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

[forceten]

Tough way to lose on a fluke own goal. We overthought it - the overpassing was absurd.

San Jose did a nice job clogging the ice. There were several times I noticed pressure in our D zone on outlets and then the guy passed to had 3 sharks around him. They swarmed everyone. If we had any legs at all that could have resulted in a 6-0 win for us though, it's a dangerous game.

 

[NJDevs26]

I honestly doubt we have an A game.

We are overrating the team.

We do, we just don’t show it enough to be anything other than a wild card team at best

Anaheim and Vancouver were clearly A games
Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and the Isles were B games
This was an F game for forty minutes

 

[ninetyeight]

I guess this fanbase deserved to get shutout by MBW after all the shit we've talked. But also f*** that guy for being terrible with us and elite against us.

6 game losing streak incoming.

 

[glenwo2]

Getting shut out by the second worst defensive team in the league? Yeah, right.

Like I said :

Good teams have clunkers, too.

Example :

Sharks beat the Kings (who have a better record than us) 4 to 2 last week. Maybe the Devils should call it quits on the season like the Kings did.....

 

[glenwo2]

That about sums it up.

Is this Parody or an actual scoresheet?

 

[NjDevsRR]

Lots of people on here, take one game, and extrapolate it to a 82 gm season which runs over 7 months. As if the team cannot improve with its new coach over the next month…


This ain’t the NFL. Take a step back and breathe

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Typical trap game it happens....The scheduling is so stupid so they have that issue too....They will rebound but it does suck not getting two points you should have gotten those can hurt you at end of season...

 

[Wierzbowski426]

Kinda had a feeling we were gonna get SO on this one, second game of a b2b and facing the ex devil but hall of fame bound mackenzie blackwood.

Our schedule has been insanely brutal, and its going to continue for the next batch of games but hey, at least we are getting this shit over with early I guess.

 

[Better Call Sal]

The reaction to the result of this game on here didn't disappoint.

Look, of course it sucks to get shutout against a goalie we cast aside. It doesn't mean it's the true indicator of this team, nor does every win. The truth is somewhere in the middle over the course of an 82 game season. People will say it's excuse making, but this schedule really has been dogshit to start the year and it only continues further this week. This had a 3 games in 4 nights feel from the get go.

I think it's a really sound observation that Keefe has the team dialed back a bit in their offensive thinking to focus on the defensive part of the game more. And I agree that at some point, he does need to let the leash go a bit depending on who and what they're up against. Given his track record of regular season success, I have faith in trusting the process of what is happening here. That said, there were some looks that the skill players were getting far too cute on in the early going. If only Dowling's shot just trickled the other way and gave us one in the 2nd. We probably take the game from there.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Sucks, but I'm not mad about it

 

[Hisch13r]

We do, we just don’t show it enough to be anything other than a wild card team at best

Anaheim and Vancouver were clearly A games
Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and the Isles were B games
This was an F game for forty minutes

Those are some mediocre ass B games. Edmonton worse than mediocre

 

[NJ07102]

Like I said :

Good teams have clunkers, too.

Example :

I know that. But I also remember last season, where we couldn't get any traction because we again and again had "clunkers" and "trap games" like this one.

 

[Hisch13r]

Mercer needs to be reprimanded for not taking that slot shot. That was the most memorable part of the game for me. That and the crowd later chanting shoot the puck in unison and the bronx cheer. That was wild.

Nico/Noesen and a few others failed the scrum goals, but blackwood gave no juicy rebounds in locations that helped us.

Good for Blackwood lol, he certainly decided to show up tonight when he would more rarely play like that here by the end.

Him dropping from a 2 shot a game guy his first 2 seasons to ~1.6 the past 2 is unacceptable. His shot rate should’ve ticked up not down. It needs to be drilled into his head he needs to get more shots off if he’s going to be a legit top 6er.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Him dropping from a 2 shot a game guy his first 2 seasons to ~1.6 the past 2 is unacceptable. His shot rate should’ve ticked up not down. It needs to be drilled into his head he needs to get more shots off if he’s going to be a legit top 6er.

Yep, this is my biggest problem with his game from last year and this year so far. Now granted, Nico and Timo have been heavy shooters so far this season, so maybe that plays a factor for this year currently. But I was echoing the same sentiment this offseason as you that he needs to start putting the puck on net more himself. He clearly has a scoring touch, but he needs to be willing to be more selfish with the puck every once in a while.

 

[Hisch13r]

Yep, this is my biggest problem with his game from last year and this year so far. Now granted, Nico and Timo have been heavy shooters so far this season, so maybe that plays a factor for this year currently. But I was echoing the same sentiment this offseason as you that he needs to start putting the puck on net more himself. He clearly has a scoring touch, but he needs to be willing to be more selfish with the puck every once in a while.

Not true. All 3 of them have seen their shot rates fall. They’ve gotten lower year over year since 22-23. I don’t think I’ve touched on Nico’s shot rate before this season. I know I have with Timo and it’s gotten worse since I did

 

[Better Call Sal]

Not true. All 3 of them have seen their shot rates fall. They’ve gotten lower year over year since 22-23

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I'm looking at the context of just the shots on goal statistics themselves on the season. Nico has 50, Timo has 48 and Dawson has 27. If you have 2 of the 3 linemates shooting the puck more than the 3rd, my general assumption is that he has less opportunity to shoot the puck.

Could be me just making a blanket assessment in that manner, but that was my original thought.

 

[Hisch13r]

I'm looking at the context of just the shots on goal statistics themselves on the season. Nico has 50, Timo has 48 and Dawson has 27. If you have 2 of the 3 linemates shooting the puck more than the 3rd, my general assumption is that he has less opportunity to shoot the puck.

Could be me just making a blanket assessment in that manner, but that was my original thought.

That might be a part of it but there's more to it. Since they've been put together as a line Timo's at 7.03, Nico's at 5.76, and Mercer's at 5.27. Since the Palat-Jack-Bratt line has been put together they're at Jack 9.41, Bratt, 7.81, and Palat 6.45. It's not like the line can't be generating more shots. They just haven't been all that good.

It's funny that just last week I was complimenting the Nico line on finally looking like the line we thought they could've and then they've put together stinker after stinker after stinker. They have a 34% xG over the past 5 games and are now only at 48% on the season.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I actually like Mercers game a lot from the eye test, except for the lack of shots. Hopefully the opportunity in the slot he passed up last night was a wake up call and he starts putting the puck on net more.

 

[Hisch13r]

I actually like Mercers game a lot from the eye test, except for the lack of shots. Hopefully the opportunity in the slot he passed up last night was a wake up call and he starts putting the puck on net more.

Defensively he's looks wayyyyyy better and that's backed up through the numbers as well. Offensively though I still don't think he's all that much better. He had a few games where he looked good recently but the year on the whole it's not enough.

 

[Better Call Sal]

That might be a part of it but there's more to it. Since they've been put together as a line Timo's at 7.03, Nico's at 5.76, and Mercer's at 5.27. Since the Palat-Jack-Bratt line has been put together they're at Jack 9.41, Bratt, 7.81, and Palat 6.45. It's not like the line can't be generating more shots. They just haven't been all that good.

It's funny that just last week I was complimenting the Nico line on finally looking like the line we thought they could've and then they've put together stinker after stinker after stinker. They have a 34% xG over the past 5 games and are now only at 48% on the season.

That's fair, and good to know. I suppose in comparison to the 22-23 season to now, I'm not surprised about the shot rates themselves being down given the way we played last year and the change in our play this year. But yeah, Nico's line has been noticeably down over the past week. I know Nico is expected to take on greater defensive responsibilities and face the tougher assignments for each team, but we can't expect to be successful if they continue to come out at that kind of rate.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Defensively he's looks wayyyyyy better and that's backed up through the numbers as well. Offensively though I still don't think he's all that much better. He had a few games where he looked good recently but the year on the whole it's not enough.

He just looks more engaged this season in all three zones. But he is making questionable plays in the Ozone.

The effort and hustle is there though

 

[My3Sons]

After getting mauled in Florida at least they will have a stretch off four days off. They can rest and rehab and practice. It won't shock me if they play better against the Canes than you'd expect right now.

 

[AfroThunder396]

10-6-2 with a pretty brutal schedule to start the year.

We are 6th in the East in pts% and 12th in the league. Top 10 in both PP and PK. Remember, we're still in the growing pains portion of the season. That's not bad at all.

Jack and Dougie are finally producing, the defensive structure is lightyears better, and most of the new additions are are awesome (at least the new skaters).The attention to detail stuff will come with more chemistry and experience in the system.

The goaltending makes me weary, but for as frequent as the bad games are both goalies have shown us that they are capable of good games too, which is something we didn't see from any G last season.

 

[HughesCorporation]

just watched replay,,ugh
timo used a distinct kicking motion, should have been disallowed
the book on blackwood is cant see thru screen .. not enough point shots till 2mins left in 2nd
vitek was super happy for mac at end of game lol

 

[Hisch13r]

Siegs-Kovy never disappoints me at least