GDT - Devils @ Canucks 10:00pm MSG+ MSG+2

[slasher72]

Dear Canucks or Canadiens management. Rest assured that Pavel Zacha will be receiving round the clock prayers and novenas to ensure he's ready to go by the trade deadline. Thank you. - Anonymous Devils Fan

[Devil Dan 56]

From the comments,  I feel like I didn’t miss much falling asleep on the couch in the first period. 

[Nicomo]

 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

 

95 point pace right now. 

[MadDog2020]

5 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

95 point pace right now. 

He’s a franchise player. I think we can say that now.

[NJDevils1214]

I'm glad they're at least at a point where we can go into games with some expectations that they shouldn't lose. They're still going to lose, but not it's just the stupid ass mistakes we have to deal with.

[mfitz804]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

He’s a franchise player. I think we can say that now.

First time I am hearing that for sure lol. 

[MadDog2020]

43 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

First time I am hearing that for sure lol. 

Well it’ll be the first of many. He’s a franchise player.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

29 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Well it’ll be the first of many. He’s a franchise player.

Over his last 27 GP, he's putting up points at a rate of 115 per 82 GP.  Do I expect him to have a 115-point season anytime soon?  Gotta play 80+ games first...but I think it's only a matter of time before he becomes the first Devils to crack 100 points in a given season.    

What I like about his game at this point is that he's become a member of the "I'm finding a way to get my points no matter who I'm with" club...the two guys in Devils history that I remember doing that more than anyone else was 2003-04 Elias, and 2017-18 Hall.  Jack has the skills and now the confidence to go with them...and technically he's still short of two full seasons' worth of games played so far at the NHL level.  He's made quick progress.  If you took a poll at about the halfway mark of last season, I'm guessing less than half the board would've thought Jack would be putting up these kinds of numbers in 2021-22.  

Obviously still things to work on...he attempts some blind and dangerous passes, although like I pointed out earlier, his first "huh?" pass that "led" to a goal last night was a result of just about EVERYONE involved making some mistake somewhere....but to be fair, a second pass that was much worse could've easily led to goal and didn't, so there's that.  But given how he's improved so far, I expect that he'll tighten up that part of his game too.

[MadDog2020]

2 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Obviously still things to work on...he attempts some blind and dangerous passes, although like I pointed out earlier, his first "huh?" pass that "led" to a goal last night was a result of just about EVERYONE involved making some mistake somewhere....but to be fair, a second pass that was much worse could've easily led to goal and didn't, so there's that.  But given how he's improved so far, I ex

Oh no question, he has work to do on the defensive side of the puck, but he has improved there too. He does try some dumb passes, but hopefully that’s something that lessens a little with time. But he has proven to me to be a guy that you build around. He IS the franchise when you really think about it. Nico may be the captain, but this is Jack’s team. This is Jack’s franchise. The Devils agree, because they paid him as such. That’s why I said I think he is a franchise player. 

[mfitz804]

25 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Obviously still things to work on...he attempts some blind and dangerous passes, although like I pointed out earlier, his first "huh?" pass that "led" to a goal last night was a result of just about EVERYONE involved making some mistake somewhere....but to be fair, a second pass that was much worse could've easily led to goal and didn't, so there's that.  But given how he's improved so far, I expect that he'll tighten up that part of his game too.

That's just luck of the draw though, you cannot commit egregious turnovers and expect that you'll just get away with them. I agree this will likely come with some experience. 

20 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

This is Jack’s franchise. The Devils agree, because they paid him as such. That’s why I said I think he is a franchise player. 

I think I heard that somewhere...

[NJDevils1214]

5 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

That's just luck of the draw though, you cannot commit egregious turnovers and expect that you'll just get away with them. I agree this will likely come with some experience.

Those turnovers are bad no mater how you cut it, but his brand of play is kind of high risk/high reward. You hope with experience he limits those mistakes or learns to choose more wisely, but the high risk plays are just part of his game.

I'm not defending the turnovers, especially with Gillies in net, and he's not above criticism about it.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

10 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

That's just luck of the draw though, you cannot commit egregious turnovers and expect that you'll just get away with them. I agree this will likely come with some experience. 

I think I heard that somewhere...

I meant that I think he deserves some slack for the first bad pass (the Devils were actually in pretty good position to negate his mistake, but then they all nASSed en masse), but the second one was god-awful and he was extremely lucky that the 'Nucks didn't turn that one into a goal.  I wasn't saying he doesn't need to improve that part of his game and decision-making...he absolutely does.  But if you had told me that he was going to become a consistent offensive producer with a wart here and there still to address in his Age 20 year, I would've signed up for that.

5 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

Those turnovers are bad no mater how you cut it, but his brand of play is kind of high risk/high reward. You hope with experience he limits those mistakes or learns to choose more wisely, but the high risk plays are just part of his game.

I'm not defending the turnovers, especially with Gillies in net, and he's not above criticism about it.

Right now it is, but given how driven he seems to be at working hard to get better and improve, I expect that he'll eliminate a lot of those mistakes sooner than later.  

[Nicomo]

5 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

Oh no question, he has work to do on the defensive side of the puck, but he has improved there too. He does try some dumb passes, but hopefully that’s something that lessens a little with time. But he has proven to me to be a guy that you build around. He IS the franchise when you really think about it. Nico may be the captain, but this is Jack’s team. This is Jack’s franchise. The Devils agree, because they paid him as such. That’s why I said I think he is a franchise player. 

I actually disagree with the bold. He’s already really good defensively. He’s usually near the top of the league in takeaways, he back-checks like a madman, and his skating allows him to get the puck out of trouble better than pretty much anyone else on the team (other than maybe Bratt).

The high danger passes are usually in the offensive zone, so that’s not really an issue with his defensive game. And not that I’m making excuses for them, but a lot of the time it’s just a case of him trying to make something out of nothing. Which I don’t really think he’ll stop doing tbh. That’s just the type of player he is. You kind of have to live with it when he does make so many jaw dropping plays. The subpar goaltending really makes any kind of turnover standout though. 

All in all, Devils fans should be absolutely ecstatic with his progression so far. I actually thought he’d have a breakout year like this in his age 21 season, so he’s actually a little ahead of schedule as far as I’m concerned. So good on him for being able to improve on things like his shot (and man - did he ever), his strength on the boards, etc, so quickly. 

[SterioDesign]

20 hours ago, Nicomo said:

I actually disagree with the bold. He’s already really good defensively. He’s usually near the top of the league in takeaways, he back-checks like a madman, and his skating allows him to get the puck out of trouble better than pretty much anyone else on the team (other than maybe Bratt).

The high danger passes are usually in the offensive zone, so that’s not really an issue with his defensive game. And not that I’m making excuses for them, but a lot of the time it’s just a case of him trying to make something out of nothing. Which I don’t really think he’ll stop doing tbh. That’s just the type of player he is. You kind of have to live with it when he does make so many jaw dropping plays. The subpar goaltending really makes any kind of turnover standout though. 

All in all, Devils fans should be absolutely ecstatic with his progression so far. I actually thought he’d have a breakout year like this in his age 21 season, so he’s actually a little ahead of schedule as far as I’m concerned. So good on him for being able to improve on things like his shot (and man - did he ever), his strength on the boards, etc, so quickly. 

im very impressed by how improved his shot was. For many players that's just one thing that if you don't have, you don't have. And it's so much better already. 

I'm sort of okay with him having to play on a not so good team though honestly. With the right mindset you can learn a lot more through adversity than by landing on a very good team and just cruise with them. Being a skilled fancy player Jack need to learn to work his game through chaos and scrums. The Leafs are the perfect example of kids growing up overprotected and getting everything they want cause their parents are rich. Then when life gets hard they are just not equipped to handle that.

I sure don't want our group to be like the Leafs. And right now being "outplayed" by many teams is sort of a good path for the young guys to figure out what works and doesnt work as the game gets harder and harder through the season.