News Article: The Devils Are Due: The Sleeper Team For Next Season

[Devils Unseen Hand]

For the article, go here ---> http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2014-07-15/new-jersey-devils-nhl-offseason-metro-division-mike-cammelleri

Click to read more...

 

[Deleted member 28548]

For the article, go here ---> http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2014-07-15/new-jersey-devils-nhl-offseason-metro-division-mike-cammelleri

Agree with the Blue Jackets getting better, but I think the Penguins took a few steps backwards losing among others Neal, Jokinen, and Niskanen.

 

[Devils Unseen Hand]

Agree with the Blue Jackets getting better, but I think the Penguins took a few steps backwards lising among others Neal, Jokinen, and Niskanen.

Yeah, the Rangers did too.

The Islanders are starting to get "scary good" -- and although in our division, that team & fans have waited a l-o-n-g time for them to start looking like a team to reckon with on the ice. So, I'm happy for them.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Yeah, the Rangers did too.

The Islanders are starting to get "scary good" -- and although in our division, that team & fans have waited a l-o-n-g time for them to start looking like a team to reckon with on the ice. So, I'm happy for them.

I would slow down with the Islanders claim until they actually prove they can be a good team. Similar expectations were given to the Oilers and look at how their team plays.

 

[Deleted member 28548]

Keep reading a lot of shared opinions that the Islanders will continue to struggle this season in light of all the solid moves they made this offseason which I really disagree with. Believe they will be a tough team to play against much like the Blue Jackets. Really like a lot of their moves recently.

 

[Devils Unseen Hand]

I would slow down with the Islanders claim until they actually prove they can be a good team. Similar expectations were given to the Oilers and look at how their team plays.

The Oilers are run by lunatics. Snow seems to have a firm grasp on what to do with building this team.

They'll be in the playoffs next season, along with us.

 

[Devilsfan992]

The Oilers are run by lunatics. Snow seems to have a firm grasp on what to do with building this team.

They'll be in the playoffs next season, along with us.

I do think they should make the playoffs but you can't disregard their joke of a coach as well as a lack of any defensive system. Halak isn't that great and nobody knows if Johnson is legit or not.

Edit: Snow is a terrible GM

 

[Emperoreddy]

They finished the year with a sparkling 54.6 percent possession rate in score-close situations, becoming the first team in the analytics era (since 2007) to fail to make the playoffs despite controlling that large a percentage of shot attempts.

Hopefully now we can start putting those in the net.

 

[Bleedred]

People in 2010: "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"
People every year between 2010 and 2014: "This is when the Islanders will make the playoffs"

People in 2014: "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"

 

[glenwo2]

People in 2010: "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"
People every year between 2010 and 2014: "This is when the Islanders will make the playoffs"

People in 2014: "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"

And I have a feeling that in 2015, it will be : "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"

 

[Bleedred]

And I have a feeling that in 2015, it will be : "Islanders are on the verge of becoming a scary good team"

Yeah I'm thinking so too.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

The Islanders suck until proven otherwise

 

[NJDevs26]

The Islanders suck until proven otherwise

Pretty much. Although they are starting to get FA's to come a bit more now that they're inches away from moving out of the dump. Halak/Chad Johnson gives them better goaltending, fine. But they still don't have much on D. And they added Grabovski (fine) and Kulemin (overrated) but Grabovski only replaces Moulson/Vanek.

As far as the article itself, I couldn't help but laugh upon seeing this about our team:

They finished the year with a sparkling 54.6 percent possession rate in score-close situations, becoming the first team in the analytics era (since 2007) to fail to make the playoffs despite controlling that large a percentage of shot attempts.

Of course this is why 'I' don't trust the advanced stats yet. Cause I've seen it fail to matter for us time and again.

And I'm tired of hearing about the shootout being random, at least as it pertains to us. Sure, you could make the case 3-10 would be random. 0-13 isn't random, it's sympomatic of a disease mentally and talent-wise. They can't help but be better this year since we're not going to go 100 years without winning a shootout game again, but will it really jump to 6-7 this year? Or will it still be bad (2-11, 3-10)?

 

[manilaNJ]

I don't enjoy the fact that they actually have capable goaltending this season. I'll think they'll fight a little harder than usual. They're not good, but they're better. Capuano and that defense still have no idea what they're doing, though.

There's a huge bubble of mediocrity in the Metro, and then you can add Detroit in there as well to fight it out for the WC spots. Anything can happen so long as the East continues to suck this bad.

 

[MadDevil]

Depends on which version of Halak they get. If he can at least give them decent goaltending they could improve. And in this craptastic division anything is possible.

Or, what manila just said.

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah but Halak is one of the best goalies in the league. Remember that playoff run back in 2010 when he planted Carey Price's ass on the bench? He was also so good, St Louis dumped him for Ryan Miller.

Halak is probably the most overrated goalie in hockey. Yeah he's an upgrade over the skeleton of Eugene. A twin mattress is probably just as sufficient of a starting goaltender than a 40 year old Nabby.

Halak was also mediocre in St Louis for the year he played there before Hitch took over. Hitchcock also makes Brian Elliott look like a good goalie every other season.

 

[manilaNJ]

Or, what manila just said.

I think me, you and NJDevs just posted the same thoughts at the same time. Great minds, etc., of course/

Of course this is why 'I' don't trust the advanced stats yet. Cause I've seen it fail to matter for us time and again.

And I'm tired of hearing about the shootout being random, at least as it pertains to us. Sure, you could make the case 3-10 would be random. 0-13 isn't random, it's sympomatic of a disease mentally and talent-wise. They can't help but be better this year since we're not going to go 100 years without winning a shootout game again, but will it really jump to 6-7 this year? Or will it still be bad (2-11, 3-10)?

Not sure if you're interested, but I took a stab at answering why our record hasn't matched our stats here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=88186469&postcount=570

And it pretty much boils down this:

While we've been posting good possession numbers, we've also been coupling poor shooting percentages at one end with poor save percentages at the other. So it's not so much that we're defying percentages, so much as we're testing the limit of them.

 

[DirtyJerzey]

Yeah but Halak is one of the best goalies in the league. Remember that playoff run back in 2010 when he planted Carey Price's ass on the bench? He was also so good, St Louis dumped him for Ryan Miller.

Halak is probably the most overrated goalie in hockey. Yeah he's an upgrade over the skeleton of Eugene. A twin mattress is probably just as sufficient of a starting goaltender than a 40 year old Nabby.

Halak was also mediocre in St Louis for the year he played there before Hitch took over. Hitchcock also makes Brian Elliott look like a good goalie every other season.

well according to someone special in the other thread goal tending is irrelevant and not important

 

[Bleedred]

well according to someone special in the other thread goal tending is irrelevant and not important

While I don't agree with that theory at all, it might very well be true in regards to the Islanders. I don't think goaltending will help them much.

I could see the Islanders finishing ahead of the Hurricanes. Khudobin will keep Carolina in games, but I don't think management will grow a pair and stop playing the cremated remains of Cam Ward. They don't have the sack to bench him because of his hideous contract.

Halak was good with Washington, but it's only a 10 game sample size. Hitchcock has made St Louis goalies look like god. Remember how bad Brian Elliott was before going there? He actually looks good with St Louis every two seasons.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Pretty much. Although they are starting to get FA's to come a bit more now that they're inches away from moving out of the dump. Halak/Chad Johnson gives them better goaltending, fine. But they still don't have much on D. And they added Grabovski (fine) and Kulemin (overrated) but Grabovski only replaces Moulson/Vanek.

As far as the article itself, I couldn't help but laugh upon seeing this about our team:



Of course this is why 'I' don't trust the advanced stats yet. Cause I've seen it fail to matter for us time and again.

And I'm tired of hearing about the shootout being random, at least as it pertains to us. Sure, you could make the case 3-10 would be random. 0-13 isn't random, it's sympomatic of a disease mentally and talent-wise. They can't help but be better this year since we're not going to go 100 years without winning a shootout game again, but will it really jump to 6-7 this year? Or will it still be bad (2-11, 3-10)?

They overpaid for a 45 point center and a guy who hasn't scored more than 10 goals in a season since 2010. Outside of Tavares and Okposo, there forward group isn't better than ours. They still have a poor defense, even with Visnovsky healthy. There going to be in the basement again.

 

[MadDevil]

This division is kind of hard to predict since everybody is pretty mediocre. The Pens are still probably the favorites to win it (the regular season isn't their problem). The Rangers I think took a step back. The Flyers are the Flyers (throwing money at the defense while not really fixing anything). We got better, but still have a lot if question marks. The Jackets will probably be about the same as last year. The Caps, who knows. They spent a lot of money on defense, but they're still the Caps. The Isles and Canes are probably the bottom teams in the division, but they're not so much worse that it would be impossible for them to move up in the division a little. Honestly, I think the potential is there for any team in this division to make the playoffs. It wouldn't take much for anybody to have a disastrous year.

 

[Bleedred]

The Rangers look like the sleeper team to have a bad season. Lundqvist will probably get them by though.

The Flyers will likely be the same if they get the Steve Mason of last year. Could be worse if they get the Steve Mason from Columbus.

Blue Jackets could go either way. Another thing to screw us last year was our terrible season series against Columbus. They were the only team in the division that we lost the season series to. No doubt it helped them into the playoffs, and helped punch our ticket out of the playoffs.

 

[Devils Army]

Anyone one thinking we should trade for Halak? Then we can have Ryder, Halak, and a 2nd which could basically return us anyone we want in the entire league

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

The Rangers look like the sleeper team to have a bad season. Lundqvist will probably get them by though.

The Flyers will likely be the same if they get the Steve Mason of last year. Could be worse if they get the Steve Mason from Columbus.

Blue Jackets could go either way. Another thing to screw us last year was our terrible season series against Columbus. They were the only team in the division that we lost the season series to. No doubt it helped them into the playoffs, and helped punch our ticket out of the playoffs.

The Rangers have made the playoffs 8 out of the last 9 seasons, so you would think they would be due to miss at some point. If they get hit with a few key injuries, they could definitely crash and burn. There depth at the forward really isn't much better than ours.

 

[BenedictGomez]

That was a well thought out, reasonable, intelligent, and researched article.

I'm shocked.