Post-Game Talk: EDM 2 - NJD 1: Enough is enough, and it is time for a change.

[Blender]

A troubling aspect to me is also that the handful of players who consistently show effort like Wood are recent call-ups. Almost like motivation is drained out of players from prolonged contact with the coaching staff and/or the atmosphere in the locker room. Extremely disturbing and not an environment conducive to young players' development. I respect Wood for the energy and effort he brings on a regular basis, but it is a huge indictment on coaching and team culture that he is so often one of our best players. At least from my perspective.

It's very troubling, and the fact that the effort isn't being rewarded just makes it even worse. They need to send a message that sets the standard of the effort level they expect, and constantly rolling out the same lazy players for big minutes sends a message that they don't care about effort level.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Year two of a rebuild folks. We are a bad team get over it. We keep asking for coaches and GM's heads we will soon be Edmonton without the lottery picks.

Being in a rebuild does not mean you accept getting blown out and lackluster effort on a near nightly basis. It does not mean you accept a clueless coach just throwing **** at the wall hoping something sticks.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

It's very troubling, and the fact that the effort isn't being rewarded just makes it even worse. They need to send a message that sets the standard of the effort level they expect, and constantly rolling out the same lazy players for big minutes sends a message that they don't care about effort level.

Yep. When effort isn't rewarded and laziness is tolerated rather than punished, it only encourages a lack of motivation.

 

[Bleedred]

Some of you are really missing the point. We aren't asking for a trade or to fire Hynes because we think it will magically fix the team and make us a playoff contender, we're asking for that because the team's effort is ******* most nights and they seem to lack any sort of defensive system. It's time to move out one or two of the players that aren't putting in the proper effort before that attitude spreads and holds through the entire team, most importantly in our young guys.

Agreed.

He's LOST the room too. They don't play at all for this coach anymore, like they were last year and for the first 5 or 6 weeks of this year.

Keep him for the rest of the year if you want. We'll undoubtedly SMASH a team record for most shots against in a season. We'll smash that record all to pieces.

Team is so lost, even Hynes has lost himself at this point. With his usage of Kalinin (and even Gazdic in some of these games late) every 2 or 3 shifts in the final 5 or 6 minutes of regulation last night. As if he's actually some shutdown player.

 

[Emperoreddy]

They are already playing like they are just riding the string out.

That is unacceptable in January

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Sorry, but how does anyone here know that Hynes has "lost the room"?

 

[JimEIV]

Sorry, but how does anyone here know that Hynes has "lost the room"?

When you have the coach talking about "compete", "energy" and "effort" every game and when you have the GM calling out "effort"...I think assuming that the message isn't getting through is a reasonable assumption?

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

When you have the coach talking about "compete", "energy" and "effort" every game and when you have the GM calling out "effort"...I think assuming that the message isn't getting through is a reasonable assumption?

Yeah, at some point the proof is in the pudding. Whatever Hynes is saying or doing in the locker room and beyond it are quite obviously not working.

 

[217 Forever]

Yeah, at some point the proof is in the pudding. Whatever Hynes is saying or doing in the locker room and beyond it are quite obviously not working.

On the radio broadcast during the Toronto game they said that Hynes was fuming at one of the practices leading up to the game about the players lollygagging and what have you. It's abundantly clear on every level that they do not respect him at this point.

We can talk about trading the whole team and so forth but the coach has to go first. Doesn't mean this mess is all his fault but that's just the way it works. Then you work your way from there about what players stay or go.

 

[Wingman77]

On the radio broadcast during the Toronto game they said that Hynes was fuming at one of the practices leading up to the game about the players lollygagging and what have you. It's abundantly clear on every level that they do not respect him at this point.

We can talk about trading the whole team and so forth but the coach has to go first. Doesn't mean this mess is all his fault but that's just the way it works. Then you work your way from there about what players stay or go.

Lovejoy also made comments about this to AG;

And defenseman Ben Lovejoy is hoping the Devils’ team that played the last two games shows up tonight, not the one that practiced on Thursday at The Rock.

Coach John Hynes stopped Thursday’s practice at one point in the early portion and essentially called out his team for their less-than-intense habits in the practice session.

“We didn’t have a great practice,†Lovejoy said. “We were lackadaisical and we’re not a good team when we’re like that. We’re coming off two great games. We need 60-minute efforts. We’ve won four of seven and this is a danger for us. We need to come out and be at our bes.â€

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

On the radio broadcast during the Toronto game they said that Hynes was fuming at one of the practices leading up to the game about the players lollygagging and what have you. It's abundantly clear on every level that they do not respect him at this point.

We can talk about trading the whole team and so forth but the coach has to go first. Doesn't mean this mess is all his fault but that's just the way it works. Then you work your way from there about what players stay or go.

This paragraph is especially key. That's exactly how I'd like to see the Devils proceed from here: fire Hynes and make judgements about which players should continue to be around here.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Firing Hynes will do absolutely nothing. If our key players don't wake up on their own, that's the main issue, not the coach. Shero needs to identify the rotten apples and adjust accordingly.

If we fire Hynes, it'll just tell our players that their lack of effort and heart, will equal to someone else biting the bullet for their lack of effort. Accountability is the key here and several of our key players need to wake the **** up, PERIOD!

 

[Burner Account]

I just think firing Hynes - with the group he has to work with - makes this an (even more) unattractive destination for would-be coaches.

While I don't see it happening, I also recognize you can't fire 23 players.

 

[217 Forever]

Firing Hynes will do absolutely nothing. If our key players don't wake up on their own, that's the main issue, not the coach. Shero needs to identify the rotten apples and adjust accordingly.

If we fire Hynes, it'll just tell our players that their lack of effort and heart, will equal to someone else biting the bullet for their lack of effort. Accountability is the key here and several of our key players need to wake the **** up, PERIOD!

It's easy to say these kinds of things, and you're right to some degree. Of course every professional athlete should play with pride, etc. The problem is in reality things are often much different. Think about your own situation. If you work in a department of 10 people, and 8 or 9 of them are underperforming (by whatever measure is applicable), is it likely that the whole department will get fired, or will the department manager be looked at as faulty?

Can someone find me an instance where a team that completely regresses like this one has in all facets just somehow turns it around without major changes in the coaching staff?

The only benefit I can see to keeping Hynes, at least until say late March or early April is the "T" word that we are not allowed to say.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

I just think firing Hynes - with the group he has to work with - makes this an (even more) unattractive destination for would-be coaches.

While I don't see it happening, I also recognize you can't fire 23 players.

Cammalleri is probably the least engaged of any of our players when it comes to giving the second effort when winning board battles. As good a second he is offensively, he's a negative more often then not and I can't wait for him to be traded or on his way to Vegas.

We need players that will hustle on every shift, lead by example and motivate the rest of his linemates/teammates.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

It's easy to say these kinds of things, and you're right to some degree. Of course every professional athlete should play with pride, etc. The problem is in reality things are often much different. Think about your own situation. If you work in a department of 10 people, and 8 or 9 of them are underperforming (by whatever measure is applicable), is it likely that the whole department will get fired, or will the department manager be looked at as faulty?

Can someone find me an instance where a team that completely regresses like this one has in all facets just somehow turns it around without major changes in the coaching staff?

The only benefit I can see to keeping Hynes, at least until say late March or early April is the "T" word that we are not allowed to say.

I can agree with most of what you said.

If I'm Shero, I'm identifying our leaders from the rotten apples. I'm picking up the phone to see if a blockbuster or important trade can be done in order to shakeup the room. If nothing can be done in that regard, I'd stay status quo and see what's out there come summer time.

Hynes isn't the problem and I don't think you go from above average to below mediocre in a span of 12 months. Again, we have no leader and Greene or Zajac aren't "raw raw" guys that are going to be throwing stuff left and right like Stevens for example. Cammalleri can be a awesome leader when things are going his way but can be a real downer when things aren't. He had that same tag on him in Montreal and I'm seeing it in NJ this year.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Sorry, but how does anyone here know that Hynes has "lost the room"?

Pretty evident he has when the best players that are also the veterans are coasting around looking lost at times.

I just think firing Hynes - with the group he has to work with - makes this an (even more) unattractive destination for would-be coaches.

While I don't see it happening, I also recognize you can't fire 23 players.

Uh, Hynes chooses the lineup and plays the worst players entirely way too much and is making horrible decisions. The Edmonton game is the best example to use since it is the freshest moment in my mind of the many times he has shown is a clueless ****ing ******* of a coach that needs to go. Miles Wood was busting his ass all game and scored their only goal. He plays Kalinin entirely way too much that game, someone that was directly responsible for the tying goal happen with his holding onto the puck entirely way too long and turning it over because he was outmuscled on the boards. Cammelleri and Henrique were absolute ****. So what does he do in the OT? He has Cammelleri and Henrique on the ice at the same time when they have shown the least amount of effort of the top 6 guys recently. He also puts in Lovejoy who is a bottom pairing dman and has no offensive skills. He doesn't use Merrill, Severson or Santini over him or Quincey. All 3 are better skaters than those two and Merrill and Santini were having better games than both of them and also have some offensive skill, especially compared to Quincey and Lovejoy.

His strategy is non existent, his adjustments hurt the team and bring in less skill and have less skill on the ice over the actually skilled players. He rewards lollygagging veterans with more icetime while the rookies that are actually playing well don't see a lick of more icetime and seemingly are not rewarded. He has a terribly passive PK and the 29th ranked PP that looks as bad as any PP I have seen, and with the talent he has to put on it, he puts jackasses like DSP, Kalinin on it. It is evident he lost the room and is killing the morale of this team. He needs to go.

I am more worried about the team not being able to attract better talent because of a clueless **** coach than attracting coaches, something that is easier to find. You get better talent, the top coaching will come.

 

[Cheddabombs]

The reason I'd like to fire Hynes is that a) I don't really see the system he's trying to employ. Fast, attacking, supportive yet this team does none of those things (granted the first one is a personnel problem) and b) what resembles a system looks very ineffective and I think is the biggest problems with our team.

Just look at the structure we have in the defensive zone. It is hands down the most passive I've seen an NHL team play, ever. They play as if they're on the penalty kill with a box formation. In theory maybe it works, you keep the opposition to the outside and limit good chances in close. Yet in practice it is almost the opposite. The other team has so much time and space to work around the perimeter that eventually a seam opens up and it leads to a good scoring chance. Because our wingers are so passive and near the middle of the ice when we finally get a chance to break out and ring the puck around the boards our wingers are either not there or they're late to the battle and the defensemen keep it in. When the defensemen have the puck at the point our wingers stay back, they don't attack at all. It leads to shot attempts or shots on goal and because our defensemen have trouble clearing the crease our goalies are screened so heavily so shots that get through have a higher chance of beating our goalies or getting tipped in for a goal.

The offensive zone there are problems as well but I'd like to say that the problems are 50/50 in terms of blame being placed on personnel and coaching.

 

[Burner Account]

Pretty evident he has when the best players that are also the veterans are coasting around looking lost at times.



Uh, Hynes chooses the lineup and plays the worst players entirely way too much and is making horrible decisions. The Edmonton game is the best example to use since it is the freshest moment in my mind of the many times he has shown is a clueless ****ing ******* of a coach that needs to go. Miles Wood was busting his ass all game and scored their only goal. He plays Kalinin entirely way too much that game, someone that was directly responsible for the tying goal happen with his holding onto the puck entirely way too long and turning it over because he was outmuscled on the boards. Cammelleri and Henrique were absolute ****. So what does he do in the OT? He has Cammelleri and Henrique on the ice at the same time when they have shown the least amount of effort of the top 6 guys recently. He also puts in Lovejoy who is a bottom pairing dman and has no offensive skills. He doesn't use Merrill, Severson or Santini over him or Quincey. All 3 are better skaters than those two and Merrill and Santini were having better games than both of them and also have some offensive skill, especially compared to Quincey and Lovejoy.

His strategy is non existent, his adjustments hurt the team and bring in less skill and have less skill on the ice over the actually skilled players. He rewards lollygagging veterans with more icetime while the rookies that are actually playing well don't see a lick of more icetime and seemingly are not rewarded. He has a terribly passive PK and the 29th ranked PP that looks as bad as any PP I have seen, and with the talent he has to put on it, he puts jackasses like DSP, Kalinin on it. It is evident he lost the room and is killing the morale of this team. He needs to go.

I am more worried about the team not being able to attract better talent because of a clueless **** coach than attracting coaches, something that is easier to find. You get better talent, the top coaching will come.

Uh, Hynes has to choose from the players he is supplied with. I don't know if there is a coach on earth that could make this team look good. You can put every lineup or matchup decision under a microscope if you want, but in the bigger he has very little to work with.

Is playing Devante Smith Pelley against Connor McDavid in 3-on-3 going to make you feel better?

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Uh, Hynes has to choose from the players he is supplied with. I don't know if there is a coach on earth that could make this team look good.

Who forced Hynes to scratch Bennett in favor of Gazdic or Kalinin or DSP? who forced him to put in lovejoy in ot over merrill, santini or severson? who forced him to put coasting players like henrique and cammelleri in over zacha and wood?

No one did, that is all his doing. He is making horrible choices, but lets just ignore that and act like he isn't that one that is choosing to play certain players too much or rewarding certain players when they don't deserve it and not rewarding the ones that do deserve more ice time.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

kyle evs48;126615023

Is playing Devante Smith Pelley against Connor McDavid in 3-on-3 going to make you feel better?

Did you even read my post? My issue is he is playing DSP in the first place and scratching a more talented player like Bennett in favor of slow slugs like DSP Kalinin and Gazdic. My issue is he is rewarding players like Cammalleri and Henrique when they are coasting and playing like **** instead of playing rookies that have talent and or are busting their ***** like Wood and Zacha.