GDT: 4/22/23, Game 3, Devils @ Rangers

[Puckbuster]

12 minutes ago, StarDew said:

Why is Timo back on 3rd line? 🤯

I guess, its to put him in a position to succeed?🤷‍♂️

[titans04]

Rather than playing with Hughes on the 2nd line instead of Haula? Timo put up 40 goals this year while Haula has a whopping 14 and Palat on the first line is on pace for about ~14 over 82 games but obviously missed time with the injury.  I don't think it's optimal to play Timo on the 3rd line at all. But hey whatever works I guess.

[Devil Dan 56]

9 minutes ago, titans04 said:

Rather than playing with Hughes on the 2nd line instead of Haula? Timo put up 40 goals this year while Haula has a whopping 14 and Palat on the first line is on pace for about ~14 over 82 games but obviously missed time with the injury.  I don't think it's optimal to play Timo on the 3rd line at all. But hey whatever works I guess.

“Whatever works” won’t be coming from this coaching staff tomorrow. Way too much outsmarting themselves. They’ve abandoned everything that works numerous times and now they’re  trying to play the Rangers game instead of using what got them 52 wins. 

[titans04]

19 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

“Whatever works” won’t be coming from this coaching staff tomorrow. Way too much outsmarting themselves. They’ve abandoned everything that works numerous times and now they’re  trying to play the Rangers game instead of using what got them 52 wins. 

I agree with you 100% he's throwing darts and entirely missing the board with some of these.  Worry about balancing out the lines when you actually score more than 1 goal a game with one of the 2 in the series being a PS.  Granted I think it's men against kids, a team built for today against a team that has some great core pieces that will continue to grow.  However I don't think there's anyway to disguise what we've seen so far is absolutely disturbing but I don't think it's all on the coaches. We still have a long way to go when it comes to a playoff ready roster. However stranger things have happened so LGD.

[Nicomo]

This has to be very eye opening for Fitz. The last thing anyone wants is for this super talented young core to turn into Toronto 2.0.

Having more skill than everyone is not always enough. 

[Devil Dan 56]

15 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

This has to be very eye opening for Fitz. The last thing anyone wants is for this super talented young core to turn into Toronto 2.0.

Having more skill than everyone is not always enough. 

It’s insanely frustrating. There’s a lot of talent there but I have zero trust in this coaching staffs ability to put them in the best position to win. We’ve seen it many times where they over think things, like shuffling lines that work (Tatar-Nico-Mercer was red hot for a bit), inexplicably playing Blackwood when it’s clear he’s the 3rd goalie at best, insisting on using Miles Wood, Brendan Smith, etc. I really think CR76 is right that they won in spite of Ruff. 

[jagknife]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrOmBk-O-x9/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 

this is our power play savior…

If you don’t have Instagram or it won’t load, it’s the arrest bodycam footage. Wasn’t an afternoon DUI like it appeared.

[MadDog2020]

25 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

This has to be very eye opening for Fitz.

Let me put it this way: this BETTER be an eye opener for Fitz. 

[MadDog2020]

 

[jagknife]

8 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

 

Remember when I said Blackwood might happen…?

he’s prepping us all for it with that 3 goalie bullsh!t

[devlman]

I think the team has no confidence right now playing in front of VV or Blackwood. That’s one reason they look nervous and rigid. Give the keys to Schmid while we still have a chance of coming back.

[2ELIAS6]

6 hours ago, NJDevils1214 said:

I think I know what Ruff's thinking. Something like this:

 

At this point, im thinking about watching this entire thing, maybe twice 

[MadDog2020]

32 minutes ago, jagknife said:

Remember when I said Blackwood might happen…?

he’s prepping us all for it with that 3 goalie bullsh!t

 

[2ELIAS6]

8 minutes ago, devlman said:

I think the team has no confidence right now playing in front of VV or Blackwood. That’s one reason they look nervous and rigid. Give the keys to Schmid while we still have a chance of coming back.

Im not against this, Schmid has played some knockout games, but i would be nervous putting him in at this point now. Tomorrow is an absolute must win game.I swear to christ if Blackwood some how draws in ill fvcking burn myself alive. (Joking) but you guys feel me. 

Edited April 22, 2023 by 2ELIAS6

[pumpkin cutter]

bench wood and let lazar get some time, give luke a shot, and start akira. common sense tells me where this series is goin.

it's time to try something different now, not in game 4. 

also let them play how they played during the season. the last 2 games they played totally different than how they played all year. idk who this playoff team is. aint my devils. 

 

[Lateralous]

13 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

 

Lindy, it’s your 3 goalie system that has us getting sh!t on by the Rangers instead of playing the Islanders right now.   How many points did Blackwood cost us this year?   
 

I mean, at this point, why are we even referring to this as a 3 goalie team?  We’re at the point that it’s highly doubtful that we’re going to lose the other two goalies to injury before the season most likely comes to an end sometime this week, so the whole insurance policy thing is done.   
 

I know he’s an RFA but Blackwood has no value.   The only move going forward is not to qualify him so let’s stop worrying about building him up and pretending he’s a viable part of the current team.  

Edited April 22, 2023 by Lateralous

[jagknife]

1 hour ago, Lateralous said:

Lindy, it’s your 3 goalie system that has us getting sh!t on by the Rangers instead of playing the Islanders right now.   How many points did Blackwood cost us this year?   
 

I mean, at this point, why are we even referring to this as a 3 goalie team?  We’re at the point that it’s highly doubtful that we’re going to lose the other two goalies to injury before the season most likely comes to an end sometime this week, so the whole insurance policy thing is done.   
 

I know he’s an RFA but Blackwood has no value.   The only move going forward is not to qualify him so let’s stop worrying about building him up and pretending he’s a viable part of the current team.  

There was a point entering the post season I thought I understood the Alzheimer's: Don't throw your red headed step child under the bus in the absolute worst case scenario you actually need to call his number out of sheer desperation cause Jacob Trouba ran over both of your real goalies with a zamboni.

But the terrifying part is ither Ruff, or Fitz or both believe there is something to be redeemed with Blackwood. As if he has shown ANYTHING since the injury to warrant coming back. "Which injury though?" EXACTLY. The guy cannot stay healthy and when he does you are already starting that game in a mental 2-0 deficit because you know he's good for at least one softy and on "you probably could have had that on if you had your brain in the game"

But hey, its only the playoffs, they come around every year, "he's been a good soldier for us" so lets give the guy who has less security than crypto currency a confidence boost, we can just make the playoffs again...

[jagknife]

and before anyone asks, based on my posts the last 10 minutes, yes, i did wake up and chose violence.

Buckle up friends!

LFGD, find your guts and do something tonight!

[pumpkin cutter]

3 minutes ago, jagknife said:

and before anyone asks, based on my posts the last 10 minutes, yes, i did wake up and chose violence.

Buckle up friends!

LFGD, find your guts and do something tonight!

i like your style! 

[Lateralous]

8 minutes ago, jagknife said:

and before anyone asks, based on my posts the last 10 minutes, yes, i did wake up and chose violence.

Buckle up friends!

LFGD, find your guts and do something tonight!

I know.  I kind of woke up at an 11 this morning regarding the Devils as well because of how horrid those first two games were.  
 

I expected some growing pains but this has been so much worse than I ever imagined.   Why does it have to happen against the Rangers? 

[njbuff]

I’m about as excited for this game as I am about housework.

But I do hope this team can make me eat massive amounts of crow when it’s said and done.

Every other team in every other series has fought hard, even if they are overmatched… and making a series of it.

The Seattle Kraken are fighting the defending champions for fvck sake.
 

It makes NO SENSE why the Devils have looked like an AHL team in this series.

Edited April 22, 2023 by njbuff

[RizzMB30]

2 hours ago, Lateralous said:

Lindy, it’s your 3 goalie system that has us getting sh!t on by the Rangers instead of playing the Islanders right now.   How many points did Blackwood cost us this year?   
 

I mean, at this point, why are we even referring to this as a 3 goalie team?  We’re at the point that it’s highly doubtful that we’re going to lose the other two goalies to injury before the season most likely comes to an end sometime this week, so the whole insurance policy thing is done.   
 

I know he’s an RFA but Blackwood has no value.   The only move going forward is not to qualify him so let’s stop worrying about building him up and pretending he’s a viable part of the current team.  

The isles stole a game last night, and if we can't score against the Rangers, why do you think the Islanders would be any easier? Who play stronger team defensive structure.

I'm going to enjoy the ride a little instead. 

But muh head coach too old and muh grit is too soft.

The favorites of the west are the Oilers and they are down 2-1 to the Kings. 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by RizzMB30

[Lateralous]

11 minutes ago, RizzMB30 said:

The isles stole a game last night, and if we can't score against the Rangers, why do you think the Islanders would be any easier? Who play stronger team defensive structure.

I'm going to enjoy the ride a little instead. 

But muh head coach too old and muh grit is too soft.

The favorites of the west are the Oilers and they are down 2-1 to the Kings. 

 

I never once said we would have done better against the Islanders.    We are pretty clearly the least prepared team of the 16 for the playoffs.   I just would rather we go through these growing pains vs literally any other team.   

[Satans Hockey]

LETS GO DEVILS!!!

[NJDfan1711]

So many reasons to be down, to be negative, and to give up hope. I'm going to choose The road less traveled and try to focus and point out some things that we might be able to be optimistic about.

This team looked really bad literally the very first two games of the season. They lost them both and we all felt very similar to how we feel now. What happened after that was magical, and for the rest of the season there were certainly both ups and downs, but for the most part they were a lot more ups than there were downs. 

The beauty about hockey, and Sports in general is that anything can happen and streaks come and go. I'm a realist, so I'm not going to sit here and say that it's likely that this team wins the series or even wins one or two games based solely on how they've been playing so far, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that this team rattles off four wins in a row and shocks us and the world, just like they did earlier this season winning more than a dozen in a row.

I really don't know how I'm going to feel 12 hours from now, but I have faith. Maybe blind faith, but faith nonetheless. 

Let's Go Devils.