GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (30-19-6, 66 Pts, 3rd Met, W1, 4-4-2 in Last 10) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (31-17-6, 68 Pts, 2nd Pac, L2, 2-5-3 in Last 10)

[Emperoreddy]

I think Nemec was just a victim of gripping the stick too tightly. If Hattaka was up to game action, he'd be there. Like others, I would've been happier with Misyul too, but here's your opportunity, Simon.

Luke is not the guy he needs to learn from, tho.

Noesen speaks truths.

Yeah i think it was largely that with Nemec. It doesn't mean anything for his long term.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Let's blame it on the lowest paid, jabroni bottom six then. f*** accountability.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'm actually quite surprised the worst case scenario to the break is .500% (4-4 in last 8). Win in MTL and it's 5-3 in the last 8. I'll take that.

Results wise it hasn't been the end of the world and Carolina is playing a very similar stretch to us

 

[Whaddagoal]

I'm with Noesen here. I get what Keefe is trying to emphasize, that players care...

But to Noesen's point, they not caring enough and not working hard enough to ensure right execution. Our d men on breakouts tonight kept making stupid out of reach passes

I don't know that the hit counts were tonight, but our team was barely engaged, minus a few guys (cotter, Dougie had some hits, and like two other players was noticably working hard, Bastian and Tatar). The top 6 guys were weak on pucks. Meier was ok

Mercer was making poor decisions in the ozone again. The few chances we had up ice he blew it away. Jack was cAreless with puck management in a few golden times we had possession. He has that Meier tendency to pass wildly to surprise people, but sometimes you gotta do it the Patrick Kane way and slow it down instead of force it quick. At least twice jack just gave it away for no reason in an effort to "surprise pass".

 

[billingtons ghost]

Didn't hear what Noesen had to say, but I can't lay Nemec's issue's tonight on Luke.

No those were separate things, and you're right that Nemec was a problem in himself, and so was Luke. Not a complimentary game.

Noesen: that was a playoff team; there's the bar. We are too cute. You can't just rely on skill. When told they have been saying that they 'we need to learn from this' for weeks, and asked what they can do, he answered: Care. It needs to start at the top and go thru the whole lineup. We need to care about winning, care about each other, don't care just about yourself, take care of the puck. Playoff teams can handle being out shot and make the play that let's you live for another day and come back. He said 'forecheck' about ten times. We let them get up the ice too easily. Etcetc all good stuff.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Are you #VeryConcerned about Carolina? Rantanen not looking like a good fit so far and he’s a free agent. Traded their top scorer to get him. I fear they’re in deep trouble. Shutout again. A contender would not be toiling around .500 since late November.

Aside from the fact that yes actually, toiling around .500 for three months does not exactly make you look like a legit top dog team…what makes this rather lame gotcha attempt even sillier is that a .500 record is still significantly better than what the devils have been doing for almost a quarter of a season.

I truly do not understand this constant crusade to downplay evidence of mediocrity.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I'm with Noesen here. I get what Keefe is trying to emphasize, that players care...

But to Noesen's point, they not caring enough and not working hard enough to ensure right execution. Our d men on breakouts tonight kept making stupid out of reach passes

I don't know that the hit counts were tonight, but our team was barely engaged, minus a few guys (cotter, Dougie had some hits, and like two other players was noticably working hard, Bastian and Tatar). The top 6 guys were weak on pucks. Meier was ok

Mercer was making poor decisions in the ozone again. The few chances we had up ice he blew it away.

That's right, and what's more, they wouldn't have been out of reach passes if our forwards skated through them, took hits to make plays and didn't just reach for everything with alligator arms. Your point about Mercer was spot on bc there were at least two occasions I thought Keefe might bench him after really weak efforts.
The one that got me last night was the terrible line change they had where Jack had the puck on his stick in front of the bench and kinda gave up... And they all had to scramble back. There's been allot of that stuff

 

[devilsblood]

Noesen: that was a playoff team; there's the bar. We are too cute. You can't just rely on skill. When told they have been saying that they 'we need to learn from this' for weeks, and asked what they can do, he answered: Care. It needs to start at the top and go thru the whole lineup. We need to care about winning, care about each other, don't care just about yourself, take care of the puck. Playoff teams can handle being out shot and make the play that let's you live for another day and come back. He said 'forecheck' about ten times. We let them get up the ice too easily. Etcetc all good stuff.

Strong words.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I didn’t catch much of this one after the first, but it’s clear I didn’t have to.

I would try to run Jack and Bratt on separate lines for this final game. Without Nico, you need to spread the wealth just a bit more if possible.

This was unfortunately the last team that you want to try and glide past for a victory. I don’t know that was the mindset of the team play wise, but Vegas was desperate for a win and they know how to play to their structure with Cassidy. Clearly we still have more to learn.

 

[Whaddagoal]

I just don't get why our team isn't showing up their A game for games like this. Screw the injury excuses. These are the games you expect extra effort to a man BECAUSE of the injuries, and instead it looks like the team just half assed it. Completely opposite of cotters pre game talk.

Your captain out, you need depth scoring, you have some injuries on D. The team still has Bratt, jack, Meier, Haula, cotter, Mercer, Noesen. You would think a few of them would rise to this occasion to prove they are deeper than just Nico being awesome at neutralizing the top opposition lines and controlling the two way game. The forwards have lot of incentive to player a high quality game but don't use it.

Glad Noesen was pissed off. At least we know there are a couple of strong voices in the room willing to call out this BS play in public. Keefe was mad but more diplomatic about it.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

They 100% didn't care tonight, don't care what Keefe says lol

 

[Satans Hockey]

232 and 233 literally was just this thread live. It was awful

If I had to sit near and listen to the "crazies" all game long I'd never go to a game ever again. At least this place is read only lol

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Aside from the fact that yes actually, toiling around .500 for three months does not exactly make you look like a legit top dog team…what makes this rather lame gotcha attempt even sillier is that a .500 record is still significantly better than what the devils have been doing for almost a quarter of a season.

I truly do not understand this constant crusade to downplay evidence of mediocrity.

Are the Canes a top tier team?

 

[Bleedred]

I think we should start a go fund me for Noesen to to Turkey for a hair transplant.

I can’t wait to see what he looks like in 15 years.

I don’t think there’s a black hair left in my beard. And I didn’t even see the first gray hair on my face until I was the same exact age he is now. And whatever is left of his hair on his head looks like it’s graying.

I keep thinking he’s like 37-38 and that he was only 31 the first time we had him. He’s always had an older look about him.

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah, it's literally what we laugh at the Rangers about. You can't keep firing the coach without some movement on the roster/core. Keefe can't do much if his bottom 6 is virtually unplayable as it has been this whole year.

I don’t really blame Keefe because this type of no-offense bullshit wasn’t common under Toronto while he was there. Not once. Blame falls on the GM.

I won’t complain about any of these bottom 6 forwards the rest of this year (at least not most of them) but I have little interest in seeing any of them back again next year. I don’t even think I want Lazar back and I like him. I definitely don’t want Haula back, and I’m starting to get Zubrus circa 2015 vibes with him. And like a lot of people I’m finding little use for Mercer past this year.

I think we need a speedier bottom 6 like we had two years ago. At the very least we need guys who can score a little bit. Almost all of those guys other than Haula and Mercer (and MacDermid, can’t forget about him, FML!) are UFA’s after this year. I don’t think any of them will play a game here past this season.

And outside of the bottom 6 there’s other deadweight signed past this year that I’d really like to see turfed.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Are the Canes a top tier team?

I think we beat them at this rate if Markstrom comes back healthy + Fitz doesn't troll the deadline

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Aside from the fact that yes actually, toiling around .500 for three months does not exactly make you look like a legit top dog team…what makes this rather lame gotcha attempt even sillier is that a .500 record is still significantly better than what the devils have been doing for almost a quarter of a season.

I truly do not understand this constant crusade to downplay evidence of mediocrity.

But just to be clear, the team with the second best cup odds has been barely .500 since late November. Just wanted to make sure you’re aware of this before you harp on “the stretch” again. The regular season just doesn’t mean a whole lot. Washington can’t lose right now and no one really expects them to do shit.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Aside from the fact that yes actually, toiling around .500 for three months does not exactly make you look like a legit top dog team…what makes this rather lame gotcha attempt even sillier is that a .500 record is still significantly better than what the devils have been doing for almost a quarter of a season.

I truly do not understand this constant crusade to downplay evidence of mediocrity.

Everyone in the East is utter dogshit, that's the poster's whole argument and the Devils on 2/7 aren't going to be the same Devils of game 1 of the playoffs when they begin

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Really disappointed with tonight's game. Losses like that should not happen, especially at home. I get that we are missing 3 important players but it was honestly one of their worst games of the season and I feel like we have been using that term way too much over the past 6 weeks or so. This team is really struggling to score more than 2/3 goals a game in regulation. With our defense and goaltending we should be winning more of these lower scoring games compared to teams the last few seasons.

It's clear they need some help on offense but right now Fitzgerald can't make any panic moves. He should play it carefully and see how they look as the deadline rolls around. Selling high on Kovacevic and using those assets to make a move might be in his best interest. It sucks because he needs to bolster this lineup to not drag their ass into the playoffs. Instead he should be adding to a team to help put it over the top and make it a legit contender.