GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (5-2-0, 10 Pts) vs. Washington Capitals (2-1-0, 4 Pts), 7 PM, MSGSN2

[Incharge1976]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847824052896854151

Does this include his effort in OT by putting Jonas in?

 

[NJDevs26]

They were 24-13-4 at home that season but the best home records were when the building first opened. 17-18 was solid too though.

08-09 was the best with them going 28-12-1

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

That record wasn't nearly as good as the 28-9-4 road record. 2017-18 they were only marginally better at home compared to the road (23-14-4 and 21-15-5). That doesn't scream home ice advantage either. Pitiful if we have to go back to the first few seasons of the Rock - where we had brutal af playoff ending losses - or look at shitty ass seasons overall to find any actual home-ice advantage.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I doubt Kovacevic will be the odd man out. Casey will go to Utica and Nemec will be the odd man out until he can show he deserves a spot.

If it was a decision happening right now I agree. It’s not. I’d imagine Luke is still at least another 4 games away if not more. Nemec has been playing better and if he continues to improve and play better over the next 4 games plus it is entirely possible Kovacevic comes out.

He had a tough game yesterday and his role/importance will be diminished once Pesce comes back possibly in the next game or two. Nemec has the initial advantage and expectation to be in the lineup and 7-11 good games won’t change that if Nemec is playing well when the decision has to be made.

Obviously this is entirely dependant on their play in the next little stretch before Luke’s back

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Man you guys are going on and on about Jack and other forwards for pages. They scored five goals, you should win every game potting five.

Saw some of the game here and there, giving up six is brutal. Sounds like a Lindy special, what the hell happened back there?

A lot of it was on the forwards.

 

[Mgd31]

Jack and Bratt have been worse than every single forward other than Palat/4th liners.

 

[Forge]

That is often the case, but not always the case. He didn't elevate Palms. Shara was better with Zajac. No one likes Timo with Hughes.

Styles and chemistry are important.

Heck Haula seems to have a more positive effect on Hughes then vice versa.

Kuokkanen was a good fit too

 

[AfroThunder396]

Turned off the game after the 1st because I had a terrible headache. Pleased to see we got a point. Certainly didn't deserve to win with that horrible defensive effort, but getting loser points is something this team couldn't do last year.

 

[Hisch13r]

If it was a decision happening right now I agree. It’s not. I’d imagine Luke is still at least another 4 games away if not more. Nemec has been playing better and if he continues to improve and play better over the next 4 games plus it is entirely possible Kovacevic comes out.

He had a tough game yesterday and his role/importance will be diminished once Pesce comes back possibly in the next game or two. Nemec has the initial advantage and expectation to be in the lineup and 7-11 good games won’t change that if Nemec is playing well when the decision has to be made.

Obviously this is entirely dependant on their play in the next little stretch before Luke’s back

I’m pretty convinced Kovacevic’s struggles yesterday are largely due to being forced onto his offside. He was the best D on the team the first 7. He should still have a big leg up on Nemec.

 

[Forge]

Just an observation but Markstrom this season seems to have really poor positioning. Granted, a lot of the goals against have been deflected, but he always seems way out of his crease to be able to make saves. Not saying he was the problem tonight but it's just an area of concern.

I'm not really knowledgeable enough to break down things like positioning with a goalie, and while I've been pretty happy with markstrom so far, two things I thought I noticed - he's extremely reckless at times and earlier in the season, the dude just couldn't catch the puck lol

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I’m pretty convinced Kovacevic’s struggles yesterday are largely due to being forced onto his offside. He was the best D on the team the first 7. He should still have a big leg up on Nemec.

I don’t think he has that big of a leg up on him and if Nemec continues to improve and play well he may not have any leg up anymore.

A significant factor is that Nemec came in with a huge leg up. If he is back to his best come decision time it is more likely they take Kovacevic out IMO bar him playing unbelievably good hockey (which to be fair he’s been close to so far).

 

[McDuffz88]

Jack and Bratt have been worse than every single forward other than Palat/4th liners.

From what I've noticed with Keefe's system is that the players who are thriving are the ones who play with some grit & heavy forcheck (Nico, Timo and the gang), the finess players are struggling. Bratt I'm not worried about. He looks good. Hughes I'm really worried about because as the games go on I'm realizing if he can't get good on the faceoff dot & become better defensively he's toast as being a center. We might need a 2nd line center and need to make Hughes a winger. I like Keefes system. The players like Nico and Timo are the guys who win you a cup. Keefe's system is catering to them and I love it.

 

[Oneiro]

Strongly disagree with pretty much every aspect of this post. Not to be rude. But if you think Jack Hughes can be an elite player without playing mainly through his skating I don’t know what to say. It is far and away his best tool. He does not have the hands, puck skills, or shot of Mcdavid, Kucherov, or Crosby. Or Laine or Panarin.

He has to use his skating as much as he possibly can and when he does that is when everything else falls in the place and he’s dominant.

No one is saying don't skate, that's your interpretation. He'll always be able to create separation with his skating. It never goes away. He's an immature player with a lot of wasted energy in his game right now, which negates the skating advantage when he's on a cold streak. Kucherov is exactly the kind of player he should watch.

 

[Satans Hockey]

That record wasn't nearly as good as the 28-9-4 road record. 2017-18 they were only marginally better at home compared to the road (23-14-4 and 21-15-5). That doesn't scream home ice advantage either. Pitiful if we have to go back to the first few seasons of the Rock - where we had brutal af playoff ending losses - or look at shitty ass seasons overall to find any actual home-ice advantage.

Yeah it stinks but it makes sense considering the team has missed the playoffs and been really bad more seasons than not since moving into the rock. 29 wins is the most ever at home and that happened 2x at the old arena.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848014547732287667

Really A-ok stuff with Jack stinky and down a pairing

 

[Captain3rdLine]

No one is saying don't skate, that's your interpretation. He'll always be able to create separation with his skating. It never goes away. He's an immature player with a lot of wasted energy in his game right now, which negates the skating advantage when he's on a cold streak. Kucherov is exactly the kind of player he should watch.

I didn’t make that interpretation. You’re just not recognizing/appreciating the difference between Jack Hughes skating right now and other times he’s struggled, and when he’s at his best.

He’s not skating close to his best right now (although it’s improved slightly). He’s really not creating much at all with his skating. When he’s skating at his best flying around he is creating separation, space, backing defenders off. It really leads to everything else good he is able to do. His skating is far away his best attribute and the one he has to rely on.

His cold streaks and bad play IMO are almost always caused largely by him taking his foot of the gas and playing a more slowed down game through his hands and passing. He can’t thrive with that type of game. Because frankly he’s not anywhere close to a Kucherov in those aspects. There’s no way in the world he should be watching or modelling his game of a player whose skillset/strengths is entirely different.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah it stinks but it makes sense considering the team has missed the playoffs and been really bad more seasons than not since moving into the rock. 29 wins is the most ever at home and that happened 2x at the old arena.

Of course the old arena had only like two seasons of the new age OT/SO rules to goose the win totals.

 

[Mgd31]

From what I've noticed with Keefe's system is that the players who are thriving are the ones who play with some grit & heavy forcheck (Nico, Timo and the gang), the finess players are struggling. Bratt I'm not worried about. He looks good. Hughes I'm really worried about because as the games go on I'm realizing if he can't get good on the faceoff dot & become better defensively he's toast as being a center. We might need a 2nd line center and need to make Hughes a winger. I like Keefes system. The players like Nico and Timo are the guys who win you a cup. Keefe's system is catering to them and I love it.

Bratt and Hughes need to be a lot better especially defensively. Jack more so than Bratt offensively.

Nico on the other hand has been a force on both sides of the puck.

 

[devilsblood]

Turned off the game after the 1st because I had a terrible headache. Pleased to see we got a point. Certainly didn't deserve to win with that horrible defensive effort, but getting loser points is something this team couldn't do last year.

Wash probably took their foot of the gas, but we played a good and clean 3rd.

 

[devilsblood]

I didn’t make that interpretation. You’re just not recognizing/appreciating the difference between Jack Hughes skating right now and other times he’s struggled, and when he’s at his best.

He’s not skating close to his best right now (although it’s improved slightly). He’s really not creating much at all with his skating. When he’s skating at his best flying around he is creating separation, space, backing defenders off. It really leads to everything else good he is able to do. His skating is far away his best attribute and the one he has to rely on.

His cold streaks and bad play IMO are almost always caused largely by him taking his foot of the gas and playing a more slowed down game through his hands and passing. He can’t thrive with that type of game. Because frankly he’s not anywhere close to a Kucherov in those aspects. There’s no way in the world he should be watching or modelling his game of a player whose skillset/strengths is entirely different.

I don't necessarily disagree, but guys can improve and evolve their games.

I do think part of Jack taking his foot off the gas is concern about the shoulder, hopefully that is just getting confidence back post surgery, and not something bigger.

But as I've been saying in this thread, I thought the 3rd and the OT was the best he has looked this year.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

My 2 cents:

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Jack looks slower and his shot is weaker. His shot being weaker is probably due to the shoulder injury. As for his skating, I have no explanation. He’s been playing very tentative.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I don't necessarily disagree, but guys can improve and evolve their games.

I do think part of Jack taking his foot off the gas is concern about the shoulder, hopefully that is just getting confidence back post surgery, and not something bigger.

But as I've been saying in this thread, I thought the 3rd and the OT was the best he has looked this year.

I disagree. He’s been going through these stretches all through his career so far and I don’t see how concern about his shoulder stops him from skating his hardest/fastest

 

[HoliksGhost]

I’m not one to jump on the Palat bashing but man he was terrible in our own end last night.

 

[My3Sons]

Some of you guys are nuts. They’ve been up and down a bit these first eight games, but last year there was no “up”. Every game they looked like dumb f***s out there giving up a shitfest of like 5-6 odd man rushes, and they were only getting wins early be sheer fortune. This year they’ve basically lost every game where they haven’t looked good. This is an improvement. Now when you put in the context of a new coach, lots of new players, a couple of injuries, wonky schedule…there’s plenty there to be optimistic about.

I’m not concerned about the team as a whole. I’m more concerned with specific individuals/issues. Jack still playing like a f***ing 18 year old. Our top players still seeming way too soft on the puck against tougher teams and not having solid chemistry with each other. Palat being a huge net negative. Stuff like that.

Next time just stop after the first sentence.

 

[Patrik26]

Jack looks slower and his shot is weaker. His shot being weaker is probably due to the shoulder injury. As for his skating, I have no explanation. He’s been playing very tentative.

Because of the shoulder IMO. Doesn't trust it won't blow out again. That or he's been spoken to about his play and accountability and he's in sulk mode.