GDT: We are crushing their heads! New Jersey Devils vs. the Philidelphia Flyers, 7PM EST

[JimEIV]

We have the 7th best point percentage in the NHL, but somehow we're melting down and going to miss the playoffs?

6 in row is problem.

I didn't think much of it when we had a few bad circumstantial loses but when 2 turns to 4 and 4 turns to 6 and the 6th was a complete no-show in a divisional game against a team behind you...there is something very wrong.

 

[Zippy316]

6 in row is problem.

I didn't think much of it when we had a few bad circumstantial loses but when 2 turns to 4 and 4 turns to 6 and the 6th was a complete no-show in a divisional game against a team behind you...there is something very wrong.

Devils were largely in control the first 20-25 minutes of the game. They had plenty of chances and controlled the play. Hischier scoring immediately after Palmieri's PP goal, Zacha's line scoring on any of their opportunities, or the Devils scoring another PP goal in their 5 chances changes the entire game.

But then the Flyers scored on their two PPs and controlled the rest of the game.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Quite the f***in bunch of drama queens in here. The team has only looked bad on 3 of the last 6 losses. Two of other other losses were unfairly handed to them by the league.

It’s hard to predict how things shake out, mostly because it’s such a young team and it’s hard to foresee if the rookies might wind up hitting a wall or how they respond to this adversity. Not to mention who knows what impact more nonsense from this coaching staff or league officials could do. There are holes in the roster/team construction but you can say that about pretty much every team in the east except TB.

I think if they don’t qualify for P.O. it will be very close. But I’m still hopeful that they have built up enough cusion to survive some bumps and to make it.

 

[Blender]

Main reasons are the inability to clear the zone without turnovers and also the lack of puck possession in opponents zone.

Overall soft defenseman has been getting exposed of late too along with sub-par netminding by #35.

So single out specific areas of poor play from a couple of recent games and project it over the next 40 games while ignoring all the good? Seems like a solid way to make a prediction...

6 in row is problem.

I didn't think much of it when we had a few bad circumstantial loses but when 2 turns to 4 and 4 turns to 6 and the 6th was a complete no-show in a divisional game against a team behind you...there is something very wrong.

...and if we win a couple of those games we deserved to, there is no losing streak to even discuss. The game last night also wasn't a "complete no-show", terrible special teams cost us the game.

 

[guitarguyvic]

By the way I’m still not convinced the Vatenan trade is helping short term. D still looks like crap and I’m quite certain everyone here would agree that Henrique would have brought more to the table as a 2C than Zajac is currently doing.

 

[My3Sons]

So basically, not good enough to make the playoffs ?

You are not necessarily wrong but you are oversimplifying. If the second line gets its act together I think they make it no problem. If not or there are other factors like additional injuries or the goaltending fails completely they probably don’t.

 

[guitarguyvic]

So single out specific areas of poor play from a couple of recent games and project it over the next 40 games while ignoring all the good? Seems like a solid way to make a prediction...


...and if we win a couple of those games we deserved to, there is no losing streak to even discuss. The game last night also wasn't a "complete no-show", terrible special teams cost us the game.

This is exactly right. Two of the losses were W’s taken away for no good reason.

It’s a slump but it’s not as bad as the 6 losses suggest. My bigger concern is the mental toll. How quickly can they shake this off and get on the right track? Young team might not be able to handle this and then it continues to snowball and get out of hand.

 

[JimEIV]

Before the Islander game I didn't even consider it a losing streak but these things have a tendency to have a snowball effect both good and bad...when you start finding ways to lose something or someone has to stop the bleeding. Explaining it away doesn't really mean much...win a f***ing game already.

 

[NJDevs26]

6 in row is problem.

I didn't think much of it when we had a few bad circumstantial loses but when 2 turns to 4 and 4 turns to 6 and the 6th was a complete no-show in a divisional game against a team behind you...there is something very wrong.

Agreed, and agree that the last two losses (and how/who they happened against) were what turned this from 'a few unlucky breaks' into a major concern.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

By the way I’m still not convinced the Vatenan trade is helping short term. D still looks like crap and I’m quite certain everyone here would agree that Henrique would have brought more to the table as a 2C than Zajac is currently doing.

They went on a 5 game win streak without Henrique. And it doesn't matter what Henrique would have brought for two reasons, one, he has horrible cold streaks, two, the coaching staff has a hard on for zajac being used the way he is being used and he was being used as the 2c when Henrique was still on the team.

The player usage by the coach staff is one of biggest problems with this team right now. They over use Zajac and Greene and use them in areas they should not be used in. Like Zajac in the OT and PP and Greene 20+ minutes a night and in the OT as well.

 

[NJDevs26]

By the way I’m still not convinced the Vatenan trade is helping short term. D still looks like crap and I’m quite certain everyone here would agree that Henrique would have brought more to the table as a 2C than Zajac is currently doing.

Zacha might still be a healthy scratch if Henrique was here, I'm sure that would have thrilled everyone. And Henrique wasn't helping keep pucks out of the net either. Offense isn't the issue, and really hasn't been for much of the streak, it's the D, D, D and Cory. They could survive bad D when the goaltending was playing well and the offense was great, but they can't survive it when Cory's playing average-poor and the offense goes through an average stretch. I mean they still scored 17 goals in 6 games and 10 in the last three, not playing well. It's not the offense. Keep a few more ****ing pucks out of the net.

 

[Blender]

I agree that deployment is one of the biggest issues with this team currently, and the coaching staff has refused to adapt even in this losing streak.

 

[glenwo2]

How high does this L streak have to climb before Hynes gets the boot? In the long run that would actually be a blessing

It's still a rebuild so no matter what happens this year, I think Hyney-head is safe.

Next year, however, is "put up or shut up" time if the Devils don't make the postseason this season.

(of course if they do, he'll remain)

 

[Billdo]

How high does this L streak have to climb before Hynes gets the boot? In the long run that would actually be a blessing

Ain’t happening this year

 

[JimEIV]

When you're feeling down my friends let Mike Miller show you the way.

 

[MadDevil]

Ain’t happening this year

The only way it would is if we lose like 15+ in a row or the players revolt, and I don't think either will happen. Plus it's not like we've been run out of the building in these losses. If we were getting completely dominated on a nightly basis, I'd be closer to hitting the panic button. I still think this team has it in them to turn it around, but they can't afford to slip much more.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Bleedred]

Before the Islander game I didn't even consider it a losing streak but these things have a tendency to have a snowball effect both good and bad...when you start finding ways to lose something or someone has to stop the bleeding. Explaining it away doesn't really mean much...win a ****ing game already.

Agreed, and agree that the last two losses (and how/who they happened against) were what turned this from 'a few unlucky breaks' into a major concern.

I agree. It was no big deal until that loss to the Islanders, which was one of the worst of the season, considering how it happened and how it preserved the losing streak even longer.

 

[MadDevil]

Give that man the "C" whenever Greene moves on or gives up the captaincy.

 

[RememberTheName]

Give that man the "C" whenever Greene moves on or gives up the captaincy.

They should honestly strip him of the C and just give it to Hall. He absolutely deserves it way more than Greene

 

[Emperoreddy]

They should honestly strip him of the C and just give it to Hall. He absolutely deserves it way more than Greene

Based on what?

 

[MadDevil]

They should honestly strip him of the C and just give it to Hall. He absolutely deserves it way more than Greene

No. Just because Greene is being asked to do more than he should doesn't mean he's not a good leader. Besides, there's not a single person on this board that knows what the locker room dynamic is.

 

[RememberTheName]

Based on what?

Appears to be much more of a presence. Not afraid to crap on the team when they are doing bad. Also the type that wills his team to victory. Now, I don’t know how Greene is behind the scenes, but for me, especially with Hall being our star player, it just makes too much sense for him to be captain. I may have overreacted saying to strip Greene of the C, but Hall definitely deserves to have it

 

[devilsblood]

"Since being reinserted"? He was a healthy scratch as recently as December 8th. And when he came back on December 9th his LW was Johansson on the 2nd line. They've only played 15 games since his last scratch and I would guess that he hasn't seen more than 3 or 4 games with the same linemates during that time.

Yup since being reinstated, Miles Wood has been his LW(aside from half of his first game back), and either Stafford or Noesen has been his RW.

I don't think juggling linemates has been an issue. I think inability to finish both his and his RW has been the bigger concern. Though as noted, that 3rd line has been pretty good.