Post-Game Talk: Still winless and even more royally pissed

[guitarguyvic]

Gusev is probably the worst player I’ve seen at the NHL level when trying to defend in his own zone. He has absolutely no idea where to go or who to cover and his anticipation of where the play will be is non existent.

He might’ve dominated the KHL but he’s a major liability in the NHL.

Another reason to jettison this staff...does anyone think this ragtag group of amateurs is going to be able to teach this guy the basics of defending?

 

[BenedictGomez]

for the love of god, can we break up the Severson- Subban pairing, especially short handed!

Severson is so terrible he's dragging Subban & Mueller down with him.

Once again, Severson is "leading" the Devils in worst ESGA/60, just like he does EVERY (literally) year.

 

[Offseason Champs]

mueller being dragged down is one of the funniest things I’ve read here. Boy is rock bottom as is.

 

[BenedictGomez]

mueller being dragged down is one of the funniest things I’ve read here. Boy is rock bottom

When you say Mueller is terrible, and there are quite a few posters here who say that, all you're doing if broadcasting in HD to the people with solid hockey IQ and/or background that you really dont understand the game, and that you're one of those casual fans that only cares about who ScOrZ MOAR POyNtZ on the ice. Which, incidentally, is why so many are counter-intuitively in love with the defensive trainwreck known as Damon Severson.

While I'm not saying Mueller is a great hockey player, in tallest midget fashion he is defensively one of the Devils best defensemen. If you cant tell that by the eye-test (and you should be able to), virtually every stat category bears that fact out. At very least he is defensively "no worse" than the others, and it's no surprise to me that the coaching staff puts him out at the end of tight games.

Full season. Last year.

 

[Japam]

I said it in the game thread yesterday but there's no way I can bring myself to shit on any of the defensemen on this team when we have the coaching staff we do.

 

[NJDevs26]

Mueller has been bad this year (after a not so hot 2018), or at least was bad with Severson and I’m normally one of the ones beating the drum for defensemen actually being able to play D. If you want to blame the staff for him being stunted that’s a different argument. I’m all for defensemen actually being able to defend, I just don’t see that with Mueller enough to justify playing a completely one dimensional player. If you’re one dimensional you better be elite at it.

 

[glenwo2]

Did we boo Hynes or chant to fire Hynes at all during the game yesterday? It unfortunately may be the only way anything happens to him

Yes there was a "Fire Hynes" chant at the end of the game amidst the loud boo-birds, according to Devils fans here that were there.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Mueller, Severson, and Subban have all been bad.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Mueller, Severson, and Subban have all been bad.

Subban & Mueller have not played well, but as I noted, they've also been directly victimized by Severson multiple times for goals against through no fault of their own. If you believe "Mueller & Subban" have been "bad" (and that's fine), then Severson is playing far, far, far, far, far, in excess worse of the adjective bad.

As I noted in another thread, Severson has been on the ice for 60% of the total goals scored against the Devils this season. That is genuinely statistically astounding, and not in a great way.

 

[Nubmer6]

Gusev is probably the worst player I’ve seen at the NHL level when trying to defend in his own zone. He has absolutely no idea where to go or who to cover and his anticipation of where the play will be is non existent.

Sounds like he'd fit in as one of our defenseman.

 

[glenwo2]

Sounds like he'd fit in as one of our defenseman.

Ouch.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

I said it in the game thread yesterday but there's no way I can bring myself to **** on any of the defensemen on this team when we have the coaching staff we do.

John Hynes isn’t the one who’s leaving the slot wide open in order to go in a corner, that is already being defended by his d-partner.

Severson can make a breakout pass, there’s no denying that, but the kid doesn’t know how to defend and when you’re a dman, you should at least know where to be and who to cover in your own zone.

The only knock I have with our coaching staff regarding Severson is that he can’t even defend when playing his natural position but we’re now asking him to play the left side??? Wtf kind of logic is that?

Shero needs to find a team who’s looking to add a RHD who can generate offense and move him ASAP before his value hits rock bottom.

 

[Edmonton East]

Severson is so terrible he's dragging Subban & Mueller down with him.

Once again, Severson is "leading" the Devils in worst ESGA/60, just like he does EVERY (literally) year.

I mean you are right that some people on here underestimate how poor Severson is defensively...however, I don't think it's fair to say he is dragging down two players who have looked horrible on their own so far this season.

 

[Call Me Al]

no he's not the one on the ice making the mistakes but if the players don't know where to be or who to cover within the system then it is on the coach.

 

[Edmonton East]

Sounds like he'd fit in as one of our defenseman.

Satisfies the size requirement too

 

[BahlDeep]

Severson is so terrible he's dragging Subban & Mueller down with him.

Once again, Severson is "leading" the Devils in worst ESGA/60, just like he does EVERY (literally) year.

Shocking that Mueller is sitting with those numbers

 

[BenedictGomez]

Shocking that Mueller is sitting with those numbers

And on a team where defense is the Achilles heel.

As I've said 1001 times before, all John Hynes cares about is offense. Though ironically Mueller actually has the best GF/60 on the team, though I cant imagine that holding for a year.

 

[BahlDeep]

And on a team where defense is the Achilles heel.

As I've said 1001 times before, all John Hynes cares about is offense. Though ironically Mueller actually has the best GF/60 on the team, though I cant imagine that holding for a year.

Welcome to the new nhl bud; where elegancy is more important then raw results.

Something something...the new type of defenseman, the transitional defenseman!!!

 

[devilsblood]

Man Butcher pulled off a 16-6 Corsi and a 3-0 goals for yesterday. That's impressive in a game you win, let alone a train wreck type of game.

 

[Edmonton East]

Devs rankings in ES GA:
2018 - 29th
2017 - 18th
2016 - 20th
2015 - 5th
2014 - 7th

I think we can all agree the talent was bad each and every one of the years listed. We can also probably agree that, on paper, this dcore is the best they've had.

Isn't it interesting that ESGA after 1 year with the Hynes/Nas system has been awful? Almost like as the team conformed to their "system" they actually gave up more ESGA.

 

[devilsblood]

And on a team where defense is the Achilles heel.

As I've said 1001 times before, all John Hynes cares about is offense. Though ironically Mueller actually has the best GF/60 on the team, though I cant imagine that holding for a year.

I don't think it is offense that he values per se, but I do(edit) think he abides by the philosophy of puck movement being akin to defense.

 

[devilsblood]

I mean you are right that some people on here underestimate how poor Severson is defensively...however, I don't think it's fair to say he is dragging down two players who have looked horrible on their own so far this season.

Subban is 3-0 goals for with Greene.

2-5 with Sev's.

Mueller is 0-5 with Sev's
2-1 with Carrick.
2-0 with Vat's.

Very fair to say Sev's is dragging these guys down.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Man Butcher pulled off a 16-6 Corsi and a 3-0 goals for yesterday. That's impressive in a game you win, let alone a train wreck type of game.

Vatanen and Butcher are good two way dmen. I never understood any of the heat they received over the last two seasons.

 

[BahlDeep]

I don't think it is offense that he values per se, but I don't think he abides by the philosophy of puck movement being akin to defense.

I think they go hand in hand. I feel like Hynes takes the philosophy of "the less you play in your own zone, the better chance you have to win" to literally. It's the NHL, you will get stuck in your own zone at times, and if you don't know how to limit chances and actually defend, well you're pretty much f***ed.

 

[BahlDeep]

Vatanen and Butcher are good two way dmen. I never understood any of the heat they received over the last two seasons.

Even funnier that some people we're debating in the offseason that Severson is just as good or even better then Vats.