D’accord, je n’ai rien… Alors, qu’est-ce que tu penses ? Oh, une chose. Je pense que Jesper Bratt et Simon Nemec ont été les meilleurs joueurs du match.
[Game Recap](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRb2kiqfOuQ)
[ESPN Game Cast](https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/401559717)
[NHL Game Center](https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/njd-vs-phi/2023/12/19/2023020487)
[Shift Chart](http://shiftchart.com/game/2023-12-19-flyers-devils)
[2023-24 Regular Season Schedule (December, all times EST)](https://www.nhl.com/devils/schedule/2023-12-01)
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Devil_Dane
3 Comments
We’re mistake prone. We seem out of sync and inconsistent.
I really can’t see us making the playoffs at this point. We can’t seem to win games that will get us caught up in the top 4 of our division.
Man September me thought it was such an exciting time to be a devils/jets fan
I do not mean the following to be a defense of Lindy. This is merely a response to the people upset with the return of Smith to the lineup.
Last year, Graves and Severson both killed penalties, about 3 1/2 minutes per game between them. And they were good at it. And the team was good as a result.
This year, the penalty kill has taken a massive step backwards. Marino and Siegs are still playing a lot, but are struggling noticeably on a regular basis. Bahl has been getting pk time, but has also been having a rough go of it. Brendan Smith has seen a significant increase in pk time, and has been the most effective penalty killer on the team this year. Nemec has looked solid and been getting more time, but I think they’re still easing him into things. Miller does not seem to have Lindy’s trust to kill penalties, and Luke doesn’t do it at all.
When Miller plays, it means significant pk time for Bahl. When Smith plays, it means they largely keep Bahl away from shorthanded play. It also means Siegs gets bumped to the second unit, which isn’t a bad thing with how he’s looked, and it also means a more effective partner for Marino. It’s as simple as that. The team is near the bottom of the league on the pk, so Lindy is dressing the dman most likely to help with that problem. Yes, Smith is a liability in nearly every other way. Yes, Smith takes a lot of penalties which just exacerbates the problem. I’m not saying he’s a great option, I’m saying he’s what we have. Whether you think it’s worth it to play Smith over Miller is up to you, and personally, I’m not thrilled with the decision. But there is *a* reason to make the move. And after giving up a lot of power play goals lately, including to a dreadful Blue Jackets team coached by Mark Recchi, the Devils killed all three penalties tonight, with Smith playing 3:22 out of those 6 minutes, and Bahl playing a single second.