Post Game Thread: New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes – 22 Apr 2025

36 comments

1. This one stings because it felt like a chance to actually turn the series. Now I just can’t imagine winning 4 out of 5.

2. I liked the game they played. Timo getting more hate than he deserves, that was a bouncing puck that handcuffed him as well, really hard. Thought the 4th line looked pretty good. Thought nemec, after needing a shift or two to settle in, looked pretty good. We are hurt, we are low morale due to a shitty second half of the season. It (most almost definitely) isn’t our year. Once I accepted that, it’s been easier to swallow these games when I look at the potential for growth. Even just from game 1 to this game (similar to the rangers series), we look so much better. Keep growing boys.

   Fitzy, we need depth. Please. I said the 4th line looked decent today, and they did, but when 4 or 5 of our bottom 6 wouldn’t be out of place in the AHL, there’s a huge problem.

   Forwards I’d like to see still with us next year: hischier, hughes, bratt, cotter, glass, meier, gritsyuk, noesen.

   Try and dump palat, please make mercer a piece for a big trade to some team who hasn’t watched him the last year and a half, don’t resign any other UFAs (maybe one of Bastian or lazar, they are decent and good vibe guys)

   9 spots taken if you include one of Bastian or lazar. We need 3 great depth pieces. Actually, we ideally need 3 good middle or top 6 players (not realistic) so we can push people down the lineup.

   That’s pretty much all we need. Daws will be backup. D is good but I’d be down to dump dougie if possible and if we need the room for a big swing (or maybe quinn). Just need the solid depth, and better injury luck. Please.

   Sorry for the essay. Love you guys

3. Can’t deny the effort tonight, but it still just wasn’t good enough. It felt almost like divine intervention with how many open net chances we had just sitting there which we couldn’t finish. I know I shouldn’t give up just yet, especially since our last postseason trip saw two Game 3 bounce backs after 2-0 holes, but the way we’ve been playing I just don’t think we have the firepower to get us back in it. This sucks…

4. they’re dunking on haula again in the hockey sub. you’d think he killed all canes fans dogs

5. https://i.redd.it/j0tqvc53jhwe1.gif

6. We are in this very strange limbo where it’s like we are expected to be in win now mode but do not have the consistent playoff success pedigree to suggest that we are right on the cusp barring some slight roster tweaks. Like we haven’t had enough playoff success to suggest trading someone like Nemec to make the roster better elsewhere in my opinion. We can’t be Florida or Dallas or Colorado and dump prospects and picks like candy because we haven’t shown we are even remotely at that level. Injuries don’t help. But the Kovacevic extension and domoulin trade should be the end of fitz. Dudes a moron.

7. Hopefully they can swing the good momentum and be more consistent at home, hopes low but stealing a couple wins would do a lot for the overall vibe

8. I don’t care how – going 11/7 or shaking up the d-pairs again – but Casey needs to be in the lineup on Friday. Tell me who else can bring even the slightest amount of offense to the table. Leave the Haula / Mercer / Bratt line alone, they had the best looks outside of actually scoring. Put everything else in a Vitamix on the highest setting

9. Much Better Game, Tough Result:

   * the thing about this Canes team is that they just need a few minutes of the opposing team being asleep to completely take over
   * which is what we saw in the first seven or so minutes in the second period
   * thats where we lost the game
   * otherwise I thought we were in this game all the way
   * shooting more, testing Andersen more, spending more time in the o zone, and giving the Canes a hard time altogether
   * I was really impressed with their effort throughout the game
   * I was especially impressed given we didnt have Luke
   * speaking, minus a pretty precarious first shift, I thought Nemo was the better of the two substitutions this game and had a very good game.
   * I think this series drives home how badly we need a scoring winger and how badly we need to shore up our bottom six.
   * our bottom six just doesnt match up well with their bottom six
   * hopefully the home ice advantage and last change will work in our favor at home.
   * Im not feeling as dire as I was after game one. I’m actually feeling a little optimistic about it all.
   * like I think theres a lot about this game that they can feel good about, its just frustrating that we’re now down 2-0 and it took us two games to figure it out.
   * we’re in a hole now and getting out of it will be tough, but not impossible
   * this team needs Timo to start scoring and this team needs Palat to do fucking something. we need Mercer to get going as well. need someone not named Hischier or Bratt to do something. and we need Dougie Hamilton to Dougie Hamilton.
   * I understand why Keefe kept Cholowski’s minutes to under ten, but that is surely not a recipe for success. I understand why he got the call over Casey because hes an LHD, but he barely played and it put a lot of time pressure on everyone else especially the top four.

   I’m not feeling like the sky is falling just yet.

   But we desperately have a lot of work to do come the off season.

10. we need to do something about this puck allergy, the team has not been able to hold the puck – they choke every time they get it – and in that same turn they cannot pass it, get it from a pass, or shoot it in a meaningful way. it’s killing our chances by making incredibly bad turnovers and whiffing our shots and just not making impressive shots at all.

11. One good thing about the game today was that we were actually the way more physical team. If we could pull out the games in New Jersey hopefully Carolina would be the more wore down team as the series goes on

12. For all the doomers I promise you this is easier to watch if you temper expectations considering half our defensemen and Jack are out. Team played hard tonight and gave a good effort, just some shit puck luck and Andersen answered the bell when he had to.

13. Some of you weren’t around pre 2023 and it shows. Game 1 was bad but this game was not as painful as y’all are making it out to seem.

    Team is absolutely battered and played hard. Essentially they lost in a 5 min lapse

14. Yes we might finally be swept but at least we aren’t a Cup contender that gets swept in the conference finals year after year after year. We still have a ways to go to match Carolina on that one.

15. Last year the team was fast but had shit goaltending and defense, but could score willingly. This year Fitz took away team speed  and depth to get heavier and its seemed rough backfire (was an issue even before all the injuries)

16. Wake me the fuck up when this subreddit is ready to talk about Timo fuckin meier

17. When 2/3rds of your forward group can never be counted on to generate offense, that’s a problem. When you have an entire fourth line that shouldn’t touch NHL ice, that’s a problem.

    The utter and complete failure of this offense, if nothing else, is impossible for Fitz to ignore. There are at least 7 players in this lineup that should not be wearing the Devils jersey next season.

18. We got our dicks kicked in. They had like twice the amount of ozone time we did. Moneypuck has canes winning that game 80% of the time.

19. Devils fans suck, see some of you Friday I guess

    https://preview.redd.it/hvvypuiuphwe1.jpeg?width=1041&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e28d7e26448cbe80558655a725f938d9ad18012

20. The loss sucks, but at the end of the day I was super pleased with the team’s effort. Missing a bunch of key players and they took it to the Canes right up to the final horn.

    I also feel for Timo. I love what he brings to the team but he is having the worst puck luck this season.

21. I genuinely didn’t think we’d make it past the 1st round this time with injuries and no Jack Hughes anyways.

22. A fan in the Canes sub blamed all of us in NJ for Gaudreau’s death lol. 

23. after last game, we got that epic jim soundbite about quinn to distract ourselves. we better fucking get something tomorrow.

24. Ya wanna see hockey played right watch this Florida TB battle. Florida’s working them hard on the boards but now they’re up 4-1 – watch TB absolutely not go quietly into the night. The closer it gets to over the more you’re going to see Lightning players take runs at Panthers players because… that’s what wins playoff hockey series, or at least gives you a chance.

25. Pesce had a good game, as did Markstrom. I am hoping we can come back and win two. Don’t get swept!

26. If the refs would have called the headbutt (game misconduct), that’s a 5 min powerplay and no Burns. They fucked up that game hard.

27. Timo completely killed them, no two ways about it. Bratt was tremendous though.

28. I hope Glass is in the building supporting his teammates on Friday. And by Glass, I mean Jack Hughes.

29. Just get a win at home, Friday is do or die. Still a chance, not giving up hope just yet for this team.

    Hopefully Luke and Dillon are back. This series just feels like it would be so different with a healthy squad. Such a shame we’re down 3 defensemen and our best offensive player.

    Keefe is doing the best he can with this squad, can’t fault the effort. Bottom six just ain’t it

30. Didn’t play bad at all, just too many injuries and too many spectators in the lineup to be a playoff team.

31. A super encouraging loss. Actually believe we can hold serve at home and make this a series.

32. I’ll be honest I’m getting sick of Dougie Hamilton. Guy is 6’6”, doesn’t hit anyone, slow af, and CONSTANTLY giving up odd man rushes.

    He should not be QBing a PP anymore

33. So Im watching the game in a hockey bar called The Canuck on 23rd and 9th in NYC. Packed, mostly with Leafs fans but with enough Devils fans representing. A twenty something girl next to me wearing a Devils hat watching Timo miss the tip in the crease says “Youre fired!”. Yeah dude, youre fired. Ovie buries that sht. Heck JT Miller buries that sht. I dont know what you were in San Jose, but you’ve never lived up to that here.

34. Marked improvement from the boys, but not enough sadly. Marky and, especially, Pesce were great. Bratt looked more dangerous too.

    Win Game 3 and maybe the Canes start getting nervous!

35. Mercer played pretty well! I still can’t stand him and want him gone as soon as possible but can’t deny it tonight.

36. Also, just got a look at the save on Bastian late in the third … jesus christ you lucky fuck Anderson. He did not see that.

    Oh well