GDT: Devils vs. Rangers / Pride 7:00 PM MSG+2

[Bleedred]

I'd hardly call that post defensive. Maybe I've responded to you a few times, but it's the hyperbolic statements that make me do it. Like saying he hasn't been good all season long... Because he had pretty great game yesterday after that bad first period, which is what I've been saying in that he's been inconsistent.

Saying he's been bad all season disregards all the good stretches he's had, and he's had a number of them. Just with bad play mixed in there as well. Again, inconsistent.

This isn't a personal thing, which I don't see why you're taking it that way. This is a, I strongly disagree with that notion, thing.

I think he's had a below average season at best. This doesn't mean he hasn't had good stretches, I just believe he's been more below average than good.

Not bad in the way that Harrold and Fraser are, just not nearly as good as he was for quite a bit of time last year.

 

[Devils Dominion]

not that it matters but i think that was josefson's goal. it's still listed as ruutu's.

He definitely tipped it.

But if crediting Ruutu can make it even a 1% greater chance we can trade him its a bonus.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I think he's had a below average season at best. This doesn't mean he hasn't had good stretches, I just believe he's been more below average than good.

Not bad in the way that Harrold and Fraser are, just not nearly as good as he was for quite a bit of time last year.

Guess it depends on what you were expecting to be average for him. I think taking into account that he's battled a few injuries, he's hasn't really had a consistent partner and the one partner he did have relatively consistently was a pure offensive defenseman, asking him to cover for Zids on shift-to-shift basis, he's had a decent season.

It's just I've seen the old "Merrill has been bad all season long" far too many times, when I just don't buy that. If you were expecting a defenseman with 52 games coming into this season, solidify himself as a solid 2nd pairing Dman, possibly challenging for 1st pairing but not quite there, then sure I guess he's had a below average season in that respect. Personally, I was hoping he'd come in and show some progress in a few areas throughout the season but nothing too major, maybe become a good #4 Dman. So I guess my expectations were low to begin with. Merrill is good, but he's not Ekbald. It's going to take time for him to develop, this patch in that process should have been expected.

 

[awegrzyn]

trading Cory on this would be a panic move and folly

Does not have to be.

I would trade Cory for a completely different reason:
We already have Kinkid for free. That is a contender goalie under the right defense. Why have 2 awesome goalies and no offensive forwards? The balance is not there.

The problem with NJD is their over the board defensive style. No balance. Every player on that team is defense minded, including the forwards. Defense minded forwards will never score a lot, as their talent is divided (2 way forwards). Hence, so little goals.

 

[MadDevil]

Does not have to be.

I would trade Cory for a completely different reason:
We already have Kinkid for free. That is a contender goalie under the right defense. Why have 2 awesome goalies and no offensive forwards? The balance is not there.

The problem with NJD is their over the board defensive style. No balance. Every player on that team is defense minded, including the forwards. Defense minded forwards will never score a lot, as their talent is divided (2 way forwards). Hence, so little goals.

Kinkaid has all of 12 starts in the NHL. Let's see what he looks like next year once teams have had time to scout him and figure out his tendencies/weaknesses before we start talking about him being an NHL starter.

 

[Bleedred]

Kinkaid has all of 12 starts in the NHL. Let's see what he looks like next year once teams have had time to scout him and figure out his tendencies/weaknesses before we start talking about him being an NHL starter.

Agreed.

He's been good, but did that poster seriously call him a contender goalie? Um what?

 

[Emperoreddy]

Kinkaid has 12 games and is a UFA next year. Just...stop with the insanity talk.

One bad game and it's trade Cory, Merrill is terrible. Shocked we aren't running Greene and Lars out of town yet.

If you want to jump off the ledge. Be my guest. Sure there are plenty of bandwagons to go land on.

 

[Cobra Jack*]

What a sad group of skaters Lou put together. I'm glad he gets an up close look at this trainwreck every night. Dude should have a brown paper bag over his head.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Thank god I'm away and missed the standard cliff jumping by the board. season can't end soon enough for us.

 

[tr83]

I would probably get all defensive, but, yeah, that's about right.

 

[JimEIV]

Thank god I'm away and missed the standard cliff jumping by the board. season can't end soon enough for us.

Did you see the game? I wanted to give some observations last night but this place was like Bellevue before they hand out the sedation medication.

They played a very different game last night. They tried to be more aggressive and they tried to press the the play...they put up 35 shots on Lundqvist, when was the last time the Devils put up 35+ shots? For a few different stretch they were dominating the play, but like under DeBoer, they just don't have the horses to open up the play and when they do their goalie and young defense is hung out to dry. Like under DeBoer, almost everything was given up in transition with little forward support and the D caught scrambling to get back... it was clearly the game plan.

But in a situation like this and game like that I prefer to focus on the positives...Boucher and Matteau played very well again last night. Boucher looked more comfortable than he has since his first call up and he did a lot good things last night. Matteau in 15+ minutes of ice time had 2 shots and was one of the few players that wasn't a minus.

It's hard to look at 6-1 score and say that they didn't play bad but they didn't play bad.

 

[PTmbp13]

was it still Ruttus goal? Clearly it bounced around onJosef

 

[SeidoN]

I would probably get all defensive, but, yeah, that's about right.

I would too, but its been a 20 year wait so ill give them their 15 minutes

 

[devilsblood]

He definitely tipped it.

But if crediting Ruutu can make it even a 1% greater chance we can trade him its a bonus.

Finally credited to JJ. 6 goals and 5 assists on the season. Underwhelming, but both career highs. Something to build on for next year? Sure hope so.

I think there is clearly more offensive potential there. Question is how do you draw it out?

Not that he has really earned it, but giving him more time with more offensively capable linemates would be a start. Those are the types of things I would think a team would do when they are in the midst of a season like this.

 

[devilsblood]

Did you see the game? I wanted to give some observations last night but this place was like Bellevue before they hand out the sedation medication.

They played a very different game last night. They tried to be more aggressive and they tried to press the the play...they put up 35 shots on Lundqvist, when was the last time the Devils put up 35+ shots? For a few different stretch they were dominating the play, but like under DeBoer, they just don't have the horses to open up the play and when they do their goalie and young defense is hung out to dry. Like under DeBoer, almost everything was given up in transition with little forward support and the D caught scrambling to get back... it was clearly the game plan.

But in a situation like this and game like that I prefer to focus on the positives...Boucher and Matteau played very well again last night. Boucher looked more comfortable than he has since his first call up and he did a lot good things last night. Matteau in 15+ minutes of ice time had 2 shots and was one of the few players that wasn't a minus.

It's hard to look at 6-1 score and say that they didn't play bad but they didn't play bad.

I stopped watching but from what I saw it was a very deboer like game. At least in terms of controlling play but no ability to score.
Now Deboer's squads rarely gave up a ton of goals like we did last night. That's something that has seemed to happen much more frequently under the new regime. Although previously it was more straight domination losses where last night was more breakdowns which led to goals.

Might be a little late in the year, but I'd look to break Merril and Sev's up. They are clearly in a rut. Throw Sev's back up with Greene and see if Lar's can be a guy who can anchor that 2nd pairing.

We talked about it b4 Sev's came back from injury. Thought it was a good idea then. Seems like a better idea now.

 

[Sascha Goc]

LOL to this thread

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Who has played for both the Devils and nyr?

Asham
Weekes
Mike Dunham
Reijo Ruotsalainen
RUPP
JAGR
CLOWE
CIGER
George McPhee
Darren Langdon
Bob Brooke
Mike Mottau
Esa Tikkanen
Troy Mallette
Scott Gomez
Bobby Holik
John MacLean
Joe Cirella
Carol Vadnais
Valeri Kamensky
Dave Pichette
Pat Verbeek
Bruce Driver
Corey Millen
Bernie Nichols
Steve Richmond
Bob Carpenter
Sergei Nemchinov
Pat Conacher
Pascal Rheaume
Brendan Shanahan
Petr Sykora
Peter Sundstrom
Krystoff Oliwa
Walt Poddubny
Kirk McLean (I was in attendance for his only win as a Devil, home/season finale vs NYi)
Joel Bouchard
Anton Stralman ***if you count preseason

Who am I forgetting?

John Vanbiesbrouck

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

I don't take anything out of the 35 shots last night. First, msg is notorious for over counting shots. Second, the rangers played half that game on cruise control. Whatever, I see no positives In getting your teeth kicked in like that. The embarrassing part of it is that it really seemed like the rangers didn't take the game all that seriously and they still could have potted 8 goals.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

this should make me mad but its hysterical

 

[Offseason Champs]

Oh hey guys what's going on in this thr-

Nothing against Cory but I say we trade him up for some offense at this point. I am in full blown panic mode and dread seeing what next season brings if we don't get rid of the floating garbage we have up front. Don't care what Lou says, we need to get into full blown rebuild mode, not this 1 player at a time ********

 

[devilsblood]

I don't take anything out of the 35 shots last night. First, msg is notorious for over counting shots. Second, the rangers played half that game on cruise control. Whatever, I see no positives In getting your teeth kicked in like that. The embarrassing part of it is that it really seemed like the rangers didn't take the game all that seriously and they still could have potted 8 goals.

But we outshot them in the first period, and we outshot them overall. So I don't think the overcount, or the cruise control arguments can used to brush the game off.

Not to say we didn't get crushed. 6-1 is blowout no matter how you slice it. But given the shots, and the look of the game really, it's a certain kind of blowout.

 

[devilsblood]

this should make me mad but its hysterical

Have to laugh to keep from crying.

 

[Devils Dominion]

So they lost by 5 to a much better team that got a few bounces.
They didn't play 5 goals worse last night for sure.

Prob should have lost something like 3-2 or 4-3 or even in OT or a SO.

Way too much over-reacting in this thread by some.

The Rags are the favorites to rep the East while we have the 6th worst record in the NHL.

Jus think that the Devils beat nyr by 4 goals in a game last season.
Yeah, hard to imagine that now.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Isn't the point of the bag to hide your identity? But lol anyway haha.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't take anything out of the 35 shots last night. First, msg is notorious for over counting shots. Second, the rangers played half that game on cruise control. Whatever, I see no positives In getting your teeth kicked in like that. The embarrassing part of it is that it really seemed like the rangers didn't take the game all that seriously and they still could have potted 8 goals.

That was the hardest thing for me. The rags weren't even trying. At all. They looked like they played the whole game to not get hurt. And they cruised to an easy victory. Even a decent performance by the Devils wasn't enough to not get blown out by a team 1/4 assing it at best.