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

[NJDevs26]

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

Vitek's a happy-go-lucky dude, I wish he was the one who'd gotten the damn shutout. I know 'some' people were down on him for not facing the media as much last year when things went to shit but I actually kind of think it was the team and even the media themselves protecting him more cause of his mental fragility. It's not like the media ever said a peep about him ducking them and they'd usually be the first ones whining if he was.

 

[My3Sons]

Vitek's a happy-go-lucky dude, I wish he was the one who'd gotten the damn shutout. I know 'some' people were down on him for not facing the media as much last year when things went to shit but I actually kind of think it was the team and even the media themselves protecting him more cause of his mental fragility. It's not like the media ever said a peep about him ducking them and they'd usually be the first ones whining if he was.

The whole not facing the media thing is just a fun idiosyncratic reaction to something that may or may not have been deliberate. You have to find the humor in it. Like the flip side of the hibachi coin.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I'll always have a soft spot for Vitek. Less so for Mac, but it's not like I harbor any ill will towards him. Vitek was legitimately fun to watch in 22-23. It was difficult to see him crumble in such big moments and never be able to recover, so I hope he is able to carve out a career as long as he can. He's such a quality dude.

 

[My3Sons]

I'll always have a soft spot for Vitek. Less so for Mac, but it's not like I harbor any ill will towards him. Vitek was legitimately fun to watch in 22-23. It was difficult to see him crumble in such big moments and never be able to recover, so I hope he is able to carve out a career as long as he can. He's such a quality dude.

Goalies are in a tough spot when the situation doesn't work. It's hard for them to overcome their difficulties since they can't be sheltered or hidden in a lineup for a few games.

 

[njdevils1982]

last night wasn't a good result but i'll be more pissed if the team doesn't take both games vs the f***ing panthers

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I mean, Vanecek was a part of the best Devils team most of this young fanbase has seen and led us back to the playoffs with a roar. I don't have ill will towards him, I don't even hate Blackwood. It's evident that Rogalski is the issue and until that's sorted we won't have elite goaltending on a consistent basis. Allen looks great but even he's had some horrendous nights in net for us.

last night wasn't a good result but i'll be more pissed if the team doesn't take both games vs the f***ing panthers

Prepare to be pissed lol

 

[Better Call Sal]

I mean, Vanecek was a part of the best Devils team most of this young fanbase has seen and led us back to the playoffs with a roar. I don't have ill will towards him, I don't even hate Blackwood. It's evident that Rogalski is the issue and until that's sorted we won't have elite goaltending on a consistent basis. Allen looks great but even he's had some horrendous nights in net for us.

Does Rogalski get no credit for Vitek putting up a .911 SV% in 22-23?

Blackwood was an .899 goalie last year who was 76th in GSAA with -6.3 so I'm not going to act like he's somehow found his game under San Jose, bad team or not. Full marks for the win and shutout, but I think the Rogalski discourse has just become a meme at this point. Sorry Bleed.

 

[Guttersniped]

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

View attachment 929142

The whole team plays more low event hockey now.
5v5 Team Stats

 

[Guttersniped]

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.

Buying out Palat next year doesn’t get you much but he’s an obvious buy out candidate for his last season. Then again he was an obvious buy out candidate for his last season the day he signed that contract.

He’s basically untradable with a 10 team trade list, so I don’t bother pretending that’s an option.

If Dougie’s productive, he’s probably movable but we might need to retain. Don’t see that happening this off-season either though.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Does Rogalski get no credit for Vitek putting up a .911 SV% in 22-23?

Blackwood was an .899 goalie last year who was 76th in GSAA with -6.3 so I'm not going to act like he's somehow found his game under San Jose, bad team or not. Full marks for the win and shutout, but I think the Rogalski discourse has just become a meme at this point. Sorry Bleed.

Talking about overall games and how they look, Blackwood still gives up his blooper goals on occasion but he's not throwing up rebounds like he did here in SJ. Rebounds have been an issue for any goalie in net that we've had in a while. And meh, Vanecek just had to play to his career average and he was better already than the 21-22 goalies and that's exactly what he did and then he fell off a cliff last year due to injuries and everything else.

 

[Guttersniped]

I haven’t read this whole thread, has @My3Sons celebrated the fact that he doesn’t have to do the next GDT yet?

 

[TrufleShufle]

I haven’t read this whole thread, has @My3Sons celebrated the fact that he doesn’t have to do the next GDT yet?

He's like the dad who never wanted a dog, said no way and then pretended to hate it for as long as possible, but grew to love it and now the most sad it's gone.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I haven’t read this whole thread, has @My3Sons celebrated the fact that he doesn’t have to do the next GDT yet?

He had multiple posts openly rooting for the Sharks, was even calling for penalties against us for seemingly nothing.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I haven’t read this whole thread, has @My3Sons celebrated the fact that he doesn’t have to do the next GDT yet?

This loss gets worse by the second

 

[Guttersniped]

Been to four games this season

Four losses

Sorry y’all

Were you drunk and yelling at the team to get “STICKS ON NET” all game? If so, then we were neighbors!

 

[Bleedred]

Buying out Palat next year doesn’t get you much but he’s an obvious buy out candidate for his last season. Then again he was an obvious buy out candidate for his last season the day he signed that contract.

He’s basically untradable with a 10 team trade list, so I don’t bother pretending that’s an option.

If Dougie’s productive, he’s probably movable but we might need to retain. Don’t see that happening this off-season either though.

I'm still hopeful someone will take Palat. But it's also a question of how much we have to send away to get them to take him.

I really don't think he'll be here next year, but I could be wrong. I have been before.

Especially when it doesn't come to goalies and Palat isn't a goalie!

 

[Bleedred]

Vitek's a happy-go-lucky dude, I wish he was the one who'd gotten the damn shutout. I know 'some' people were down on him for not facing the media as much last year when things went to shit but I actually kind of think it was the team and even the media themselves protecting him more cause of his mental fragility. It's not like the media ever said a peep about him ducking them and they'd usually be the first ones whining if he was.

I would have also been MUCH more happy if it were Vitek that got the shutout.

I hate Blackwood's guts. Most hated Devil in the last 25-30 years.

At least I'm right that he sucks, but I'll be told by people (probably not on this forum) that he doesn't because on November 10th of 2024 Blackwood got a 44 save shutout against New Jersey, didn't allow a goal until his 50th shot against on October 14th of 2023 against Colorado, and plays behind this terrible team that no goalie could possibly do better playing behind lol.

I'm still trying to get all the forcefed toxins out of my colon and the rest of my insides from his last year or two here.

''This year is about Blackwood proving last year was a down year and he's a good goalie'' f*** that Wescott guy that works/used to work for the media team.

That year was about Blackwood getting hurt and us going on a 13 game winning streak that wouldn't have happened if he hadn't gotten hurt during the beginning of it.

 

[My3Sons]

I haven’t read this whole thread, has @My3Sons celebrated the fact that he doesn’t have to do the next GDT yet?

I was traveling and didn’t get to turn on the game until the last little bit. Someone said they were upset I was let off the hook with the loss. I explained that all things must pass. I get the impression some of the posters enjoy my suffering.

 

[Bleedred]

I was traveling and didn’t get to turn on the game until the last little bit. Someone said they were upset I was let off the hook with the loss. I explained that all things must pass. I get the impression some of the posters enjoy my suffering.

Everyone will get Bleed and DD go to Sunrise part 2 and you'll all LOVE it!

 

[NjDevsRR]

Were you drunk and yelling at the team to get “STICKS ON NET” all game? If so, then we were neighbors!

Hahaha, thankfully it was NOT me. You would have heard some OH MYs

 

[Bleedred]

Sometimes I wonder if they gave us two road games in the same city as some kind of consolation for how rough and compact the schedule has been so far.

But 2 years ago they had us play Tampa in our building 2 games in a row and then later the same week in Tampa, and I think we played Toronto last year two games in a row. I just can't remember if it was 2 games in a row at home or in Toronto.

It's some weird scheduling quirk they've done with Metro vs Atlantic teams. Maybe they've even done it with Central and Pacific teams.

The big difference this year is I think it came in March/April last year and we played Toronto all 3 times in a pretty close period in March/April. And we played Tampa all 3 times in the same week. I think it was vs Tampa, vs Tampa, @ Florida, @ Tampa that March.

 

[JrFischer54]

just when i give the team credit for showing heart in the islanders win they lay an egg against the sharks.

 

[JrFischer54]

Sometimes I wonder if they gave us two road games in the same city as some kind of consolation for how rough and compact the schedule has been so far.

But 2 years ago they had us play Tampa in our building 2 games in a row and then later the same week in Tampa, and I think we played Toronto last year two games in a row. I just can't remember if it was 2 games in a row at home or in Toronto.

It's some weird scheduling quirk they've done with Metro vs Atlantic teams. Maybe they've even done it with Central and Pacific teams.

The big difference this year is I think it came in March/April last year and we played Toronto all 3 times in a pretty close period in March/April. And we played Tampa all 3 times in the same week. I think it was vs Tampa, vs Tampa, @ Florida, @ Tampa that March.

the two road games against the panthers arent a big deal to me and honestly better for the team weird though they then go play tampa once.
i'm not sure if the nhl still does the schedule by hand but its time to put that into a computer and make it more uniformed.

 

[Bleedred]

the two road games against the panthers arent a big deal to me and honestly better for the team weird though they then go play tampa once.
i'm not sure if the nhl still does the schedule by hand but its time to put that into a computer and make it more uniformed.

We wouldn't play Tampa twice in Tampa because we played there twice last year. We only played @ Florida once and vs Florida twice.

And the year before that we played @ Florida twice and @ Tampa just once. One of the @ Florida games in 22-23 was the second half of a back to back with a game in Carolina the night before. And the second game in Florida was the first half of a back to back with playing in Tampa the next night.

We used to play either @ both Florida teams twice and at home once or vice versa, but it's one of the two teams on the road twice and the other on the road just once for some reason.

And I only even pay attention to that because I live down here and attend the games in both cities.

 

[JrFischer54]

We wouldn't play Tampa twice in Tampa because we played there twice last year. We only played @ Florida once and vs Florida twice.

And the year before that we played @ Florida twice and @ Tampa just once. One of the @ Florida games in 22-23 was the second half of a back to back with a game in Carolina the night before. And the second game in Florida was the first half of a back to back with playing in Tampa the next night.

We used to play either @ both Florida teams twice and at home once or vice versa, but it's one of the two teams on the road twice and the other on the road just once for some reason.

And I only even pay attention to that because I live down here and attend the games in both cities.

holy confusion batman! all the more reason please ditch the interconference games or reduce them greatly and even out the games played in conference you know where the playoff seeding is determined.