.

 

[JimEIV]

For the most "Marginal Player" award the nominees are:

Michael McLeod
Jesper Boqvist
Brendan Smith

And the winner is McLeod!

After 7 years from his draft year the former #11 turned into a #12 overall is on the cusp of 20 career goals but stuck at 19....the next one will be a big one.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

View attachment 649158

His metrics are actually even worse than Wood.

If he wasn’t good at faceoffs and decent on the PK, he would be the whipping boy over Wood. At the end of the day, they both don’t deserve to be in the lineup on a nightly basis, yet here we are.

If the metrics suggest Wood and McLeod don't belong in the lineup than it's the metrics and not the players that are flawed.

The heavy lifting roles may not play to the numbers but are as relevant to winning hockey as snipers and playmakers.

 

[Lou is God]

I agree. Jack is showing things no other forward on this team can.

Just looking at his last 10 games. 18 points - 9 goals and 9 assist - 45 shots...

Shit, it would take any other forward we have at least a 1/3 of the season to put up the 9 goals Jack did in 10 games

And before the injury this looked more like the norm for him, not really a hot streak per say. The kid just needs to stay healthy and on the ice.

 

[StevensRocks]

Not close to accurate. Jack and Jesper are pretty much the same tier; basically elite offensive players but inconsistent with their all around play.

Nico is on a plane above those two because he can play any role and is a true center, unlike Jack Hughes to this point in his career.

According to the Minnesota announcers last night, Jack Hughes leads the NHL in overtime points; basically Gary Bettman gimmick points.

Uh ok…

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I need a break from this place lol takes are all over the map.

I know the past several seasons have bred a lot of doom and gloom into the fanbase but take a look at the standings and go take a walk outside today. Maybe have a nice beer or two.

I think this is the next step in the team's evolution, we're starting to recognize there are holes in the lineup if the team is going to to take the next step. Maybe some guys are getting it a little harder than they should, but it's time to start sharpening the team's edges and get the right players in the right roles now that the "talent accquistion" phase of the rebuild is mostly over.

 

[NJDevs26]

Not close to accurate. Jack and Jesper are pretty much the same tier; basically elite offensive players but inconsistent with their all around play.

Nico is on a plane above those two because he can play any role and is a true center, unlike Jack Hughes to this point in his career.

According to the Minnesota announcers last night, Jack Hughes leads the NHL in overtime points; basically Gary Bettman gimmick points.

You're worse than Jim with Hughes, at least he was mostly criticizing him when he actually wasn't producing close to an elite level.

To play devils advocate - take away every one of his 'seven' OT points, dude would still have 34 goals and 60 points in 50 games. But sure keep pumping the tires of Mike McLeod because faceoffs are more important than points.