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

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

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.

Goaltending is the answer. Thats the entire point of what I am saying.

 

[Devils090]

Ruff’s system sucks ass, fire this old clown yesterday

 

[RangerDoggo]

Goaltending is the answer. Thats the entire point of what I am saying.

It’s a big part of the answer, surely. But the team gets pushed around constantly and gets one-and-done consistently on offense.

 

[captainscott12]

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

stats are good and if you know enough about hockey you can tell who was doing well.... I'm not patting myself on the back but i can tell you on most nights who was good and who was bad without looking at stats as i am sure many can...

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

i saw no difference..i wanna see them with vanicheck too... and we have to remember how good nico hischier is... the one guy on this team that plays hockey correctly every shift is nico.....he is our best all around player by far... no knock on bratt or hughes they are both stars and legit studs but hischier is hugely important to this team... i wanna see them with a good goalie...i wanna see zetterlund in the lineup, Bahl, and Hischier... take out Smith he is a good guy to have around as a 7th Ruff gave him the nod cause he is a vet I can live with that but Bahl better be in sat. i have no issue with Tartar but we need more physical guys in lineup... and he isn't taking out anyone on the fourth line... and so its either tartar or bovquist.. i feel Holtz earned another game he was around the puck had several shots and a goal.. you leave him in. and hopefully shara doesn't start this season like he did last year.. if you remember after 15 games last year he didn't even look like an NHL player but turned it around

 

[RangerDoggo]

stats are good and if you know enough about hockey you can tell who was doing well.... I'm not patting myself on the back but i can tell you on most nights who was good and who was bad without looking at stats as i am sure many can...

i saw no difference..i wanna see them with vanicheck too... and we have to remember how good nico hischier is... the one guy on this team that plays hockey correctly every shift is nico.....he is our best all around player by far... no knock on bratt or hughes they are both stars and legit studs but hischier is hugely important to this team... i wanna see them with a good goalie...i wanna see zetterlund in the lineup, Bahl, and Hischier... take out Smith he is a good guy to have around as a 7th Ruff gave him the nod cause he is a vet I can live with that but Bahl better be in sat. i have no issue with Tartar but we need more physical guys in lineup... and he isn't taking out anyone on the fourth line... and so its either tartar or bovquist.. i feel Holtz earned another game he was around the puck had several shots and a goal.. you leave him in. and hopefully shara doesn't start this season like he did last year.. if you remember after 15 games last year he didn't even look like an NHL player but turned it around

You sure are giving a lot of rope to an old fart like Ruff

 

[Bleedred]

I enjoy your posts, I usually just quickly glance through them to see how many times you say the name Blackwood. I take a swig of whatever I'm drinking each time I see it,

Here comes the Alcohol poisoning train choo choo!

I have another name for him, that I was warned not to call him on these forums, as it's a bit inappropriate. That's what I've been calling around my house and to my friends that aren't on this forum.

Let's just say it's something like ''Soft Richard''. Only it's not Richard.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Bratt did not get 13 minutes, he played 16 minutes.

The thing is he played at lot in the final 10 minutes when largely the game was over.
No coincidence it was the best push the Devils made.

He should of played more in 1st and 2nd period.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

It’s at the tail end

Lol that is BRUTAL.

 

[Saugus]

I still don't understand why Bratt isn't on the PP1 unit. Instead we have a bunch of guys that don't want to shoot the puck, Hughes forcing passes to them anyway, and then turning it over for an easy clear.

I know we scored on the PP tonight, but that was off the rush and basically had nothing to do with our PP set up.

 

[Bleedred]

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

Well you see, he plays behind a much better team.

The Buffalo Sabres are certainly a juggernaut that you can't contain.

There's no way you can convince me a 41 year old Craig Anderson (the ONLY player currently signed this year that's in their 40's) would come here and be better than a 25 year old Blackwood.

 

[captainscott12]

It’s a big part of the answer, surely. But the team gets pushed around constantly and gets one-and-done consistently on offense.

i have been saying this for 5 years.. thats why i wasn't so quick to send guys like Foote down... again not saying you keep him but they need bigger bodies on the walls... mercer..hughes... etc etc.. these are light weight guys...easy to defend at certain areas of ice maybe not hughes he is hard to defend anywhere but you get my point... zetterlund can bring a little weight but we saw these team get easily moved from the middle of the ice once again by a physical team... it doesn't win in this league consistently... when they have room to operate they are fast but lets see bastian or wood move up the lineup they don't have to be 4th line guys automatically

 

[guitarguyvic]

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

Yeah I bet if we had him in net for this game he would have definitely not let in those wide open slot shots.

/sarcasm

 

[britdevil]

I still don't understand why Bratt isn't on the PP1 unit. Instead we have a bunch of guys that don't want to shoot the puck, Hughes forcing passes to them anyway, and then turning it over for an easy clear.

I know we scored on the PP tonight, but that was off the rush and basically had nothing to do with our PP set up.

And Bratt assisted on that goal lmao

Tatar and Palat are not PP1 players. They just aren't. Palat never was in TB.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Bastian should be moved to Utica, not up the lineup

 

[captainscott12]

I still don't understand why Bratt isn't on the PP1 unit. Instead we have a bunch of guys that don't want to shoot the puck, Hughes forcing passes to them anyway, and then turning it over for an easy clear.

I know we scored on the PP tonight, but that was off the rush and basically had nothing to do with our PP set up.

yeah when i saw that pp1 on paper in practice i couldn't figure out who was shooting.. it looked dreadful...

 

[JimEIV]

Goaltending is the answer. Thats the entire point of what I am saying.

Who was our top forward tonight...

Which one took over the game or played superior defensively...which Dman was lights out tonight? Which Dman shut down their own zone?

When the Devils were good it was easy to answer these questions every night...

This is a team game.

And goaltending is the last line of defense....

our forwards suck ass and defense is not much better.... Opposition players shooting from the slot with literally no one covering them is simply not goaltending...there something much deeper wrong... and it's been that way for many years....

To deny that is just nonsense.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Yeah I bet if we had him in net for this game he would have definitely not let in those wide open slot shots.

/sarcasm

Devils allowed 4 high danger chances tonight total at 5 on 5. They themselves had 9.

Facts matter.

Who was our top forward tonight...

Which one took over the game or played superior defensively...which Dman was lights out tonight? Which Dman shut down their own zone?

When the Devils were good it was easy to answer these questions every night...

This is a team game.

And goaltending is the last line of defense....

our forwards suck ass and defense is not much better.... Opposition players shooting from the slot with literally no one covering them is simply not goaltending...there something much deeper wrong... and it's been that way for many years....

To deny that is just nonsense.

Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt were the top 2 forwards tonight. Easily.

Goaltending was easily the #1 issue of this team. Again.

 

[Bleedred]

If you play Blackwood enough, he's bound to have a good game.

Don't be fooled though.

I'm pretty sure Ruff actually does believe Blackwood is the best goalie the organization has to offer.

Does Fitz? Ehhh, I don't know. He sure handcuffed himself with the Vanecek extension if he really believes Blackwood is the best he's got.

 

[captainscott12]

Bastian should be moved to Utica, not up the lineup

i don't agree with that.... you need certain types of guys that are good in certain areas of the ice.... you can't trot out 9 guys that weight 175 in your top 9 ... it doesn't have to be Bastian but somebody any body that can create room

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

i don't agree with that.... you need certain types of guys that are good in certain areas of the ice.... you can't trot out 9 guys that weight 175 in your top 9 ... it doesn't have to be Bastian but somebody any body that can create room

I don't want to hear this tbh.

Just because you are big doesn't mean you should play more minutes. I want to play the best players possible. Get Zetterlund in there over turds like McLeod and Bastian.

 

[captainscott12]

Who was our top forward tonight...

Which one took over the game or played superior defensively...which Dman was lights out tonight? Which Dman shut down their own zone?

When the Devils were good it was easy to answer these questions every night...

This is a team game.

And goaltending is the last line of defense....

our forwards suck ass and defense is not much better.... Opposition players shooting from the slot with literally no one covering them is simply not goaltending...there something much deeper wrong... and it's been that way for many years....

To deny that is just nonsense.

Hughes was the best forward.. Marino was the best defenseman. but i thought on the whole the defense was dreadful... the forwards were not much better and Blackwood

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yanks rained out and the TNF game was also dog shit so a rough night for sports

 

[Bleedred]

The only goal I don't think I'd nail Blackwood on is the third goal.

@BurntToast didn't like it, which I certainly respect, but I can't nail him for that one.

Goal 2 is a tough one and not terrible, but it was a stoppable one.

Goals 1 and 4 were just straight up BAD.

If you're getting screened by what happened on goal 4 then just either get another optical plan or just put on some goggles like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used to wear. I'm pretty sure he only wore those for protection, but you might be able to find someone who can fit your a pair to help you see those pesky pucks from well out that Blackwood seems to get beaten on more than most NHL goalies.

 

[devilsblood]

I still don't understand why Bratt isn't on the PP1 unit. Instead we have a bunch of guys that don't want to shoot the puck, Hughes forcing passes to them anyway, and then turning it over for an easy clear.

I know we scored on the PP tonight, but that was off the rush and basically had nothing to do with our PP set up.

I can see Bratt not being on the top unit but it should be Holtz in that spot.

 

[Devs3cups]

Well you see, he plays behind a much better team.

The Buffalo Sabres are certainly a juggernaut that you can't contain.

There's no way you can convince me a 41 year old Craig Anderson (the ONLY player currently signed this year that's in their 40's) would come here and be better than a 25 year old Blackwood.

Sabres:

2.43 xGF (4 GF)
2.86 xGA (1 GA)