NJDfan1711

There is no way we are third best in the league when it comes to allowing odd man rushes. I don't care what that chart says - whoever compiled it probably doesn't know what an odd man rush is. My eye test has shown me multiple odd man rushes given up, game after game after game. We aren't better than 30 other teams when it comes to that. Agree to disagree I suppose, but I can't even really take that seriously because it's just not true. Anyone with a set of working eyeballs can see it. I think this is a good point. The old adage, "coaches coach and players play". You have to wonder if the players just aren't as good as we thought, or if they're just executing poorly. To me it's the latter. These players being as young as they are and most of them not having one cup or really having much. Playoff experience you'd still expect them to be hungry, but I'm wondering if they really thought going into this season things would just come easy for them and then sort of be able to Coast into an easy playoff berth. Clearly that's not the case and I think they really need to buckle down and give a full effort each night, which starts with being prepared and coming out to start each game and not giving up the first goal like we have so often and so early. To me it's just an intention to detail problem, which thankfully I think can be rectified. The leaders on this team like Nico, Palat, and even Meier to a degree really need to step up. It sucks that Dougie is out now but I would look to him for that leadership too.

There is no possible way this is true. I don't care what metric you are using. We give up odd man rushes like no one else. We definitely aren't "good" at giving them up, we're not even medicare. We're downright bad.

We make the simple things look hard.

What does Dougie's surgery mean? How long is he expected to be out for?

It didn't even cross my mind that a suspension might be coming from that, but you can't two hand axe chop a guy the way he did and not expect a consequence. Two games seems fair. That said, I get Smith's frustration, because it's a completely cowardly act to cross check someone from behind while they're making a line change.

Pretty much the same. If the difference between exercising or not exercising the first year of his ELC results in several extra wins, which could therefore mean we make or don't make the playoffs, it's easily worth it.

Even better that the Hughes brothers scored together on a play, in the city of "Brotherly Love". Suck it Philly.

Jarry scored tonight. Was a nice shot. First goalie in Pens history to score.

I didn't wanna muck up a GameDay thread with general convo, but since others have already kind of gone there, I guess I just want to ask what some here, since I seem to be in the minority, see in Schmid, or rather, don't see in VV? Reason I ask is because based on last game, at least in my eyes, 3 of the 4 goals he allowed were really not his fault. Goal #1 was on the PP and the Isles had great luck movement. Hard for any goalie to stop Horvat's one-timer there. Goal #2 was a breakaway....yet again, hard to stop, the shooter always had the advantage there. Goal #3 was odd and probably weak - I'll chalk that one up as a softie that should've been stopped. Goal #4 was off a tip/deflection from a guy in front where the puck completely changed direction and VV had to desperately dive for it; literally no chance there. Obviously 14 saves on 18 shots for a .770 sv % is awful, but I don't think it tells the whole story. Raanta let in 8 goals on 14 shots a few nights ago and I can almost guarantee at least half of them probably weren't his fault. I know everyone says your goalie has to bail you out every now and then, which I fully agree with and I'd say VV isn't doing that, but I wouldn't say by any means that there's a huge difference between the two goalies right now, or that one is outplaying the other by any large stretch.

I don't think there's any chance Schmid gets both. But yeah, I agree, it would make the most sense to give him the nod tonight and VV tomorrow.

I also didn't think the Wings would be as good as they've been so far this year. Granted they're not in our division, but if we are competing for a Wild Card spot, they're an extra team that were fighting with. Right now at the 1/4 point in the season we have a game in hand but they're 4pts up, so technically they could still be ahead of is by a game/2pts. Not worried, just aware. I think the Wing will fall off some, and we'll rise.

Let's Go Devils.

Overall, a pretty good period, we had good pressure and puck movement, controlling the neutral zone and getting entries into their zone. Not a bad cycle at times either. Need to stay out of the box, and avoid skirmishes like at the end of the period.

Nice job of shooting the puck there by McLeod. Bit of a gift for us, seemed like an easy 2 on 1.

Bad penalty call overall, but my God Mercer, that was just so stupid. Dano nailed it, he didn't even have to do anything because Bahl was back. Bad awareness.