GDT: Spend Some Time with the Wee Baby Seamus: Your New Jersey Devils (2-0) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (0-1), 7 PM, MSG

[Whaddagoal]

Jack was injured last season. Sure he's started a bit off, but it's 3 games into the season. It just looks like he has no confidence right now and overthinking his game to start the season. Once he gets in his groove he'll be fine.

Really hope that is just it, but I am concerned it is a little more than that. Hope you are right and I am wrong.

 

[billingtons ghost]

The fans have seen this team be a shit show for over a decade minus a fluke in 2017-18 and 2022-23. This was literally the type of play we saw all last year. A hyped up new and
improved team looking like last years trash? Come on.

Oh come on. I think the difference will be that there will be repercussions for the crap play. SKeefe has already offered more critique in the postgame than all of last season.

 

[guitarguyvic]

It’s gonna take a little more than a short preseason and a few games to wash off the stink, they’ll get there. I liked what Keefe had to say.

This is another good point I haven’t even touched on. The players that are still here from Lindy’s tenure need time to unlearn bad habits and become consistent with the little things. But that’s why it’s evident this isn’t the same as last year. They looked a lot better in that regard the first two games, and even today where a few them took a step back it still overall didn’t look as bad as the worst times last year. And they clearly have a coach who is not going to let them get away with it. And there’s a ton of new players who weren’t even a part of that bad stink time period.

 

[Whaddagoal]

I shouldn't have shit talked Berube yesterday, I agree with the broadcast and, at least on eye test, thought the Leafs were very solid defensively.

You f***ing ruined our home opener!!

 

[billingtons ghost]

It’s gonna take a little more than a short preseason and a few games to wash off the stink, they’ll get there. I liked what Keefe had to say.

This^

 

[Devs3cups]

Really hope that is just it, but I am concerned it is a little more than that. Hope you are right and I am wrong.

What is there to be scared or concerned about? It's 3 games into the season. I'm not sure I understand. Jack's a good player. He's been a good player for 3 years. He'll figure it out and he will get going.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Last thing about the fan stuff. Considering it was a practical full house, I'd say the fans were well behaved. You had every section packed. Fans were waaaay better behaved than we've seen in similar showings under ruff with same sort of grave dug.

Oh, hope the fan that had a seizure by the member pickup area is alright. Didn't see fully what happened to initiate it but saw him being tended to and wheeled away... Wasn't a good sight at first glance, but hope he will be okay.

 

[guitarguyvic]

What is there to be scared or concerned about? It's 3 games into the season. I'm not sure I understand. Jack's a good player. He's been a good player for 3 years. He'll figure it out and he will get going.

I don’t see it as a three game thing. This goes back to last year.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Just an unpleasant live experience unfortunately. Once we pooped all over ourselves in that 5-6 minute stretch of the first period, it felt like an absolute struggle to accomplish basic things. You started to see some of the old bad habits come into play as well with guys flying the zone and leaving the defender on an island on the breakout.

Certainly didn’t deserve a win in this one. Soft plays, tentative plays. Trying to pick corners with every shot lead to us missing the net a considerable amount. I get the goalie is big, but try to fire pucks into him rather than getting too fine with it when you’re down 3.

All in all, I don’t think it’s indicative of anything other than there will be growing pains as the team unlearns some of the bad habits that still linger.

 

[Whaddagoal]

What is there to be scared or concerned about? It's 3 games into the season. I'm not sure I understand. Jack's a good player. He's been a good player for 3 years. He'll figure it out and he will get going.

That his game hasn't matured much season by season over the last 3.

By comparison Bratts game from year 2 to year 5 is much much smarter and sounder. He is also physically much more attuned to the rigors. You can see Bratts growth/maturity in his game season to season. 2 seasons ago right before the surge streak Bratt was being yelled at by me / us for all his dumbass giveaways. We didn't see that as much last season. In the playoffs we yelled at Bratt for being softish. Last season we saw him go hard into corners a lot more, take/roll off a hit, make the hard play.

Jack's game kinda looks like the same game he had in his 2nd year.

I said earlier (some threads ago) that I'll try not to judge until 10-12 games in, so yeah it's only 3 games, but the trend extends to last season. But of all the players on this team, I'm concerned about Jack's overall game. Nico, Timo, Bratt look like themselves (and good versions), Dougie for the most part, too. Tatar as we expected.

Mercer hard to say yet but generally fits into his like as expected past, Palat is flat, so is Haula (but his game is trending up a bit). 4th line is looking normal-ish.

 

[Patrik26]

I’m not liking what I’m seeing from him. He made a really cocky entitled chirp from the penalty box last year and his play since then has been…idk the word…lazy? He looks sulky out there to me. Like a kid who’s not getting his way. He’s still producing but his overall play is immature in my observation.

Is it just that, immaturity? Is it that he’s just off mentally from his shoulder injuries? Is it just an extended temporary slump?

I don’t know, but so far I don’t like it. You compare it to a guy like Bratt, who even when he’s not “on” you never get a bad sense of his vibe. Jack is giving off bad vibes.

Couldn't agree more about all of this. The immaturity extends beyond the ice. He was a star growing up and he likely was told as much. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll be the same in the NHL. He's playing against opponents whose livelihood depends on them playing to the absolute best of their ability and they will put in the effort on and off the ice. This isn't juniors. Off the ice, he always seems put off to be interviewed, as if he's being bothered. Tough shit. Deal with it. It only takes about 2-3 minutes.

As far as the shoulder, I've separated my shoulder 4 times (never had surgery to repair it) and believe me I'm aware of it every day and I don't engage in any physical contact anywhere near what a hockey player does. Just because he had it repaired means squat. It can happen again and I believe that is present in his mind every shift. If anyone thinks the opponents don't see this, well.

 

[NJDevs26]

Eh, I really didn't like it. I've been to the last 5 home openers and this, while a great crowd, was just a quiet, apprehensive atmosphere.

And legit Toronto fans are zombies. I even caught one of them and said his team looked good and he didn't say a word. His expression didn't change at all. He just looked at me and looked away. It was creepy lol.

I mean when you get three down like fifteen minutes in, there isn’t really a lot of opportunity for the crowd to buzz before the air got let out of the balloon

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Yes I know, I've been in the building the entire time, I'm not thrilled either but booing this situation isn't the same as Lindy's team was. This team came in winning 2 of 2 to start the season. They are going to have games like this.

Believe me, we go on a long losing streak and I will absolutely be booing. I'm just not jumping the gun and I would have rather seen the crowd rally behind the power play tonight but a lot of fans sat on their hands like they were scared shit less because we were losing in the 3rd game of the season to a really good team.

The crowd wasn't scared. It was just dead from the start. I think the Toronto fans sucked all the energy out of the building. Somehow getting out of the parking lot was fairly civil and easy. That NEVER happens

I'm usually one of the pessimistic ones, but I'm not long term worried about this one. Toronto is REALLY good. We didn't have any real huge, massive breakdowns. I even thought they did a good job with the big guns for Toronto. They just didn't seem to have the gas in the tank for whatever reason. But that's still a step in the right direction from last year. Off your game but still looking fairly well structured against a really good team that put up 50 shots on Montreal after traveling back from halfway around the world trying to implement a new system with almost no preseason and a bunch of new players is not sky falling down territory.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I mean when you get three down like fifteen minutes in, there isn’t really a lot of opportunity for the crowd to buzz before the air got let out of the balloon

Yeah the back to back goals were daggers to the crowd. Then the back to back powerplay failures in the second were equally as deflating before Tavares scored.

Such a shame, I was revved up for this one. But it’s just game 3 of 82.

 

[Devilsfan118]

Thought the arena atmosphere absolutely sucked tonight. Was quiet, fans never really got into it.

It was really.. boring. The game sucked, the fans didn't have much to get excited about. Just a bad experience.

 

[Whaddagoal]

The crowd wasn't scared. It was just dead from the start. I think the Toronto fans sucked all the energy out of the building. Somehow getting out of the parking lot was fairly civil and easy. That NEVER happens

I'm usually one of the pessimistic ones, but I'm not long term worried about this one. Toronto is REALLY good. We didn't have any real huge, massive breakdowns. I even thought they did a good job with the big guns for Toronto. They just didn't seem to have the gas in the tank for whatever reason. But that's still a step on the right direction from last year. Off your game but still looking fairly well structured against a really good team that put up 50 shots on Montreal after traveling back from halfway around the world trying to implement a new system with almost no preseason and a bunch of new players is not sky falling down territory.

Yes it was quiet because we spotted them 3 dummy goals before 15 mins through the 1st (or whatever the time). Haha.

I agree I'm not down, need more sample size, but I surely had the feel of last years Devils team. Same vibe, nervous vibe from the crowd (and same bad luck bounces can't catch an easy garbage goal or easy tap in, puck going wide or hitting something)

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Yeah the back to back goals were daggers to the crowd. Then the back to back powerplay failures in the second were equally as deflating before Tavares scored.

Such a shame, I was revved up for this one. But it’s just game 3 of 82.

But usually when that happens people get pissed and start yelling and screaming about it. But we were kind of apathetic to it. There was some booing which I hate. But it didn't seem like the normal ornery crowd that's ready to throw stuff when things are going sideways. It was like the whole arena was on downers. No one was too high or too low. We were all just kinda there.

Thought the arena atmosphere absolutely sucked tonight. Was quiet, fans never really got into it.

It was really.. boring. The game sucked, the fans didn't have much to get excited about. Just a bad experience.

Yeah I agree. Right from the start. Before the puck even dropped. There was zero buzz around the arena. Nothing before the game, nothing during the game, nothing after the game. It was odd and yes, boring.

 

[Devilsfan118]

I agree. Right from the start. Before the puck even dropped. There was zero buzz around the arena. Nothing before the game, nothing during the game, nothing after the game. It was odd and yes, boring.

Odd is a great way to describe it. Maybe I'm letting my personal exhaustion from my 1yo cloud my opinion but it felt like lots of folks were just... Going through the motions tonight.

Not a lot of hype at any point.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Thankfully we only have to masticate on this one for a day and then we can get ready for another one.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

4-2 Devils

Timo x2
Mercer
Haula

Good one asshole.

Also for the actual game, very sloppy ice tonight, not making an excuse but both teams got brutally f***ed in scoring chances and the puck hopped. Even the third Leafs goal was a bad bounce off Mercer's tape in the slot. It happens but for an arena that has just hockey, that's f***ing inexcusable. They came back down to earth a bit in this game but I knew the Leafs would get some puck luck and score at least a good 3-4 tonight. That kid on the another side for the Leafs in net looks like Markstrom 2.0. Devils got cute after the first 5-10 mins and just decided they wanted to pick corners on a giant instead of throwing pucks at his feet. Frustrating but correctable game. Also @JK3, I did get the chicken tenders today but the spicy ones, they were elite. Only food I'll ever have at Prudential Center. Ending the night with these tostadas from a local taco truck in the area coming back from the game lol

 

[Devs3cups]

I don’t see it as a three game thing. This goes back to last year.

Yes, I acknowledged that earlier, but he was hampered by an injury that required surgery. Surely that impacted his game.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Thought the arena atmosphere absolutely sucked tonight. Was quiet, fans never really got into it.

It was really.. boring. The game sucked, the fans didn't have much to get excited about. Just a bad experience.

I kinda second this, I think some people had that bad feeling into the game like I did with the Leafs being really mad from the night before and it caused a very awkward silence from them.

 

[Bleedred]

The one consolation is that this was against one of the better teams in the East.

Last year this type of game would usually come against Washington or Arizona.

It’s only a coincidence that those are our next two opponents.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This^

A proper bounce back Saturday would be a good start. Should look to avoid a losing streak out the gate

 

[Whaddagoal]

I was thinking trap game from the very moment I realized Toronto had a back-to-back and we were the second destination. Them losing previously just settled it. Didn't want to post it then, but it basically was a trap trap.

Even some of the semi-generous PPs offered our way (not complaining) seemed to make me settled that we were NOT going to utilize them the way we "needed" to. Just put it in the books and move on really. Only real disappointment for me was the way the team played to the home opener full house.

Kinda don't like the players already saying game 3 home#1 that they didn't have enough energy or jump or the other team had the jump. Really, in the sellout home opener you can't find enough jump? Or whatever was the phrasing. That's something you say in the middle of a 5 in 7 stretch mid season.