GDT: Pre-Season #6 | New Jersey Devils @ New York Islanders | Brocktober 6th | 7:00 PM | F/3-0 L

[Lame Lambert]

Isn't ignoring the fact that it's a pre-season game ignoring part of the context?

I don't think anyone would suggest losing to the Devils B squad during pre-season is an indicator of a successful season but I do think putting too much stock into pre-season games is a mistake.

I've often said it takes around ten games for teams to settle in and expect that to continue to be true. The pre-season is a very different animal for veterans and B squads. Veterans can phone it in to a degree, especially when the game starts to slip away from them. That's not an excuse and I'm not saying that is exactly what happened, it's just a reality of the pre-season sometimes and we should be aware of that. Why expend tons of energy and effort for a game that is meaningless?

There are fans who are unhappy with the off-season and I get that, I'm not thrilled with what was done (or wasn't done) but this team is better on paper to start the year than the team that started last year. We'll see if it's enough to improve on A) the regular season and B) the playoffs, if we get there. The cap is finally going to rise and this is Lamoriello's final chance to show an improvement for me.

I never said this game should be treated as a regular season game. For 2 seasons we’ve watched this same group of players with 2 different coaches. They can’t score, they give up way too many high danger chances, and they are utterly incompetent on the PP. Now we’re going on year 3 and we see a team that can’t score, gives up a ton of chances, and is incompetent on the PP.

The fact that it’s preseason is irrelevant; this group has largely remained the same for the past 5 years and does not need to “work out the kinks”. Any optimism surrounding the team at this point is rooted in impaired pattern recognition or delusion.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Yeah, you can close your eyes and ignore context as much as you want. Ignorance is bliss.

There's no ignoring... the context is the regular season hasn't started yet. How can you have the nerve to accuse me of ignoring a fact?

 

[LeapOnOver]

I never said this game should be treated as a regular season game. For 2 seasons we’ve watched this same group of players with 2 different coaches. They can’t score, they give up way too many high danger chances, and they are utterly incompetent on the PP. Now we’re going on year 3 and we see a team that can’t score, gives up a ton of chances, and is incompetent on the PP.

The fact that it’s preseason is irrelevant; this group has largely remained the same for the past 5 years and does not need to “work out the kinks”. Any optimism surrounding the team at this point is rooted in impaired pattern recognition or delusion.

This post should have started with, "You are right, the poster isn't ignoring context. I'm just angry that they don't share my doom and gloom outlook, because if they did it would validate my own feelings and make me feel better about myself. Sorry for that. "

Then I'd continue reading your opinion.

 

[PK Cronin]

I never said this game should be treated as a regular season game. For 2 seasons we’ve watched this same group of players with 2 different coaches. They can’t score, they give up way too many high danger chances, and they are utterly incompetent on the PP. Now we’re going on year 3 and we see a team that can’t score, gives up a ton of chances, and is incompetent on the PP.

The fact that it’s preseason is irrelevant; this group has largely remained the same for the past 5 years and does not need to “work out the kinks”. Any optimism surrounding the team at this point is rooted in impaired pattern recognition or delusion.

You're assuming that they'll be the same this season as they have been. We'll see.

I tend to agree with you but there's no sense in proclaiming it's a certainty at this point. A full season of Horvat and Engvall should make a difference. Can the PP be as bad or worse as last year? I'm hopeful it was so dreadful that it'll have to be better just because it's hard to be that bad for so long. Time will tell, and if (or when) they start to do those same things that's when we should be upset. Not during pre-season games.

 

[MJF]

You're assuming that they'll be the same this season as they have been. We'll see.

If the team is different from the team that starts the season on the Island, it will almost certainly be because they are in danger of missing the playoffs again.

 

[The Real JT]

I’m puzzled by the consensus that this year’s lineup is clearly better than last year’s.

Horvat is a big plus we’ll all agree. Is that enough? I’m not sold on Engvall being much of an upgrade over Beau.

Meanwhile we’ve lost Parise and Father Time has gotten the better of the fourth line. I’ll add that Lee, Nelson, JGP, Palmieri, Mayfield and Varly are all candidates for a potential age related decline. Not all of them of course, but it’s naive to expect the collective group of them to produce at their peak prior levels.

I didn’t mention our lack of quality depth. This team is one major injury away from being a realistic also ran for a playoff spot.

 

[Zeeker]

Horvat is a big plus we’ll all agree.

Will we? I’d like to see evidence of him being an actual impact player before I arrive at that conclusion.

Not sure how much more of the “but he’s so good at faceoffs” rhetoric I can take.