GDT: New Jersey Devils vs. Washington Capitals - 7:30pm

[Emperoreddy]

I think I said this earlier but some of it is them taking teams lightly and thinking their sheer skill will get them through. I wouldn't be surprised if they wake up early in games versus some of the better on the schedule knowing they can't fall into holes.

They thought they could just globetrot through this one

 

[Devs3cups]

Mercer -0.57 average GS on the season. Even Smith is only -0.42

Yup. He's been bad. He'll turn it around though.

 

[Emperoreddy]

The middle 6 lines just aren't clicking yet

 

[Hisch13r]

They thought they could just globetrot through this one

Thing is they probably could’ve too with some saves. They slept walked through the first and first few minutes minutes of the 3rd and dominated the rest

 

[Devs3cups]

The middle 6 lines just aren't clicking yet

Bratt and Nico are doing good. Palat isn't playing "bad", he's just there right now. I think the weakest link right now is definitely the 3rd line. 1st and 4th lines have been killing it, 2nd line has been pretty good and the 3rd line is getting killed. It's also very frustrating because on paper it should be a good line.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Thing is they probably could’ve too with some saves. They slept walked through the first and first few minutes minutes of the 3rd and dominated the rest

Easy bulletin board material for the coaching staff, as awesome as they are with their attack, they can't minutes/games off and expect to win even against the worst teams in the league which we should expect Arizona/Caps to be this year.

 

[Hisch13r]

The middle 6 lines just aren't clicking yet

Throw all the problem children together and let them work through their problems together. Go Palat-Haula-Mercer and Siegs-Marino. Holtz hasn’t been great but give him look in the top 6 for the time being.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Throw all the problem children together and let them work through their problems together. Go Palat-Haula-Mercer and Siegs-Marino. Holtz hasn’t been great but give him look in the top 6 for the time being.

Tbh, I like that. It forces them to get their games in order.

 

[Devs3cups]

Easy bulletin board material for the coaching staff, as awesome as they are with their attack, they can't minutes/games off and expect to win even against the worst teams in the league which we should expect Arizona/Caps to be this year.

100%. The offense is top tier, and even has another gear, we know this. The D core can be good, they've shown it. But the have to clean things up. Goaltenders can also be above average. It's early, I'm very confident they'll figure it out.

 

[njdevils1982]

Throw all the problem children together and let them work through their problems together. Go Palat-Haula-Mercer and Siegs-Marino. Holtz hasn’t been great but give him look in the top 6 for the time being.

f*** ya

 

[Emperoreddy]

Thing is they probably could’ve too with some saves. They slept walked through the first and first few minutes minutes of the 3rd and dominated the rest

It is a bit nuts they nearly won this game considering their 1st period and chunks of that 3rd.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Goaltending is what is is. If you don't draft an elite dude, you pretty much just ride the wave of average dudes coming they get hot at the right time like with what happened in Vegas

Just isnt a lot of high end goalie talent up there and it costs an arm and a leg to get one.

 

[jkrdevil]

Part is we have expectations for this team this year, but part is also I think last year's start may have gotten a few people to forget that that isn't really normal or typical even of great teams.

Not the only preseason contender still sorting things out either, hell some are really stumbling out the gate.

Always a bit of weirdness the first 10 games or so.

I'm perfectly fine with a first quarter or even half a season where the play is still iffy but we are holding our own standings wise and we figure it out for a strong second half push.

Teams are closest to each other at the start of the year. Everyone for the most part are healthy so the differences in depth aren’t as large. Plus teams are still working in new players to see how everything fits. Once you get 10-15 games injuries start happening and bad teams that are as deep start to fall off. And then over the course of the season they start to sell off and bad teams go off a cliff near the end of the season.

If you look back at our decade of darkness for the most part they got off to middling starts and then fall off. Exception being the year Hynes was fired and the year Deboer kept insisting on putting a washed up Salvador on the PK.

I think they will be fine because they are still scoring goals and I think the goals against will come down. Of course the worry coming into the season was goaltending, so to drop a couple of game already in part because of that is setting off alarm bells around here.

That said most things indicate things will be fine.

 

[Devs3cups]

Teams are closest to each other at the start of the year. Everyone for the most part are healthy so the differences in depth aren’t as large. Plus teams are still working in new players to see how everything fits. Once you get 10-15 games injuries start happening and bad teams that are as deep start to fall off. And then over the course of the season they start to sell off and bad teams go off a cliff near the end of the season.

If you look back at our decade of darkness for the most part they got off to middling starts and then fall off. Exception being the year Hynes was fired and the year Deboer kept insisting on putting a washed up Salvador on the PK.

I think they will be fine because they are still scoring goals and I think the goals against will come down. Of course the worry coming into the season was goaltending, so to drop a couple of game already in part because of that is setting off alarm bells around here.

That said most things indicate things will be fine.

Just looked it up, in 2000-2001 we started at 3-2-1 and in 2011-2012 too lol, just a fun fact. I do notice that what you're saying is true. Teams start at more equal footing for a variety of reason, but as teams gain chemistry and things starts to set in, the pack begins to split a little bit.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Honestly I only care about playing our best hockey come April.

Right now as long as it's good enough to make the playoffs, I'll take it.

 

[NJ07102]

For the first time in a long time I am totally pissed. They really have to start playing for three periods. They are just so sloppy and disjointed for long stretches, not good at all. And you can't win too many games with one good line, one decent one and two that are sleepwalking. That was the same kind of game as the one against the Coyotes. The Devs seem to think they are so great, they will win without work against teams like Washington or Arizona. Oh well, that doesn't seem to be the case. Surprise surprise.

 

[Bcap88]

I think a lot of us here figured there would be some growing pains and some adjustment just based off the turnover on the back end and the forward spots.

However, the slow starts need to be addressed. I can live with the rookies and newcomers finding their way but the effort level is a didfeeenr story

Honestly I only care about playing our best hockey come April.

Right now as long as it's good enough to make the playoffs, I'll take it.

I just don’t want them to fall into the mindset of “oh we can dig ourself out of multiple goal leads consistently because of the talent we have “

That might get us to the playoffs but we will flame out quickly like some of those high scoring pens teams with no defense in the early 2010 era

 

[Bcap88]

Forcing too many passes to try and get the rush going or to set up a really pretty play and I think it's back firing on them.

The Haula line especially really needs to simplify

Ironically I think our in zone play has been pretty good compared to last year. This year they seem a little bit better on the cycle and the boards as opposed to last year.

However their rush game isn’t as good as last year as of now. Could it be a by product of brunette leaving? Or just early season blues? Time will tell but for the most part I been happy with their cycle and in zone 5 on 5

 

[billingtons ghost]

They are playing just like last year when they got full of themselves after the winning streak and then couldn't win a game for a month.

They'll figure it out.

I think Marino's problem is partially missing Graves. Not that Bahl hasn't been good, but I think folks fail to realize how few pucks and players he allowed to get to the front of the net either by blocking passes or using his stick.

Team defense is the real problem. When we fail we aren't failing deterministically... It's pretty wide open pond hockey out there at times.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

I'd like to point out that in every game I've watched, Marino and Seigs have committed bigger and more numerous dipshit plays than Smith.

 

[Aurinko]

They are playing just like last year when they got full of themselves after the winning streak and then couldn't win a game for a month.

They'll figure it out.

I think Marino's problem is partially missing Graves. Not that Bahl hasn't been good, but I think folks fail to realize how few pucks and players he allowed to get to the front of the net either by blocking passes or using his stick.

Team defense is the real problem. When we fail we aren't failing deterministically... It's pretty wide open pond hockey out there at times.

I agree with things working out. Washington got a freebie playing as an experienced underdog vs. a tense group of guys "overtrying". I'm sure that's not the perfect term, but I'm just after what it looks when you don't play in the moment and are thinking too far ahead.

The defensive collapses looked minor misreads and case of feet not moving. Just need the same kind of desire to defend as they have to attack. Team can basically look clips from last year on how to do it right. Another thing is to find a fix to the extremely annoying trend of getting outshot in the first round.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

I agree with things working out. Washington got a freebie playing as an experienced underdog vs. a tense group of guys "overtrying". I'm sure that's not the perfect term, but I'm just after what it looks when you don't play in the moment and are thinking too far ahead.

The defensive collapses looked minor misreads and case of feet not moving. Just need the same kind of desire to defend as they have to attack. Team can basically look clips from last year on how to do it right. Another thing is to find a fix to the extremely annoying trend of getting outshot in the first round.

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I am not too concerned about the defensive mishaps, that can be fixed through structure and coaching. Offense seems to work well but we dont want to become Oilers 2.0, a team that loses even if they score 7. Dunno what to do about goaltending. The team needs to be good enough to get into playoffs and then Vitek or Schmido can get hot if we are lucky. It happens.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

4:42 am and I'm still a bit pissed at this team. Threw 2 points away. No signs of being last years juggernaut that played awesome dynamic offensive hockey yet supported it's goaltenders and got goaltending. This is 2021-2022 like B.S and what made me chant "fire Lindy". Dogshit at home again too. Crowds have been excellent for Devils standards and your not rewarding us just teasing us. f*** you! I'm so glad I'm driving south for a weekend of Nascar in Southern Virginia. f*** you Devils and I hope you unf*** yourselves soon!

 

[Louskoolaid89]

They are playing just like last year when they got full of themselves after the winning streak and then couldn't win a game for a month.

They'll figure it out.

I think Marino's problem is partially missing Graves. Not that Bahl hasn't been good, but I think folks fail to realize how few pucks and players he allowed to get to the front of the net either by blocking passes or using his stick.

Team defense is the real problem. When we fail we aren't failing deterministically... It's pretty wide open pond hockey out there at times.

They never played this bad during their rough patch in December of last year. They would drop games by the score of 3-1and had horrible puck luck on both ends of the ice. These 1st 6 games have been lackadaisical bullshit v.s all bubble playoff and non playoff teams. Throwing points away. Pissses me off. Detroit is the only oppent that may compete for a playoff spot and that's a maybe at best.

 

[Incharge1976]

They never played this bad during their rough patch in December of last year. They would drop games by the score of 3-1and had horrible puck luck on both ends of the ice. These 1st 6 games have been lackadaisical bullshit v.s all bubble playoff and non playoff teams. Throwing points away. Pissses me off. Detroit is the only oppent that may compete for a playoff spot and that's a maybe at best.

Most of us knew the D was going to take a hit. It's magnified by really bad goaltending. That needs to be addressed as soon as possible.