GDT: Capitals @ Devils, 7:00 PM, Jaws

[jkrdevil]

If Fitz does go the Miles Wood route and signs Blackwood next year just to sign him cause he's an RFA and we have one more year of his right, well he's getting fired. Book it. It's gonna get him fired.

Unless somehow he floors it this season and actually finishes above league average. And even then I'd say one year at his qualifying offer and that's it.

You can't sign him another year if he doesn't produce this year, you just can't.

And I hate to use the Wood analogy, as I don't hate the Wood signing for one more year. But as I've said, bad goaltending (Blackwood) is going to hurt you much more than any of the players or coaches that we like to complain about.

If the season goes down because of bad goaltending Fitz isn’t to be the GM anymore.

He staked his claim by keeping Blackwood and trading for VV.

 

[Bleedred]

On the post game radio show Chico said he expects to see Vanecek in goal and Holtz in for Smith tomorrow cause Smith was a - 2 tonight.

#WishfulThinking Chico.

But hey, I jump and say hip hip hooray to that if Chico is right!

I mean about the Smith being scratched part. I think Vanecek and Holtz is very realistic, even if I'm skeptical about Vanecek starting.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

If the season goes down because of bad goaltending Fitz isn’t to be the GM anymore.

He staked his claim by keeping Blackwood and trading for VV.

Who would you have gotten? There were no goalies available. You're putting the blame on the wrong thing....this goalie fascination man I swear.

Fitz should be fired for keeping Ruff. Outside of that, he did what he could.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

On the post game radio show Chico said he expects to see Vanecek in goal and Holtz in for Smith tomorrow cause Smith was a - 2 tonight.

There goes Chico using the fancy stats again

 

[NJDevs26]

On the post game radio show Chico said he expects to see Vanecek in goal and Holtz in for Smith tomorrow cause Smith was a - 2 tonight.

Too bad Chico's the only one in the building thinking logically...I doubt our staff is.

 

[glenwo2]

Turnover was brutal on goal #3, that's a given. But even then, I think that shot's stoppable...

View attachment 598466

He's further out than the top of the circle. I'd like to see a save there. With that said, I'd like to see a safer play too.

At least Bratt eventually got that goal back with a goal of his own but yeah...Turnovers like that shouldn't happen.

 

[Devils090]

If the season goes down because of bad goaltending Fitz isn’t to be the GM anymore.

He staked his claim by keeping Blackwood and trading for VV.

Goalies don’t grow on trees and Fitz didn’t want to give Campbell or Kuemper a stupid contract which im fine with.

Kuemper has an .899 and 3.04 right now

Campbell .899 and 3.82

Not exactly Roy and Brodeur

 

[JimEIV]

I agree but when it came to finishing, we stunk. I'm blaming everyone not named Marino. We need some muscle up front. I liked some of our play but man did Washington bully us around when they wanted to.

I had some correspondence via email with Rich Chere a long time ago and he shared some of the things people said about him...he said it goes with the territory.

I sent an email telling him I thought he did a great job with some examples of what I appreciated...back then his email address was right in his profile... he was being ripped to shreds on NJ com for something he wrote.

He responded and we had a little back and forth. Cool guy.

I don't know why anyone would talk to people like that?

 

[jkrdevil]

Who would you have gotten? There were no goalies available. You're putting the blame on the wrong thing....this goalie fascination man I swear.

Fitz should be fired for keeping Ruff.

No goalies available? There was a whole carousel of goalies available. By most reports Kuemper and Campbell were the team’s top targets. Fitz couldn’t land either and settled on a trade with the Caps.

 

[MasterofGrond]

If the season goes down because we went with Vanecek I’m actually ok with that. New guy, spotty but not terrible history. We know what Blackwood is though.

We can’t play Blackwood 80% of the time at .871. That’s unforgivable. And if ruff won’t take guidance on the issue, fire him.

Honestly how is he even at .871 after the last 3 wins. It boggles the mind.

 

[NJDevs26]

I mean the more realistic targets were Ville Husso and Georgiev though I doubt the Rangers would have traded him to us unless we overpaid, but both guys went for similar prices to Vanecek in trade. Husso's off to a much better start than Vanecek so far and probably will shut us down tomorrow as well.

 

[Eggtimer]

Nemec for Demko . I don’t care anymore . As much as I like Nemec and how dominant our blue line will be with him .. I’m sick of coughing up points because of shit goaltending.
Canucks won’t trade Demko and it would be dumb to trade Nemec , but it’s nice to dream about Demko coming over and leading us to the playoffs …

 

[Bleedred]

If the season goes down because of bad goaltending Fitz isn’t to be the GM anymore.

He staked his claim by keeping Blackwood and trading for VV.

You could be right.

It seems like they probably wouldn't do away with him after year 3, but his seat officially becomes hot after this year if we finish far out of a playoff spot.

Another year of Blackwood (barring a November 2005-onward Brodeur-like 2005-2006 for the rest of THIS year) probably guarantees no playoffs next year. And if there's no playoffs this year or next year, I think there's no Fitz in 2024-2025. Shero was fired after 4.5 years and one playoff berth and no seasons with as low of a point percenage as the last two years here, as well much less to work with.

I don't think Fitz is in danger yet, but I didn't think Shero was right before he got whacked.

If my theory is right (that he's not yet on the hot seat this season), he will be on the hot seat next season and another year of Blackwood is gonna almost ensure no playoffs (if he doesn't bounce back this year and we make them), people will be screaming to fire Brunette, because of course Ruff wlll have been long gone by then. Fans might even be turning on Brylin by then, I'm not even sure what exactly his role is on the staff anyway.

By the way, I don't support firing Tom at all. If not more for fear that Marty will be promoted to GM than anything. And his signature move so far was a suspect goalie coach change and what's looking like an even more suspect hiring right now, as Blackwood has been getting worse and has became ate up ever since the new goalie coach that Marty brought in.

 

[Omar Little]

Someone needs to reboot the after practice shooting club. Specifically not shooting it into chests on 2-on-1’s, working on one timers, and weak side catch and release shots

 

[Devils090]

Nemec for Demko . I don’t care anymore . As much as I like Nemec and how dominant our blue line will be with him .. I’m sick of coughing up points because of shit goaltending.
Canucks won’t trade Demko and it would be dumb to trade Nemec , but it’s nice to dream about Demko coming over and leading us to the playoffs …

Absolutely not lol

 

[MasterofGrond]

At least let Vanecek cook a little honestly. I don’t even think he’s bad yet!

 

[Devils090]

I mean the more realistic targets were Ville Husso and Georgiev though I doubt the Rangers would have traded him to us unless we overpaid, but both guys went for similar prices to Vanecek in trade. Husso's off to a much better start so far and probably will shut us down tomorrow as well.

Would have loved Husso

 

[Eggtimer]

No goalies available? There was a whole carousel of goalies available. By most reports Kuemper and Campbell were the team’s top targets. Fitz couldn’t land either and settled on a trade with the Caps.

Umm you’d want Campbell at that cap hit fir 5 Years !! That’s a no go . I’m not sure what Fitz should have done but that’s not it .
Maybe he takes a run at Hellebuyck when he’s a UFA . I don’t know . The entire situation sucks

 

[jkrdevil]

You could be right.

It seems like they probably wouldn't do away with him after year 3, but his seat officially becomes hot after this year if we finish far out of a playoff spot.

Another year of Blackwood (barring a November 2005-onward Brodeur-like 2005-2006 for the rest of THIS year) probably guarantees no playoffs next year. And if there's no playoff next year, I think there's no Fitz in 2024-2025. Shero was fired after 4.5 years and one playoff berth and no seasons with as low of a point percenage as the last two years here, as well much less to work with.

I don't think Fitz is in danger yet, but I didn't think Shero was right before he got whacked.

If my theory is right (that he's not yet on the hot seat this season), he will be on the hot seat next season and another year of Blackwood is gonna almost ensure no playoffs (if he doesn't bounce back this year and we make them), people will be screaming to fire Brunette, because of course Ruff wlll have been long gone by then.

By the way, I don't support firing Tom at all. If not more for fear that Marty will be promoted to GM than anything. And his signature move so far was a suspect goalie coach change and what's looking like an even more suspect hiring right now, as Blackwood has been getting worse and has became ate up ever since the new goalie coach that Marty brought in.

I think the pressure around the organization is at a boiling point. I think if (when) Ruff is fired it won’t be just Ruff to go.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I like Fitz, I think he’s done a pretty good job as GM overall.

But you can’t f*** up the most important position on the ice this bad repeatedly and be a good GM for long.

We need SOMETHING

 

[JimEIV]

Absolutely not lol

I kind of was hoping we got a bigger named goalie this off season.... mostly just for the opportunity to say "I told you so"

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

My biggest issue on MBw is that i dont think he can follow the puck too well. So often when he makes a save/shot misses the net it just looks like he does the butterfly, closes his eyes and hopes he caught the puck. Very little reaction to the gameplay itself.

 

[Guadana]

It`s okay game. Outshot them 41-22, but bad turnovers were really bad. But when your team could give opponents to shot only 22 times, you expact more saves out of that shots.


If they will contunie to dominate on the ice with bad shooting(missed shots, shots in the chest etc) and will play strong defense, but with some bad turnovers here and there, they will win most of the games when goalies will be good, and will lose most of the games when goalies will be bad.

When they will fix their shooting and PP, the dependence on goalies will decrease significantly. When they find consistent goalie, forwards will be able to relax a little and trying to something new. When they fix both components, this team will be power house.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I kind of was hoping we got a named goalie this off season.... mostly just for the opportunity to say "I told you so"

Same, for the same reason.

 

[Guadana]

I kind of was hoping we got a named goalie this off season.... mostly just for the opportunity to say "I told you so"

Like "good version of Blackwood" when he stop the puck? And Devils won it?