Devils 2020-21 team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part XIX

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Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
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The staggered return of players didn't help either. Not sure if the entire current roster has had even one full practice together.

They are getting bye on youthful energy and the fact there is actually a good amount of skill and talent.

Talent isn't really the issue (though we really could use another pure goal scorer). They need to mature and get more structured.
 

JK3

Go Easy-Step Lightly-Stay Free
Nov 15, 2007
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I can't believe how horrifically bad our PK is. We're 31st (last in the league) at 59% which is almost 10% worse the 30th PK in the league, thats unbelievably bad. If you go another 10% better from that 30th spot it brings you up 18th overall.

My point is if you separate teams top to bottom, the PK drops by a percent (often way less than a percentage point) per spot. To be 10% worse than the 30th team overall is so f***ing ridiculously pathetic, it's inexcusable.

If you assembled a gaggle of the worst scrub journeymen nothings this team has ever seen in it's history I would never think it could be so terrible. It's so fundamentally awful I can't comprehend it. I don't care how good we are 5 on 5, if you automatically give up 1 or two goals against on the PK every game it's going to tank you every time unless you take zero penalties.
 

BurntToast

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May 27, 2007
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I can't believe how horrifically bad our PK is. We're 31st (last in the league) at 59% which is almost 10% worse the 30th PK in the league, thats unbelievably bad. If you go another 10% better from that 30th spot it brings you up 18th overall.

My point is if you separate teams top to bottom, the PK drops by a percent (often way less than a percentage point) per spot. To be 10% worse than the 30th team overall is so f***ing ridiculously pathetic, it's inexcusable.

If you assembled a gaggle of the worst scrub journeymen nothings this team has ever seen in it's history I would never think it could be so terrible. It's so fundamentally awful I can't comprehend it. I don't care how good we are 5 on 5, if you automatically give up 1 or two goals against on the PK every game it's going to tank you every time unless you take zero penalties.

If what you say is true, then even a bad PK should be about 9-10% better, thus the onus falls mostly on players not executing. Ruff knows it’s a problem but he also alludes to players metal mistakes. Better F/Os would greatly help both special teams.
 
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hidek91

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Jan 13, 2014
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I'm not sold Zacha's turned the corner. He's been back to his usual BS the last two games.

Hughes, Severson, Smith I'm sold on. Not Zacha.

Zacha is a 3rd line player who's good on both PK and PP. I think that the problem is that people expect him to be a top6 player 5v5, which he simply isn't but still there are worse forwards on our roster.
 
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Jersey Fresh

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Feb 23, 2004
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Surely the special teams play can't get any worse/stay this bad. With the base of play happening at 5v5, I like what I'm seeing.

Nico getting his legs in a few games will be huge.
 
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Lou is God

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Nov 10, 2003
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I must’ve misread the updated schedule, because I did not realized they’re on weekend b2bs until the end of the season. Holy hell.
I originally missed that too because when you look at the calendar Saturday ends the week and then Sunday begins the new week next row below.
 

Guttersniped

I like goalies who stop the puck
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People need to think of this way, why do NHL players actually need practices? Why for instance do NHL goalies who are struggling find practices helpful, if not essential, to reset their games?

Presumably because it allows them to breakdown the problems and fix issues in a way they can’t while playing. It’s easy for us to say that they need to adjust the PK in games, but it’s the difference in trying to do something in say in a parked car and trying to do it driving 95 mph on a busy highway with several crying babies in the car. The mental stress is very high in games, it’s asking lot for them to improve while they face top power play units.

I’m no Nasreddine fan, I’m still cranky he managed to somehow survive the culling. That said, the special teams units lost key guys, has some rookies and this a completely unprecedented situation in terms of pre-season and the schedule. And still can’t believe how bonkers this compressed schedule is and how the NHL is just pretending this is reasonable thing.
 
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JK3

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If what you say is true, then even a bad PK should be about 9-10% better, thus the onus falls mostly on players not executing. Ruff knows it’s a problem but he also alludes to players metal mistakes. Better F/Os would greatly help both special teams.

We're 31st in the league in face offs so that's definitely not helping. Zajac has been uncharacteristically bad this season at 42.9%. Mcleod (47.4) and Zacha (46.7) are better but still not great. Maybe Nico can help us out here a bit.

For sure they're not executing but I don't like this passive box they deploy, we collapse so tightly into a small box teams just set up shop and zip the puck around. The net front coverage has been pretty bad, way too much room for opposing forwards to operate. I think at least our top two forwards need to be way more aggressive and force the other team to make quicker decisions which leads to coughing the puck up.
 

Camille the Eel

Registered User
We're 31st in the league in face offs so that's definitely not helping. Zajac has been uncharacteristically bad this season at 42.9%. Mcleod (47.4) and Zacha (46.7) are better but still not great. Maybe Nico can help us out here a bit.

For sure they're not executing but I don't like this passive box they deploy, we collapse so tightly into a small box teams just set up shop and zip the puck around. The net front coverage has been pretty bad, way too much room for opposing forwards to operate. I think at least our top two forwards need to be way more aggressive and force the other team to make quicker decisions which leads to coughing the puck up.
If we just pressured the puck with major aggression we couldn’t do worse and might just do better, plus try to generate short handed chances on the turnovers we seek. Throw the most talented guys at it and see what their natural talent produces.
 
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Devils731

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Jun 23, 2008
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If we just pressured the puck with major aggression we couldn’t do worse and might just do better, plus try to generate short handed chances on the turnovers we seek. Throw the most talented guys at it and see what their natural talent produces.

You’re right but I think it’s easier said than done.

When you’re unsure and lacking confidence you end up a step slow and are more likely to be cautious rather than be wrong. It can be a vicious cycle that is hard to get out of.

Practice is a way to help solve the unsure part but there was almost no camp and no practices. Along with a bunch of strangers playing together, this leads to a lot of uncertainty.

It’s tough to say what is wrong systematically with the Devils PK because I don’t think the players are running it at all due to their current mindsets. Hopefully the system is good and the players eventually get more comfortable.

It may be worthwhile to tweak the PK structure, even if it makes the concept slightly worse, just to give the players a mental excuse to reset themselves.
 

JK3

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If we just pressured the puck with major aggression we couldn’t do worse and might just do better, plus try to generate short handed chances on the turnovers we seek. Throw the most talented guys at it and see what their natural talent produces.

Getting too aggressive can cause problems too, skilled teams can draw you out, make you over commit and burn you. It's a fine line for sure. I'm not sure how Jack would do, I thought Ruff said he was going to use him there.

The thing that sucks is there's just no time for these guys to work it out in practice, we're trying to implement things during the games which is tough.
 
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Camille the Eel

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You’re right but I think it’s easier said than done.

When you’re unsure and lacking confidence you end up a step slow and are more likely to be cautious rather than be wrong. It can be a vicious cycle that is hard to get out of.

Practice is a way to help solve the unsure part but there was almost no camp and no practices. Along with a bunch of strangers playing together, this leads to a lot of uncertainty.

It’s tough to say what is wrong systematically with the Devils PK because I don’t think the players are running it at all due to their current mindsets. Hopefully the system is good and the players eventually get more comfortable.

It may be worthwhile to tweak the PK structure, even if it makes the concept slightly worse, just to give the players a mental excuse to reset themselves.
That’s why I think you throw your fastest and most dynamic forwards out there and tell them generate turnovers and chances and don’t worry about mistakes . . . It’s the Bergeron/Marchand philosophy in Boston but . . . admittedly some of these guys are already playing PK for us, while Bergeron and Marchand are unique 2 way guys.

Still I don’t see us aggressively pressuring the puck at every opportunity. That change alone might free our guys to be creative and stop thinking.
 

Darkauron

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Jul 14, 2011
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I feel like going with a passive box like that was chosen because it is "easier and more simple" for new players and for chemistry I'd guess... But it is not going well at all.

There needs to be more aggressiveness for sure by at least someone sometimes..

But also like people have said, veteran players are also sucking too in the pk. Just watching Sevs and or Murray just sitting around reacting to the play and letting players do what they want in front of the neck sucks too.
 
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