GDT: Senators @ Devils 7:00 PM MSGSN, MSGSN2, ESPN+

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Sounds like at least one of the guys playing goal

Markstrom's inability to shut down a game late has cost them multiple times this year, it cost them games early on too. The one in Detroit where Kane scored 5 hole that my deceased grandma would stop comes to mind as well

 

[Devs3cups]

They are a tier below guys like Mack, Kuch, Drai, Matthews. And that’s ok, you can still win the cup it just requires acknowledging that these guys aren’t at that tier and it needs to be more of a committee approach. The construction is flawed. Where is the natural goal scorer or sniper? Nowhere to be found. We’ve been without one since Kovalchuk…twelve years ago.

While I agree that we need more goalscoring overall, I think the Kovalchuk comment is interesting, cause in a certain sense I get it, but in another way, Jack has had better and nearly identical goals per game rates over the last 4 seasons as Kovy had with us. We all see him as a playmaker, which he can certainly do, but he's also a good goalscorer.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

They are a tier below guys like Mack, Kuch, Drai, Matthews. And that’s ok, you can still win the cup it just requires acknowledging that these guys aren’t at that tier and it needs to be more of a committee approach. The construction is flawed. Where is the natural goal scorer or sniper? Nowhere to be found. We’ve been without one since Kovalchuk…twelve years ago.

I'd argue Holtz was supposed to be that guy and it was a risky pick to take him at 7, he was either going to be a Laine lite type where he was a pure dynamo offensive shot and offered nothing else or the latter where he'd be a monumental bust

 

[JimEIV]

What’s your definition of top end? Do we have a McDavid or MacKinnon. No, we don’t. So you have to win through depth.

I was talking about the top 6... Or the core mostly.

What is our core/top 6 providing vs other playoff teams top 6? I don't know the answer. But I said in a previous post I think we short a bunch of goals from the top end of our group.

 

[NjDevsRR]

my deceased grandma would stop

 

[Dylan9z9]

They are a tier below guys like Mack, Kuch, Drai, Matthews. And that’s ok, you can still win the cup it just requires acknowledging that these guys aren’t at that tier and it needs to be more of a committee approach. The construction is flawed. Where is the natural goal scorer or sniper? Nowhere to be found. We’ve been without one since Kovalchuk…twelve years ago.

Who's on the committee? Palat, Haula, Lazar, Nate (the bum) Bastian, Tatar ... some committee

 

[NjDevsRR]

Idc how. 2 pts Monday. Get them

 

[guitarguyvic]

Pure nonsense, as usual. We aren’t a bubble team, so your stupid fake made up scenario is wrong anyway. We’re also not down a “top 6 forward”, we’re down the best offensive player in franchise history, our best offensive D, our best defensive D, and our starting goalie has went to shit post injury.

Maybe you can try bringing up our record since some arbitrary point to show that none of those injuries matter? Again, your premise is that the team is no good, has no depth, and also those injuries don’t matter and are just excuses. Brilliant!

This post is one big non-sequitor.

I never said this team is “no good”. Fully healthy, they were not as good as advertised. The flaccid 5v5 production was evident from the start and was on par with a bubble team. This was fully exposed during a ~35 game stretch where they had one of the worst records in the league before the injuries hit.

The injuries aren’t an excuse because this team was mediocre before they happened. And stop pretending like there’s no relation between the lack of depth and injuries. You know darned well that even just one injury to our top six was gonna turn a mediocre offense into a downright garbage one.

 

[glenwo2]

@Bleedred , where for art thou?


(he's probably asleep. Having had enough of this shit, I imagine)

 

[JimEIV]

I haven't had much of an issue with the core guys. Nico and Bratt have been fine. I'd like to see more production from Timo, but I think his overall play has been better than the counting stats suggest. The problem is with Haula and Palat both regressing and Mercer not really taking a step up we're basically getting nothing from the middle of the lineup. Noesen and Cotter have both chipped in about as much as you could expect, but neither of them should be somebody you're counting on regularly. You then take out the main engine of the offense in Jack, plus Hamilton, and now it's just ugly as hell.

I generally agree with your assessment...but I think you are giving too much of a pass on those "counting stats"

Do you not agree that this team has a goal scoring problem? If you don't then nevermind.. but if you do, I think there are shortfalls from Haula, Palat, Mercer, Tatar, Meier, Bratt in terms of goals...and even the 4th line as whole is a bit short too but that's mostly inconsequential

If Meier is a 30 goal scorer right now , I believe this team is in a completely different situation.

And correct me if I'm wrong ... that's what we all believed we were getting when we made that trade and subsequent contract?

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Here’s the clip from the presser, even better than I expected just reading the quote lol

I say this with unmeasured amazement:

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW.

 

[Marv4Life]

I honestly like what Keefe brings quite a lot. The team had quite a heater in December, and I think his bottom-6 this year isn't as good as what Ruff tbh. When they play the system correctly, they play extremely good hockey. The supporting cast isn't good enough. In 2022-2023, everyone was rolling. Keefe doesn't have the luxury of having 0.5PPG 3C Haula or 25+ goal scorer Mercer, as well as 25 points Lazar.

December was sound hockey but since the New Year started they got away from the system, even prior to the injuries. Just a lack of 60 minutes in 2025. Poor effort after poor effort.

Under Ruff there was a 12 game winning streak. You give him Markstrom and Allen instead of Vanacek and Schmid, on top of a less soft roster, you don't think we have a playoff spot all but wrapped up? You don't think we'd be in Carolina's spot? Haula, Mercer and Lazar all somewhat thrived under him but can't get anything going under Sheldon.

Why is Cholowski on this roster.

 

[Billdo]

I kinda dig that about Keefe

 

[Billdo]

.

Why is Cholowski on this roster.

this is an EXCELLENT question.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

this is an EXCELLENT question.

Why is he tainting the 44 jersey is another. I had enough with Wood disgracing it but now this?

 

[JimEIV]

Id have much more faith in this team healthy pulling through this stretch.

THIS roster? Oh boy, its gonna be scary

It has certainly become more challenging with injuries...there is no doubt about that...but we are in a tight race with multiple teams breathing down our neck because of the play while everyone was healthy.

 

[Devs3cups]

I generally agree with your assessment...but I think you are giving too much of a pass on those "counting stats"

Do you not agree that this team has a goal scoring problem? If you don't then nevermind.. but if you do, I think there are shortfalls from Haula, Palat, Mercer, Tatar, Meier, Bratt in terms of goals...and even the 4th line as whole is a bit short too but that's mostly inconsequential

If Meier is a 30 goal scorer right now , I believe this team is in a completely different situation.

And correct me if I'm wrong ... that's what we all believed we were getting when we made that trade and subsequent contract?

That 10 goals can also be had if Lazar, Bastian, Haula, Tatar and Palat score a measly 2 more goals each, which isn't a big ask when comparing to other bottom 6's around the league.

 

[Devs3cups]

December was sound hockey but since the New Year started they got away from the system, even prior to the injuries. Just a lack of 60 minutes in 2025. Poor effort after poor effort.

Under Ruff there was a 12 game winning streak. You give him Markstrom and Allen instead of Vanacek and Schmid, on top of a less soft roster, you don't think we have a playoff spot all but wrapped up? You don't think we'd be in Carolina's spot? Haula, Mercer and Lazar all somewhat thrived under him but can't get anything going under Sheldon.

Why is Cholowski on this roster.

Yeah, he had one hot season. Last year wasn't as swell for Ruff. Ruff definitely had his issues. I definitely think we'd be in Carolina's spot if we had a bottom-6 worth anything that contributed more offense. Tatar, Haula, Bastian, Lazar and Dowling have a combined 20 goals. 4 goals each on average. That's absolutely horrible and it's hard for any team to have success with that kind of production. They might just be cooked, but a falloff like that is so bad. They deserve to be criticized imo. Mercer wasn't much better last year under Ruff.

I understand the question marks to be fair, I don't personally have them, I believe in Keefe, I think he's a solid coach. But I want to see an improved roster before saying he's not good.

 

[JimEIV]

That 10 goals can also be had if Lazar, Bastian, Haula, Tatar and Palat score a measly 2 more goals each, which isn't a big ask when comparing to other bottom 6's around the league.

WHat you are saying is definitely true...but to me it just seems like a strange thought process to ask for sub par bottom 6 players to do a little so the 9m dollar top 2 winger doesn't need to.

Starz ..."we need stars". Devils fans yelled from the roof tops for 30 years...we need stars.

Here ya go here are some stars ...we need depth!

 

[Bleedred]

Cholowski was in tonight because Nemec sucks.

But I’m not sure he sucks more than Cholowski.

Dillon-Cholowski kept getting caught out there with the Sens top line in the first half of the game.

 

[Devs3cups]

WHat you are saying is definitely true...but to me it just seems like a strange thought process to ask for sub par bottom 6 players to do a little so the 9m dollar top 2 winger doesn't need to.

Timo has the same amount of goals by himself as Bastian, Lazar, Haula, Dowling and Tatar combined. Timo hasn't scored enough this year, especially given how he's played, which is well imo. He should easily have a few more goals.

But we need WAY WAY WAY more from the COMBINED bottom-6 this year. Especially a bottom-6 who was fine goal scoring wise last year.

 

[NjDevsRR]

It has certainly become more challenging with injuries...there is no doubt about that...but we are in a tight race with multiple teams breathing down our neck because of the play while everyone was healthy.

Of course, but you obviously take the healthy roster over this Frankenstein group. That roster has a higher ceiling and a higher chance to turn around the play from Jan-Feb

The fact we are calling up the Footes of the world while playing Cholo is sad

 

[JimEIV]

Timo has the same amount of goals by himself as Bastian, Lazar, Haula, Dowling and Tatar combined. Timo hasn't scored enough this year, especially given how he's played, which is well imo. He should easily have a few more goals.

But we need WAY WAY WAY more from the COMBINED bottom-6 this year. Especially a bottom-6 who was fine goal scoring wise last year.

Should I check if Timo makes more than Bastian, Lazar, Haula, Dowling and Tatar combined?

12 5v5 goals from Timo is pretty shitty honestly.

 

[Bleedred]

And I need to say this once again

Yet again we can’t lose games in OT. Almost all of them are in regulation.

Earlier this year that wasn’t the case, but I’m pretty sure it’s been over 20 games since our last after regulation loss. We’ve had plenty of regulation losses since.

Maybe even closer to 30 games since our last loss beyond regulation. We had the shootout win with Daws and that was the last time we went to OT.

 

[Devs3cups]

Dowling, Lazar, Tatar, Haula, Bastian this year: 21 goals in 261 games (0,08 goals per game)

Dowling, Lazar, Tatar, Haula, Bastian last year: 39 goals in 273 games (0,14 goals per game)