GDT: We're Here: Your New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers, 7 PM, ESPN+/Hulu

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

In what parallel universe?

This universe. Two points plus this:

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

It is just one game but Blackwood doesn’t have enough rope for a “slow” start. We can’t lose another year to shit ass goalies. The rest of the guys need to be better too, but I have way more confidence in that happening.

 

[RangerDoggo]

The bottom line is that it’s always something with this team, and it always will be something with this team. There is no reason to have optimism or hope for the Devils.

 

[jkrdevil]

It's baffling that they played Blackwood over Vanecek when Vanecek had the better preseason. I guess Blackwood had the benefit of incumbency, and a longer track record (although I don't think that's a point in his favor, Ruff might).

He should be on a short leash though. I think in the early going it is reasonable to give them both starts, see if either gets hot, and stick with the guy who plays better. My guess is it will be Vanecek, and I hope it doesn't take them too long to figure that out.

My guess is they wanted to split the two games and protect Blackwood by playing on the road. We get that in the home opener and the crowd could get nasty.

Absolutely stupid though. Vanecek should have gotten tonight and Saturday if he played well.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

It’s at the tail end

wait....isn't a coach supposed to know how much ice time their players are getting (maybe not 100% exactly but an estimate) or was this meant to be some kind of arrogant response?

 

[guitarguyvic]

That's what mystifies me about people despising analytics. They're literally what's occurring on the ice.

Despise analytics? No.

Don’t take it as gospel because I still don’t think it answers all the right questions about the game of hockey? Yeah that’s it.

 

[Devils090]

We really hired Lindy Ruff and not Gallant or Laviolette

 

[BostonDevil]

We get the Wings on a back to back for them, no excuses for Saturday

Oh, of course there will be excuses!

 

[Maine Fan]

I hate when people accuse me or other posters of ''Hating'' players that think suck. That word is just thrown around way too casually.

But like I said, after his ''Shit'' talk (literally) and his inability to stop a puck over his last 56 games, I f***ing hate this player.

If there's just one player that I hate on my team, big surprise that it's a f***ing goalie that SUCKS.

I haven't hated a player on this team this much in a long time. A goalie is gonna cost yomlku more points than anybody that I or anybody else usually complains about. Whether it's McLeod, Stephen Gionta, Ruutu, f***ing Pelley, Mark Fraser, Pete Harrold. you name it.

I hate when people accuse of ''Hating'' players. That word is just thrown around way too casual.

But like I said, after his ''Shit'' talk (literally) and his inability to stop a puck over his last 56 games, I f***ing hate this player.

If there's just one player that I hate on my team, big surprise that it's a f***ing goalie that SUCKS.

I haven't hated a player on this team this much in a long time. A goalie is gonna cost you more points than anybody that I or anybody else usually complains about. Whether it's McLeod, Stephen Gionta, Ruutu, f***ing Pelley, Mark Fraser, Pete Harrold. you name it.

Hi Bleedred,

It is going to be a long year again. Please do not let Bkackwood effect your health. The Devils' ownership is not worth it. I look forward to many goalie discussions this season there still Vitek Vanecek to talk about. Devils don't have any history with him. Later

Onto the Red Wings and the Devils.

 

[RangerDoggo]

We really hired Lindy Ruff and not Gallant or Laviolette

Because both of them actively refused to coach for us

 

[NJDevs26]

And not for nothing considering Lindy benched a whole line in the third that’s the only reason Bratt even got 16 minutes

 

[Eggtimer]

I’m watching the Flames and Avs….
It is night and day different than our game.
Its going to be a long Fing season if this is how we are going to play.
What scares me the most is that we look waaaay too soft still. Zero battle for pucks. No urgency at all for 99% of the game.
Im nkt so sure we have the roster to win enough to be competing for a playoff spot.
We look like a lottery pick team so far. I know it’s one game but not one thing about tonight’s game looked any different from the shit team last season

 

[Saugus]

That's what mystifies me about people despising analytics. They're literally what's occurring on the ice.

I'm an analytics guy, but even I don't particularly want to hear about how we were "technically the better team" after a brutal loss where we flagrantly failed the eye test. I know what the numbers say should have happened, but that's not the way it went tonight.

 

[jkrdevil]

We really hired Lindy Ruff and not Gallant or Laviolette

Boudreau was available as well. Also all the coaches we passed up by not firing him last year (though we got one as an assistant).

 

[NJDevs26]

wait....isn't a coach supposed to know how much ice time their players are getting (maybe not 100% exactly but an estimate) or was this meant to be some kind of arrogant response?

 

[Cheddabombs]

Missed the game, saw the score. Think I'll pass on the doom and gloom talk tonight.

Nooo join us!

 

[RangerDoggo]

Despise analytics? No.

Don’t take it as gospel because I still don’t think it answers all the right questions about the game of hockey? Yeah that’s it.

Bingo. When the team has been analytically sound for years and they’re still one of the worst teams in the league on a consistent basis, that alone isn’t the answer.

 

[Mgd31]

In what parallel universe?

Earth, the one you don’t live on

 

[jkrdevil]

I'm an analytics guy, but even I don't particularly want to hear about how we were "technically the better team" after a brutal loss where we flagrantly failed the eye test. I know what the numbers say should have happened, but that's not the way it went tonight.

It was a 2-1, 1-1 type game that they ended up losing 5-2. They didn’t play well, they looked out of synch at times. Usual for 1st game. They should have never been down 3.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Craig f***ing Anderson made 35 saves tonight.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Graves, Blackwood and Smith sucked

Need more from Hughes, definitely Hamilton, Palat, Sharangovich and probably Mercer (needs to bury).
Didn’t mind Tatar’s game tonight but he needs to put the puck in the back of the net.

Severson, Marino and Siegenthaler were alright on the backend.


Dougie really needs to bounce back and start playing like a 9m defensmen or at least close to. Hopefully that happens. It’s becoming harder and harder to see. Looks like a big trigger happy defensmen with decent vision who’s a half-decent skater but can’t defend for shit.

 

[Bleedred]

It is just one game but Blackwood doesn’t have enough rope for a “slow” start. We can’t lose another year to shit ass goalies. The rest of the guys need to be better too, but I have way more confidence in that happening.

Ruff certainly doesn't have any more time to keep trying to let Blackwood find his game. He was supposed to find his game this summer. This was hopefully his only margin for error in giving him a random ass start for no f***ing reason at all, other than he was good (not even great) 3-4 years ago.

His last 56 regular season games he's an .892%!

Since he came back from 3 months of shut down from injury (2 regular season games last year + this year's preseason + tonight) he's an .876%! Yes, I'm using a few preseason games in there, but those are actually helping inflate that number if anything.

Enough is enough. I wish the Leafs would have taken this clown when they were said to have been in on him.

 

[Devils731]

And not for nothing considering Lindy benched a whole line in the third that’s the only reason Bratt even got 16 minutes

I was thinking of that 2 ways.

Some of Bratt’s positive balance probably comes from score effect, playing more when the Flyers had a heavy lead.

But also that it means his ice time was absurdly low for the first 2 periods and maybe the actual score would have been different if he played more.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It was a 2-1, 1-1 type game that they ended up losing 5-2. They didn’t play well, they looked out of synch at times. Usual for 1st game. They should have never been down 3.

Pretty much this. This shouldn't have been a 5-2 L

 

[RangerDoggo]

Ruff certainly doesn't have any more time to keep trying to let Blackwood find his game. He was supposed to find his game this summer.

His last 56 regular season games he's an .892%!

Since he came back from 3 months of shut down from injury (2 regular season games last year + this year's preseason + tonight) he's an .876%! Yes, I'm using a few preseason games in there, but those are actually helping inflate that number if anything.

Enough is enough. I wish the Leafs would have taken this clown when they were said to have been in on him.

You should check yourself into a mental institution now because you know who is going to be the number one with a bullet. It’ll save you a body count.