Preseason GDT: Flyers @ Devils

[sundstrom]

i would imagine that anything special and new they might have planned won't be shown in preseason.

[Satans Hockey]

I remember last year during pre-season it was R&R Pt. 2 then they changed it when the regular season hit.

How does the rock look?

Ya you are correct and I don't know, I didn't go tonight, just got texts about the goal song lol.

[devilsrule33]

If you were at the game tonight....feel free to give some thoughts on any of the players.

Edited September 29, 2014 by devilsrule33

[Devils731]

If you were at the game tonight....feel free to give some thoughts on any of the players.

Flyers were so bad pretty much every Devil looked great.

[SterioDesign]

the attendance was between 10,000 and 10,500 I believe?

[devils744]

the attendance was between 10,000 and 10,500 I believe?

 

i was there and i highly doubt there was 10,000 people. if you moved everyone down to the lower bowl, it probably wouldn't have been filled.

[hystyk28]

Some thoughts on the game:

Changed the glass directly behind the net as it is way wider and gives a great view. Crazy how much difference it makes. Nice job new owners.

Beer same price.

Attendance was between 5000 and 6000.

High pitch squeaky voice girl was hot, but needs to go. I can't listen to her all season.

PA system sounded garbled.

The Starwars music every PP was tiresome.

Didn't announce the away starters just showed names on the screen.

The new Ford promo between periods is terrible. Can't wait to see how many people hurt themselves falling down.

Gave out lineup cards at the door. Nice touch if they do it all season.

Game notes:

Zids still kicks the puck at every opportunity, which I have turned into my own drinking game. He also made a really funny face when his stick broke on a shot. Maybe his O face?

Brunner had some good legs and hands. He's an enigma, so much skill.

Gio and Gomez had good chemistry.

Cammo is gonna pump in some goals, the way he looks and skates reminds me of Parise. Don't see him w/Jagr and Zajac.

Severson needs some seasoning, but boy can he skate. Doesn't lack confidence with the puck. Rafalksi-esque.

I hope Tootoo will take a 2 way deal, brings that Cam level of excitement to the game but he can actually play well. Fast and fearless.

Gomez looks solid, great skater through neutral ice and distributes the puck well. Leaning toward him making the team.

The PP ran new several formations. If they ran those during the Cup run, might have won. Excited to see the changes. No TV a factor?

This team could totally lose Zubrus or Rutuu and be fine as Matteau is coming along nicely.

Can't see Gelinas and Larsson as a pair for various reasons.

Don't think JJ will ever get aany better. Europe bound? Traded?

Thought for sure the game was going to OT. Devils lack that ability to put a team down.

Clemmer looked like Clemmer. Mediocrity at its finest.

Steve Bernier=dead man walking

Edited September 29, 2014 by hystyk28

[SeanMac16]

It was a good game we definitely dominated the flyers the entire time I'm just concerned with the goal scoring slightly. Almost every shot resulted with a rebound and we got second and third chances over and over again but we could find the back of the net I know we won 3-1 but from what I was watching it should've easily been 12-1 with the amount of rebounds were left sitting in the crease. With that being said everyone looked great. Gomez was a pleasant surprise for me and if he keeps up the way he played last night we can start up a welcome back thread haha. Cammy played well just a few falls took him out of the play once or twice but nothing major. It was nice to see Larson skate with and shoot the puck a bit several times it opened up scoring opportunities when he took a shot on net when normally he would have passed it to someone who was covered XD. Overall good game I just hope we can capitalize on more scoring oppertuinies when they're handed it us

[dmann422]

Thanks for the breakdown hystyk and seanmac!

Can't see Gelinas and Larsson as a pair for various reasons.

just wondering what made you feel this way? Right now it looks like that will probably be one of our pairings assuming Merrill is ok to start the season...

[Namelesz]

I was there last night and I am trying to convince myself it was preseason so the Rock wasn't in top form as the whole atmosphere was quite different. 

I know they get bashed for being strippers or degrading or whatever other reason....but no dancers there made it feel something was missing. Maybe in time it won't feel so.

The food vendors are definitely in a transition period. The ones between sections 14-17 barely had any signs but I will say the chicken fingers were slightly better than last year. 

There was a few more beer choices that I noticed, perhaps they were there before but I caught them this time around.

The female PA they got to talk between periods or during what might be commercial breaks is hot but the voice is sharp, she needs to tone it down a bit and it might work.

Goal song is the same (7 Nation army) and there was no PSEG Power Play but those 2 I expect might change by the reg season. 

I didn't go to the upper levels but I heard there was still some construction going on up there. 

Confirmed that the Smoking Balcony was closed off. 

Also, seeing people in the Club/Lounge seats paying for their food/snacks was weird to see too. Not sure that will put more bodies in those seats since they are all waiting on long lines to pay for their concessions...

There were some boos for Gomer but he did actually look good. Brunner as well, he totally was the reason that second goal even had a chance of happening as he made a nice move towards goal to set that up. Matteau is also setting himself up to be a bruiser, had some really good hits against a chippy Flyers squad. Tootoo also was feisty but I still don't see him making the opening night squad. 

The top line of Camm-Zajac-Jagr was moving the puck around and got close to some goals, but the Philly AHL goalie was shutting alot of stuff down. They need to keep him around if they smart.

Overall the team itself looked OK, still preseason form though as there were rough spots as well, i.e. Gelinas and Zids almost colliding behind the net before a breakout, some lazy skating I noticed on a few players, and some "new" plays during the PP they still need to iron out. 

I might be going to Saturday's game too so we'll see if anything else changes..

LGD!

[DJ Eco]

Smart move not to televise this game, attendance was way worse than I thought it'd be. None of the renovated/food-change work were functional yet, which is understandable. Can't wait to see what they've done in a few weeks. 

 

My buddy got in the building's first altercation of the season. Drunk dude and his girlfriend parading around yelling "Devils suck!" between periods and my friend of course engaged him. His girlfriend's banter was all in good fun; they were actually pretty harmless compared to other Philly fans I recall over the years. But her boyfriend couldn't handle a little heckling (my buddy's not even good at heckling); tough guy got in my friend's face and his girlfriend pulled him away while he shouted "If this were Philly, you'd get fvcked up!" over and over again, like that means anything. Security separated them and apparently they caused problems all over the building so security was already alerted. 2 minutes later we're walking back to our seats and cross paths with them again, a little more banter, dude gets in my friend's face again and knocks the two beers out of his hands haha. No punches thrown luckily, but guy got ejected. Security handled it perfectly, pulled the couple away to one office, and my friend away to another office. The security guard who saw the whole thing went with them, it was all handled the right way. I don't recall PruCenter security doing a great job with these altercations in the past. Either everyone would get kicked out or no one would (and that'd lead to a worse situation later). Either there was more security than years past or they just seemed more with it, good job PruCenter.

 

As for the game, damn, Gomez looks really determined out there and is playing well. I didn't want this to be the case but it is. Clemmenson also lit it up last night, made some great saves. Kinkaid-Clemmenson situation is a real dogfight. For the future of the franchise, I hope Kinkaid is given the job, but we'll see how it plays out.

 

Our play was so calculated and so well executed, the domination and possession was clinical and the system was carried out to a T. I could get used to this.

[hystyk28]

Thanks for the breakdown hystyk and seanmac! just wondering what made you feel this way? Right now it looks like that will probably be one of our pairings assuming Merrill is ok to start the season...

Both are poor skaters. The puck retrival from our own end will be a nightmare if they play together, epecially in the top 4. You might be able to hide them in the bottom pair, but then Sal is gonna be out there more. The physical presence of them is none existent. Gelly skates with eggs in his shorts. He does have a promising career post NHL as a janitor with all the sweeping of the stick he does. Square up and take the body, you're gigantic! Larsson is much better than Gelly and I'd hate to see his minutes cut because of pairing them together. Adam needs major minutes, as it's a sink or swim season for him. Gelly has 3rd pairing D as a ceiling at best, unless Albelin is a miracle worker.

[DJ Eco]

The female PA they got to talk between periods or during what might be commercial breaks is hot but the voice is sharp, she needs to tone it down a bit and it might work.

 

I think it was more a case of the sound being awful. There was no bass or mid-level to anything last night and the highs were up to the max. Everything was shrieky and hurt the ears, even the goal song. Either they fired the sound guy or he's still on vacation. The PA girl will be okay once they tweak the sound.

 

 

I know they get bashed for being strippers or degrading or whatever other reason....but no dancers there made it feel something was missing. Maybe in time it won't feel so.

 

I agree, although I'm hoping the 1/3 capacity attendance last night has more to do with it haha.. 

[Beezer34]

Gomez looks really determined out there and is playing well. I didn't want this to be the case but it is.

 

Agreed. Yet, I also don't want a snap-decision to be made on account of a couple good preseason games out of Gomez, that it sacrifices a roster spot for a younger player.

 

It's very possible that Gomez could have a resurrected season, where he plays all 82 games and gives you 45-50 points. However, it's also possible that he scores 2 goals in a preseason game in September.. and then generates 8 points over the next 36 regular-season games.

[Namelesz]

Oh yea on the issue of Larsson and Gelly. 

Larsson def skates better and breaks out OK, but I saw nothing physical from him at all. He actually got rolled over once or twice by some Flyers forwards. 

Gelly did get physical though, I saw him even throw a punch out there during once of the few big scrums the 2 teams got into last night. No actual fights although Tootoo I thought was trying to get in one.

Its Gelly's slapshot that is his saving grace. He has tightened up a little since last season though so we'll see how he develops over the season. Larsson needs to get more physical though if he gonna be a solid defenseman in this league, not just on this team.

[Zubie#8]

Some highlights. Brunner definitely has some nice hands.

 

Edited September 29, 2014 by Zubie#8

[Onddeck]

Some highlights. Brunner definitely has some nice hands.

 

NICE. i can't get nhl.com videos to play at work so this is the first im seeing of last night's game, thanks!

 

its plays like the one above where Brunner gets us all siked up knowing what he can do.  its just a consistency thing.  regardless, i hope he works his way into the top 4 lines.

[Namelesz]

I thought Matteau looked awesome last night, every game he's played in so far he's been a headache for other teams physically. He looks noticeably stronger.

There was a point in the 3rd where he layed into one of the Flyers into the boards close to the benches twice within the same defensive zone play. The crowd went nuts for him that minute. 

It was shortly after he got nailed in the offensive zone attack in the corner, so it looked like some sweet revenge.

[Devilsfan118]

Damn that little move by Brunner on Gomez's goal was schweeeet.  Need to see more of that this year for sure.

 

There are just...too many forwards.  I want Brunner to get a shot in the top-6, at least initially.  Same with Boucher.  I'd like Matteau up here, sure looks like he's ready.

 

Wish the Devils could shed some veteran weight.  Especially off that CBGB line.. namely, lose the B and the GB.  Maybe bring back the C.