Devils Team Discussion (current team/player news and notes) ‎2014-2015 Part VIII

[vtdevils2k]

35 reg wins in 125, 1 in 12...

Must be nice to have such ironclad job security.

Is this true? You mean to tell me the team has 35 regulation wins in 125 games? My god...thats expansion team right there.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Where was this said? I'd really like to see the source if possible.

Was wondering that too. Pete is so calculative and lawyerish, hard for me to picture him saying that.

 

[day1devilsfan]

So many people here refuse to hold Larsson accountable for his play. He was not good last night. Gelinas outplayed him DEFENSIVELY, figure that.

The answer to Zids being out there is incredibly simple. We needed goals and he is a bigger offensive threat.

I think the main point here is that people WILL hold Gelly, Larsson, Severson, Merrill, etc... accountable. The problem is the fan ship and board members would rather see a young guy make that mistake, learn from it, build upon it, than watching Salvador eat up those minutes.

I agree with the comment on Zids too. His offensive upside IMO excuses him from SOME mistakes, not all or the glaringly stupid ones

 

[DenisSamson3]

Where was this said? I'd really like to see the source if possible.

I think it was a response to Cheres tough questions last week. We had a thread about it.

 

[DenisSamson3]

Bryce Salvador has endured a lot of criticism. Is it unfair?

DeBoer: "To be honest, all I care about and all Sal cares about is what the people in the dressing room think of him. And he has the respect of the entire dressing room, both as a person and leader and as a player and what he’s done in his career. That’s unwavering. That’s all we care about."

I think some people on this board twisted it though.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/...th_devils_coach_pete_deboer.html#incart_river

 

[Cowbell232]

Bryce Salvador has endured a lot of criticism. Is it unfair?

DeBoer: "To be honest, all I care about and all Sal cares about is what the people in the dressing room think of him. And he has the respect of the entire dressing room, both as a person and leader and as a player and what he’s done in his career. That’s unwavering. That’s all we care about."

I think some people on this board twisted it though.

You think they twisted it?

 

[njdevil26]

Yeah yeah yeah Pete and all we care about is spending all of our hard earned money as well as time and effort being a fan of a team that has no direction, no leadership, and can't play a full hockey game. We don't count though right?

 

[Cowbell232]

Yeah yeah yeah Pete and all we care about is spending all of our hard earned money as well as time and effort being a fan of a team that has no direction, no leadership, and can't play a full hockey game. We don't count though right?

You really think that PDB cares what fans think? Not a chance he, nor any other coach, does.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Bryce Salvador has endured a lot of criticism. Is it unfair?

DeBoer: "To be honest, all I care about and all Sal cares about is what the people in the dressing room think of him. And he has the respect of the entire dressing room, both as a person and leader and as a player and what he’s done in his career. That’s unwavering. That’s all we care about."

I think some people on this board twisted it though.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/...th_devils_coach_pete_deboer.html#incart_river

Where's the part about losing the locker room if he sits him?

 

[DenisSamson3]

Where's the part about losing the locker room if he sits him?

Maybe there could be another article where he says it. I am not sure though.

 

[glenwo2]

Here is the full game for all the Europeans who might have missed it last night.

Why would anyone in Europe want to watch this dumpster-fire of a game, though?

 

[DenisSamson3]

Sleeps more important. Might as well start watching games in the morning. They could always skip ahead ya now.

 

[D3vilsH0ck3y]

I think the main point here is that people WILL hold Gelly, Larsson, Severson, Merrill, etc... accountable. The problem is the fan ship and board members would rather see a young guy make that mistake, learn from it, build upon it, than watching Salvador eat up those minutes.

I agree with the comment on Zids too. His offensive upside IMO excuses him from SOME mistakes, not all or the glaringly stupid ones

This is right on... here is how I look at it. Hockey is Defense and Offense (Goaltenders included in the D) This teams most individual problem is the Captain Bryce Salvador. (not going into further detail, its self explanatory if you have eyes)

The organizations biggest problem is the Offense by a mile. This team and last years team are two straight up awful offensive teams. I am shocked how quickly patty looks to have fallen off but even still he was getting up there in age and our forwards as is pretty much every forward on the team. If they aren't old forwards (zubrus/Jagr/Elias) they are either Injured (henrique/clowe/havlat) under performing (Zajac) or just bad (gionta/tootoo). These forwards are also in multiple categories like elias in the under performing category and zubrus/clowe in the just bad category.

The point is the main team issue with the forwards apart from JJ and Cammy it has been worse than expected with not much promise to get better in the future.

Seems like everything is status quo and we are stuck in hockey limbo, the worst place we can be (not good enough to contend, not bad enough to draft elite talent)

Until a shake up happens (pete gone or lou gone or pete growing a sack and stripping Sal of the C/benching him) this will not get any brighter.

 

[BahlDeep]

So many people here refuse to hold Larsson accountable for his play. He was not good last night. Gelinas outplayed him DEFENSIVELY, figure that.

The answer to Zids being out there is incredibly simple. We needed goals and he is a bigger offensive threat.

So the solution to Zid - Salvador playing **** defense is to play Zid more when we are down?

That's really good logic. Why don't the coach understand that those player has to play less, and maybe we wont have to play and always be trailing by the end of the second period.

I was a big Pete supporter, but I just can't defend him anymore.

 

[glenwo2]

Where's the part about losing the locker room if he sits him?

Yeah. I don't see it either.

But regardless, Sal has to be, at the very least, benched for a bit.

Putting the 'C' on him was one of the WORST Ideas ever.

 

[Chessarmy]

So many people here refuse to hold Larsson accountable for his play. He was not good last night. Gelinas outplayed him DEFENSIVELY, figure that.

The answer to Zids being out there is incredibly simple. We needed goals and he is a bigger offensive threat.

Larsson, for his size, is an incredibly soft player. He doesn't do anything with purpose, almost like he's tentative or just plain lazy. I'm absolutely stunned that at #4 overall, this is the player we got. Stunned.

As for his playing time, I honestly think it was warranted last night and anybody who doesn't is just wearing the "omg hes young" glasses. Pete is trying to win games, and unfortunately - Larsson isn't playing at a level that helps contribute to that cause. When Merrill gets back I fully expect that he'll be sitting again, and honestly - I hope Lou decides to move him for someone like Sven Baertchi.

 

[indfin]

At the end of the day.. while I disagree with a TON of the decisions that Pete/Lou have made over the past few years.. I understand a lot of them. I get why they like Gionta. I get why they are hard on certain youngsters. I don't agree with it nor like it.. but I get it.

But for the life of me.. I just can't get how in the world they see anything but an AHL defensemen in Salvador. You don't like stats? Fine.. throw out the fact that he's been on the ice for more than half of our goals against. Just use the eye test.. and it's quite apparent he doesn't belong.

And I would get it if they wanted him on the roster for other reasons.. but to play him 18+ minutes a game? To let him play 2 full minutes on the PK (league's worst PK, mind you)?

There is absolutely no justification behind that. It's just plain stupidity.

To be fair, he is almost never out there for 2 full minutes.

Of course, that's only because the PK ends when they give up a goal.

 

[tr83]

I just can't get psyched up for these games anymore. I think they call this the acceptance part of grief

I'll still watch but I won't be excited. If Jagr wasn't on this team, I wouldn't even watch at all. He's a Zen master out there. I fully expect this team to blow leads (if we get them) and play carelessly

I'll start caring again once they fire pimples.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Yeah yeah yeah Pete and all we care about is spending all of our hard earned money as well as time and effort being a fan of a team that has no direction, no leadership, and can't play a full hockey game. We don't count though right?

The owners will care if the start averaging 10,000 a night. That's why this team needs a star attraction. Maybe it was meant to be this year.

 

[VaxjoDevil]

So the solution to Zid - Salvador playing **** defense is to play Zid more when we are down?

That's really good logic. Why don't the coach understand that those player has to play less, and maybe we wont have to play and always be trailing by the end of the second period.

I was a big Pete supporter, but I just can't defend him anymore.

What options did he have yesterday? If any defender stood out having an exceptional night I could see options but I I honestly can't.

At this point he has to take risks, and clearly he prefers taking risks with veterans.

 

[glenwo2]

I just can't get psyched up for these games anymore. I think they call this the acceptance part of grief

I'll still watch but I won't be excited. If Jagr wasn't on this team, I wouldn't even watch at all. He's a Zen master out there. I fully expect this team to blow leads (if we get them) and play carelessly

I'll start caring again once they fire pimples.

Exactly.

Watching him break milestones is the only reason to watch these dumpster-fire games.


Tied Gartner last night in goals.

Let's see if he can break that tonight....(there *is* a game tonight, right?)

 

[wellonegm05*]

If I have to hear the term "did some good things" one more time I'll flip. It's the catch phrase to hide the fact that a certain player or the team lost again and played poorly.

Its ridiculous. The extent to which we are constantly fed dog spit as if we are completely stupid. This injury crap from Lou. Guys are "day to day" with undisclosed injuries and then mysteriously out for weeks if not months. The constant nonsense from Pete. Specifically this "tough building" line he seems to like. Its like the little kid who gets asked if he pissed on the toilet seat and responds with, "Ive done a good job with certain parts of my homework". So sick of Pete dodging the biggest and most obvious problems in the room. Even when he was pressed about the treatment of Sal vs Larsson and Gelinas, he fed us some bs about generalities regarding veterans vs rookies. Like WE are the imbeciles.

 

[Chessarmy]

Its ridiculous. The extent to which we are constantly fed dog spit as if we are completely stupid. This injury crap from Lou. Guys are "day to day" with undisclosed injuries and then mysteriously out for weeks if not months. The constant nonsense from Pete. Specifically this "tough building" line he seems to like. Its like the little kid who gets asked if he pissed on the toilet seat and responds with, "Ive done a good job with certain parts of my homework". So sick of Pete dodging the biggest and most obvious problems in the room. Even when he was pressed about the treatment of Sal vs Larsson and Gelinas, he fed us some bs about generalities regarding veterans vs rookies. Like WE are the imbeciles.

Actually, DeBoer made a lot of sense in that interview. He basically said veterans get longer rope because they've established themselves in the NHL, while rookies have not so they sit or play limited minutes as a result of their mistakes. It makes sense, until you've established yourself you deserve more scrutiny versus a player who has been in the league for 10, 15 years.

That's just how it works, and most coaches in the NHL use that philosophy. Coaching has nothing to do with NJD's problems, they have a roster with 3 rookies on defense, a goalie who doesn't know how to play as a starter, and a wildly inconsistent offense with slow foot speed. That's why they lose games.

 

[glenwo2]

It's a stupid philosophy, Chessarmy, but you're right.


All coaches do this : Treat Vets with kid gloves while treating rooks and 2nd year players like Kids, Period.

It's a stupid philosophy but it is what it is.

 

[wellonegm05*]

Actually, DeBoer made a lot of sense in that interview. He basically said veterans get longer rope because they've established themselves in the NHL, while rookies have not so they sit or play limited minutes as a result of their mistakes. It makes sense, until you've established yourself you deserve more scrutiny versus a player who has been in the league for 10, 15 years.

That's just how it works, and most coaches in the NHL use that philosophy. Coaching has nothing to do with NJD's problems, they have a roster with 3 rookies on defense, a goalie who doesn't know how to play as a starter, and a wildly inconsistent offense with slow foot speed. That's why they lose games.

He completely dodged the question which related to why Salvador, who completely sucks, is playing while Gelinas and Larsson get yanked in and out of the lineup irregardless of their play, while at the same time Merrill is immune from any discipline. Being a vet and making mistakes/having more rope is completely different from being an absolute disaster and liability yet still getting marched out there even though Albany's top 6 defenseman are all better than Sal at this point.