GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (32-21-6, 70 Pts) @ Colorado Avalanche (33-24-2, 68 Pts), 9:30 PM, MSGSN

[Nocashstyle]

While I kind of understand this, I always felt that “being ready” fell like 80-85% on the players. These guys are professionals. They should know how to be ready. Sure the coach can give them a little boost, but they’re the ones who play. At some point it’s on the players.

Especially when this was a major issue when Ruff was here too. Ruff is now out of the equation…and yet it’s still problem

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

I watched that whole game. I would not consider us getting blown out.

I mean - the first period we absolutely did. But goalie kept us in. But then we had 2 other periods.

But it was a 1-0 game going into the 3rd. And 2-1 halfway through the 3rd period. So the team hung in there.

It wasn't until MacKinnon scored with 6 minutes left that the game was pretty much done. After that is just moral victories for individuals. So we were within 1 goal with 6 minutes left in the game. You can argue who controlled the game overall... but not sure how that is a blowout.

I thought Colorado was buzzing the whole night. But I also didn't think our team was bad. I just think Colorado wanted that win more.

Bill

 

[Better Call Sal]

I watched that whole game. I would not consider us getting blown out.

I mean - the first period we absolutely did. But goalie kept us in. But then we had 2 other periods.

But it was a 1-0 game going into the 3rd. And 2-1 halfway through the 3rd period. So the team hung in there.

It wasn't until MacKinnon scored with 6 minutes left that the game was pretty much done. After that is just moral victories for individuals. So we were within 1 goal with 6 minutes left in the game. You can argue who controlled the game overall... but not sure how that is a blowout.

I thought Colorado was buzzing the whole night. But I also didn't think our team was bad. I just think Colorado wanted that win more.

Bill

I agree with you. I think the emotion of this place gets the best of many, and because of how the first period went, it dictated a lot of the reaction. Coupled with the struggles continuing the way they have for the past two months.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

This is the biggest myth in hockey. The vast vast majority of teams that win a Stanley cup are not Cinderella stories or a huge shock. The 2012 kings and 2019 blues are the two closest examples in the last two decades and even the blues were the best team in the league for the entire second half of that season. There are more examples of cinderellas making the final, only to get shit housed by the favorite. Even those there’s only a handful of examples of teams that no one thought could make such a run.

It’s extremely rare that a team playing mediocre .500 hockey for a half season (which this team is on pace to do) makes a miraculous playoff run.

Florida was 5th in the league in points last year and Edmonton was 9th.
in 2023, Vegas was 5th and Florida was 17th!!
in 2022, Colorado was 2nd and Tampa was 9th.
in 2019, Boston was 3rd and St. Louis was 12th.
In 2018, Washington was 6th and Vegas was 5th.
In 2017, Pittsburgh was 2nd and Nashville was 12th.

Seems to me almost every year, a team not considered the consensus "best" at least makes the Finals.

You've already been proven wrong about "No teams have streaks like this". Can we not continue this?

 

[13BearerOfHope]

What happened to Palat!?
He is not just not helping, he is hurting the team right now. While making $$$

 

[Killing Joke]

Between Bratt and Timo they have a combined 4 goals over the last 27 games at a cap hit of over 16 million dollars. Thats just dog shit.

 

[Eggtimers]

Palat and Pesce being 11M+ for the next few years is way worse. Timo is still a productive player, he's just snakebitten beyond belief right now.

I have no issues with Pesce . It’s Palat , Tatar , Mercer , Haula , Bastian , Dowling that are the issues . With Meier needing to break out of his slump too

 

[guitarguyvic]

Florida was 5th in the league in points last year and Edmonton was 9th.
in 2023, Vegas was 5th and Florida was 17th!!
in 2022, Colorado was 2nd and Tampa was 9th.
in 2019, Boston was 3rd and St. Louis was 12th.
In 2018, Washington was 6th and Vegas was 5th.
In 2017, Pittsburgh was 2nd and Nashville was 12th.

Seems to me almost every year, a team not considered the consensus "best" at least makes the Finals.

Classic ZBC post. Counter a fictitious argument that nobody made. Nowhere in my post did I say anything even remotely close to the bolded.

Setting aside that every single cup winner except one in that list was top 6 in the standings, what I said holds up. (You know, what I actually said, not the thing you made up for your benefit). Not a single one of those teams that won a Stanley cup was a Cinderella or a shocking winner. Not even St. Louis - they were the hands down best team in the second half of that season but only finished 12th because of how horrendous their first half was. Even the runner ups were not shocking except for Florida in ‘23.

There isn’t a single team on that list that limped into the playoffs playing .500 hockey for months…again the closest would be Florida and that’s it.

I’ll repeat what I said because you apparently didn’t understand it the first time: the notion that “anything can happen in the playoffs” is largely a myth…the actual results show that the vast majority of teams who win it all are not shocking Cinderella stories but are top teams that were highly regarded going into the playoffs.

You've already been proven wrong about "No teams have streaks like this".

How can I have been proven wrong about something I never claimed? More classic ZBC, you are the undisputed Strawman King on this board.

 

[MadDevil]

What happened to Palat!?
He is not just not helping, he is hurting the team right now. While making $$$

Age. It catches up to everybody eventually.

 

[RNCDevil]

My anxiety, having missed the last couple games, is that this team just lacks the mentality to win. They think they have unbeatable talent and every 5th game in makes them believe their own hype. Meanwhile, only Nico is a killer on this team. He never gets flustered. He never modulates. He makes outstanding decisions nearly 100%. He can finesse. He can physical. He's exceptional. I love our captain.

Jack - top 3 raw talent, petulant and can be taken out of the game. I hope his mental side just clicks a bit, because he could be top 3 actual talent.
Bratt - top 10 talent, can be prone to overthinking but heart and mentality in spades. LOVE Bratt.
Palat - great mindset, C skillet set
Mercer - overthinks like CRAZY. B skillset. The next board battle he wins will be his first
Timo - man, so undecided. He still hits and is a straightforward, direct no nonsense player, but so inconsistent and at times predictable - predictable might be my only damning criticism
Noesen - Love him, just footspeed is totally gone. I think he wishes he could do more. Like his mindset too.
Cotter - up and down, ok..C skill set and seems to get about as much out of it iwth worse players than Palat

The rest - Not sure they are NHL quality (Haula, Bastian, Dowling, McDermid, Lazar...I mean...bad...just bad)

Hamilton - I really just don't like his mindset or defensive play at all. his PP and puck moving ability save him, but on this list:

NHL Contracts

A real-time, sortable list of NHL contracts including total value, guaranteed money, and complete salary breakdowns.

www.spotrac.com

Maybe only Karlsson and Nurse are worse value. I would take 10-31 (Noah Hanafin) before I started making decisions despite Dougie's offensive contributions. After 31, you get some eyebrow raises

Dillon + Hamilton just always seems like they are in trouble to me. At least Dillon has a good mindset. Kovacevic and Pesce have hit a wall - but maybe it's pairings and sides?

 

[Bleedred]

What happened to Palat!?
He is not just not helping, he is hurting the team right now. While making $$$

You talk like this is the first disappointing season he would have had as a Devil.

He may very well wind up never even hitting 40 points once as a Devil. Especially if he doesn't do it this year.

 

[Whaddagoal]

My anxiety, having missed the last couple games, is that this team just lacks the mentality to win. They think they have unbeatable talent and every 5th game in makes them believe their own hype. Meanwhile, only Nico is a killer on this team. He never gets flustered. He never modulates. He makes outstanding decisions nearly 100%. He can finesse. He can physical. He's exceptional. I love our captain.

Jack - top 3 raw talent, petulant and can be taken out of the game. I hope his mental side just clicks a bit, because he could be top 3 actual talent.
Bratt - top 10 talent, can be prone to overthinking but heart and mentality in spades. LOVE Bratt.
Palat - great mindset, C skillet set
Mercer - overthinks like CRAZY. B skillset. The next board battle he wins will be his first
Timo - man, so undecided. He still hits and is a straightforward, direct no nonsense player, but so inconsistent and at times predictable - predictable might be my only damning criticism
Noesen - Love him, just footspeed is totally gone. I think he wishes he could do more. Like his mindset too.
Cotter - up and down, ok..C skill set and seems to get about as much out of it iwth worse players than Palat

The rest - Not sure they are NHL quality (Haula, Bastian, Dowling, McDermid, Lazar...I mean...bad...just bad)

Hamilton - I really just don't like his mindset or defensive play at all. his PP and puck moving ability save him, but on this list:

NHL Contracts

A real-time, sortable list of NHL contracts including total value, guaranteed money, and complete salary breakdowns.

www.spotrac.com

Maybe only Karlsson and Nurse are worse value. I would take 10-31 (Noah Hanafin) before I started making decisions despite Dougie's offensive contributions. After 31, you get some eyebrow raises

Dillon + Hamilton just always seems like they are in trouble to me. At least Dillon has a good mindset. Kovacevic and Pesce have hit a wall - but maybe it's pairings and sides?

Agree with a lot of this, minus Haula and Hamilton. Haula is still an NHL player.

Mercer probably has a C skillet like Palat now, and it's looking more and more likely. Palat was better than Mercer at his age, though

 

[Whaddagoal]

I more or less agree, and that's why it's silly to play the blame game on it in my eyes anyway. We've had games where we've come out hot out of the gate and still can't convert. To me, it's more important to capitalize on the chances you get because you'll still typically get your fair share of chances.

Capitalize on the chances is my number one issue with this team (and last years team).

How many breakaways and 2v1s does this group need to bank a clean goal?

This team certainly doesn't seem to have a problem generating those chances, at least in bursts.

We lost a lot of games this season unable to grow a lead or claw back when we clearly were controlling play but losing on the scoreboard.