GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (26-15-5, 57 Pts) @ Toronto Maple Leafs (27-16-2, 56 Pts), 7 PM, MSGSN2

[Camille the Eel]

I admit, I am in total anxiety, panic mode with this team right now.

Nobody on the bubble loses anymore, we don’t really win anymore. Carolina has fortunately been not winning anymore just as much as us. I’m kind of surprised we have a better points percentage than them right now.

I’m not nearly in the “OMG! The Rangers will overtake the third division spot from us soon!” Like someone was last week, but we could really be in a fight to keep above the wild card spots to close out the month if we have another 500 week or less.

We should have a better than 500 week/next couple of weeks with 8 in a row against either bubble or bubble teams.

We have 8 in a row coming up against inferior teams. We should win 5 of them.

The bubble teams chasing us are also all playing each other. So they literally can’t all win all the time. They necessarily beat each other when they win.

If I had to pick one thing for us right now, it would be to get a more aggressive mind set. I think that like you (and me, like us) the team is feeling the pressure and the antidote is to develop a killer instinct and go out and kill the seasons of these clubs like Philly and Columbus and Montreal and Ottawa that are chasing. We should aim to finish them off instead of playing scared to lose.

 

[Bleedred]

We honestly looked like shit against the Leafs in 2 of the 3 games.

The home opener we didn’t look so great against them and lost to that bum goalie they had in there.

I was fully expecting to see him or f***in Matt Murray in there tonight lol.

 

[Devs3cups]

The Timo shot was so dumb too

Yeah that was frustrating. The guy is playing well, his assist tonight was very nice and at a critical moment.

I'd imagine that when you're playing well but getting no puck luck you start to overthink a bit and it must be tempting to just fire it in OT there. Shot selection needs to be better though.

Timo just needs to stick with it. He's not hurting us out there and at some point it'll start going in.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We honestly looked like shit against the Leafs in 2 of the 3 games.

The home opener we didn’t look so great against them and lost to that bum goalie they had in there.

I was fully expecting to see him or f***in Matt Murray in there tonight lol.

Doesn’t matter tbh. Home opener is not even comparable. All of October as well to be frank. Keefes influence on the team started showing in mid November.

 

[jkrdevil]

Again I will point out they have had just 3 home games over the past three weeks. In that time they lost their 3rd line center, has their 4th line center coming off of injury (so probably playing hurt), and team has been hit with a virus bug. That is going to impact performance, especially on the road where you don’t get the matchups.

They are going to be fine.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Bratt and Timo won’t go the rest of the year not scoring. Things will balance out.

I am also patiently awaiting some forward moves by Fitz.


We need Haula back as well. Offense is gone but he is a reliable player in his own zone.

 

[Hisch13r]

Bratt and Timo won’t go the rest of the year not scoring. Things will balance out.

I am also patiently awaiting some forward moves by Fitz.


We need Haula back as well. Offense is gone but he is a reliable player in his own zone.

I’m not super surprised Bratt’s gone so cold. He was so hot for a stretch there that even with this really dry spell he’s shooting over 14% on the year which is above his career average.

If the choice is Evans or wait out for other options I’ll wait. Also probably don’t even see him getting moved now with the Habs winning games

 

[Devs3cups]

Bratt and Timo won’t go the rest of the year not scoring. Things will balance out.

I am also patiently awaiting some forward moves by Fitz.


We need Haula back as well. Offense is gone but he is a reliable player in his own zone.

Offense might not be as gone when he's healthy. If he can bring even just a little offense it'd help tremendously.

 

[pulkit1989]

2025 hasnt been a good year for the Devils. What are we like 2-5 (taking OT losses to account)?

 

[njdevil26]

A concern for me is how bad Jack and Luke are in overtime. Absolutely no puck protection.
It's crazy to me that this team was lights out in OT in 22-23 and now they are bad.

Really bad line change from Luke on the winning goal. I know we wouldn't be talking about this had his shot off the post gone in but still.


Also the change in tactics has really not been good for Hamilton. Jack refuses to pass to him on the PP or just in general...

Now when the team is down a goal late they aren't setting up Dougie for a big shot... instead Jack and Luke are skating in circles at the blue line which is now the strategy in OT as well. I know Dougie isn't having a great season but it's not all his fault.

 

[glenwo2]

Jesper Bratt has 2 goals in the last 18 games...just saying.

He sucks.

tRaDe HiM FoR TkAcHuK.

 

[NjDevsRR]

A concern for me is how bad Jack and Luke are in overtime. Absolutely no puck protection.
It's crazy to me that this team was lights out in OT in 22-23 and now they are bad.

Really bad line change from Luke on the winning goal. I know we wouldn't be talking about this had his shot off the post gone in but still.


Also the change in tactics has really not been good for Hamilton. Jack refuses to pass to him on the PP or just in general...

Now when the team is down a goal late they aren't setting up Dougie for a big shot... instead Jack and Luke are skating in circles at the blue line which is now the strategy in OT as well. I know Dougie isn't having a great season but it's not all his fault.

Its honestly just random small sample results. I wouldn’t look too much into it

2025 hasnt been a good year for the Devils. What are we like 2-5 (taking OT losses to account)?

3 OTL’s is like 1.5 Wins

 

[njdevil26]

Its honestly just random small sample results. I wouldn’t look too much into it

I'm not sure how random it is... the 22-23 team was almost guaranteed to tie games up late then win in overtime... and that aspect of the team is completely gone and there are some obvious things that have changed that may be why it's happening.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I'm not sure how random it is... the 22-23 team was almost guaranteed to tie games up late then win in overtime... and that aspect of the team is completely gone and there are some obvious things that have changed that may be why it's happening.

We hit posts in OT in I think 2 or 3 ot gms this season that we lost. If those went in its a different conversation

 

[Hisch13r]

I hope this is just the injury for Lazar and not a case of him (unsurprisingly) not being able to play 4C because he has been f***ing dreadful this year.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The next 2 weeks the games slow down for them in terms of schedule but a lot of East bubble teams. I know we've been saying it but if there's a time to make a run with the schedule, it's now or never. Or they're just gonna W2 and L1 all the way till the playoffs lol

 

[Devils731]

He said last game Nose was the only person he knew that was sick.

Not really. If you listen to the quote you can tell there were more guys sick but he didn’t want to discuss it.

 

[NjDevsRR]

The next 2 weeks the games slow down for them in terms of schedule but a lot of East bubble teams. I know we've been saying it but if there's a time to make a run with the schedule, it's now or never. Or they're just gonna W2 and L1 all the way till the playoffs lol

I mean, I will take the .667 point percentage here on out haha

I honestly think this weekend will be a similar grind. Starting with Boston I think we will see closer to what we saw in December

 

[BostonDevil]

I'm down in the land of @Bleedred (Tampa) and only saw the 3rd and OT. I mean, in a vacuum, they lost a lead on the road and then coughed up a goal in OT, not a big deal. Problem is, it's been going on for some time now.

Limited secondary scoring would be an insult to the word 'limited'. Might be time to make a move rather than just hope things turn around on their own.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I mean, I will take the .667 point percentage here on out haha

I honestly think this weekend will be a similar grind. Starting with Boston I think we will see closer to what we saw in December

Flyers are a typical Torts team but there's no reason this team shouldn't be able to hang 4-5 on them with their goaltending. Sens are good but isn't Ullmark still out for them? Another team they shouldn't have issue dropping a few goals on and Boston isn't the same Boston at all lol

 

[NjDevsRR]

Also I am salivating at that April schedule. Many days off and basically no traveling

Flyers are a typical Torts team but there's no reason this team shouldn't be able to hang 4-5 on them with their goaltending. Sens are good but isn't Ullmark still out for them? Another team they shouldn't have issue dropping a few goals on and Boston isn't the same Boston at all lol

Nothing is easy if the team is seriously struggling with endurance

 

[Devs3cups]

Also I am salivating at that April schedule. Many days off and basically no traveling

We bringing back the "End of November homestand/practice" meme? Worked like a charm the first time lol.

 

[Hisch13r]

Flyers are a typical Torts team but there's no reason this team shouldn't be able to hang 4-5 on them with their goaltending. Sens are good but isn't Ullmark still out for them? Another team they shouldn't have issue dropping a few goals on and Boston isn't the same Boston at all lol

Philly’s goaltending is shit but we’ve also been struggling to score and also struggle to score on shit goalies.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We bringing back the "End of November homestand/practice" meme? Worked like a charm the first time lol.

 

[Devils731]

I also think it’s a little easier to see the teams physical struggles in person than on TV.

On TV it looks like the team is sitting around, slow to pucks, and getting outworked. In person it was more clear that the Devils were also working hard but didn’t have a jump in their step to give.

That may be some added perspective for the discussion on the team’s current fitness.