GDT: New Jersey Devils vs. Toronto Maple Leafs - 7pm, MSGSN

[NJDevilsFan21]

I thought Meier and Hughes were so close to clicking, if anything they should have switched Bratt with someone on Nico's line.

Yup I have no idea why Lindy did this. They were producing a fair number of shots and were playing two steps up from what we saw in Arizona.

 

[Devs3cups]

Oh the one I saw was 50/50 after 500 sims. Which seemed about right to me overall.

MoneyPuck meter is the only meter we bow down to.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It was a bad special teams night. Didn't take advantage of the 4 minute PP. Gave up a shortie, and couldn't kill off a late penalty.

 

[devilsblood]

.

Hughes needed to get benched, I don't care if the points have been there since he has come back he hasn't looked good at all. 5 minutes left up by a goal and him and Bratt are doing drop passes, constantly on the wrong side of their man. That isn't how you win in the playoffs. If this was game 1 the momentum would have shifted so hard in Toronto's favor it would crush NJ.

I don’t think benching Hughes is the move but he is trying to do too much himself. He needs to trust his linemates more. Especially when those linemates are as good as Bratt and Meier(or whoever else he is with these days).

 

[longislanddevil]

View attachment 665082

This is true…but how about *I* made some mistakes that bit us in the ass?! Would like to see some more personal ownership there…then again, I’m salty at the moment. Haha

 

[Saugus]

Every time it seems we're going to gain ground on the former Whalers, shit like this happens.

I don't believe in fate, but the hockey gods seem to be locking us into a first round matchup against the Rangers.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I thought Meier and Hughes were so close to clicking, if anything they should have switched Bratt with someone on Nico's line.

Was meant to spark the team, which it did in the 2nd, but he should have switched them back.

 

[palek1019]

View attachment 665082

I think he'll be fired up next game. Best to put this one behind him, lol.

 

[Guadana]

If O would change something I would try Tatar Jack Meier in this game.

 

[John Pedro]

Yup I have no idea why Lindy did this. They were producing a fair number of shots and were playing two steps up from what we saw in Arizona.

I think he tried to spark Nico's line that was pretty terrible

but should've bumped Bratt for Mercer, Tatar isn't a good fit alongside Jack either

 

[Dylan9z9]

View attachment 665082

We gave up Zetterlund and Mukhamadullen for this clown?

 

[forceten]

Every time it seems we're going to gain ground on the former Whalers, shit like this happens.

I don't believe in fate, but the hockey gods seem to be locking us into a first round matchup against the Rangers.

Meanwhile carolina got a point. They’re not playing great either tonight, but they’ve been far more consistent than we have.

 

[Devs3cups]

Poor vanecek. Bad things from Bahl, Severson, Mcleod and Meier ruined this game. Siegs was a mess today sometimes.

Bratt could score, you know, just for his own personal joy.

Great game from Palat and his line.

Bratt had a breakaway in the 3rd that would've put us ahead 4-2. Hate to be that guy, but it's the type of goal you score for the big bucks.

 

[BurntToast]

I don’t think Bratt/Hughes works..

 

[Camille the Eel]

Vanacek? Which one of those goals was he supposed to stop?

The three tip ins from right in front or the blast on the PP from through a screen by one of the top scorers in the league?

We're still goalie-shaming on here?

If anything, Samsonov made it closer than it should have been?

Yes Samsonov kept them in it during the first period. We needed to score some of those numerous chances. When you dominate a period to the degree we did in the first, and don’t score, it’s usually a very bad sign for the game result. We expended so much energy there and had nothing to show for it.

Could be it’s about time we had some adversity. Really we haven’t had any since December. And hell, one bad loss isn’t adversity. But say we do drop a few now, it may serve to get us to bear down and focus more.

 

[Guadana]

Bratt had a breakaway in the 3rd that would've put us ahead 4-2. Hate to be that guy, but it's the type of goal you score for the big bucks.

May be he is trying to save our cap space?

 

[forceten]

Bratt had a breakaway in the 3rd that would've put us ahead 4-2. Hate to be that guy, but it's the type of goal you score for the big bucks.

Soft passes too that turned offense into odd number defense. He’s too talented to be playing so… I don’t know. Soft? Stupid? What is the right thing? He’s better than he’s been playing last 10-15 games for sure.

 

[My3Sons]

Leafs definitely have more sandpaper than they’ve ever had. Depending on their goaltending, this is their best shot at going on a run.

By sandpaper you mean clutching and grabbing and holding? They don’t hit that much. Lots of off puck interference and grabbing though.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don’t think Bratt/Hughes works..

By and large their on ice numbers say otherwise

 

[longislanddevil]

The goal I didn't like was goal 3. He played it horribly.

I don't nail the goalie with a stoppable goal for those, but that was played so horribly

@JK3 was the first to point that out

I wouldn’t say Vanecek was awful in this one but he was substandard…no doubt about it. Plus, he has been awful the last few weeks. I think we have now reached the point to be legitimately concerned.

 

[Eggtimer]

He wasn’t the total issue, but I am worried as heck about his over corrections to shots coming from sharp side angles. As soon as that isn’t cleared it’s a tap in and there’s several of those in the last few games

This. VV is fighting it right now and you can see it big time. He is overplaying shots and seems to be shaky . Not as calm and square to the play as much as he usually is. He makes himself small when he is in the butterfly . Not sure if it is a confidence thing or what the hell his issue is.

 

[Devs3cups]

Love the fire.

 

[Bleedred]

I wouldn’t say Vanecek was awful in this one but he was substandard…no doubt about it. Plus, he has been awful the last few weeks. I think we have now reached the point to be legitimately concerned.

Agreed,

I wouldn't personally nail him on any of those, but goal 3 was played horribly and you can't be letting in 4 goals every game.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I don’t think Bratt/Hughes works..

Never liked them together. Jack needs more space to himself in center ice and needs the puck on his stick. Both Bratt and Hughes have to sacrifice too much of their necessary creativity to adapt to each other. Hughes was on a tear with Tatar and Haula lol. They freed Jack to be Jack.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Meh, I have a hard time being too mad with the 3rd highest amount of points in the league. There has to be some good in there.

I've seen way too many high flying regular season teams get destroyed in the playoffs to care about that. I didn't really pay attention to any of those teams, but I am a devils fan and I see these glaring issues that will be issue in the playoffs if it's not fixed.