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

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yup. It’s a good record 8 games in given the circumstances. Not sure why some are trying to bring people down on this. It’s objectively a good record.

Worst thing is, I agree they’re haven’t looked their best at all. I’m not suggesting they’ve played up to that record. But the record is favorable.

do you literally not see what the flaw is with that argument? I can't believe you even said that. What is the Ranger's "point pace"?

Using point pace as an argument makes no sense, that's not static

 

[Better Call Sal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847828163629355181

Nico saying all the right things after tonight. Feel for him having to shoulder that after doing all he did to drag the team back into the fight almost all on his own.

 

[Deviled]

I said this earlier about Jack's previous ability to freely roam and his struggling to adapt to an actual system and having a coach hold him responsible..

but that may apply to the entire team when we talk about the effort given throughout a game. Ruff wasnt letting the guys barely skate but he also wasnt a coach who will ream them out if they played well enough

Keefe is and so we will see how they adapt and adjust to that style of coaching. Odds are most of the locker room positively gets behind it and then the efforts will be more consistent as the season goes on

As fans we like to think these guys give their all most of the time; they too are human and have daily lives, it will take time for them just as it would all of us

 

[Better Call Sal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847836889547415692

 

[Whaddagoal]

Jack is still an enigma. At moments he looks amazing again. But falls into this "move the puck (too) fast and the play breaks down" mode. Happened on a turnover he generated, but lost it quickly again only because he tried to flick it forward too early.

I feel like the guy needs to take a step back and slow the game down sometimes. We were always fast during the last years, but sometimes you want to manage the puck possession better.

That goal they scored, I think the 4 or 5 against us, the one where capital guy kept it in on the blue line rushing in. That I could see would be a goal coming as soon as they got that weird attempted clear. Not sure if that was Hughes or Bratt... I think maybe Bratt

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I said this earlier about Jack's previous ability to freely roam and his struggling to adapt to an actual system and having a coach hold him responsible..

but that may apply to the entire team when we talk about the effort given throughout a game. Ruff wasnt letting the guys barely skate but he also wasnt a coach who will ream them out if they played well

Keefe is and so we will see how they adapt and adjust to that style of coaching. Odds are most of the locker room positively gets behind it and then the efforts will be more consistent as the season goes on

As fans we like to think theee guys give their all most of the time; they too are human and have daily lives, it will take time for them just as it would all of us

The best thing about Ruff for some of the young forwards early on was that he let them play pretty freely. It gradually turned to a bad thing as he never reigned them (mostly Jack) in on certain things.

 

[Better Call Sal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847830387461956039

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I said this earlier about Jack's previous ability to freely roam and his struggling to adapt to an actual system and having a coach hold him responsible..

but that may apply to the entire team when we talk about the effort given throughout a game. Ruff wasnt letting the guys barely skate but he also wasnt a coach who will ream them out if they played well enough

Keefe is and so we will see how they adapt and adjust to that style of coaching. Odds are most of the locker room positively gets behind it and then the efforts will be more consistent as the season goes on

As fans we like to think these guys give their all most of the time; they too are human and have daily lives, it will take time for them just as it would all of us

Agreed, Ruff probably praises them for making the comeback lol

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Jack is still an enigma. At moments he looks amazing again. But falls into this "move the puck (too) fast and the play breaks down" mode. Happened on a turnover he generated, but lost it quickly again only because he tried to flick it forward too early.

I feel like the guy needs to take a step back and slow the game down sometimes. We were always fast during the last years, but sometimes you want to manage the puck possession better.

That goal they scored, I think the 4 or 5 against us, the one where capital guy kept it in on the blue line rushing in. That I could see would be a goal coming as soon as they got that weird attempted clear. Not sure if that was Hughes or Bratt... I think maybe Bratt

Have said it multiple times but Jack does not need to slow things down. His biggest problem right now IMO is that he’s playing too slow. Jack Hughes at his best is when he’s flying around the ice. When he’s not he looks like he does right now and finds it way harder to make plays.

 

[Whaddagoal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847835992981484022

That's what I felt happened to Luke last season, but Ruff and co. just ground Luke into a pulp by November. Took him another two months to turn it around.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

It's reality. And as you mentioned in the end of your sentence, you think the same as me so glad we're on the same page.

 

[Devs3cups]

do you literally not see what the flaw is with that argument? I can't believe you even said that. What is the Ranger's "point pace"?

Using point pace as an argument makes no sense, that's not static

Fair enough, just wanted to demonstrate that it’s a good record, wasn’t the best way though. But I’m not sure what you want me to say anymore lol. It’s a good record to start the season. Especially given the circumstances. Do they need to be better overall? Yes.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Have said it multiple times but Jack does not need to slow things down. His biggest problem right now IMO is that he’s playing too slow. Jack Hughes at his best is when he’s flying around the ice. When he’s not he looks like he does right now and finds it way harder to make plays.

Yea, what he needs to learn is how to adapt his game to a structured system. He's never had to deal with that before

 

[devilsblood]

Jack is still an enigma. At moments he looks amazing again. But falls into this "move the puck (too) fast and the play breaks down" mode. Happened on a turnover he generated, but lost it quickly again only because he tried to flick it forward too early.

I feel like the guy needs to take a step back and slow the game down sometimes. We were always fast during the last years, but sometimes you want to manage the puck possession better.

That goal they scored, I think the 4 or 5 against us, the one where capital guy kept it in on the blue line rushing in. That I could see would be a goal coming as soon as they got that weird attempted clear. Not sure if that was Hughes or Bratt... I think maybe Bratt

I thought the 3rd period and OT were the best he has looked all season. I've also thought he's looked better in some of the more recent games then he did in the earlier games.

So the trajectory seems to aimed in the right direction. He is still not the force he was before he was injured last year, but this game gives me some hope.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Yea, what he needs to learn is how to adapt his game to a structured system. He's never had to deal with that before

Well I think he was able to cheat a bit more before. So even when he wasn’t at his best he could cheat for some offence and show up on the scoresheet. Keefe’s stopping that.

I’m not sure his game will ever work fully in a more structured system that he’s being held to. I wonder if you just accept that at some point if you think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Fair enough, just wanted to demonstrate that it’s a good record, wasn’t the best way though. But I’m not sure what you want me to say anymore lol. It’s a good record to start the season. Especially given the circumstances. Do they need to be better overall? Yes.

Don't really need to say anything. Just stating that the extra games in hand is giving them cushion right now. No one really disagreed with that other than 1 person, so not a big deal

 

[Oneiro]

The problem with Jack is pretty simple to me.

Like McDavid in the early days, he hasn't accepted the lesson that guys like Crosby and Kucherov learned faster, which is that the best thing to do is what's necessary, not what's possible. He doesn't need to create or skate nearly as much as he does. This is an important time for him. If he grows out of this, 130 pt seasons are guaranteed. If he reacts the way a Laine or Panarin did, we won't win nearly as much I think we can.

 

[Dylan9z9]

Logan Thompson was the better goalie

 

[NJDevs26]

Well I think he was able to cheat a bit more before. So even when he wasn’t at his best he could cheat for some offence and show up on the scoresheet. Keefe’s stopping that.

I’m not sure his game will ever work fully in a more structured system that he’s being held to. I wonder if you just accept that at some point if you think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

If Lemaire and DeBoer could make it work with Kovalchuk, Keefe should eventually be able to make it work with Jack. It's just a matter of how soon Jack embraces that change. Kovalchuk had already been in the league a decade without any real success so he might have been more amenable to it than Jack could be now.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I’m not sure his game will ever work fully in a more structured system that he’s being held to. I wonder if you just accept that at some point if you think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

I'm not sure. Maybe the long-term solution is to somehow find a center and put him on wing. Other than that, I would say, I'd like to see him be more assertive with carrying the puck out in the dzone, but he kind of has, he's just been fumbling the puck left and right. idk how you fix that lol. Maybe he needs Luke back to tell him to stop sucking or something

 

[Whaddagoal]

Have said it multiple times but Jack does not need to slow things down. His biggest problem right now IMO is that he’s playing too slow. Jack Hughes at his best is when he’s flying around the ice. When he’s not he looks like he does right now and finds it way harder to make plays.

I tend to think slowing is better sometimes as his linemates aren't always anticipating his high IQ plays that he can generate that they aren't expecting by default. Only Bratt is closest adaption to that (peanut butter and jelly) and they seem to have ridiculous chemistry when things are really firing on all cylinders.

 

[Dylan9z9]

Wut? That was a snipe

Yes Tom Wilson the sniper

 

[Emperoreddy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1847836889547415692

 

[Captain3rdLine]

The problem with Jack is pretty simple to me.

Like McDavid in the early days, he hasn't accepted the lesson that guys like Crosby and Kucherov learned faster, which is that the best thing to do is what's necessary, not what's possible. He doesn't need to create or skate nearly as much as he does. This is an important time for him. If he grows out of this, 130 pt seasons are guaranteed. If he reacts the way a Laine or Panarin did, we won't win nearly as much I think we can.

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.

 

[Hisch13r]

If Lemaire and DeBoer could make it work with Kovalchuk, Keefe should eventually be able to make it work with Jack. It's just a matter of how soon Jack embraces that change. Kovalchuk had already been in the league a decade without any real success so he might have been more amenable to it than Jack could be now.

Kovy’s defensive evolution has always been completely narrative driven and vastly overstated. The guy continued to put up god awful defensive numbers.