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

[Killing Joke]

Three losses against a corpse Caps team, fitting

They’ve lost 18 points to the caps (3 losses), the flames, the yotes, the jackets, the Canadians, the ducks and the sharks.

 

[Killing Joke]

Lol ok guys. I mean all the core players are signed long term so you can tell them to pound sand if need be, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Jack, Nico, and co aren’t having conversations urging Fitz to trade for defensive help and a goalie.

Ultimately you can go either way and save assets for the future but all these players want to go for it this year.

Assets are also used to trade for better help. You don’t keep assets because people have a weird attachment to certain players. If this team can make trades to get help now and long term they should do it given the core is set up and locked in.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Assets are also used to trade for better help. You don’t keep assets because people have a weird attachment to certain players. If this team can make trades to get help now and long term they should do it given the core is set up and locked in.

Except you're forgetting the fact any in-season goalie trade reeks of desperation to the highest extent. In the summer, you'll have a multitude of teams having goalies on the block to lower the price. Boston has to make a decision with Ullmark/Swayman, Nashville has to make a decision with Saros/Askarov, Markstrom, Gibson, etc are all on gonna be on the block. Right now, who do you even have that you can make a trade for without getting absolutely ripped for? I'd trade Mercer+ for Swayman or Saros, Holtz or Casey are probably going in any Markstrom trade. It has nothing to do with hoarding prospects

 

[Satans Hockey]

These kinds of performances on top of a 9% increase for season tickets plus looking like playoffs aren't even remotely a sure thing is going to tank renewals and to be fair, they absolutely deserve it with the price increase they did.

 

[Rebel Devil]

Ruff with the ho-hum tough luck no energy post game.

I am sick of this loser.

He's like super old and has about as much fire as a snowman. He's not the answer .. hopefully he gets shown the door at seasons end if not before. Need a new voice in there and some some highly talented assistant coaches as well.

 

[NJ07102]

You sure can lose games, even to the Caps. But that way? By 4 goals in a game we NEEDED to have? To be honest, the one good thing is they now hopefully stay away from trading for a goalie at too high a price in a playoff race they will not win. Whether it's coaching or not: This is not a playoff team and they haven't played like one at any point of the season.

They have never got real traction, even after good wins they were having horrific stinkers again and again. Something is broken and just getting a Markstom or Saros won't fix that. Fitz should stay calm, keep his assets and mark this season as a lost one. Get a new coach in the summer, try to get a goalie somehow.

 

[palek1019]

I think knowing the full injury story would help contextualize the season. There's obviously Timo and Jack, but Haula's probably been dealing with something. Feels like he has been since the start of the season. We'll probably know more end of the season. Though that's not the only reason the season has gone the way it has. Defense getting more inexperienced with regression from the vets/probably playing above where they should be. Goalies imploding. And coaching not adapting to what's going on until it was too late. I don't feel confident about playoffs or them making a dent if they squeak in. They have the potential but just too many things have gone wrong. I've accepted it for this season. Helps cope with losses like this one lol.

 

[Bleedred]

This is the end of the season.

They can come and beat the Rangers, only to lose to shit hole Montreal at home again on Saturday.

We need so much help now and even if we get it? There’s always another shit team around the corner that we’ll squander points to.

I’m looking forward to next year. The deadweight will be cleared.

Just like Subban said. There’ll be changed.

I really hope Toffoli is sent outta here at the deadline. He had a good run here, but we’ll regret keeping him long term.

I never really wanted him here long term after this season.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Assets are also used to trade for better help. You don’t keep assets because people have a weird attachment to certain players. If this team can make trades to get help now and long term they should do it given the core is set up and locked in.

The thing is long term. People want to make moves that are ridiculously short sighted a might only help us this year. That's worse than doing nothing, especially at this point when the season is lost.

The best thing for this team long term is honestly to stay pat or sell high on Toffoli and fire the coaching staff. While I don't think they are great, I think our goalies can be good enough in a system that doesn't promote leaving guys wide open in the slot over and over. Even with the "system change", Daws is still having to play like one of the best goalies in the league for this team to have a chance.

 

[Clam Jensen]

They pulled me back in completely Saturday. Very much looking forward to exorcising some Cap demons again.

And just like that, I’m back out

 

[NJDevs26]

And just like that, I’m back out

I didn’t even buy back in after Saturday, I made that mistake once this week already (before last Thursday)

 

[Call Me Al]

yeah i bought back in after the last week of steady play but watching the same old song and dance while every other team gained ground was a good reality check

 

[Clam Jensen]

I didn’t even buy back in after Saturday, I made that mistake once this week already (before last Thursday)

Yea I can only be burned and given false hope so many times. It’s troubling when we can see the issues, but the team apparently is blind to them.

 

[JimEIV]

All of those points are fair. But I am not sure blaming Ruff is appropriate.

It's more like an effect of dealing with a bad situation.

Defense sucks and they don't want Jack down low and want to free him from the D responsibilities. Losing a 60% faceoff center is probably also weighing on their mind leading to the decision.

To many Right wingers for Timo....can't get Holtz and Mercer any time if Timo is taking a RW spot.

Marino out was going to forc someone to play their off side with Siegenthalers return. Makes perfect sense that it should've been the most veteran D on the roster on the 3rd pair.

I can't blame Ruff for improvising with the roster... it's more of the hand he was dealt than poor coaching. The roster has too many holes and it's made 20x worse by injuries and inexperience.

That's not say I think Lindy is the path forward...just this shit show is more personnel and lack thereof than coaching in my opinion.

 

[Call Me Al]

All of those points are fair. But I am not sure blaming Ruff is appropriate.

It's more like an effect of dealing with a bad situation.

Defense sucks and they don't want Jack down low and want to free him from the D responsibilities. Losing a 60% faceoff center is probably also weighing on their mind leading to the decision.

To many Right wingers Timo....can't get Holtz and Mercer any time if Timo is taking a RW spot.

Marino out was going to forced someone to play their off side with Siegenthalers return. Makes perfect sense that it should've been the most veteran D on the roster on the 3rd pair.

I can't blame Ruff for improvising with the roster... it's more of the hand he was dealt than poor coaching. The roster has too many holes and it's made 20x worse by injuries and inexperience.

That's not say I think Lindy is the path forward...just this shit show is more personnel and lack thereof than coaching in my opinion.

i think it’s both. lindy could have a better roster, but he’s absolutely not making the most of this team.

as a lou guy you should be fully appreciative of the concept of maximizing the talent and capabilities and having a strong unit and team identity. this team is not more than the sum of their parts. i’m not sure it even is the sum of its parts to be honest

 

[Better Call Sal]

The Luke-Smith pairing was a disaster last night. That experiment needs to end immediately.

You gotta love me saying that Smith needs to play due to his PK value and we don’t take a penalty until the final 2 minutes of the game. It be’s like that sometimes.

 

[JimEIV]

i think it’s both. lindy could have a better roster, but he’s absolutely not making the most of this team.

as a lou guy you should be fully appreciative of the concept of maximizing the talent and capabilities and having a strong unit and team identity. this team is not more than the sum of their parts. i’m not sure it even is the sum of its parts to be honest

We don't have a strong team identity.

The team is largely built for individual efforts through speed and skill. When that was costing too many goals against due to those roster holes we tried to abandon it for a more structured approach?

Where's the identity? It's a 180.

 

[Call Me Al]

We don't have a strong team identity.

The team is largely built for individual efforts through speed and skill. When that was costing too many goals against due to those roster holes we tried to abandon it for a more structured approach?

Where's the identity? It's a 180.

it’s a coach’s job to help the team play to a certain identity. if players are trying to do everything through individual efforts the coach should be trying to change that and force better decision making in practice and with discipline.

honestly the only identity i want to see from this team is always working hard and every single player being held accountable to the same standards. that’s not what im seeing

 

[JimEIV]

it’s a coach’s job to help the team play to a certain identity.

honestly the only identity i want to see from this team is always working hard and every single player being held accountable to the same standards. that’s not what im seeing

It's a GM's job to build the identity.

And when you let your veteran D walk go with young uber talented D and invest everything in your forwards...

the coach tried to play to that identity and people yelled why didn't he change the system sooner. it's bipolar.

 

[Call Me Al]

It's a GM's job to build the identity.

And when you let your veteran D walk go with young uber talented D and invest everything in your forwards...

the coach tried to play to that identity and people yelled why didn't he change the system sooner. it's bipolar.

i don’t agree with you that this team doesn’t have the right pieces to be better than they are so i’ll just leave it at that

 

[JimEIV]

i don’t agree with you that this team doesn’t have the right pieces to be better than they are so i’ll just leave it at that

I am the exact opposite...I don't know how anyone thought this could work.

How are you going to be successful when 50% of the Defense started the season with a total of 68 games of NHL experience? And the emergency contingency is Miller and Smith? That's a joke.

This was a bad decision from the beginning....and I just can't blame Ruff for it.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I am the exact opposite...I don't know how anyone thought this could work.

How are you going to be successful when 50% of the Defense started the season with a total of 68 games of NHL experience? And the emergency contingency is Miller and Smith? That's a joke.

This was a bad decision from the beginning....and I just can't blame Ruff for it.

The defense that started the year was Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Bahl, Marino, Luke, Smith, with Miller scratched. I don’t see the problem? Was Luke supposed to not play? Nemec wasn’t even here and he’s our best defenseman.

 

[JimEIV]

The defense that started the year was Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Bahl, Marino, Luke, Smith, with Miller scratched. I don’t see the problem? Was Luke supposed to not play? Nemec wasn’t even here and he’s our best defenseman.

Nemec was never going to play and we anticipated zero injuries?

Come on.

Fix the engine with bubblegum and crazy glue and say "it was working an hour ago."

 

[glenwo2]

This is the end of the season.

They can come and beat the Rangers, only to lose to shit hole Montreal at home again on Saturday.

We need so much help now and even if we get it? There’s always another shit team around the corner that we’ll squander points to.

I’m looking forward to next year. The deadweight will be cleared.

Just like Subban said. There’ll be changed.

I really hope Toffoli is sent outta here at the deadline. He had a good run here, but we’ll regret keeping him long term.

I never really wanted him here long term after this season.

I just hope they send him out of conference.

I don't care to help ANYONE in the Eastern Conference benefit from his scoring. F them.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I hate to say it, but it looks like it’s over regarding the playoffs. I really thought they were going on a run. There’s still a possibility but doubt it. It’s probably time to follow the draft. Injuries, underperforming players and goaltending killed us. Coaching or GM change coming, maybe.