Post Game Thread: New Jersey Devils at Anaheim Ducks – 31 Dec 2024

41 comments

1. Oh look another L to a bottom feeder. At the end of the season when the Canes and Caps play their games in hand and we end up finishing 3rd. Look back at losses like this as to why. It’s fine to drop a few here and there, this is what? Loss 6 to bottom feeders.

2. Same cycle all year really.

3. We are finishing 3rd in the Metro

4. The doomers are back lol

5. Not being able to drag games like this into overtime was a problem last year and it’s a problem now. They needed a clutch save or a clear or a smart play or anything but got none of it.

   I’m sick of this bottom six doing absolutely nothing.

6. Also Washington now a point ahead with 3 games in hand. Oof

7. Yo chill out my devils family I love you all . Happy new year we are gonna be okay. 🙂 GGs

8. Stop playing down to bad teams. Respect that any team can step up at any time and bring your best every time. How is this so hard for professional athletes and coaches to understand

   That’s two recent games now where Jack got bullied off the puck and led to a great scoring chance against. This shit cannot continue and it’s an indictment of everyone we’ve had on staff for not being able to coach it the fuck out of him. It’s an indictment of him too for not cleaning it up

   Bad loss that should ultimately mean nothing. We’re still very much playoff bound. But fucking hell, everyone needs to get their heads out of their asses some night

   Nico will forever be immune to any and all criticism

9. Was gonna wait to post this in tomorrow’s pregame thread, but even though that loss sucked ass, the team was still 8-4-1 in the month of December. Smoked the Rangers twice and split the home and home against a good Canes team. Successful month of hockey IMO.

10. Losses like tonight are becoming a noticeable pattern with this team. Obviously we can’t win them all, but these are the type of games you expect to be coming out with 2 points comfortably. I’m still very confident we will make the playoffs but God damn man, this will affect who we face.

    Getting outworked like we did tonight cannot happen. Hoping we clean this up in the 2nd half of the season.

11. another ugly loss against a team we should’ve beaten(to follow up the columbus episode)but it’s fine. this month has gone too well for me to really be upset about this.

    just need to come out stronger against the kings tomorrow, can’t look as lethargic.

12. It’s an often silly sport where good teams lose to bad teams *all the time*.

    Carolina will lose to shitty teams. Washington will lose to shitty teams. And heck knows, we will lose to shitty teams.

    We’ll be fine. We’ll be annoyed today. But we’ll be fine.

    We’ll be fine sooner if the bottom six does something though. That situation needs to change, they’re giving us bupkus.

13. Marky played great but got no help. Top 2 lines cant carry the offense every game. Team needs depth scoring and Haula should be on the 4th line at this rate. He doesn’t do shit. Cotter was solid, nico played like a good and I loved it. 

14. Penalties killed us tonight. Nico alone had 6 minutes whic his insane for him. Markstrom played great but damn the defense was sloppy .

15. I’m struggling to know what a “B” game looks like for this team. We’ll play “A” games and win comfortably, we’ll play “C” games (and worse) and even steal some of those even though we have no business doing so, just because we’re just that talented or Marky has stood tall for us.

    I think that’s why nights like this are frustrating. If we played a “B” game, tonight is a fairly easy win.

    Still very encouraged. The beauty of the playoffs is that all the bad teams are on the golf course so we won’t have to worry about “playing down”

16. That was a 23-24 ass loss. Played bad against a bad team, picked it up at the end, dashed your hopes with minutes remaining.

17. As far as I’m concerned the Devils didn’t play tonight. The only hockey game was USA thumping Canada

18. Absurd team defense covered up just how bad this team’s bottom six has been. Noesen was supposed to be part of the solution but him popping off (plus Mercer being bad) has kind of negated that.

    I’m sure Fitz will get us scoring help at the deadline. Just hope we don’t lose too many more of these beforehand

19. Just an uneven game with a porous, uncharacteristic defense tonight. Move on and get 2 points tomorrow.

20. Fuck that. I go to one game a year and they continue to play down to this bottom-feeder, Disney ass franchise.

21. The only thing sustainable about this team is the talent of the top 6 and the mostly consistent defensive effort.

    If Fitz doesn’t address the bottom 6 with trades, it’s all for naught. They aren’t getting by CAR/WSH with this bottom 6.

    Mercer not developing and Haula’s play dropping off has put them in a tough spot. You already have Jack/Bratt dragging Palat to respectability in the top 6. It’s razor thin.

22. I was at the game and to me it seemed like Ducks 100% deserved that win, pathetic showing after the first. Too many times Marky was hung to dry, bottom 6 still has issues with finishing grade a chances, too many shots at pads and chest. Also seeing the game at LA tomorrow and hoping for a win, so lets not make this a losing streak

23. Season is over, pack it up l, we’re done for. Brake it all down, fire keefe, fire fitz, time for a total rebuild.

24. Me rn

    https://preview.redd.it/48il0voo4bae1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ef0e7418361f12cba5d41a7bb74ab9cb87cde5

25. Not sure if I’m on board with keefe’s comments here:

    https://x.com/amandacstein/status/1874306407186784348?t=mWly7zVGALQAhw467wzhIA&s=19

    Did they play the best? No. Did they deserve all the blame so to speak? No

26. Genuinely feels like half their losses have been getting goalied. Not necessarily a good thing but not a bad thing either

27. Tatar signing was a mistake, MacDermid signing was a mistake, Fitz’s love affair with Bastian is a mistake. Need to shake up the bottom 6 with call-ups until trades are made.

28. You have to fix the fourth line. Keefe loves to run all four lines regardless how good or bad the fourth line he has is, which cost him a TON in Toronto. Our fourth line is AHL level at best, and it’s going to cost us dearly come playoff time unless things change.

29. Games like this happen. Vegas was up 2-0 on the Habs and loat 3-2 i believe. Shit happens. Come playoff time, every team is on equal ground

30. From Kristy Flannery ( InStiettos_NHL) on Twitter:

    As expected, #NJDevils  HC Sheldon Keefe was not happy when he spoke to reporters. Said the team has not found their game since returning from the holiday break.

31. The Devils just have to play better tomorrow.
    Aside from this loss, Luke played amazing.

    Need better play from Palat tomorrow.

32. First TIme Since October We Haven’t Banked Points Two Games in a Row:

    * yeah not the best way to end the year
    * especially when we clawed our way back into that game
    * and especially when Marky kept us in it for extended periods of time
    * we split the season series with the Ducks which honestly is fine.
    * better than last season when we couldn’t beat them at all!
    * I thought we had a really good first period, we absolutely dominated that period.
    * second period was definitely the Ducks period especially with all the penalties. we never really had a chance to get settled or get anything going. Ducks had all the momentum.
    * third period started out like it was gonna be all us, and even though we gave up the second goal, I thought it still looked like we had more of the momentum and more of the chances and then not only did we score but we tied it!
    * then it just felt like, the boys were skating for OT and the Ducks were skating for a regulation win and thats where we lost it.
    * we encountered a really good goalie. like I can’t even hate on Dosty. I really like his whole thing. just wish he hadn’t done that to us.
    * what do we need to address because of this game? gotta be way better about our penalty taking. granted, most of our penalties were by Nico Hischier who before this game had only had one penalty and we’re now half way through the season. I don’t reckon we’re gonna need to worry about Nico being in the box too much down the line
    * other things to address? I think the amount of odd man rushes we give away is definitely something we need to be better about.
    * will say I was really proud of Lazar/Bass this game. the fourth line shifts did not make me cringe as much as the third line shifts did. tho that might have been a matchup induced thing.
    * we’re gonna lose games. we’re gonna lose games annoyingly. please don’t let that erase the team that we’ve built.
    * you can tell theyre growing towards something. they’re not regressing. thats whats important. if this becomes a pattern of play then yes I can understand folks getting worried, but that is not the case at the moment.
    * plus you can’t ever count this team out. like they really did make it into a game in the third period. too bad we couldn’t finish it.

    start the new year our strong tomorrow and redeem yourself against the Kings, boys!

33. Sheldon rightfully lit them up, “worst 2 periods I’ve seen all year.” They’ll get their game back, but not a good showing tonight

34. I am sad

35. why did they take 4 penalties in one period?

36. for anyone wondering here’s the card for tonight’s game

    https://preview.redd.it/vwh3cy8babae1.png?width=868&format=png&auto=webp&s=4c4c189717417c62a154eefc93636be44ba75348

37. Having 3 4th line guys that are currently only providing vibes and no substance to 9 out of 10 games isn’t doing the team any favors.

    Not counting Lazar in that either. He hasn’t had the chance to get back into things yet.

38. Keefe is right.

    Devils are playing great before the break, but have not played well in the three games since the break.

    Devils beat the Canes in Newark, but really did not play as well as before the break. And the last two games? 5 bad periods, and one good period.

39. IT IS WEDNESDAY MY DUDES

40. Not to make excuses but a new years double header is fucking brutal, it feels like this team has so many more games earlier in the season overall, idk how much it affects the b’ys but I doubt it’s positive

41. It’s 2025, all I got to say for this year…. GIVE ME THE FUCKING CUP