This Year's Devils Team: Their Most Boring Team Ever?!?

[Devils Unseen Hand]

Before this turns into a complaint-fest, I just felt the need to throw this out there to get other people's opinion.

As a Die-Hard Devils fan for the past 22 years, I can honestly say that over the course of the past 21 years, I never missed more than (4) games in total for any season, including the Johnny Mac era we'd all like to forget.

However, this year I'm seeing that I'm not watching that many games, nor are many of my friends that would be the same as me & almost never miss a game. I'm wondering, "Why that is?"

Is it the team has me (us) so frustrated that it's almost like, whatever?

Is it the team doesn't have that much energy & they're boring to watch?

Is it because there isn't much hits or fighting?

Is it because we feel this team isn't going anywhere this year?

Are they just overall boring to watch now?

Or is it something else?

{I feel like I'm not missing much}

Let me hear your thoughts on this or if you feel the same way.

Click to read more...

 

[I Hate Tie DOMI]

I still watch every game, but by the end I'm usually angry win or lose.

The games haven't been all that exciting and every time they are winning I am waiting for the inevitable collapse to come in the third period.

If it goes into the shootout I'm better off just turning the TV off since I know they are going to lose.

I don't really care about the fighting being gone, it's all staged when Janssen fights anyways and Clowe shouldn't be fighting with his mushhead so when he does I cringe.

Luckily or not, the Metro division is awful and so is most of the Eastern conference so I may still have that false hope of a playoff appearance this year so it keeps me interested for now.

 

[Sarge18]

Absolutely. It's like groundhog's day watching this team play. For 60 minutes, nothing happens out there. No big plays, no highlight-reel goals, no big hits, no fights, no back-and-forth action, no intensity. Usually you'll get one of those on most nights. We go weeks without any of that. It's just a slow, boring team. None of the players aside from Jagr are what you'd consider fan-favorites either. It's just a faceless team that's very hard to get behind.

That game vs. Philly the other night and our other home game against them this year were absolute embarrassments. The atmosphere and intensity both on and off the ice were about the worst I've ever seen. Those games used to be events.

This is the least interested I've ever been in this team or the game for that matter, and that goes back to 1988 when I went to my first game. Our trap teams were a thousand times more exciting than this.

What pains me even more is hearing they're satisfied with games like last night.

 

[njdevil26]

This team is boring and stressful. They sometimes get an unbelievable amount of chances but can never score goals. Because of that... watching this team has become stale and boring as you know 99% of the time they aren't going to score. Now because they can't score, they are blocking shots and playing in the defensive zone. Not only is it boring, it's not a winning formula.
It's not fun to watch a 1-0 game just knowing in your mind that they are going to get scored on any second. It didn't happen last night but that's what the whole season is like. So they beat a decent team last night. You just KNOW they are going to come out flat and lose to Florida tomorrow.

 

[Devils Trap]

Not boring at all . Actually quite exciting

Just a frustrating and bad team

 

[lboogie42*]

Watching something that puts me on an emotional roller coaster usually ending in me being angry is not always fun to watch.

 

[Tundra]

It's a pretty poor product to watch. And it largely goes back to Pete's system. It's definitely not fan friendly.

 

[RandoDoomer]

I also find the games to be pretty dull to watch. NJ seems to never get an odd man rush, or enter the zone with any sort of cohesion or purpose. Dump, chase, bang around, lose the puck, leave the zone. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

I'm also finding myself, for the first time I can remember, largely indifferent to game's outcome. Sure, if they win, there's a chance they can work their way up to mediocrity. That'd be kinda cool I guess. And if they lose enough, maybe it forces management's hand to make some sweeping changes.

 

[SeidoN]

more stressful than boring

 

[Richer's Ghost]

This team is just anemic at scoring. They forecheck and transition more than people will give credit for. This falls wells short of the most boring constant trap games in the 90's and Julien ball sitting on a 1 goal lead and never going in below the faceoff dots after scoring 1 goal in the 2nd period. Those games were yawners and gave Chico time to tell story after story without missing any scoring chances.

We get scoring chances now but never score on them.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

It's a pretty poor product to watch. And it largely goes back to Pete's system. It's definitely not fan friendly.

I think it goes back to how old and slow the roster is. Pete's system just fits the roster

 

[Sarge18]

We get scoring chances now but never score on them.

That's because the only guys getting consistent scoring chances are the CBGB line.

 

[Tundra]

I think it goes back to how old and slow the roster is. Pete's system just fits the roster

Playing on the perimeter and on the boards with this veteran roster is tedious to watch. And it seems that our younger, more exciting players (Loktionov, Tedenby) are the ones who have been adversely affected by the system. Playing below the dots every single solitary time isn't for everyone. I just want this season over.

 

[theking72]

Winning is never boring

 

[njdevil26]

Yeah well at 18-27 and 27th in the league in goals.... We're boring.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Eh, it's more or less the fact that they can't seem to finish. There have been some bad games where we haven't gotten any chances, but there have also been several more where we shoot the lights out but can't get one past the goalie. I've almost come to expect the fact we're going to be lucky to get 2 goals in many games.

But no, I don't find the team boring. They still forecheck aggressively and get enough scoring chances to keep me interested. It's also a pleasure to watch our 2 goalies, who have both played rather well given the circumstances.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

I wouldn't say the team is "boring" as much as it's lacking in skill. Back in the mid to late 90's, the Devils used to get called boring all the time but I never thought that was the case. They were an incredibly frustrating team to play against which caused opposing fans to lose their **** when their teams faced NJ. But there is something to be said about playing defense at an extrmely high level. Goals don't do much for me if the game is sloppy. I like to see teams play strong transition games but also keep the game clean. Sloppy hockey is the worst and it drives me ****ing nuts. Old school Lemaire Devils and some wins will always bring a smile to my face.

This current Devils team lacks firepower and every game is just a complete grind. They work hard, but they don't get rewarded for it nearly enough and there is not one facet of the game that they truly excel at. That to me is the biggest issue. It's just an average team dealing with injuries and working rookies into the lineup. We've also lost two major star players and our glory years are further in the rearview mirror every day. There just isn't a lot of buzz with this team lately.

Personally, the lockout zapped a lot of my enthusiasm, more than I expected, in fact. I mean I still watch the team and follow them closely, but I'm nowhere near as eager to dump my money into this league or product. I'm just kind of blah about the entire league overall tbh.

 

[RNCDevil]

Winning is never boring

Agreed. They shoot into pads and chests like its their objective. There is limited finish. Even Ryder who probably has the bst shot has missed some shots I thought he would hit.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Winning is never boring

to expand on this, i would say that if we were winning and on a path to another cup run, people would be plenty excited to watch the games. but because there seems to be a general sense that we're inevitably going to have an extended losing streak that knocks us out of the race, it is hard to get excited about these games. every game we don't look like a better team than we have been is another game closer to defeat.

 

[NJDevs26]

The '07 and '08 Devils were far more boring but the results were still there mostly cause of Marty, it's just a combination of everything the last few years beating us down. I wish this team was more boring when they blow leads left and right, or have to rally from behind in the final minute to get a point they already should have had.

The word I would use to describe this team and organization is predictable, but no longer in a good way.

 

[Nick0930]

Bring back the trap.

 

[SeidoN]

Bring back the trap.

we already did last night

 

[Devils Trap]

we already did last night

I've been here for years

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I wouldn't say boring, more frustrating. I've watched quite a few games that this team should have won, instead found a way to lose them. I'm actually surprised they beat the Stars 1-0. I figured they would give up the tying goal in the final minute and lose in a shoot-out. I will say that they're pretty slow.

 

[BahlDeep]

That's what happens when your offense sucks.