GDT: It's Still All Uphill From Here: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 PM, MSGSN

[Whaddagoal]

Ok I'm off.

Meier and Nico hattrick. Cody Glass and Haula goals. We win this 8-0.

Or, we can just win this 3-2, like any other normal game.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Cody Glass and Haula goals. We win this 8-0.

 

[My3Sons]

Never going to give it a rest until this franchise and fanbase stops pretending that these players are anything more than “good”
They’re not elite, they’re not core.
Nico, seems like a great guy but the results in both leadership, team wins, and his individual numbers have been lackluster for his status. Less than 1PPG regardless of goals, is frankly unacceptable for our supposed “best player”.

Tired of the personality victories, the intangibles victories. NO

THEY NEED TO PROVE IT BEFORE WE ANOINT THEM. AND THEY HAVEN’T PROVED SHIT.

define "best player" and identify who said that? More than one or two posters?

 

[The Wumpus]

Drive in double feature of Animal House and Porky's would be the most epic Uncle outing ever.

*bonus points if he lets you drink a beer from the cooler in the back seat

View attachment 991592

When my sister and I were very young my dad played the opening car chase from Beverly Hills Cop for us, on mute

 

[Bleedred]

Need a BIG game from Markstrom. If he has another dud then they might have to think about not playing him on Thursday.

 

[SansaStark]

All he can do is win his minutes. He plays the toughest minutes on the team and we’re scoring 60% of the goals when he’s out there. Find a new slant.

There is something quite funny about whining about a top two way center’s point production as a Devils fan — a New Jersey Devils fan. Nico is the ultimate Devils glory days forward!

It’s just impossible for you to admit that our players are just not as good as you want them to be.
60% of the goals when he’s out there!! WOW amazing. Still just a decent player, nothing more. Still under a PPG, still the captain and still a team that completely collapses when they face even the slightest bit of adversity. He’s a nice player and a sweet kid. Ultimately, this is not a player that leads his team to championships. He’s a sweet kid but he’s a lower level Barkov at this point. Which was not enough to get Florida anywhere until they had Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennet and Forsling balling out.
We dont have that roster. And it still took them 7games to beat the Oilers.

How in gods name could you possibly imagine Nico and PeoplePayToSeeMe86 grinding out a cup against EDM or the Avs?

It will never ever happen.

This core is a one way ticket to mediocrity and a rebuild. And that train moves faster every day we see more of these players collapse under every bit of pressure.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Never going to give it a rest until this franchise and fanbase stops pretending that these players are anything more than “good”
They’re not elite, they’re not core.
Nico, seems like a great guy but the results in both leadership, team wins, and his individual numbers have been lackluster for his status. Less than 1PPG regardless of goals, is frankly unacceptable for our supposed “best player”.

Tired of the personality victories, the intangibles victories. NO

THEY NEED TO PROVE IT BEFORE WE ANOINT THEM. AND THEY HAVEN’T PROVED SHIT.

 

[Bone Density]

I watched Andrew Dice Clay with my much older siblings when I was 10…needless to say, I’m pretty effed up

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK

IM OVER HERE NOW

 

[FooteBahl]

@Richer’s_Ghost you have been sponsored, sir. As one of the few people who have been around her as long as me! And I’ve stepped my photoshop game up several pegs during my furlough.

HICKORY DICKORY DOCK

IM OVER HERE NOW

And Jill came down wit two fiddy!!!

 

[MadDevil]

Sprong is a liability. He has been on every single team he has been on. He is an extra body. Why do we think he is good

Bastian's 1 point in his last 12 games is definitely helping the team more.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Has anyone checked in a bag outside the arena? Any tips for a backpack?

They will make you put it in the locker outside the M&M tower. Lockers can run out, be there early.

 

[My3Sons]

It’s just impossible for you to admit that our players are just not as good as you want them to be.
60% of the goals when he’s out there!! WOW amazing. Still just a decent player, nothing more. Still under a PPG, still the captain and still a team that completely collapses when they face even the slightest bit of adversity. He’s a nice player and a sweet kid. Ultimately, this is not a player that leads his team to championships. He’s a sweet kid but he’s a lower level Barkov at this point. Which was not enough to get Florida anywhere until they had Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennet and Forsling balling out.
We dont have that roster. And it still took them 7games to beat the Oilers.

How in gods name could you possibly imagine Nico and PeoplePayToSeeMe86 grinding out a cup against EDM or the Avs?

It will never ever happen.

This core is a one way ticket to mediocrity and a rebuild. And that train moves faster every day we see more of these players collapse under every bit of pressure.

We have no control over any of this. Right or wrong you can only hope they do well. Unless a guy is dogging it they are doing what they can. If that's not good enough so be it but this is supposed to be light escapist entertainment not gut wrenching and soul crushing angst.

 

[SansaStark]

define "best player" and identify who said that? More than one or two posters?

That’s the problem. He is our best player. Just objectively, he is.

And once again. He will never lead this team anywhere near a cup without a megaton of support from the rest of the roster.

With the way this team is built and the cap structure we cannot afford for him to not be dominant like a Barkov. And he ain’t even close.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

It’s just impossible for you to admit that our players are just not as good as you want them to be.
60% of the goals when he’s out there!! WOW amazing. Still just a decent player, nothing more. Still under a PPG, still the captain and still a team that completely collapses when they face even the slightest bit of adversity. He’s a nice player and a sweet kid. Ultimately, this is not a player that leads his team to championships. He’s a sweet kid but he’s a lower level Barkov at this point. Which was not enough to get Florida anywhere until they had Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennet and Forsling balling out.
We dont have that roster. And it still took them 7games to beat the Oilers.

How in gods name could you possibly imagine Nico and PeoplePayToSeeMe86 grinding out a cup against EDM or the Avs?

It will never ever happen.

This core is a one way ticket to mediocrity and a rebuild. And that train moves faster every day we see more of these players collapse under every bit of pressure.

So, you are saying Barkov could not win without a better supporting cast and you blame Nico for the current roster?

 

[NJDevs26]

define "best player" and identify who said that? More than one or two posters?

We know who he’s talking about cause he’s made criticizing said player his schtick

 

[My3Sons]

That’s the problem. He is our best player. Just objectively, he is.

And once again. He will never lead this team anywhere near a cup without a megaton of support from the rest of the roster.

With the way this team is built and the cap structure we cannot afford for him to not be dominant like a Barkov. And he ain’t even close.

that's not a definition and I don't see anyone posting that he is some sort of win it by himself guy. I don't see him as that and I doubt anyone else does at this point. You root for him and the other players. That's really as far as it goes. Beyond that, my own subjective definition is that Jack is the "best" player on NJ and at times it's Bratt. Plenty of nights this season it has been the goalie which has been a welcome change from the past few years. There are nights it's Nico but I'd put him in a different category of second most important payer behind Jack. Again, just my subjective view. Like the nose tackle that eats up blocks in a 3-4 he has to do all the thankless heavy lifting. Even worse this season with the way Keefe is using him.

 

[theoptimist]

Is this the same season Bastian had a jaw injury?

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

5 pages already? Are the devils losing

 

[HersheyBob27]

Bastian's 1 point in his last 12 games is definitely helping the team more.

Please tell me you are smarter than that. Keefe’ s system relies on the top 2 lines to carry the bulk of the scoring. Nothing makes the boss happier than if that line controls the puck down low and he can jump the big guys out there as play goes on. He couldn’t care less ifthe 4th line ever scores. He is looking for players that are smart and follow instructions

 

[Bleedred]

Is this the same season Bastian had a jaw injury?

Yes.

He has an injury every year. He missed I think it was nearly 40% of the combined games over the two years before this.

Somehow he’s only missed 28% of the games to this point this year.

Sprong is a liability. He has been on every single team he has been on. He is an extra body. Why do we think he is good

Fair point

But the amazing GM we have decided to trade for him 4 days ago and now he gets in one game is in the scratch box?

Keefe already threw him under the bus when asked about him before he even got here by saying something during Friday’s post game like “he can score, but he’s got some other issues which is why he’s been playing in the American League”.

 

[RNCDevil]

They will make you put it in the locker outside the M&M tower. Lockers can run out, be there early.

Done and done. I am.now peppering staff about why Mrs. Fields is getting screwed. They only know that Aaron Rodgers sucks. Which is not helpful.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Done and done. I am.now peppering staff about why Mrs. Fields is getting screwed. They only know that Aaron Rodgers sucks. Which is not helpful.

Super Duper Mega cookie giveaway on last home game of the year when Mrs Fields wins

 

[SansaStark]

We have no control over any of this. Right or wrong you can only hope they do well. Unless a guy is dogging it they are doing what they can. If that's not good enough so be it but this is supposed to be light escapist entertainment not gut wrenching and soul crushing angst.

That’s your choice. Unfortunately for me, it is crushing angst. Not excusing my very unhealthy hockey obsession, but honestly I think a lot of us here are bit overly invested in the teams success.

Either way I cannot ignore what is so blatantly obvious to me every time I watch this team play and then I watch other teams play. Something is wrong with the core 4. Regardless of the metrics, the stats and all the data, they are just simply not as good as they should be or we want them to be. Most of the problem is they just don’t finish enough. But looking broadly at the league and some of the better teams, we are absolutely several levels below the best teams.

 

[Guttersniped]

It’s just impossible for you to admit that our players are just not as good as you want them to be.
60% of the goals when he’s out there!! WOW amazing. Still just a decent player, nothing more. Still under a PPG, still the captain and still a team that completely collapses when they face even the slightest bit of adversity. He’s a nice player and a sweet kid. Ultimately, this is not a player that leads his team to championships. He’s a sweet kid but he’s a lower level Barkov at this point. Which was not enough to get Florida anywhere until they had Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennet and Forsling balling out.
We dont have that roster. And it still took them 7games to beat the Oilers.

How in gods name could you possibly imagine Nico and PeoplePayToSeeMe86 grinding out a cup against EDM or the Avs?

It will never ever happen.

This core is a one way ticket to mediocrity and a rebuild. And that train moves faster every day we see more of these players collapse under every bit of pressure.

 

[SansaStark]

So, you are saying Barkov could not win without a better supporting cast and you blame Nico for the current roster?

I blame Nico for not being a better player and I blame him (partially) for the teams inability to rise up above adversity and pressure. The slow starts, being one repeating example.

I don’t blame him for the roster but I’m pointing out that even a better version of Nico isn’t enough. He’s not McDavid, He’s not Crosby, sure fine. But he’s not even Ryan Fcking Nugent Hopkins….HES NOT EVEN THAT