GDT: This Season's a Garden, Dig It: Devils @ Islanders, 7 PM, MSG+2

[AfroThunder396]

I'm just really tired of this season.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Mueller has been solid this year. Impressive considering he's 23 with not much NHL experience, and logged quite a bit of time against other team's #1 lines. It's inexplicable that Hynes benched him for so long.

You do realize that he is 7 months younger than Severson right?

Key tidbit re: young Dman developement:

Severson 329 NHL games
Mueller 114 NHL games

Severson has about 300% more NHL experience than Mueller, and with no defensive growth to show for it.

Though I'm not sure why Severson even matters in a discussion of Mueller, or why you'd bring him up, but it is noteworthy that Mueller is already significantly better than Severson defensively.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm just really tired of this season.

I’m ready for the bye week.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I'm just really tired of this season.

I dont even have desire to buy tickets and attend games.

I'd rather watch the septic tank ooze from the comfort of my couch.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Team is actually somewhat enjoyable to watch when they are home.

These road games are chores though. All seem like auto loses.

 

[JimEIV]

Key tidbit re: young Dman developement:

Severson 329 NHL games
Mueller 114 NHL games
.

There is a reason Mueller has just crossed the 100 game mark this season at almost 24 years old....

 

[Emperoreddy]

Honestly both of you are showing bias against the player you dislike.

 

[glenwo2]

THIS team on the 3rd in 4? I expect a 5-2 loss tonight.

I expect a 3-2 loss since Blackwood is playing.

 

[Nubmer6]

There is a reason Mueller has just crossed the 100 game mark this season at almost 24 years old....

Lots of injuries and playing his first few years on a defensively deep team?

 

[Based Anime Fan]

Lovejoy is out with an injury, so he's not being sat.

I know he's not popular but I'll be paying attention to the PK and how Butcher and Mueller fare. If they look bad, they were Lovejoy's most common partners and that could be an indication of his actual value to the team, and the PK is obvious.

 

[tr83]

 

[Stuck With Nico]

I'm not optimistic about this game. This team has rarely given us reason to be...

 

[JimEIV]

Lots of injuries and playing his first few years on a defensively deep team?

That's s good narrative....we won't mention that he was passed by DeMelo (a 6th round pick) on the depth chart and San Jose went out and got Schlemko while he was still option... the Deep narrative is just that a narrative...the injury thing is only partially true in NJ...he has got something like 112 AHL games to go with his 114 nhl games so it's like he had missed significant time...he just was better than anyone most of the time to play in the NHL ...that includes not being better than other rookies like DeMelo, NHL journeymen like Schlemko, and guys on the verge of retirement like Paul Martin...if you can't win a spot as a former #18 overall in that environment... maybe you're just a late bloomer? I don't know?

 

[Devilsgrl35]

We suck in this building. I can't tell you how many blowouts I've sat through dying for the game to end half way through.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I'm not optimistic about this game. This team has rarely given us reason to be...

I don't expect much tonight

 

[Nubmer6]

That's s good narrative....we won't mention that he was passed by DeMelo (a 6th round pick) on the depth chart and San Jose went out and got Schlemko while he was still option... the Deep narrative is just that a narrative...the injury thing is only partially true in NJ...he has got something like 112 AHL games to go with his 114 nhl games so it's like he had missed significant time...he just was better than anyone most of the time to play in the NHL ...that includes not being better than other rookies like DeMelo, NHL journeymen like Schlemko, and guys on the verge of retirement like Paul Martin...if you can't win a spot as a former #18 overall in that environment... maybe you're just a late bloomer? I don't know?

He lost quite a bit of development time due to injury in SJ, as far as I remember. DeMelo passed him, but I don't really get what him being a 6th round pick has to do with anything. We're playing Bratt over a bunch of players we drafted earlier. It doesn't mean they're busts or not any good, nor does having a proven NHL veteran defenseman like Schlemko playing over him.

Look, I'm not saying he's going to be good, but from what I've seen he's a viable NHL defenseman, and there are definitely reasons why he's not an NHL regular at this point other than just his ability.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I'm just really tired of this season.

I'm only here for MacBlack

 

[Oneiro]

Mueller doesn't have enough poise with the puck. Severson has too much. It's debatable how much you can teach away either of their flaws with this staff.

Both are softer than they should be, but their flaws are overstated when playing in a system that makes all d-men look bad with forwards that are uninterested in tight checking. High risk passing is demonstrably a Hynes thing. No one wins.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

I'm only here for MacBlack

Me 2 plus Bratt & Nico.

 

[Bleedred]

We suck in this building. I can't tell you how many blowouts I've sat through dying for the game to end half way through.

We've had some good ones too.

I've seen some pretty nice wins at Nassau Coliseum.... But I've also seen some pathetic losses. Rick DiPietro's cremated remains shutting us out on MLK Day 2010 and Black Friday 2010 (while the Islanders were on a 14 or 16 game losing streak) come to mind. Even a terrible blowout loss after Marty came back from injury and got yanked after allowing 6 goals in the first 2 periods.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Someone on the main board during the first game of the season said something to the effect of "Is New Jersey legit trotting out Mirco Mueller as a regular on defense?" That's pretty much my thoughts on the entire defense.

 

[Bleedred]

Someone on the main board during the first game of the season said something to the effect of "Is New Jersey legit trotting out Mirco Mueller as a regular on defense?" That's pretty much my thoughts on the entire defense.

I don't think Mueller has been bad. But a lot of the people who can't stand Severson and Butcher (I don't understand why anybody critique's Butcher at all aside from his skating, unless they expect more points) think we need to play more Mueller and Santini, but say we play those guys more, then go into next season with no upgrades, other than Mueller and Santini playing more. Does the defense really get better?

 

[Based Anime Fan]

I don't think Mueller has been bad. But a lot of the people who can't stand Severson and Butcher (I don't understand why anybody critique's Butcher at all aside from his skating, unless they expect more points) think we need to play more Mueller and Santini, but say we play those guys more, then go into next season with no upgrades, other than Mueller and Santini playing more. Does the defense really get better?

No, arguably it's worse.

Greene is older
The experience drops off after Greene and Severson far more drastically.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't think Mueller has been bad. But a lot of the people who can't stand Severson and Butcher (I don't understand why anybody critique's Butcher at all aside from his skating, unless they expect more points) think we need to play more Mueller and Santini, but say we play those guys more, then go into next season with no upgrades, other than Mueller and Santini playing more. Does the defense really get better?

As much as I think the system kills defenseman and sets them up to fail. I just think we have a team full of bottom 3 defenders, with a couple guys you might be able to argue are able to handle a number 3 role and a couple that should probably be no more than 7's. I'm not saying they are necessarily "bad", they are just be asked to play way above their ability. I mean, it's not like we have any Mark Frasers or Cory Murphy's or OMGs out there.

 

[Bleedred]

No, arguably it's worse.

Greene is older
The experience drops off after Greene and Severson far more drastically.

Exactly my point. If Mueller and Santini are some of your best guys, your defense still sucks.