Why are the Devils 21-4-1? insane easy schedule, makes perfect sense.

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Boston's NHL D group >>> New Jersey's.

Those two games near Christmas are gonna be must watch TV, shame on the NHL for not marketing it more or even moving it to TNT/ESPN

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

For now. #1 -6 you are saying Boston is THAT much better than the Devils ? I said they are close. Severson as a number 5 is pretty damn solid.

Yeah I think they are a lot lot better.

McAvoy
Lindholm
Carlo
Clifton
Grzelcyk
Forbort / Rielly

That's 3 very solid defensive defenseman. We have Siegenthaler and Marino (who is more of a 2 way defenseman). Graves is okay

Hamilton, Severson, and Smith are all terrible defensively. Luckily, we have the puck all the time, so it's not a huge deal (until we play someone who can beat our forecheck and establish their own).

 

[Figgie]

Come on some Devils fans! Playoffs are totally different world than regular season. Even if we could get 60 wins regular season so I would not be surprised if Islanders or any other more experienced team would beat us 4-0. In the playoffs, experience is everything and that is what this team is looking for this year. We are a very very young team and many of our key players have zero experience of playoffs. We have won playoff serie last time 2012 so it is just stupid to yell people here how there is only couple teams that could beat us in the playoffs. And it is just December and we have played just 26 games now! Relax!

I know that it can annoy little bit that some people are taking us down and saying that we have been lucky or something but who really cares?! We have had amazing start for the season and our future will be amazing and our key players will be in their prime after five years!! Guys just enjoy this amazing ride and let see together how far it will take us!

 

[nbwingsfan]

No one is a direct comparison to McAvoy and Lindholm , but I’d take the Devils D over Boston’s if taking into account their prospects as well. Some of the parts I’d say is as good as Bostons .
Hamilton Hughes Nemec Marino Seigenthaler Severson Graves Bahl Okhotiuk Mukhamadoulin Casey .
Of course I’d prefer McAvoy over any of thise guys (for now) but give it a couple years and Devils depth is insane.
For the time being , Devils 1-6 is very solid and I’d say is as good as Boston’s 1-6 all together .

Why are you talking about prospects when we’re talking about this season?

 

[Nico13]

Is Nsane a new NHL hockey player from Senegal?

 

[severian]

Come on some Devils fans! Playoffs are totally different world than regular season. Even if we could get 60 wins regular season so I would not be surprised if Islanders or any other more experienced team would beat us 4-0. In the playoffs, experience is everything and that is what this team is looking for this year. We are a very very young team and many of our key players have zero experience of playoffs. We have won playoff serie last time 2012 so it is just stupid to yell people here how there is only couple teams that could beat us in the playoffs. And it is just December and we have played just 26 games now! Relax!

I know that it can annoy little bit that some people are taking us down and saying that we have been lucky or something but who really cares?! We have had amazing start for the season and our future will be amazing and our key players will be in their prime after five years!! Guys just enjoy this amazing ride and let see together how far it will take us!

If they keep this up and win 60 games in the regular season, I would be extremely shocked if they got swept out of the first round. But.....we are nowhere near that happening and right now the focus should just be on maintaining a high level of play and continued growth among the core. You worry about the playoffs when/if they get there.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

If they keep this up and win 60 games in the regular season, I would be extremely shocked if they got swept out of the first round. But.....we are nowhere near that happening and right now the focus should just be on maintaining a high level of play and continued growth among the core. You worry about the playoffs when/if they get there.

Didn't Tampa just win 60+ games on their way to getting swept out of the 1st round by Columbus?

Regular season success doesn't guarantee anything come playoff time.

 

[Figgie]

If they keep this up and win 60 games in the regular season, I would be extremely shocked if they got swept out of the first round. But.....we are nowhere near that happening and right now the focus should just be on maintaining a high level of play and continued growth among the core. You worry about the playoffs when/if they get there.

Yeah agree what you saying but my point was that playoffs is different world and we have long way to get there so it is stupid that some Devils fans saying here that there is couple or zero teams that could beat us in playoffs at this point.

 

[Xirik]

I feel like the response to this is the Jack Sparrow-type of response.
"But we will be in the playoffs."

Yes I see that and its all good but....

 

[OldCraig71]

The Devils are doing well, just let it be.

 

[severian]

Didn't Tampa just win 60+ games on their way to getting swept out of the 1st round by Columbus?

Regular season success doesn't guarantee anything come playoff time.

Obviously nothing is guaranteed but no one in their right mind was picking Columbus to beat the Lightning let alone sweep them. So yes upsets can happen in the playoffs, but doesn't mean they aren't shocking.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

As fans we are excited to have a chance to head back into the playoffs, even getting bounced in a hard fought series in round 1.... I'd call that a successful season

 

[Mirka the Turka]

Honestly as a Devils fan I see us as Cup favorites.

We’ve pretty much owned every team we’ve faced. I think the Bruins are the only team I’m wondering about but I think we will beat them as well.

As far as these potential 7th/8th seeds we could face in the first round they are laughable. Teams like the Red Wings, Rangers, Penguins will get smashed pretty easily by us.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Honestly as a Devils fan I see us as Cup favorites.

We’ve pretty much owned every team we’ve faced. I think the Bruins are the only team I’m wondering about but I think we will beat them as well.

As far as these potential 7th/8th seeds we could face in the first round they are laughable. Teams like the Red Wings, Rangers, Penguins will get smashed pretty easily by us.

Tampa fans thought the same in 2019. Upsets happen a lot in the salary cap era. Especially so with young inexperienced teams

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Come on some Devils fans! Playoffs are totally different world than regular season. Even if we could get 60 wins regular season so I would not be surprised if Islanders or any other more experienced team would beat us 4-0. In the playoffs, experience is everything and that is what this team is looking for this year. We are a very very young team and many of our key players have zero experience of playoffs. We have won playoff serie last time 2012 so it is just stupid to yell people here how there is only couple teams that could beat us in the playoffs. And it is just December and we have played just 26 games now! Relax!

I know that it can annoy little bit that some people are taking us down and saying that we have been lucky or something but who really cares?! We have had amazing start for the season and our future will be amazing and our key players will be in their prime after five years!! Guys just enjoy this amazing ride and let see together how far it will take us!

why are you telling the DEVILS fans to relax? lol

Where are the Devils fans in here that are saying that they are going to cruise to the Cup? They certainly are not. Nobody has claimed that, though. Hell, most of us are just happy we're going to finally have meaningful games come spring time.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Yeah I think they are a lot lot better.

McAvoy
Lindholm
Carlo
Clifton
Grzelcyk
Forbort / Rielly

That's 3 very solid defensive defenseman. We have Siegenthaler and Marino (who is more of a 2 way defenseman). Graves is okay

Hamilton, Severson, and Smith are all terrible defensively. Luckily, we have the puck all the time, so it's not a huge deal (until we play someone who can beat our forecheck and establish their own).

We don’t just happen to have the puck all the time when Hamilton is out there. He is the guy driving those results. To describe him as “terrible” defensively is absurd — or at least your definition of defense is absurd.

Hamilton is one of the better players in the NHL this season. His in-zone defense isn’t the best, but what’s actually happening when he’s on the ice is as positive as any player in the league. Hence, the highest expected goal share in the league.

 

[Wasted Talent]

Adding "Leafer" in your name to confuse everyone into thinking you're a Leafs fan is ingenious. When in reality it's some pun related Jori Lehtera of all people?

 

[MasterofGrond]

why are you telling the DEVILS fans to relax? lol

Where are the Devils fans in here that are saying that they are going to cruise to the Cup? They certainly are not. Nobody has claimed that, though. Hell, most of us are just happy we're going to finally have meaningful games come spring time.

If I'm gonna get accused of claiming the Devils are cruising to the cup this often, might as well actually start claiming it, tbh

 

[Classic Devil]

Tampa fans thought the same in 2019. Upsets happen a lot in the salary cap era. Especially so with young inexperienced teams

I like this comparison. This is a comparison I like.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

We don’t just happen to have the puck all the time when Hamilton is out there. He is the guy driving those results. To describe him as “terrible” defensively is absurd — or at least your definition of defense is absurd.

Hamilton is one of the better players in the NHL this season. His in-zone defense isn’t the best, but what’s actually happening when he’s on the ice is as positive as any player in the league. Hence, the highest expected goal share in the league.

I don't disagree, but as the games get tighter and the opponents improve, in zone defense becomes much more important, and he is very bad there. It will be tough to maintain such a high expected goal share without defending well. To be clear, I am using the term "defensively" to mean what you are doing when the other team has the puck and is threatening to score.

I do like the way he's being used as a rover though. It gives our forward group an extra shooting option that has been really valuable. I do wish he read the play a bit better though - sometimes he gets caught deep for too long and doesn't anticipate when the play is about to breakdown, leading to odd man rushes with Siegs on his own.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Tampa fans thought the same in 2019. Upsets happen a lot in the salary cap era. Especially so with young inexperienced teams

god forbid we should replicate tampa '19 to present

 

[BHD]

Even if they don't go deep this year (I think they win a round before gaining 'experience' against a proven team), the foundation is there. Friedman (I think) talked about how ownership was willing to endure the lows while talent was drafted.

 

[GrizzGreen]

I’d love to know what his take was on Hughes when he was drafted. Seems like he was the type to be in the same camp as Bladeparadigm.

I think Hughes always showed a good propensity to drive play, even if the team wasn't finishing. Not a surprise he's doing well now.

GL12 is WILD, wouldn't wish knowing his takes on anyone

 

[nbwingsfan]

god forbid we should replicate tampa '19 to present

Could be done, NJ is going to be very good for a very long time. Just not sure this is going to be their year

 

[MAB1]

Could be done, NJ is going to be very good for a very long time. Just not sure this is going to be their year

The core of that 2019 Tampa team made the finals 4 years prior. The Devils were drafting Ty Smith 4 years ago.

Devils are impressive so far but it'll be interesting to see how they perform in the 2nd half when teams realize they're no longer basement dwellers. You're kidding yourself if you think players approach every team the same. The rest of the Atlantic division doesn't approach Devils games the same way they would with the Bolts, Avs or Bruins for example.

They have the top spot now, everybody knows they're not shit and will approach them accordingly, will be interesting to see if they can maintain top spot all season long.