GDT: Islanders @ Devils - Season Finale - 7:00 PM - MSG

[Dylan9z9]

Saying just what I said .... this guy is an echl coach maybe

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

I'm not one of the Fire Fitz guys, but he's gotta get it right next year. I can't blame anybody for being somewhat disillusioned with him. I am glad that he acquired two new goalies in-season and gave us a shakeup there, but the next shakeup needs to be getting rid of Rogalski and maybe some of these other guys that work in that department.

Truth be told, the fans will be rabid if we get off to a shaky start next year. I think last year bought enough goodwill that the fans played I thought exceptionally nice this year, other than Fire Lindy late in February and that was the last home game he ever coached

But they weren't playing nice in 2022. And I don't blame them. With the popping for Brunette and booing Ruff, followed by the chant on home opening night in 2022. To the roaring boos during the 1st period of the Ducks game when we were down 2-0 in the 1st period, before we came back to win. It's gonna get ugly again next year if we don't come out swinging.

Regarding the goalies....I was one of the people that didn't want to trade any important pieces (including Holtz) for Hellebuyck. I didn't want to trade a 1st because I assumed that a loaded team would have to give up the 1st for Timo this year which means we also lost the 1st next year in a potential trade. Also didn't want to pay top money for a goalie, I figured the rest of the team was stacked enough where average goaltending would be enough and we could try the Vegas route.

Obviously that all went wrong.

As far as in-season trades, we have heard that Allen first nixed a trade to us and then Markstrom eventually agreed (but that was vetoed by Calgary owner). I'm glad they at least got Montreal to retain on Allen, which probably took some motivation. When we acquired Allen and KK at the deadline, I figured it was just a "meh, at least we can put Schmid/Daws back in the minors" type of move. So I don't even blame Fitz that much on making those trades so late as he was clearly hoping to get a more long-term answer.

I don't know. Just sucks how much goaltending blew up in our face. What I would've done in the summer is trade Sharangovich for a vet defenseman and not Toffoli.

 

[NJDevs26]

Wait, Jake Allen played under Green in the AHL?

I think that was the WHL?

@Bleedred I definitely misremembered it, looking back at the Green thread and the post in question it was actually MARKSTROM who made Green’s career in the AHL, I confused the actual Devils goalie with the speculated one, I just remembered it being a fantastic coincidence since we’ve been in on Markstrom forever

 

[MadDevil]

Now that the mess is over, what was the final tally of giving up the first goal?

57. 3 short of tying the NHL record.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

The real cherry on top with Fitz this season is him saying on the last day that he wants to re-sign a useless goon that doesn’t address a single f***ing one of the major issues this team has.

Yeah I’m of the f*** fitz mindset at this point until he proves deserved of support. And it’s sad that I’m also back to the headspace of being a nonbeliever in the team as a whole. Again, until they prove otherwise what have they done to earn it? One playoff series win in a decade plus and first appearance in what a half dozen years? Followed by fading right back into irrelevance?

 

[JimEIV]

Looking back, the turn we took after the Stadium Series game was the weird thing this season. Up until then we seemed relatively competitive, even if we were still quite mediocre and inconsistent. But after that things totally went south. Really kind of odd.

4 teams passed us since the outdoor game. We were 2 points out of the last Wild Card spot and since then the Islanders, the Capitals, the Penguins and the Sabers have passed us.

 

[Bleedred]

I have a feeling that this might get a little worse before it gets better.

If that's the case then I think people are getting fired sooner than later.

I could see a scenario where Fitz is ''Pushed upstairs'' if we're not a playoff team next year, if he's not completely fired. Maybe he retains the ''President of hockey ops'' position, while someone new comes in to be the GM.

But the president of hockey ops is almost always the guy with the final say over the general manager, but there's also been times where that's merely a title and he's not. I think Lou was still president of hockey ops for the 10 or so weeks that he stuck around in between Shero being the GM and him leaving for Toronto. It's obvious he wasn't in charge at that point, like Sather still was when he took the same title that same year and somebody else took over for him as Rangers GM.

 

[JK3]

ahahaha this presser is icing on the cake.

 

[Devs3cups]

4 teams passed us since the outdoor game. We were 2 points out of the last Wild Card spot and since then the Islanders, the Capitals, the Penguins and the Sabers have passed us.

Horrible.

 

[Killing Joke]

There’s no point in shitting on green. He didn’t hire or promote himself.

Fitz’s hiring decisions with the coaching stuff are a f***ing embarrassment.

It's amazing to see Brunette bring that sad sack of shit forward group in Nashville to the playoffs. While this good top 6 was wasted by this moron GM who refused to give them any help when Dougie went down, and refused to get them a goalie in Dec as well.

Dumb ass f***ing Muppet of a GM christ I hate him.

 

[Bleedred]

4 teams passed us since the outdoor game. We were 2 points out of the last Wild Card spot and since then the Islanders, the Capitals, the Penguins and the Sabers have passed us.

It didn't help that we got destroyed by the Capitals in the season series.

And our first game after the stadium series I'm pretty sure was yet another disasterful loss to them.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I have a feeling that this might get a little worse before it gets better.

Not sure how the injuries we saw can be replicated next season. Injury wise alone, they are a playoff team as of now if they had a normal season of injuries.

Make the right coaching hire and a better complimentary group of players and they will be competitive

 

[Unknown Caller]

4 teams passed us since the outdoor game. We were 2 points out of the last Wild Card spot and since then the Islanders, the Capitals, the Penguins and the Sabers have passed us.

They lost McLeod, Ruff, Toffoli, Miller, Bastian and basically had no Jack Hughes in that time period. Is it really that surprising?

 

[NJDevs26]

ahahaha this presser is icing on the cake.

Do I even ask? I left early and have the Met postgame on

 

[Dylan9z9]

Travis Green has been hired by the NJD .... as the towel boy

 

[HBK27]

What genius decided to have fan appreciation night against a close rival? At least schedule it against a team in the other conference FFS.

The NHL does the schedule and it makes sense to have the final game against a division rival in case there are playoff implications.

 

[Bleedred]

@Bleedred I definitely misremembered it, looking back at the Green thread and the post in question it was actually MARKSTROM who made Green’s career in the AHL, I confused the actual Devils goalie with the speculated one, I just remembered it being a fantastic coincidence since we’ve been in on Markstrom forever

I started digging through it and saw he won a WHL title back in like 2008 or something, I already forgot what year it was. I thought maybe Jake Allen may have been on that team, but he wasn't. I do wonder if the goalie had that year was anybody we would have even heard of.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

Not sure how the injuries we saw can be replicated next season. Injury wise alone, they are a playoff team as of now if they had a normal season of injuries.

Make the right coaching hire and a better complimentary group of players and they will be competitive

I don’t even know if I believe they are. Based on what? I think there is proof the issues go well beyond just goaltending.

 

[Bleedred]

ahahaha this presser is icing on the cake.

Oh no

What happened there? I'll have to catch it on youtube.

ESPN+ ends the feed right at the first commercial break after the game has ended for me. It doesn't even do that with every team. For some reason I get the Sharks post game, but not the Devils ones.

 

[MadDevil]

It didn't help that we got destroyed by the Capitals in the season series.

And our first game after the stadium series I'm pretty sure was yet another disasterful loss to them.

Yeah, we lost 6-2 to them, then 5-1 to the Rangers coming out of the
Stadium Series. Then barely beat Montreal and then the first big red flag for me, that Tampa game where they did absolutely nothing in the 3rd period against a team they were at the time chasing for a WC spot.

 

[JimEIV]

If that's the case then I think people are getting fired sooner than later.

I could see a scenario where Fitz is ''Pushed upstairs'' if we're not a playoff team next year, if he's not completely fired. Maybe he retains the ''President of hockey ops'' position, while someone new comes in to be the GM.

But the president of hockey ops is almost always the guy with the final say over the general manager, but there's also been times where that's merely a title and he's not. I think Lou was still president of hockey ops for the 10 or so weeks that he stuck around in between Shero being the GM and him leaving for Toronto. It's obvious he wasn't in charge at that point, like Sather still was when he took the same title that same year and somebody else took over for him as Rangers GM.

Next coach is probably going to institute much more structure and we have a full team that has never played under any structure. It's going to be a hard transition I think. On top of that we are still going to go into next season with an inexperienced defense and a group of very soft forwards that don't really like playing defense.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I have a feeling that this might get a little worse before it gets better.

I think we should be neither particularly optimistic nor especially pessimistic about next year. We certainly have 5 to 7 highly skilled and promising young guys, 4 of whom showed last year they can achieve at an elite level and the two young guys on D who will shortly be on that plane. Some solid veterans (Palat and Mercer - I suppose we can call him a veteran now - anyway some solid pieces around them). There’s certainly no reason we shouldn’t contend again next year. And if Jack Hughes can put on the Superman outfit and stay healthy we may even have Stanley Cup contender potential. On the other hand this season certainly does have to give you pause. In essence we need to prove we can do it all over again.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I don’t even know if I believe they are. Based on what? I think there is proof the issues go well beyond just goaltending.

Losing your entire 1st pairing to injury for basically the entire year and relying on teenagers while having your 3 top forwards face debilitating injuries which they had to play through half the time is NOT normal.

They are a playoff team as is if they weren’t hit as badly with the injuries.

Add in a better coach and better complimentary players and they can be competitive

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah, we lost 6-2 to them, then 5-1 to the Rangers coming out of the
Stadium Series. Then barely beat Montreal and then the first big red flag for me, that Tampa game where they did absolutely nothing in the 3rd period against a team they were at the time chasing for a WC spot.

Yeah, the Tampa game was the return of the ''Fire Lindy'' game. That wound up being the last home game he ever coached here. The way the team played that afternoon, along with going 1-2-0 on the following road trip to California and the way they played in the Kings game (his final game), as well as probably beating Montreal on complete accident the day before the Tampa game (the team looked pretty bad that day, but somehow won. I think Jake Allen was in net for Montreal that day lol) sealed it for Ruff.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Next coach is probably going to institute much more structure and we have a full team that has never played under any structure. It's going to be a hard transition I think. On top of that we are still going to go into next season with an inexperienced defense and a group of very soft forwards that don't really like playing defense.

If I’m not mistaken you have been pretty supportive of Fitz…but that statement about the forwards sounds like a pretty damning indictment to me.