GDT: #13 - Devils at Blues 8pm NHL network - Emergency GDT

[Chessarmy]

if only Zajac had a touch for scoring we could have had our moral victory.

if only Karen Gillan was my wife, I think there is probably more of a chance of that happening than Zajac putting the puck in the net in a key situation.

 

[Oneiro]

I liked how our two Swedes played for the most part.

When he was drafted, we were all thinking that Josefson was a top 6 guy. I believe that, if he's surrounded by smart physical wingers (Matteau, someone else maybe?) he can be.

 

[captainscott]

I'm only using it for this past game. I'm not claiming there are no problems, but reading the comments it seems as if people are freaking out more now than after other games so far this season. Just the wrong game to freak out after imo. I don't think anyone was expecting any points going into this game.

Please missing Ryan clowe was an unwanted advantage he can't play in this league anymore. For many reasons

 

[vtdevils2k]

how long we gonna be using this excuse for exactly?

Couldn't agree more. Yes injuries are piling up, but the roster is flawed and dependent on a 42 year old Jagr, a 38(?) year old Elias, Zajac who can't score for nothing, and you have Zubrus as a top 6 player..

Lou is at fault. I think Deboer is stubborn, but Lou is to blame for some of the TERRIBLE contracts he gave out. Clowe being one of the worst he's ever given...hopefully we can "get out of it" via LTIR

When Jagr, Zubrus, Elias, Brunner, Ryder, are gone offensively within the next year or 2, who's supposed to pick up the slack?

Very frustrating.

 

[Tundra]

Couldn't agree more. Yes injuries are piling up, but the roster is flawed and dependent on a 42 year old Jagr, a 38(?) year old Elias, Zajac who can't score for nothing, and you have Zubrus as a top 6 player..

Lou is at fault. I think Deboer is stubborn, but Lou is to blame for some of the TERRIBLE contracts he gave out. Clowe being one of the worst he's ever given...hopefully we can "get out of it" via LTIR

When Jagr, Zubrus, Elias, Brunner, Ryder, are gone offensively within the next year or 2, who's supposed to pick up the slack?

Very frustrating.

Spot on. The last 5 games I honestly feel empathy for DeBoer. There can be no escape with this roster.

 

[DenisSamson3]

Jagr saw the problems tonight and Tuesday night against the Blues as a continuation of what the Devils were able to overcome in their comeback wins last week over Winnipeg (2-1 in a shootout) and Columbus (3-2). The difference is the Blues are a much better team than Winnipeg and Columbus, making the margin for error a lot smaller.

“It’s not about the last two games,” Jagr said. “We were winning some games, but we played the same way. I was talking about it even though we were winning. That’s what it is. Probably we didn’t learn enough.”

The unlearned lesson starts with the Devils coming out of their zone cleanly, which they rarely were able to do against the Blues, who are as good as any team in the league at creating neutral zone turnovers and capitalizing on them.

“I don’t think we played bad,” Jagr said. “Once again, I don’t want to repeat myself, but we make it too hard on ourselves. We don’t make good breakouts and we’re chasing the puck all the time, so you’re losing energy for nothing. I don’t want to say the same thing again and again and again. We don’t make a first good pass. So, we get the puck, we give it to them and we have to chase it back again. We’re spending so much energy for nothing.”

“We don’t make the right plays to get in good position from our zone,” Jagr continued. “We never go clear from our zone to make some kind of rush and go five against five. We always bank it off the boards and go chase it and forecheck. We never have good position. Unless we fix that, the game is going to be harder and harder.”

 

[Japam]

Is there any "official" update on Clowe? Did anyone even see what it was exactly that put him out, or did he just jump over the boards a little too hard and get a concussion?

edit: never mind. saw it in the other thread. yikes. i liked him a lot when he played last year. i guess it's clear to see that he was terrible this year because he knew something so minor would end his career. sad

 

[Bologna 1]

Couldn't agree more. Yes injuries are piling up, but the roster is flawed and dependent on a 42 year old Jagr, a 38(?) year old Elias, Zajac who can't score for nothing, and you have Zubrus as a top 6 player..

Lou is at fault. I think Deboer is stubborn, but Lou is to blame for some of the TERRIBLE contracts he gave out. Clowe being one of the worst he's ever given...hopefully we can "get out of it" via LTIR

When Jagr, Zubrus, Elias, Brunner, Ryder, are gone offensively within the next year or 2, who's supposed to pick up the slack?

Very frustrating.

yep, that right there is the biggest thing. nothing in the pipeline, which will prolly lead to the continuation of lou trying to use UFA, which is 100% the wrong way to do it.

 

[Czech Trio]

Jagr saw the problems tonight and Tuesday night against the Blues as a continuation of what the Devils were able to overcome in their comeback wins last week over Winnipeg (2-1 in a shootout) and Columbus (3-2). The difference is the Blues are a much better team than Winnipeg and Columbus, making the margin for error a lot smaller.

“It’s not about the last two games,†Jagr said. “We were winning some games, but we played the same way. I was talking about it even though we were winning. That’s what it is. Probably we didn’t learn enough.â€

The unlearned lesson starts with the Devils coming out of their zone cleanly, which they rarely were able to do against the Blues, who are as good as any team in the league at creating neutral zone turnovers and capitalizing on them.

“I don’t think we played bad,†Jagr said. “Once again, I don’t want to repeat myself, but we make it too hard on ourselves. We don’t make good breakouts and we’re chasing the puck all the time, so you’re losing energy for nothing. I don’t want to say the same thing again and again and again. We don’t make a first good pass. So, we get the puck, we give it to them and we have to chase it back again. We’re spending so much energy for nothing.â€

“We don’t make the right plays to get in good position from our zone,†Jagr continued. “We never go clear from our zone to make some kind of rush and go five against five. We always bank it off the boards and go chase it and forecheck. We never have good position. Unless we fix that, the game is going to b harder and harder.â€

Jagr would be a good coach.

 

[DenisSamson3]

yep, that right there is the biggest thing.

"When Jagr, Zubrus, Elias, Brunner, Ryder, are gone offensively within the next year or 2, who's supposed to pick up the slack?"

Zubrus doesn't contribute offensively. Not much slack to pick up.

 

[glenwo2]

Scoring 3 when opposing team already thought they had it in the bag doesnt make amends to failing go score for the past 118min. Devils got owned the way an AHL team should get pwned by an nhl team. Inexcusable. Aiming for playoffs would be a moronic strategy in the long haul.

How is it moronic?

If a team wants a SHOT at the Cup, they have to make the playoffs first. It's that simple.

Not saying that this team is a cup-contender(because it isn't) but the goal every year of every team is to attempt to win the Cup and to do that, they have to get into the Postseason.

Otherwise, what strategy that isn't "moronic" would you suggest the Devils use?

And don't suggest "tanking" because that's not the Devils way of doing things. Never has been and never will be.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

How is it moronic?

If a team wants a SHOT at the Cup, they have to make the playoffs first. It's that simple.

Not saying that this team is a cup-contender(because it isn't) but the goal every year of every team is to attempt to win the Cup and to do that, they have to get into the Postseason.

Otherwise, what strategy that isn't "moronic" would you suggest the Devils use?

And don't suggest "tanking" because that's not the Devils way of doing things. Never has been and never will be.

Taking the drafting system into consideration, it is just not smart to try to make playoffs every 3rd year. Not saying we should tank per say, saying we shouldnt push it for the 8th seed.

 

[Tundra]

How is it moronic?

If a team wants a SHOT at the Cup, they have to make the playoffs first. It's that simple.

Not saying that this team is a cup-contender(because it isn't) but the goal every year of every team is to attempt to win the Cup and to do that, they have to get into the Postseason.

Otherwise, what strategy that isn't "moronic" would you suggest the Devils use?

And don't suggest "tanking" because that's not the Devils way of doing things. Never has been and never will be.

It's pretty moronic and dishonest to boot. If I had to guess, Lou was under the gun to justify the ticket pricing structure, so in turn he goes nuts in UFA with this host of has-beens. Anyone with two good eyes can see that is nowhere close to being a playoff team and that includes Schneider being chained to the crease for the entire schedule.

 

[glenwo2]

It's pretty moronic and dishonest to boot. If I had to guess, Lou was under the gun to justify the ticket pricing structure, so in turn he goes nuts in UFA with this host of has-beens. Anyone with two good eyes can see that is nowhere close to being a playoff team and that includes Schneider being chained to the crease for the entire schedule.

I'm not so sure that Lou was being pressured because of ticket sales.

I think Lou has always desired, IMO, the Devils to be playoff regulars year after year. That's why he tries with these bandaids or what-have-you in order to get in.

I believe that when Kovy/Zach left, he then became desperate when the Devils were no longer a playoff-regular and wanted to do whatever it took to get back to that level, hence the hodgepodge of deals(some of them ill-fated) he made.

Personally, I would rather have another GM take over for Lou(who would remain Devils President) who has a better grasp of today's league and stuff. But since that isn't happening anytime soon, I can only hope Lou finds some way to fix this mess that he himself created.


EDIT : And to be clear, it's the mess at FORWARD only.

 

[vtdevils2k]

yep, that right there is the biggest thing. nothing in the pipeline, which will prolly lead to the continuation of lou trying to use UFA, which is 100% the wrong way to do it.

Devils fans need to realize this isn't a quick fix. Its extremely scary from a top 6 perspective the next couple of years unless Lou deals some D for talented forwards.

There aren't any good free agents either next year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the same team next year.

The Tedenby pick really hurts along with the other busts we drafted offensively. If it weren't for Henrique recently, I don't even know what to think.

 

[vtdevils2k]

yep, that right there is the biggest thing. nothing in the pipeline, which will prolly lead to the continuation of lou trying to use UFA, which is 100% the wrong way to do it.

Sure some prospects can possibly turn into something decent...Matteau is projected as a 3rd liner, Boucher we hope can maybe be a top 6 forward down the road...I mean what else offensively are we looking at? Its scary what may happen a year or two from now..Lou better not go out signing these terrible contracts again to has beens.

Hopefully we can get a great draft pick this year and stock pile forwards who can hopefully turn this franchise around...forwards that have SPEED and goal scoring ability. They did a great job with the D, now its time for the O.

The NHL has become a speed game. I understand Lou wants that grinding style, which works in the playoffs, but ya gotta have some speed. Outside of lil Gio, Cammy, Jacob, we have anchors.

 

[Camille the Eel]

What younger forwards are going to play next year, Boucher and Matteau? Maybe Josefson has a second life? Only one of those guys can possibly help the scoring while the old guys keep getting more ineffective and injury-prone.

So Lamoriello is going to have to make a move at some point to swap some of the great young defensive talent for some equally talented skill (please with size and finishing ability and flair) up front
- I think that going forward we are probably one good deal away from rebuilding this team as a contender.

It will need to be youth that does it because you are not going to beat 21 year old Nathan MacKinnon legs with 42 year old guys in the long run. But look how the Rangers turned things around by building through one deal with Columbus and another with Montreal and then adding a few pieces at the edges.

We have the chips but it's up to Lamoriello to play them.

I love Jagr's analysis by the way he is so insightful - and add that the pattern we are falling into includes falling behind. The Devils need to start playing with some leads again. Score the first goal please.

 

[NJDevs26]

Typical HF, a couple losses and the tank advocates come out in full force.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Typical HF, a couple losses and the tank advocates come out in full force.

just think how much worse it's gonna be after the next 2 road games.

It's after noon and there should be a GDT up. This one's getting locked.