GDT: The LGA Terminal B experience: Sharks at Devils (7 PM EST; MSG, ESPN+)

[billingtons ghost]

Yeah for as bad as team as the Sharks are, they were skating pretty well tonight.

They didn't play a bad game at all.

Blackwood giving up nearly zero rebound chances didn't help, and it felt like the Sharks were doing well clogging up shooting lanes.

We didn't have our best, bit too sloppy and cute, but also far from our worst effort either.

Just an annoying game you put behind you

Yeah exactly this.

Ya just kinda want to be a team that comes out the same way every game, right? I can see why people are pissed because it's just another indicator that we aren't fully baked yet.

Growing pains.

 

[Whaddagoal]

I heard the boos.

And I wonder if the boos were because fans are tired of paying to come to the games to see us lose to shit ass teams like this/lose at home frequently.

Or if they were booing Blackwood.

You can say no Devils fan hates him more than I do, but I don't think he's a fan favorite here. Notice he was the lone player BOOED in the player intros during the 2022 home opener, just moments before 'FIRE LINDY!''.

The boos weren't as loud as the boos for Ruff that night, but I don't think any player got booed. And Brunette and Vanecek got some of the loudest cheers that night, aside from the obvious guys like Jack, Nico and Bratt.

I don't think Devils fans like him at all. No one hates him like I do, but I don't think he's liked.

If they still do the opposing team starting lineup on the PA, I would bet there were some boos for him in the pregame.

They just booed the team in general. It was a very packed house (surprisingly). I wouldn't say a sell out, but it was pretty crazy full for a SJ game. It's no wonder the crowd turned quickly sour. Lot of frustrating moments in this game.

I remember that opening night, I was there lol, I felt bad then about blackwood getting the boos, that game, lol.

Today, he didn't quite get massive boos on the opposition roster showing, people left him be a bit...

 

[NjDevsRR]

Been to four games this season

Four losses

Sorry y’all

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yeah exactly this.

Ya just kinda want to be a team that comes out the same way every game, right? I can see why people are pissed because it's just another indicator that we aren't fully baked yet.

Growing pains.

Very true.

Though even when fully baked, games like this are going to happen over an 82 game season.

I get people have PTSD from last year, but way too jumpy over things right now

 

[NJDevs26]

Now they'll lose three in a row with two Florida away games. Pathetic showing.

Key word being away, they’ll find a way to somehow go like 2-1-2 in the five game stretch then get pumped by Nashville at home and up and down the roller coaster we go

 

[Emperoreddy]

Been to four games this season

Four losses

Sorry y’all

Ahh so it's your fault.

 

[MachoDiablo]

I have bad luck against these garbage teams. Was in a suite for losses to San Jose and Anaheim last year, and now this clunker.

Ditto.

This was infinitely more frustrating to be there for, though; last year was more a prolonged car accident, tonight was "ok, just keep going toward net, something will-DAMNIT" on repeat.

Just zero answer whatsoever to the Sharks clogging the zone and collapsing toward Blackwood. The fans were getting annoying at times with people screaming "SHOOT!" any time someone had the puck at the top of the point and four Sharks standing in front of them, but there were definitely times they had some chances and just kept making soft and lazy pass or clear attempts.

Yet they still ended up with over 40 shots, but absolutely nothing they put on net ever seemed to bounce out as a big rebound chance or anything. I can't chalk it up to Blackwood being a master of rebound control, but for whatever reason there was just never anything there to clean up.

It's just painful to leave two points on the table against San Jose ahead of a Florida trip. Maybe they'll be pissed and want to do something about it.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Try to get one out of the two Florida games and one out of the Wash/Carolina games while also beating Tampa who aren't anything special.

See if you can snag an OTL out of the Ls

 

[Whaddagoal]

Give credit though, blackwood was the good blackwood we remember. Just why he couldn't do that more for us while he was here. Was a wall in the in tight crease area chances.

Allen was also good, btw. He made some nice saves i remember in the 2nd.

Such sucky decision making with the puck in the ozone. Over delaying shots, or getting shin pads..

That Dougie miss of bratters pass, wow, watching that roll back was wild, just missed by a millimeter.

 

[Devs3cups]

Man, I feel like this is going to be a tough season.

But, I will say, I think there's a good foundation here and there's something to build on from the roster, to the coaching and what Keefe brings, to the youth coming up, etc. I feel like something is brewing.

It's still super early, I just don't know if they'll make it work this year.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Man, I feel like this is going to be a tough season.

But, I will say, I think there's a good foundation here and there's something to build on from the roster, to the coaching and what Keefe brings, to the youth coming up, etc. I feel like something is brewing.

It's still super early, I just don't know if they'll make it work this year.

They are going to make the playoffs barring the bottom falling out.

Talent is there. They overall are playing good defense and are getting enough results.

Also not really any Atlantic wild card teams to be sweating. Same with everyone outside the top 4 of the Metro. Pitt, Philly, and Columbus are nothing to be scared of

 

[NJDevs26]

Someone will eventually pop, we can't count on the East being mediocre outside of the top handful of teams forever...hell even Buffalo's on a bit of a winning streak now, god forbid they have a 2022-23 Devils type heater

 

[Bleedred]

Man, I feel like this is going to be a tough season.

But, I will say, I think there's a good foundation here and there's something to build on from the roster, to the coaching and what Keefe brings, to the youth coming up, etc. I feel like something is brewing.

It's still super early, I just don't know if they'll make it work this year.

No playoffs means someone new in the GM role I hope. Can’t run it back again. Make the playoffs or go.

And that someone better not be named Marty or Chuck. I’m pretty sure it won’t be Chuck.

Maybe we’ll finally get a new goalie coach then.

But I think we should be fine enough to make the playoffs though.

 

[NJDevs26]

I heard the boos.

And I wonder if the boos were because fans are tired of paying to come to the games to see us lose to shit ass teams like this/lose at home frequently.

Or if they were booing Blackwood.

You can say no Devils fan hates him more than I do, but I don't think he's a fan favorite here. Notice he was the lone player BOOED in the player intros during the 2022 home opener, just moments before 'FIRE LINDY!''.

The boos weren't as loud as the boos for Ruff that night, but I don't think any player got booed. And Brunette and Vanecek got some of the loudest cheers that night, aside from the obvious guys like Jack, Nico and Bratt.

I don't think Devils fans like him at all. No one hates him like I do, but I don't think he's liked.

If they still do the opposing team starting lineup on the PA, I would bet there were some boos for him in the pregame.

I'd say some combo of all of the above plus a rowdy Sunday night crowd to begin with. Yeah people can call the fans spoiled and maybe there's some truth to that after five of six but we also know what we were watching, especially the first two periods. If this Devils team is as great as a segment of the fanbase makes them out to be, they shouldn't be getting owned by a shitty West Coast team at home, third game in four days or not.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Someone will eventually pop, we can't count on the East being mediocre outside of the top handful of teams forever...hell even Buffalo's on a bit of a winning streak now, god forbid they have a 2022-23 Devils type heater

Just as likely we pop.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'd say some combo of all of the above plus a rowdy Sunday night crowd to begin with. Yeah people can call the fans spoiled and maybe there's some truth to that after five of six but we also know what we were watching, especially the first two periods. If this Devils team is as great as a segment of the fanbase makes them out to be, they shouldn't be getting owned by a shitty West Coast team at home, third game in four days or not.

It was a 1-0 game where we outshot them 44-27.

It's a shitty lose but saying we got pumped is silly.

 

[NJDevs26]

And btw if (and that's a HUGE if) Blackwood ever finds his game consistently outside of NJ that's more fodder for the Marty-Rogalski tree sucking at coaching goalies

 

[NJDevs26]

Dougie has been horrible and was completely ineffective on that 6 on 3/6 on 4.

But I'm still willing to give him more time. He didn't play again after November of last year.

And he has been a good player for us his entire time here prior to this year.

But I do think we'll need to come up with a plan to jettison him probably in the 2026 offseason. First order is jettisoning Steve Austin in the 2025 offseason.

I'm about at DEFCON 2 with Dougie at this point...it's been twenty games and he looks like he's a 38-year old jabroni lugging around bad knees who lost his shot.

Tbh Dougie wasn't even that great his first year either although part of that was the assorted injuries starting in January. And he was fine early last year before getting hurt but guys like him can't afford to lose a step AND their shot.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm about at DEFCON 2 with Dougie at this point...it's been twenty games and he looks like he's a 38-year old jabroni lugging around bad knees who lost his shot.

I think we’re gonna get to a point where both him and Palat need to be rid over the next two offseason’s. Palat has underwhelmed the entire time and is 2 years older, so I think he goes or at least should go first. Both are a drain on the cap.

I also worry about Dillon’s third year here. I don’t see him being of much use by year three of his deal.

 

[Forge]

I think we’re gonna get to a point where both him and Palat need to be rid over the next two offseason’s. Palat has underwhelmed the entire time and is 2 years older, so I think he goes or at least should go first. Both are a drain on the cap.

I also worry about Dillon’s third year here. I don’t see him being of much use by year three of his deal.

I could see them doing the pk subban trade with Dougie this off-season

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm closer to DEFCON 1 with Palat...if he has another few bad games with the Hughes line and even they can't find his game again long-term then we're to a point where he's a very expensive fourth-liner at best. And sixty plus games is a long time to be playing a $6 million player on the fourth line when he might not even be that good THERE.

 

[billingtons ghost]

And btw if (and that's a HUGE if) Blackwood ever finds his game consistently outside of NJ that's more fodder for the Marty-Rogalski tree sucking at coaching goalies

Lol hahaha nooooo. More like: let the average goaltender see a puck and he'll stop 50.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think we’re gonna get to a point where both him and Palat need to be rid over the next two offseason’s. Palat has underwhelmed the entire time and is 2 years older, so I think he goes or at least should go first. Both are a drain on the cap.

I also worry about Dillon’s third year here. I don’t see him being of much use by year three of his deal.

Why are we worrying about things two years from now?

 

[NJDevs26]

I think we’re gonna get to a point where both him and Palat need to be rid over the next two offseason’s. Palat has underwhelmed the entire time and is 2 years older, so I think he goes or at least should go first. Both are a drain on the cap.

I also worry about Dillon’s third year here. I don’t see him being of much use by year three of his deal.

I do want to see Dillon when he's with someone who's not even slower than him...but he does have a bit of prime Brendan Smith in him too, team player with physical play but stupid penalties and stupid pinches.

 

[NJDevs26]

Why are we worrying about things two years from now?

Palat's definitely going to be a this offseason edition unless Hughes and Bratt keep him looking alive like Larry and Richard with Weekend at Bernie's guy