I'm happy for Wedge because it's a nice story for the third/fourth string guy who has been out of the league for a while to get a win/shutout or have some really good games, but I still don't think he can be counted on to be a reliable backup.
Wedgewood looked solid but his biggest drawback seems to be his rebound control. Coughs up way too many pucks in front of him or into bad areas after saves. That and his size seems to be what’s holding him back.
Looks like he can hold down the fort here and there but as an every day goalie, I think once he gets peppered with shots with traffic he’s going to struggle. Thankfully we only need him for a couple weeks here and there.
Wedgewood looked solid but his biggest drawback seems to be his rebound control. Coughs up way too many pucks in front of him or into bad areas after saves. That and his size seems to be what’s holding him back.
Looks like he can hold down the fort here and there but as an every day goalie, I think once he gets peppered with shots with traffic he’s going to struggle. Thankfully we only need him for a couple weeks here and there.
The Hynes defensive system was painful to watch and I’m so glad we don’t have to suffer it ever again. At the very least, I can watch this team without risking an ulcer.
Quite a bit of both, I’d say. Devils’ blue line has lacked talent the past few years, but they were also almost utterly structure-less under Hynes in his last couple of years. Bad goaltending was a culprit, but even once Blackwood came up they were constantly leaving him out to dry.Was it the system or the players? It would seem most of those players are gone or not dressing.
In my opinion last night was another example of how bad Hynes' system and Shero's ability to address the defense properly was...
Put a defensive structure in place and the defenders and goalies look better...
Add a couple competent defenders to balance out the pairings along with the structure and you have the ability to compete...you give your forwards a chance to dictate by not being on their heels, stuck in their own zone for their entire shift....
The last 5 games are a small sample and probably don't tell much of a complete story....but if there is a story, it's how bad the previous administration ran this team.
It was my opinion for years that our D wasn't nearly as bad as they showed. I just always thought it was Nas' problem, not Hynes'. I'm still not 100% sure Nas isn't a problem, but I'm coming around.In my opinion last night was another example of how bad Hynes' system and Shero's ability to address the defense properly was...
Put a defensive structure in place and the defenders and goalies look better...
The second you’ll understand that Lou put us behind the 8-ball for the past decade, the better you’ll understand that whoever was taking over was bound to fail. Shero wasn’t brought in to make us competitive, he was brought in to rebuild a sinking ship.
Actually the reports are he was let go because he was uncomfortable with the collaborative decision making model the owners wanted.shero was brought in to make us competitive and he would still be here if his loyalty to a failing coach wasn’t blinding his loyalty to the team and its fans
I do not remember reading that. Any link?yeah those are reports. but i have a suspicion that if the team was doing well he wouldn’t have been let go. that “collaborative decision making” could have been him refusing to fire the coach after a horrible start and owners losing confidence in his own decision making. harris said outright that losing confidence in him was the reason for the firing.
The reports are clear that the owners wanted the Analytics group more involved. Shero did not like the Analytics group reporting directly to the owner. Multiple people in the organization such as Marty have commented that the Analytics group is now more involved since Shero left.i mean it could very well be true that shero didn’t like the owners wanting input on hockey decisions. but after making a terrible hockey decision on his own i’m sure the owners felt like a change was necessary
I agree - and that the team is looking better and stacked with talent is very much Shero’s doing. The depth of talent is showing and Shero’s plan of just stockpiling picks is bearing fruit.shero was brought in to make us competitive and he would still be here if his loyalty to a failing coach wasn’t blinding his loyalty to the team and its fans
True, but to be fair Shero didn't have the opportunities presented to Fitz because of Covid. It's not common for a #2OA defenseman and a defenseman that was playing first pairing for a playoff team to become available at a reasonable price.Kulikov and Murray are better low cost moves at improving the D than anything Shero managed in five years.
I am not sure how this is turning into Fitz vs Shero. As I said before, Shero did fine but IMO it was time for a change Shero mistakenly thought the team could contend last year and is not longer here. All that matters to me is that I like where the team is at this time and I am confident in Fitz and the Analytics group/scouts, etc to keep it going moving forward.True, but to be fair Shero didn't have the opportunities presented to Fitz because of Covid. It's not common for a #2OA defenseman and a defenseman that was playing first pairing for a playoff team to become available at a reasonable price.
Kulikov and Murray are better low cost moves at improving the D than anything Shero managed in five years. The coaching thing is well documented and I think it’s at least 50-50 Shero would have just kept Nas as the coach too, since his whole MO is hiring young assistants without wattage.
It’s also true Shero was handicapped from improving the goaltending by Cory’s contract and that’s no longer a big factor. But it’s not like Fitz’s big acquisition helped there either.