Post-Game Talk: Devils vs. Isles. Still winless but Brunner rules. Now hit the road Jack!

[engy]

Everyone knows how old Larsson is, that doesn't change the fact that he looks lost at times.

There comes a time where a player is suppose to judge and analyse the speed of the game and should react accordingly. Larsson is often out of position, making him look real slow, when he get's beaten to the outside (or inside). He needs to analyse his angle alot better cause unless he turns into Grabner overnight, he'll continue to struggle against speedy players.

I have no idea what the coaching staff and management are doing with this kid but like a couple of posters have already mentionned, instead of giving this kid minimal responsibilities and telling to work on a single aspect of his game.... I would've prefered for him to play top heavy minutes in Albany and learn on the fly the offensive and defensive side of things. If he ****s up offensively and turns the puck over, who cares, it's ****ing Albany. The AHL is the place where you can teach youngsters the in's and out's of how to play the game properly at the other level, not the NHL. The standings are way too close to start losing games in favour of coaching a possible gem, that will only lead to him getting benched or dropped on our 3rd unit with our shot bloking, cement skates, #9 d-man.

He would of had way less pressure to screw up in Albany and would've been more comfortable playing "his" game instead of being "one minded" in a aspect of his game that apparently, isn't getting any better.

Larsson wouldn't have been able to play in the AHL in his first year because he had to go back to SEL if he couldn't make the NHL team.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Larsson wouldn't have been able to play in the AHL in his first year because he had to go back to SEL if he couldn't make the NHL team.

Is 1st year in NJ wasn't anything like we saw last year. He was actually playing "his game" instead of what the coaching staff wanted him to play.

I understand the fact that they wanted to pin-point a certain aspect of his game but downplaying the portion of his game that was so natural for him took away all his confidence IMO. He was thinking way more then reacting and when that happens to a young player trying to make his place in the league, let alone on the team, you're seeing the results that we've been watching for the past 18 months.

 

[JimEIV]

Let's remember though, he did play in Albany during the lockout... from all accounts I've heard he was pretty dominate down there.last year.

 

[MartyOwns]

2 games, blow it up, fire Pete, trade Larsson...

oh wait, this isnt over reaction island?

except nobody said any of that. and around and around and around

 

[TrufleShufle]

Let's remember though, he did play in Albany during the lockout... from all accounts I've heard he was pretty dominate down there.last year.

Not from this guy, I actually stated many of the same problems he is still having today.

I won't go through it all again, but one thing I will say is, if he doesn't loosen up and start to get a little more sure of himself hes going to rocked hard again one of these times.

And I know he is still young and has a lot more time to get better, but if someone see him with his head down trying to read the manufacturer on the puck they won't slow down and say well hes young so I won't take this opportunity to lay him out.

 

[JimEIV]

Not from this guy, I actually stated many of the same problems he is still having today.

I won't go through it all again, but one thing I will say is, if he doesn't loosen up and start to get a little more sure of himself hes going to rocked hard again one of these times.

And I know he is still young and has a lot more time to get better, but if someone see him with his head down trying to read the manufacturer on the puck they won't slow down and say well hes young so I won't take this opportunity to lay him out.

Hmm, I hadn't heard that before. I'm surprised to see it. I had heard he looked very good while he was in Albany?

 

[guitarguyvic]

At this point is there a bright outlook to anything related to this team? There seems to be no confidence in this coaching staff, no confidence in our best prospect, no first round pick this draft, forward prospect pool is crap, etc. etc. ****ing depressing.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Hmm, I hadn't heard that before. I'm surprised to see it. I had heard he looked very good while he was in Albany?

His potential looked really good, he had moments where he walked into the zone like Zid with out a care in the world. But other than that made a lot of mistakes, rookie mistakes mostly, but some just seemed Volchish in the sense where he looked like he was playing hot potato, and not very good at it.


I would have liked to chalk it up to being in the AHL and not giving it his all, but I saw that from Henrique, this wasn't that.

I talked to someone who played defense in hockey when we were at one of the games, I told him to watch Larsson and understand why we get so upset, he said the same thing but the part about him looking down at the puck for extended periods of time when receiving a pass isn't something easily grown out of. It's more of a bad habit that is hard to break as opposed to something you do while just getting comfortable.


The way I see it now is, Larsson can still be amazing, he isn't going to be this all around stud we hoped for but he will do a lot VERY good one day, while at the same time having some areas where he lacks.

 

[JimEIV]

At this point is there a bright outlook to anything related to this team? There seems to be no confidence in this coaching staff, no confidence in our best prospect, no first round pick this draft, forward prospect pool is crap, etc. etc. ****ing depressing.

The defensive prospects are a major bright spot.

Merrill, Gelinas and Severson is formidable group by themselves but there are probably another 3 or 4 dmen in the pipeline that are NHL caliber. I wouldn't be completely shocked if in 3 or 4 years Larrson is the 3rd or 4th best defenseman in this current group of prospects.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Helgeson sometime in the next couple of years too.

 

[TrufleShufle]

At this point is there a bright outlook to anything related to this team? There seems to be no confidence in this coaching staff, no confidence in our best prospect, no first round pick this draft, forward prospect pool is crap, etc. etc. ****ing depressing.

I'm very excited, the team we are icing now, give or take a guy, will be amazing when they come together. no stars, just all around threat. I love that.

 

[SwissGrog]

How was Brunner defensively? I know Detroit fans were bashing him, but he was showing improvement and know I'm curious if had some turnover that caused a goal or something like that

 

[JimEIV]

I'm very excited, the team we are icing now, give or take a guy, will be amazing when they come together. no stars, just all around threat. I love that.

I feel the same way...the issue is, I'm a little impatient with the gelling process ...

We've seen our team blow a season in October and November in 2010-11 and I don't want to see that happen this season.

I completely understand that it's going to take time and we all knew it before the season started...but it still makes me very nervous.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I feel the same way...the issue is, I'm a little impatient with the gelling process ...

We've seen our team blow a season in October and November in 2010-11 and I don't want to see that happen this season.

I completely understand that it's going to take time and we all knew it before the season started...but it still makes me very nervous.

Haha yea, but you got to admit there was a few times in both games where you thought, "Ok I can see this happening."

Obviously not the entire games by far but there was glimpses of the potential this team can put together.

 

[NJDevs26]

At this point is there a bright outlook to anything related to this team? There seems to be no confidence in this coaching staff, no confidence in our best prospect, no first round pick this draft, forward prospect pool is crap, etc. etc. ****ing depressing.

Goaltending, our 'non-NHL' defensive prospects and Brunner.

We've seen our team blow a season in October and November in 2010-11 and I don't want to see that happen this season.

BINGO...you can't win a Cup in October and November but you sure as shooting can lose it. And this schedule isn't conducive to having a team be able to gel comfortably.

 

[JimEIV]

Haha yea, but you got to admit there was a few times in both games where you thought, "Ok I can see this happening."

Obviously not the entire games by far but there was glimpses of the potential this team can put together.

The first game I thought they looked out of sync the second game I thought was better but still sloppy.

I was pleasantly surprised by Clowe and Loktionov I thought they both looked very good.

Jagr, to my surprise has looked like a trainwreck. I'm wondering if he is still nursing an injury?

I love what Brunner brings to the team but I'm skeptical of Ryder.

The forwards have potential if they can find chemistry and come together. I'm hoping this road trip brings the team together. Come home with a couple of wins and some cohesion and go on a streak sometime later in the month...that's what I'm hoping for anyway.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Larsson's honeymoon and scholarship are over.

Last night was a bad game for the lad.

Let's just hope the kid isn't Colin White dumb.

On a side note: The Jackets beat the Isles in a SO?

This does not make Pete Deboer and his silly line up look good right now.

so if one of our 6 guys had potted a goal in the SO it would've meant the lineup was good?

come on, thats dumb. we got a point on them too.

 

[TrufleShufle]

The first game I thought they looked out of sync the second game I thought was better but still sloppy.

I was pleasantly surprised by Clowe and Loktionov I thought they both looked very good.

Jagr, to my surprise has looked like a trainwreck. I'm wondering if he is still nursing an injury?

I love what Brunner brings to the team but I'm skeptical of Ryder.

The forwards have potential if they can find chemistry and come together. I'm hoping this road trip brings the team together. Come home with a couple of wins and some cohesion and go on a streak sometime later in the month...that's what I'm hoping for anyway.

Kinda crazy, hopefully it is something along those line as opposed to it being that he just doesn't have it in him anymore.

But if someone was to say to me last year that the Devils would get Jagr AND THEN within 2 games he would be put on the 4th line with Gionta and Carter...... I would probably never listen to anything that person had to say again.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

remember Jagr hasnt played in a game since June.

he just needs to get his bearings. I am not worried about him at all.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah I'm not worried about Jagr yet, although playing four games in six days off his non-activity in camp isn't going to help.

 

[JK3]

I thought Larsson looked really good in the preseason, not sure what's going on in these two games. Can't fault him for the first Grabner goal though, to be fair that pass wasn't even intended for him and deflected right onto his stick at full speed. Larsson was caught completely flat footed on that play, I'm sorry but no defender is going to stop that. I would like to see some more desperation from him on those two Grabner plays, at least dive or hack the **** out of the guy and take a penalty.

For a stay at home defenseman Volch doesn't stay home very well, they need to tether his ass to the blue line.

 

[devilsblood]

On Larsson.

Dude's were flipping that he did not play every game for the Dev's last year. Now after 2 games we think he should have spent more time in the AHL?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

these are the types of growing pains you are going to get with a 20 year old DMan. so you all better get used to it.

 

[glenwo2]

Agreed. You can't have your cake and eat it, too....with Larsson at this point of his career.

He's still learning and *WILL* get better as he gains more experience.

 

[NJDevs26]

To be fair everyone before the season was pointing at the third year where Larsson was going to make the jump, where he had to make a jump. So far he's been completely awful, and has still in fact regressed from the first half of his first season.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I was really hoping Larsson would be getting powerplay time with Zidlicky on the first unit. I'm not that optimistic about having Zajac on the point, maybe because I think it takes a certain kind of forward to be on the point during a powerplay (a Kovalchuk, Ovie, Stamkos, those dynamic forwards with amazing shots). If anything else I think I'd rather see Harrold and Zidlicky on the point for the first unit, just not 4 forwards please.