GDT: Devils @ Capitals - 7:00 PM - MSGSN2

[PizzaAndPucks]

He’s been absolutely awful. And I can’t stand the constant slapping his stick on the ice calling for the puck like he’s going to do something great and then makes a bad pass or shoots it straight in the crest.
He is completely ineffective lately and it’s incredibly frustrating

And it's a big reason why they are losing. That and the powerplay not being able to come up with a timely goal to help them take a lead or tie a game. Of course they also gave up the first goal yet again 30 seconds into the game.

Fitzgerald needs to just let the team ride the season out, the possibility of moving Toffoli will be there. I'd still keep him on a short term deal if possible but I see some other team giving him a 4 year deal or so and I'm not for that at all. The hope is Holtz fills in next year in the top 6 all season.

 

[glenwo2]

This drives me nuts. They pass up a slot shot but a wide angled shot which the goalie will get 85% of the time just by naturally being in the right positioning/angling.

The constant back pass instead of driving hard to the net, also. At some point mercer figured out he was good going to the net. But then he stopped that move.

Jack, Bratt, Nico in that order are guilty of constantly doing this crap. Nico had some visible ones most recently last bunch of games.

Constantly looking for the perfect pass and shot attempt.

Never just shooting the f*cking puck and looking for f*cking rebounds like any normal f*cking team.

 

[Triumph]

The Devils have the 2nd most shots on goal per game since February. I don't think passing up shots is their problem.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Charlie Lindgren is having a great year for Washington and you can see why after last night's game. He's putting up very respectable numbers playing behind a very mediocre team. I'm suprised he isn't involved in trade rumors. He's already 30 years old so the Caps I'm sure woul look into dealing him.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I probably hate Lindy the most out of anyone on this board but there's one thing I'll put on the players is that there's been 8-9 games this year against bad teams we're they've simply decided not to show up, coaching can rile you up so much to be ready but we've seen this team cave elite teams and then lose to shit ones. It's been a theme under Ruff but eventually you think these players would wake up and not allow it

 

[JimEIV]

Ok fair point ...All this aside the team does not come out to play game in game out all year...Who is that on? Do you think Ruff can come back and turn that around?

I don't particularly like Ruff and I definitely don't think going forward he's the guy who will bring this team to the next level

But at the same time it really does feel like "coaching" is a convenient distraction to avoid looking at all the holes this team has.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I don't particularly like Ruff and I definitely don't think going forward he's the guy who will bring this team to the next level

But at the same time it really does feel like "coaching" is a convenient distraction to avoid looking at all the holes this team has.

Fair point

 

[SansaStark]

And it's a big reason why they are losing. That and the powerplay not being able to come up with a timely goal to help them take a lead or tie a game. Of course they also gave up the first goal yet again 30 seconds into the game.

Fitzgerald needs to just let the team ride the season out, the possibility of moving Toffoli will be there. I'd still keep him on a short term deal if possible but I see some other team giving him a 4 year deal or so and I'm not for that at all. The hope is Holtz fills in next year in the top 6 all season.

Move Toff now. There’s no reason to extend him in my view. The assets we’d get back are worth more than him being here next year, slightly slowed down even further. This core is not quite right. And the team needs more pieces than just a goalie. We don’t score enough for our supposed “talent”. They can’t bury chances, and seemingly Bratt and Nico are the only ones who can get any sustained 5v5 offense. That is my biggest gripe right now. I already knew the D was gonna be struggling and the goalies have always been unreliable.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't particularly like Ruff and I definitely don't think going forward he's the guy who will bring this team to the next level

But at the same time it really does feel like "coaching" is a convenient distraction to avoid looking at all the holes this team has.

The team has holes, yes. The coach is one of them. It's not an excuse, it's just part of the ongoing issues. And coaching is the easiest thing to change. You might as well try it. Edmonton has holes too. Look what happened there. Good coaching helps mitigate the holes by putting the players that are there is places where they can succeed. And it adjusts it's style to to the style of the players it has. It doesn't keep trying to jam a square peg in a round hole.

I don't think it's fair to dismiss coaching as an excuse. It ultimately lies with the players, sure. They found a way to win in spite of Ruff last year. They have not this year.

 

[JimEIV]

The team has holes, yes. The coach is one of them. It's not an excuse, it's just part of the ongoing issues. And coaching is the easiest thing to change. You might as well try it. Edmonton has holes too. Look what happened there. Good coaching helps mitigate the holes by putting the players that are there is places where they can succeed. And it adjusts it's style to to the style of the players it has. It doesn't keep trying to jam a square peg in a round hole.

I don't think it's fair to dismiss coaching as an excuse. It ultimately lies with the players, sure. They found a way to win in spite of Ruff last year. They have not this year.

They had the best defense the organization has had since 2004 last year.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

They did. And I still believe that was accomplished in spite of Ruff, not because of Ruff. Or maybe he just finally had just the right horses to play his galaxy brained system. But he has shown time and time again over multiple seasons that he is unable to adjust in any way to suit the games of the players he has. And not just here. He has a track record of this with at least two other teams in Buffalo and Dallas.

 

[forceten]

The Devils have the 2nd most shots on goal per game since February. I don't think passing up shots is their problem.

All shots are not created equal. There are shots in deep that they pass up, inside the dots, where they try to pass through 1-2 defenders. That almost never works. Shoot, and rebounds often DO work. Shots from the point or the side boards are great and I'm happy we're shooting more in general, but at the Carolina game I was on the glass (tickets given to me for free WOOO) and saw them make no fewer than 6-8 of those right in front of me. All of them were at least partially deflected by a defender standing in the middle.

 

[HughesCorporation]

Honestly, the thing that concerns me the most defensively about this team are the low-percentage shot and pass choices in the offensive zone that lead to scoring chances the other way.

yup, dougie has an uncanny ability to get his shot through.. luke not so much

 

[Bleedred]

f*** Dallas

They've f***in lost on the road to all of the Islanders, Flyers and now the Rangers. Of course they make us look like an AHL team when they come into our building.

And shitty Wedgewood has played all of those games. Some cause Oettinger was injured. They had to start Wedgewood who gave up two f***in piss poor goals to lose the game to the Rangers last night.

 

[Patrik26]

You’d expect the highest paid offensive player on the team to give us some positive contributions playing through an injury that didn’t require surgery or that long of a time on the shelf

I'm not buying it. I believe both Jack and the organization realize surgery basically ends any playoff hope so they opted for some down time instead. How's that working out? Get it done now (if it IS a surgical need) so that he's ready for next season instead of waiting until seasons end and then the "hopes to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season" spiel.

 

[Play]

The crypto guy keeps spreading propaganda about Devils

 

[FascinationStreet]

I'm not buying it. I believe both Jack and the organization realize surgery basically ends any playoff hope so they opted for some down time instead. How's that working out? Get it done now (if it IS a surgical need) so that he's ready for next season instead of waiting until seasons end and then the "hopes to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season" spiel.

If Fitz & co knowingly jeopardized next season for some misguided attempt a playoff spot after watching what was the first 30ish games of this season then they are even dumber than I ever imagined. This year's team simply just does not have it.

 

[njdevils1982]

The crypto guy keeps spreading propaganda about Devils

is that some guy on the main board?

 

[Play]

is that some guy on the main board?

Yeah, he’s a big Devils and Islanders hater

 

[njdevils1982]

Yeah, he’s a big Devils and Islanders hater

thought you were referring to him....he's also a massive f***ing tool and not just because he hates the devs and isles