How much worse could they have gotten dominated in this game? You mean as in got lit up on the scoreboard? Are you kidding me?
Thank #35 for that. He could have EASILY allowed 3 more goals tonight.
I don't think it could have gotten much worse, unless we allowed 50 shots. The Montreal game in December was definitely worse than this. Don't let the score fool you. We didn't play respectable at all. It was ALL goaltending in this one that kept the game close and the score respectable. We gave up a **** of a lot in this game. I think you're letting the score fool you in this one, with all due respect.
If any team was taking it easy on us in these last two, it was Washington.
Here's the thing. I see us getting outclassed by other teams from a roster perspective and it's not even close. Other teams are deeper than us at forward and goaltending and it shows in all three zones.
The only slimmer of hope the Devils have right now is completely outworking the other team, which means every single line they roll out is working hard. Realistically, that's completely unsustainable and with the difference in skill there's a chance they do all that and nothing comes of it. Sure it'll happen in a full game every once in a while; there will also be brief moments within a game.
Devils spent a lot of time in the defensive zone, as expected with the team we're icing, but our play there wasn't that bad. Hynes seems to employ this man-on-man defensive zone scheme and it seems like every time we win a puck battle or get the puck it's a mess. There's a forward at defense, a defender at the blue line, etc. and nobody knows where to go. Lovejoy would win the puck in a battle at the blueline and then wouldn't know where to go with it. Or a forward would win a puck battle and not know where his teammates were to move the play up the ice.
Just seems like the type of system where you need a cohesive unit with chemistry and the Devils don't have any of that with this mash-up line-up.
Some of that "AHL fodder" is supposed to be young guys that we were hoping would have a future on this team. I'm so sick of seeing prospects or new additions playing like they might be legit NHLers for 20 games and then falling off a cliff. It's getting to the point where I don't put any stock into the so-called potential of any of these guys. It's been five ****ing years since we've seen someone come into the fold who was able to prove they are legit, and even he is nothing special
(Henrique). Not counting Larson since he's not even here anymore.
You're surrounding AHL fodder with AHL fodder and playing them up against NHL-caliber teams. What in the world do you expect?
Washington called up Jakub Vrana and was able to play him alongside Burakovsky and Eller on their THIRD line. Bruins have a rookie in Cehlarik playing LW with Krejci and Pastrnak. Devils have Blake Coleman centering Stefan Noesen and Nick Lappin tonight. They had Blandisi playing with Kevin Rooney and Smith-Pelley. Not even to mention the difference in a guy like Coleman, Rooney, Lappin and guys like Vrana from a prospect perspective.
See the difference?
