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

[NJDevs26]

Man that Keefe clip is taking off lol

Good, it's about time guys started getting called out for being shit, even if he is a comparatively small fish compared to a Timo or a Mercer.

Other than 2010 (when they quit for almost an entire calendar year in two different seasons) I've never hated a team more than this one, including last year which was bad enough in terms of not meeting expectations.

 

[jkrdevil]

what frustrates me the most now is the style of play. like all those years we had lindy and all we said was “we need average goaltending.” i don’t recall anyone saying “what we need is slightly above average goaltending and to also completely neuter the 5v5 offense and team speed” but for some reason that’s the direction we went.

I don’t think the 5v5 stuff is as much coaching as it is personal differences. 5v5 offense is largely driven by defense. Look at two years ago vs now. We had pre-bicep injury Dougie, Marino and Severson. This year it’s a diminished/now injured Dougie, a slower to develop offensively than expected (but has come along more lately) Luke and that’s it.

That’s a big factor in 5v5 scoring for the top-6 and why they can’t get any contributions from the bottom of the lineup.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don’t think the 5v5 stuff is as much coaching as it is personal differences. 5v5 offense is largely driven by defense. Look at two years ago vs now. We had pre-bicep injury Dougie, Marino and Severson. This year it’s a diminished/now injured Dougie, a slower to develop offensively than expected (but has come along more lately) Luke and that’s it.

That’s a big factor in 5v5 scoring for the top-6 and why they can’t get any contributions from the bottom of the lineup.

While I mostly agree the lack of transition from the D is an underappreciated major factor in the offense inconsistencies, the op was digging at Fitz personnel choices more than coaching imo. Keefe didn't change over the bottom six from two years ago, Fitz did.

 

[NJDevs26]

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.

I'm done with this personally...it's been two years of 'Timo's playing great, it's just not showing up in the stats', that was a big talking point against the Rangers in the playoffs lmao. How about you know, actual production at SOME point in his eight year deal? Have you really played well if it NEVER manifests itself in actual production? I buy bad luck over a fifteen game stretch maybe, but more than two years now?

 

[Satans Hockey]

Weird to call out Kovacevic of all people. He played well last night and has been good since his extension.

He literally threw the puck up the middle of the ice like a dummy last game vs Calgary and that was the reason Calgary scored the late game winning goal. I didn't think he was great yesterday and was dog shit vs Pittsburgh too.

There was no reason to rush to sign this guy before the season ended.

 

[HoliksGhost]

Sum Ting Wong in NJ.

 

[Devs3cups]

Maple Leafs xGF% 5v5:

2019-2020: 12th (51.18%)
2020-2021: 2nd (54.89%)
2021-2022: 3rd (55.24%)
2022-2023: 7th (53.54%)
2023-2024: 11th (51.54%)

NJD 2024-2025: 11th (51.22%)



Maple Leafs xGF 5v5:

2019-2020: 3rd
2020-2021: 4th
2021-2022: 3rd
2022-2023: 7th
2023-2024: 7th

NJD 2024-2025: 9th



Maple Leafs GF 5v5:

2019-2020: 3rd
2020-2021: 2nd
2021-2022: 2nd
2022-2023: 8th
2023-2024: 1st

NJD 2024-2025: 22nd (!!!!)

It’s not a Keefe issue, he’s had excellent results 5v5 with the Leafs, and tbh with the defensive structure he brings, I’ll definitely take being 11th in xGF% and 9th in xGF 5v5. But being 22nd in 5v5 goals is the problem.

It’s not a Keefe issue, it’s a big finishing problem. The team is simply not scoring enough for the amount of chances they get.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I’ll be honest, I don’t have that much of a problem with Keefe getting snippy about the Kovacevic comment. I could see him getting aggravated about it for a lot of reasons. The team has had to be in a playoff mentality for two weeks already, so this shouldn’t be something that is just coming to light right now.

And as others have pointed out, while not necessarily playing poorly, Kovacevic has been guilty of the panicky puck decisions that has plagued the team most recently and some of his have been more costly. I imagine Keefe is leaning on him a bit harder now that he is one of the ones left who has been here all year long.

 

[longislanddevil]

M

Hi, my name is Brian and I am a New Jersey Devils fan.

Hi Brian! What brings you here today?

 

[longislanddevil]

Bratt is top 10 in points in the whole league. Hughes above ppg before injury. Nico plays all situations, pacing for another 30 goals. None of them are a problem. Timo is producing like a top 6 player, sadly he is paid like a elite player. No one else on this team belongs anywhere near top 6.

And no one belongs in this team’s bottom six. lol

 

[Call Me Al]

i don’t think it’s a keefe issue but we don’t have a matthews or even a nylander as far as players who can just score with wrist shots from a distance. that’s going to juice those gf numbers compared to xgf and a reason why ours is so bad comparatively. but i also thing xgf is a flawed stat.

we have a whole bunch of players whose strength is scoring off the rush and decisively not cycling or garbage goals but we play a system that would be most successful with those kinds of players

 

[JK3]

Anyone get a hat, I want to see the hats.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

M

Hi Brian! What brings you here today?

I keep watching Devils games and expecting to find some type of joy and satisfaction.

 

[Bleedred]

He literally threw the puck up the middle of the ice like a dummy last game vs Calgary and that was the reason Calgary scored the late game winning goal. I didn't think he was great yesterday and was dog shit vs Pittsburgh too.

There was no reason to rush to sign this guy before the season ended.

I kind of feel the same way about rushing to sign him, but I’d feel better about it if we didn’t still have two more years of Dillon, who is close to being a $4 million dollar hitting version of Brendan Smith.

Thanks again Fitz!

 

[Devs3cups]

I’ll be honest, I don’t have that much of a problem with Keefe getting snippy about the Kovacevic comment. I could see him getting aggravated about it for a lot of reasons. The team has had to be in a playoff mentality for two weeks already, so this shouldn’t be something that is just coming to light right now.

And as others have pointed out, while not necessarily playing poorly, Kovacevic has been guilty of the panicky puck decisions that has plagued the team most recently and some of his have been more costly. I imagine Keefe is leaning on him a bit harder now that he is one of the ones left who has been here all year long.

I agree, and also, if it was anyone else that was mentioned, he would’ve called them out. Maybe not some of the top guys that are contributing, but I think Kovacevic was unfortunately the one mentioned.

 

[BahlDeep]

Good, it's about time guys started getting called out for being shit, even if he is a comparatively small fish compared to a Timo or a Mercer.

Other than 2010 (when they quit for almost an entire calendar year in two different seasons) I've never hated a team more than this one, including last year which was bad enough in terms of not meeting expectations.

Complete trash from Keefe.

Kovy was our second best defenseman yesterday. You just re-signed him. And you end up throwing him under the bus because you couldn't face the heat.

 

[longislanddevil]

I keep watching Devils games and expecting to find some type of joy and satisfaction.

We must be masochists, my friend. It almost seems like a prerequisite to being a Devils fan. I’m 47 and really miss our glory days.

 

[Bleedred]

Keefe just needs to coach better by not playing Markstrom tomorrow night.

 

[JrFischer54]

Said it last year but something is wrong in the locker room and fully believe it now more than ever. Glad Sheldon finally calling them out I dunno what it is but these guys just don’t care it’s been their story for years now

 

[Louskoolaid89]

We must be masochists, my friend. It almost seems like a prerequisite to being a Devils fan. I’m 47 and really miss our glory days.

Same age here was there for all of the glory!

 

[Bleedred]

Said it last year but something is wrong in the locker room and fully believe it now more than ever. Glad Sheldon finally calling them out I dunno what it is but these guys just don’t care it’s been their story for years now

I just think there’s something wrong in the front office/management. The guy in charge isn’t very good.

And the guy Keefe called out only just got here this year.

 

[glenwo2]

Complete trash from Keefe.

Kovy was our second best defenseman yesterday. You just re-signed him. And you end up throwing him under the bus because you couldn't face the heat.

Agree to disagree. *shrugs*

I thought everyone on defense was crap, tbh...

 

[Satans Hockey]

I just finished the Red Bulls game, they won, I picked the wrong game to go to last night lol

Funny thing was it was absolutely pouring during the 1st half and when we came out of Prudential it didn't look like it rained at all despite the arenas only being like 1 mile away from each other.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Said it last year but something is wrong in the locker room and fully believe it now more than ever. Glad Sheldon finally calling them out I dunno what it is but these guys just don’t care it’s been their story for years now

I mean, I don’t know what calling out Kovacevic who has only been here this season has anything to do with last year. Not to mention the amount of turnover on the roster currently since then to begin with.

I think general claims of not caring are garbage to be honest. Of course they care. I’d argue they care too much because many of them seem to be playing scared or tentative with the puck. That is the biggest problem as of late to me.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Complete trash from Keefe.

Kovy was our second best defenseman yesterday. You just re-signed him. And you end up throwing him under the bus because you couldn't face the heat.

Kovacevic yapping about having to play like a playoff mindset when he's doing horrible icings and throwing pucks up the middle of the ice late into games that cost us points is laughable. Have no issues with what Keefe said.