Post-Game Talk: Rangers win 3-2, Devils fall out of a playoff spot

[Hockey Sports Fan]

It's a circle, you play well for a period of time then it's getting a bit more difficult for another one. We are, overall, playing well. At this level of competition, outshooting the opposition is cute but you don't get points for that, and if you keep losing again and again the games you were supposed to win, you're asking for a damn lot of trouble.

We are in trouble.

There aren't games you're "supposed" to win anymore. Check out the gamelog from the Montreal/Buffalo game. Buffalo only had 5 shots over the final two periods or something like that.

http://timeonice.com/shots1213.php?gamenumber=20433

Montreal had THIRTY THREE more unblocked shot attempts than Buffalo, and that's just at even strength! To think that game even went to OT is hilarious. But that's the thing. There's no "should have" won this game or that game, Montreal got beat. But if they play like that every game, they're most certainly gonna win more games than they lose.

 

[slammer]

Can we just shoot the first goal? Can we defend a lead? Can we shutout a team?

I want my defense from the first games back Every Team scoring 2,3 goals wins against us, cause we are no scoring machine either...

LOU, wake up call please :/

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Heads are really rolling in here, weren't you the most positive about this team less than a week ago?

We outshot opponents during the Maclean half season, but didn't really dominate. And the defense was much worse than what we're seeing right now, as bad as it's been at times the last month.

I don't blame them at all, I know they're all trying their best from Lou to Harri, there's absolutely zero hard feelings.

I'm just firmly convinced that a part of being successful in that game is driven by luck, and that this b*tch has decided to abandon us so far this season.

 

[Devils Dominion]

The main issue is we can't score.

 

[Bleedred]

The main issue is we can't score.

That's it completely. 2.07 goals for since the 5-1 Washington beating. I said 1.93 earlier but I was wrong.

That's without the 2 goals for winning shootouts. So we're scoring less goals than almost every team in the league even averages in goals against. I think it's about 2.16 goals for per game since the 5 game winning streak ended.

 

[Chessarmy]

Hedberg on his play during the 13 consecutive starts he’s made because of Brodeur’s injury: “I think I’ve come out every game and tried to play to the best of my ability. Some games it’s gone my way. Some games it has not.”

From TG's blog.

I feel for the guy. He was given a very tough workload and the team in front of him hasn't been playing lights out hockey either

 

[Volodya Krutov]

There aren't games you're "supposed" to win anymore. Check out the gamelog from the Montreal/Buffalo game. Buffalo only had 5 shots over the final two periods or something like that.

http://timeonice.com/shots1213.php?gamenumber=20433

Montreal had THIRTY THREE more unblocked shot attempts than Buffalo, and that's just at even strength! To think that game even went to OT is hilarious. But that's the thing. There's no "should have" won this game or that game, Montreal got beat. But if they play like that every game, they're most certainly gonna win more games than they lose.

Montreal lost one game when they outshot the opposition, big deal.

How many for us ? 7, 8 or 9 losses in the last 12 games ? Once again if you keep constantly losing the games you're playing well, you're in trouble.

 

[Bleedred]

I think we're outshooting teams and not winning because of the personnel. Let's be serious here, aside from the last two games can we say the goalies have really been standing on their heads? They were sharp, but can we say every goalie we're playing is playing like Hasek? Like Lindback against TB? Or Riemer? Or Enroth? (Who we beat but barely) Of course each of these guys made a couple big saves, but we weren't pressuring them like Price and Lundqvist the last two games.

I think it's because the team just isn't good enough as is. Ponikarovsky has been playing on the 1st line, we haven't had a steady LW on the 1st line all season. I can take 30 shots on these goalies too, but none of them are gonna go in.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I think we're outshooting teams and not winning because of the personnel. Let's be serious here, aside from the last two games can we say the goalies have really been standing on their heads? They were sharp, but can we say every goalie we're playing is playing like Hasek? Like Lindback against TB? Or Rie. mer? Or Enroth? (Who we beat but barely) Of course each of these guys made a couple big saves, but we w eren't pressuring them like Price and Lundqvist the last two games.

I think it's because the team just isn't good enough as is. Ponikarovsky has been playing on the 1st line, we haven't had a steady LW on the 1st line all season. I can take 30 shots on these goalies too, but none of them are gonna go in.

Bingo. Our personnel will not score much nor is it very fast overall.

 

[Bleedred]

Bingo. Our personnel will not score much nor is it very fast overall.

We got Ponikarovsky (3rd liner) on our 1st line. Earlier this year the 4th line from last playoffs was our 3rd line. Anytime an injury happens the lineup gets weirder and weirder. Carter on the 1st line? This team loses a whole line when a forward is injured, but a couple people defended the 8 defensemen move by saying ''There will be injuries''. Well there's injuries to our forwards and it absolutely cripples the team.

We're in a much better position to lose 3 defensemen than we are to lose 1 forward not named Barch or Kostopolous. Urbom can play in this league, he already has. Gelinas can play in this league I think if need be. Anderson, Sestito, Pesonen, etc. They can play in this league, but not when there's an injury in the top 9 to an extremely weak/thin team at forward.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Montreal lost one game when they outshot the opposition, big deal.

How many for us ? 7, 8 or 9 losses in the last 12 games ? Once again if you keep constantly losing the games you're playing well, you're in trouble.

Not just "outshot," but like...absolutely obliterated. I just thought it was interesting. Over time, it'll even out. How awful did LA look last season when they were lucky to score two goals in a game? That was an entire half season of bad luck. The problem with the Devils is they probably won't get much time to rebound.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS ANYWAY

SO THERE

 

[Bleedred]

We need a real 05/06 ending to this season. We don't need to win 11 in a row, but we do need to probably win 10 or 11. We haven't won 10 games since that 5 game winning streak began.

By that I mean 10 wins ago was when that 5 game winning streak began.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Fell out of playoff spot and aint climbing back up. Enjoy the golfing boys 2/3 seasons no playoffs.

 

[MadDevil]

I'm just firmly convinced that a part of being successful in that game is driven by luck, and that this b*tch has decided to abandon us so far this season.

I'm not normally a superstitious person, but I'm starting to believe the Devils somehow pissed off the hockey gods this year.

 

[RandoDoomer]

I didn't want to win "half a Cup" anyway.

 

[rtr1105]

Was it just the added frustration of the fact we were playing the Rags, or did our guys have a real tough time holding the zone last night?

 

[Billdo]

Outshooting the opponent is becoming a very misleading statistic in my mind. Sure we have been outshooting teams, but when these shots are right into the goalies gut theyre ineffective. 3/4 of our shots are not quality shots. We have an awful powerplay, the entire system of it is stupid. Why dump and chase on the powerplay when you don't have the speed to get there on the first unit. The second unit does, but theyre not as skilled. So we waste powerplays having Zid or Kovy skate all the way back to our zone because theyre never able to get set up. When they do, its force it to the point, have Zid or Kovy blast it off the glass or at such a piss poor angle that they clear the puck on themselves. There are no more plays where the puck moves down low and then its thrown to the net and everyone crashes, its point shots off the glass or wrist shots right into the stomach of the goalie. Our offense is putrid.

 

[Devils Insiders]

Dave and Jeff talk about last night's game and whether it's time to push the panic button or stay positive. Where do you stand after the Ranger game?

http://wp.me/p347yn-zr

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

This team is becoming frustrating to watch. We outplay most of our opponents, we are better in terms of possessions and shots, we generally end up with more PP's, yet we're constantly losing. I don't even know what else to say.

You know, I could kind of feel bad for them the last couple of weeks because they did clean their game up a little bit, but if I'm being honest with myself, they definitely deserved to lose last night. That's not to say that they didn't control the game, but if you go back and take a look at all of the prime chances the Rangers had, I mean it's just really really bad. There is no excuse to be made for that. For how little time the Rangers spent with the puck last night, they had way too many oppotunities to score. Hedberg is getting killed for a couple of the goals, however, he saved another sure 3 or 4 goals from going in. It's like I've been saying for weeks now, teams don't really need to play all that well to beat us right now. That's why my thoughts for this team getting into the playofs are slim to none. What the hell are they going to do when they actually start playing teams that are rolling?

When you're hurting for offense and have made it a practice to beat the crap out of the glass with pucks, well you just can't afford to half ass it in terms of defensive play.

They let the Rangers off the hook last night. No way around it. Problem is, they've done that far too often over these last 5 weeks.

 

[I Hate Tie DOMI]

I didn't want to win "half a Cup" anyway.

This "half" plus that other "half" we have would make us have a total of 3 whole Cups!

PS. I'm good at math.

 

[Devils Trap]

I'm tired of saying the effort is there. Game after game we say the same thing. Our lack of scoring is due to a lack of talent . We have to make a move eventually if we want to succeed . Getting Zubie/Lokti and Marty back will help but it is nearly impossible to think we will stay healthy all season

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

As much as this half ass 48 game season pisses me off, the Devils still need to find a way to get in the top 8 by season's end. The playoff revenue and potential future ticket sales that come along with it are super important, especially for this franchise.

 

[MartyOwns]

my completely unsolicited thoughts

-played a good game, lundpads just robbed us a few times
-zidlicky, for the millionth time, is garbage. why is he in over fayne again? I loved chico’s ‘high risk high reward’ comment. still waiting on that reward portion
-good god, welcome back marty. if for nothing else, than to have a goalie competent at playing the damn puck. can we get one of those ‘invisible shock fences’ used on dogs to keep them in the yard, and put it in a 7-foot radius around moose’s net. holy hell. “Find out what you don’t do well, and don’t do i.â€- Alf

 

[onefatsurfer]

I am just glad we shouldn't have to see Hedberg on Thursday. Seeing him in net makes me sick, because I know he's going to give up at least one, usually 2 bad goals. This loss falls squarely on his shoulders, the Devils played well enough to win, and they should have, if Moose didn't let in the pathetic goals that he did. Hopefully, we won't have to watch him play any more than 1 or 2 games from here on out. He is the main reason we are out of a playoff spot right now, letting in 4 or 5 goals in so many games.. How can anyone have confidence on this team when they know if they give up the puck, even a soft shot will fly right through his wide open 5-hole?