GDT: Senators @ Devils, 7:00 PM, MSG+, Dirty Dancing

[Jersey Fan 12]

Is it possible that Ruff has the following philosophy: my default is playing McLeod beause he is playing to 100pct of what I know he can do. When you sorry bastards start playing up to your potential, I will give you ice time?

Just another frustrating season looking at other teams do well. Time to become a Byern Munich fan.

Agree with much of this but soccer?


God forbid!

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

You know with Blackwood in net we are losing a shootout every time. He is as bad at it as Cory was that year he lost like 14 straight. It’s automatic. And it matters. Win that shootout tonight and this whole post game has an entirely different feel.

Team scored two goals against Ottawa - one from Severson and one from Bastian - and the $9 million defenseman was -2.

I don't think a shootout win masks the fact that a lot of the players being paid a lot of money to score goals aren't doing so.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

As I have said in another thread, faceoffs are important situationally. Not every single faceoff. Also, if a player cannot do anything besides win the draw then he negates the value of winning the draw. He wins the faceoff then he has to take himself out of the play to go for a change (if he is out there just for the faceoff). He loses the faceoff (which will happen 40% of the time) then you have a player who is stuck out there.

McLeod doesn’t do anything else. He has no puck skills. He is bad defensively. He is the worst type of faceoff specialist.

If that's your take on McLeod's game you need to start watching the game with people who have seen more hockey.

He is one of the few forwards who has value whether his line is scoring (which they did last night) or not.

Rarely do you see the Devils caved in their own end for long stretches when he is on the ice.

 

[Devs3cups]

The system is broken. The guys have lost touch. How demoralizing must it be for our top players to see they’re playing less than Mike McLeod. I think they just aren’t responding anymore. These guys are better than they look.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Try to think about this

If Michael McLeod was put on waivers tomorrow, do you think he's on his way to another city in the NHL by Wednesday? Or is he on his way to Utica?

You can take a few minutes to think about it. And think about maybe a connection he might have to some team in the NHL. Whether it's a previous coach from the AHL or juniors.

He ain't getting taken on merit for anything he's done in the NHL or for being a first round pick. It's been over a 100 games and he's nothing remarkable or worthy to get picked up.

But, think of all the possibly people he may know around the league. Is there someone that may know him or have had him years ago that's now employed in the NHL with some team? The obvious ones are Hynes in Nashville, Shero in Minnesota and Kowalsky for the Islanders, although he's in Bridgeport.

100% he gets picked up. Faceoff gods don't clear waivers.

 

[The Joker]

Ah so it's on the coach again.

 

[tr83]

Do sharangovich or Kuokkanen do anything?

 

[Call Me Al]

they’re stuck at the “learn how to win games” part of the rebuild.

they are having a lot of trouble with that

 

[HersheyBob27]

It puts you a man down and gives the opposing team a chance forecheck you and make you turn the puck over.

if ruff didn’t focus on face offs so much or rolling 4 lines they would be better off. It’s infuriating

Jack was 1/7 on faceoffs. You can’t let him practice his job in his own end. Your are basically conceding possession everytime he steps up to the dot. How dumb is that

 

[Billdo]

Do sharangovich or Kuokkanen do anything?

No, nothing. Literally nothing.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

The same day that Ruff was talking about going up the wall and out of the zone the Senators' second goal was the direct result of a turnover after a winger tried to make a centering pass rather than taking the simple play.

Somewhere there is a disconnect.

 

[JrFischer54]

The fact they spent significant money this offseason and are getting the same results should absolutely get seats hotter.

at what point is it become clear the players just aren't living up to the expectations. outside of a few forwards the team is filled up with meh bottom 6 nhl material. i mean hell we have a kid bastian that literally couldn't hack it on a last place expansion team

 

[JrFischer54]

Someone wake me up when Jack Hughes will start making a difference in the games we play. I see absolutely no difference or improvement since his rookie year. As of today, he’s an elite skater and that’s about it.

problem is he doesn't have nhl help on his wings. hes a playmaker first but when you have bottom 6 wingers on your top line thats a problem.

 

[tr83]

I think there is a fine line in organizational rebuilds with youth and vet presence. I think the team could afford to trade for a vet who has won before. It might be good for team confidence

 

[Call Me Al]

yeah there are a lot of problems. coaching, vet makeup, finishing talent, player regression.

you can only say “this year we expect to take a step forward” and then fail at that so many times before part of the fan base, even the diehards start to check out and i think we might be getting close to that

 

[Call Me Al]

i don’t think they are going to fire ruff, and i’m not sure that he’s the problem but i definitely don’t believe that he has the answers so i’m just about done expecting the playoffs or even going into games expecting them to win anymore.

i hope they turn it around and i’ll be happily cheering them on if they do but i’ve more or less accepted my belief that they’re just not a good team

 

[Buck Dancer]

The system is broken. The guys have lost touch. How demoralizing must it be for our top players to see they’re playing less than Mike McLeod. I think they just aren’t responding anymore. These guys are better than they look.

If that’s the case, we should start cleaning house because that’s a BS excuse, yet again. I have some news for you, these guys aren’t better then they look and for all the flack that Jim has been getting for months now, he’s actually the one who was right all along.

Jack Hughes isn’t anything special. He might turn out to be a good player eventually but we were sold a dream and Fitz took the bait. This guy plays like he’s still at the NTDP and yes, to use his catchphrase, his play is a disgrace. He better wake the f*** up real fast because the hockey world will turn on him and all the praises he’s been getting since he started putting on skates, will turn to mockery real soon. Especially with the deal he just signed.

 

[Call Me Al]

lol hughes has been playing with shit linemates and he does nothing but create offense and tilt the ice

 

[Homedresser]

The fact they spent significant money this offseason and are getting the same results should absolutely get seats hotter.

did they really spend in the offseason? Don't forget there's a floor they have to reach. Still far below the top range of cap.

 

[Buck Dancer]

lol hughes has been playing with shit linemates and he does nothing but create offense and tilt the ice

Ruff broke up our only line that actually looked solid so our wonder boy can have Johnsson as his winger. Flying around the ice with the puck doesn’t mean you’re creating chaos, it might look pretty to the eye but that’s not how you win games at the NHL level. This ain’t a god damn game of shinny hockey for crying out loud.

 

[Call Me Al]

there are plenty of things to gripe about, *gestures around*, but hughes isn’t one of them

 

[Camille the Eel]

Team scored two goals against Ottawa - one from Severson and one from Bastian - and the $9 million defenseman was -2.

I don't think a shootout win masks the fact that a lot of the players being paid a lot of money to score goals aren't doing so.

Not from the rational point of view. But it’s a loss or a win depending on the gimic and emotionally I find it makes a huge difference not just in how I feel but in how the board reacts.

 

[vtdevils2k]

Ruff broke up our only line that actually looked solid so our wonder boy can have Johnsson as his winger. Flying around the ice with the puck doesn’t mean you’re creating chaos, it might look pretty to the eye but that’s not how you win games at the NHL level. This ain’t a god damn game of shinny hockey for crying out loud.

Boy your takes are getting spicier by the second, holy ****

Wonder boy? Relax man

I do agree with some of your previous takes that NJ does needs more balance in the lineup at forward e.g. a power forward like Matthew Tkachuk on this team, but man you're going full scorch the earth now with some of these takes.

 

[Buck Dancer]

there are plenty of things to gripe about, *gestures around*, but hughes isn’t one of them

Yeah, so let's crap on Lindy Ruff and Michael McLeod instead when our main guys are MIA.

 

[Call Me Al]

overusing 4th liners can cost you (see 2009 game 7), but it’s part of the problem that our coach doesn’t have the answer to fix this team. not putting our best offensive player in the best position to succeed (like pairing his line with subban instead of hamilton) is part of that equation.

i don’t know how you can watch jack and not recognize that he has special abilities