GDT - Devils vs Rangers 12/21/17

[NLinfante 53]

Great win! Couldn't believe how awesome the top line was in this one. The last 3 or 4 minutes of the game I was screaming at the tv for Hynes to get them out there as much as possible. I also agree with a bunch of you who have already posted, seeing the emotion from Hall and Schneids made me believe in this group. Almost to the midway point of the season and sitting in first feels pretty good.

[Colorado Rockies 1976 5,100]

18 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Just got myself a 2015-16 White Set 3 Palmieri game-worn, breaking it out for this game tonight.  Going with my best friend who is - eek! - a Ranger fan.  I want to be the one leaving the building with a great big grin on my face tonight!

LGD!

FTR!  (this one's easy to figure out)

Two assists and a shootout goal for Palms...behold the power of the game worn!

Great playoff-like atmosphere last night...the Ranger fans that I saw in attendance weren't nearly as dopey or annoying as they usually are, which was shocking.  My friend (who I can actually have intelligent hockey banter with) was very impressed with the Devils.  There were a few times that the Rags faithful tried to take over the building, but it never happened...a nice switch.   

This isn't directed at anyone in particular, but I wonder if any other teams' boards pick apart their #1 goalie as much as this one does.  Maybe in some odd way it's a compliment...that we think that Schneider is capable of such greatness that he's barely allowed to give up a goal without it being heavily dissected and criticized.  As far as last night's game goes, I don't know what he was supposed to do about goals #1 and #3...he made a flurry of saves before the first one, and the third one went in off Severson's skate.  I'm guessing if you could watch every team's #1 (those who have a clear #1, anyway) for a full season, Cory's body of work would rank in or very near the Top 5, factoring in everything.  It would also be nice if some could acknowledge that for every "stoppable" shot that goes in, Schneids makes a hell of a lot of tough saves too...he made a bunch last night.  One of those games where his save% didn't really tell the whole story. 

In some ways, last night felt like driving one more nail into the coffin lid of the "Old Devils".  Though the Devils have had some success against Lundqvist (two playoff series wins), we know he's often been tough on them.  In past years, the Devils somehow lose a game like last night's by a score of 4-1, with Lundqvist stopping every last thing, and all of us cursing the Devils' inability to finish.  Though I was very hopeful, when it was 3-2, part of me was thinking "Jesus, here we go again, somehow Lundqvist is going to steal a win, in fvcking regulation no less...dammit dammit double dammit!"  Was so great to not only see them tie it up, but to get the second point as well.  It was fun leaving the building and seeing Ranger fans kind of feeling lucky just to get a point at all.  Devils were really on them for most of the night, but the Rangers got just enough breaks to get something out of the game.

Brian Boyle with 8 goals and 5 assists in his last 14 games.  A big reason why we've barely noticed that Gibbons has only scored once in his last 11 GP.  Or that Nico hasn't scored a goal in 10 GP.  Love that this team has a way of continually getting goals from multiple sources...if Taylor ever finds just a little more finish (that's the only thing holding him back from a monster year)...

There's always that one player that a coach inexplicably seems to have a soft spot for, where that player gets chance after chance even though everyone watching hasn't slightest idea WHY...everyone knows which player that I'm talking about.  Maybe it's because he's getting his SOG and Hynes thinks it's only a matter of time before Stafford finally breaks through.  Maybe it's the fact that, from 2013-2016, Stafford averaged 20 goals per 82 GP (in 224 GP).  But Stafford doesn't have so much as a point in his last 16 games and you never feel like he's ever going to put one home...he has just 13 goals in his last 88 GP, dating back to the start of last season.  You can only pump the well so many times before realizing that there just isn't anything worth pumping for.  Just sit the damn guy already...with guys bound to get hurt, you can give him another shot down the road if you really have to, but for now, just end the misery. 

----------------------------------------------------

Lundqvist since 11/8:  .936 save%

Pavelec in the same period:  .941 save%

Anybody see those two keeping THAT up? 

Edited December 22, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevils1214 2,274]

11 hours ago, Neb00rs said:

I want to acknowledge two things on that goal:

1. Taylor Hall pass

2. Zajac standing around bewildered

I disagree with #2.

Zajac went to the boards behind the net to meet the Ranger,Smith, who had the puck. That forced Smith to play it off the boards in a hurry, turning it over to Hall, and Boyle was open in the slot. Zajac stayed where he was because that is where he would need to be to continue the cycle had Boyle not been open. Usually a player isn't open 99% of the time that close to the net in the low slot.

Zajac was right where he should have been, giving Hall a second option along the boards to make a safe play and try to continue the cycle. Credit goes to Hall for seeing that play develop and getting the puck to open ice in front of the net where Boyle could reach it.

[devlman 698]

Unsung hero of the game for me goes to Steven Santini. Absolute beast last night. Actually, our entire D-core had its best game all season.

[CommonDreads 1,345]

Even though we just scraped away with a shootout win, I thought that was our best game of the season. Games like this really make me believe in this team, playing against our biggest rival who's on a serious roll for 1st place in the division, and we didn't play timid or scared at all. We pushed the play on those guys and we ran the tempo of that game from the opening puck drop. If not for the Rangers getting some lucky bounces and Lundqvist playing excellent, this could have absolutely been a 6-0 blitzing, keep playing like this and we're gonna go from being the East's cute success story to a scary contender in the eyes of many.

Hall showed why he's our next captain tonight, this is absolutely his team now. Is Hallsy a gritty, grind it out player? No, but he stepped up like a leader on that first goal and leveled Zuccarello to loosen the puck up for Moore to step into some open ice. You saw him all game pumping guys up on the bench, there was never a dull moment with him last night. He's our guy, this is his team now, and he seems to really love being a New Jersey Devil right now.

[CommonDreads 1,345]

Also, fvck, I love Blake Coleman. What a great project he's been to get him to this point, he's such an effective 4th line player. Plays every shift with his heart on his sleeve.

[Nicomo 3,947]

13 minutes ago, CommonDreads said:

Also, fvck, I love Blake Coleman. What a great project he's been to get him to this point, he's such an effective 4th line player. Plays every shift with his heart on his sleeve.

Yep. He’s a keeper. Just needs to take less penalties. 

[mikepeluso8 194]

31 minutes ago, devlman said:

Unsung hero of the game for me goes to Steven Santini. Absolute beast last night. Actually, our entire D-core had its best game all season.

Agreed.  Santini had a solid game.

[MadDog2020 7,255]

Also, fvck, I love Blake Coleman. What a great project he's been to get him to this point, he's such an effective 4th line player. Plays every shift with his heart on his sleeve.

He's reminding me more and more of Madden.


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[Colorado Rockies 1976 5,100]

33 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

He's reminding me more and more of Madden.


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3 G and 3 A in his last 7 GP.  Nice to see him start getting rewarded...earlier on it felt like he should have more points than he did (2 G and 2 A in his first 27 GP this season). 

Edited December 22, 2017 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Devilsfan118 2,527]

I just love watching a hungry team every night. 

Long gone are the country club days of being the oldest, and most content to show up and collect a paycheck, team in the league.

[Nicomo 3,947]

36 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

He's reminding me more and more of Madden.


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Some high praise right there. 

[Mike Brown 186]

13 hours ago, Gunslinger27 said:

Elite Goalie with no cups............... Just the facts, and yes he's 35 now lol.....

 

Great Job Mike as usual

Well he did play like an elite goalie last night.  

And thanks!

[Colorado Rockies 1976 5,100]

Just now, Devilsfan118 said:

I just love watching a hungry team every night. 

Long gone are the country club days of being the oldest, and most content to show up and collect a paycheck, team in the league.

Sadly I don't think that they weren't trying...I think they were most of the time...they really were just that bad.  Old, slow, and not much imagination. 

[Gunslinger27 717]

10 minutes ago, Mike Brown said:

Well he did play like an elite goalie last night.  

And thanks!

Yes he did play well, and he did steal a point........ Funny the night before he faced 40 shots. 

[MadDog2020 7,255]

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[Gunslinger27 717]

One thing I notice with Coleman and Gibby on the PK, these 2 guys just seem to read every opponents passes, specially in Neutral zone and the top half of the D zone. One mistake with puck, and their off to the races. Scary good......... 

[pattyelias 37]

3 minutes ago, Gunslinger27 said:

One thing I notice with Coleman and Gibby on the PK, these 2 guys just seem to read every opponents passes, specially in Neutral zone and the top half of the D zone. One mistake with puck, and their off to the races. Scary good......... 

They are our new version of Madden and Pandolfo.    

[mfitz804 8,607]

6 minutes ago, Gunslinger27 said:

One thing I notice with Coleman and Gibby on the PK, these 2 guys just seem to read every opponents passes, specially in Neutral zone and the top half of the D zone. One mistake with puck, and their off to the races. Scary good......... 

This is very true. And Coleman never stops pursuing the puck. There were at least 5 times last night where I thought for sure the Rangers were coming away with a puck that Coleman just would not let go of, and there's Coleman right under foot ruining their day. And he does so by using excellent body position. 

[Triumph 1,364]

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

This isn't directed at anyone in particular, but I wonder if any other teams' boards pick apart their #1 goalie as much as this one does.  Maybe in some odd way it's a compliment...that we think that Schneider is capable of such greatness that he's barely allowed to give up a goal without it being heavily dissected and criticized.  As far as last night's game goes, I don't know what he was supposed to do about goals #1 and #3...he made a flurry of saves before the first one, and the third one went in off Severson's skate.  I'm guessing if you could watch every team's #1 (those who have a clear #1, anyway) for a full season, Cory's body of work would rank in or very near the Top 5, factoring in everything.  It would also be nice if some could acknowledge that for every "stoppable" shot that goes in, Schneids makes a hell of a lot of tough saves too...he made a bunch last night.  One of those games where his save% didn't really tell the whole story.  

For some in this fanbase, they just haven't realized that Schneider showed up right when the rest of the franchise was heading down the toilet.  Before this season, Schneider's maybe had one team better than the worst one Brodeur had, and Brodeur was here for 20 years.  I think they resent the way that the online fanbase turned against Brodeur in that 2013-14 year, but I can't be sure.  For some of these people, it's easy to imagine them hoping that the goalie the Devils got after Brodeur would be a pile of garbage so they could point to Brodeur's achievements and say 'We miss Marty in his prime', but that's a sentiment I don't see anywhere.

Anyway, I hear that there's a very vocal but small group of Rangers fans who wanted them to trade Lundqvist and play Talbot, who wanted them to trade Lundqvist and play Rantta - it's just not limited to Devils fans.  When you rely on one guy to get you a win most nights, it's easy to feel like he comes up short too often when the rest of the team isn't pulling its weight.  

[Gunslinger27 717]

19 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

This is very true. And Coleman never stops pursuing the puck. There were at least 5 times last night where I thought for sure the Rangers were coming away with a puck that Coleman just would not let go of, and there's Coleman right under foot ruining their day. And he does so by using excellent body position. 

The 2 of them a Plus 13 and 9 respectively...........Not too shabby

Boys we need to come up with some nicknames for these guys, lol

Edited December 22, 2017 by Gunslinger27

[Jimmy Leeds 230]

Don't know if this was posted:  https://nypost.com/2017/12/22/rangers-now-must-deal-with-an-emerging-devils-juggernaut/

[MadDog2020 7,255]

Don't know if this was posted:  https://nypost.com/2017/12/22/rangers-now-must-deal-with-an-emerging-devils-juggernaut/

Love it.


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[Chuck the Duck 347]

2 hours ago, Triumph said:

For some in this fanbase, they just haven't realized that Schneider showed up right when the rest of the franchise was heading down the toilet.  Before this season, Schneider's maybe had one team better than the worst one Brodeur had, and Brodeur was here for 20 years.  I think they resent the way that the online fanbase turned against Brodeur in that 2013-14 year, but I can't be sure.  For some of these people, it's easy to imagine them hoping that the goalie the Devils got after Brodeur would be a pile of garbage so they could point to Brodeur's achievements and say 'We miss Marty in his prime', but that's a sentiment I don't see anywhere.

Anyway, I hear that there's a very vocal but small group of Rangers fans who wanted them to trade Lundqvist and play Talbot, who wanted them to trade Lundqvist and play Rantta - it's just not limited to Devils fans.  When you rely on one guy to get you a win most nights, it's easy to feel like he comes up short too often when the rest of the team isn't pulling its weight.  

I like Cory, and think he's done very well with the hand he's been dealt here.  Following a HOF'er that has won 3 Stanley Cups and is one of the best to ever play the position is very difficult, and he's handled it well.  I think there's a segment of the fanbase that resents what they see as Cory pushing Marty out before he was ready to retire, which is ridiculous and unfair to Cory.  I also think that there is a portion of this fanbase that got so spoiled by the decades of success, so much so that they can't fathom having to rebuild the roster and deal with the losing that would come with it, and look to Cory as a scapegoat because, let's face it, goalies are easy targets when a team doesn't win.

 

[MadDog2020 7,255]

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