Post-Game Talk: Your 5 "Goats" of this debacle against the Sharks

[MauDevils]

Graves and Hamilton have been great.

Actually I thought he's looked abysmal since that injury. If these guys are hurt they need to just sit it out. They aren't doing us any favors playing through it right now.

 

[devilsblood]

Literally what I'm saying. I can understand that there will be consistency issues but it can't be an excuse (being a young team).

I love hearing Jack pushing back against the excuse making. That's the mindset that will help you improve. Thats the mindset of a leader.

But us being a young team is absolutely part of the consistency issues. More so then whatever guys think Ruff is, or is not doing.

 

[devilsblood]

It'll just go back to how it was before. They can pass around well, but no one can actually score. When Hughes was out they couldn't pass either. That's the difference.

End of last year, with Nico and Hughes both on the ice, it was fairly decent. If we can get back to that, and then add in the Dougie factor, I think it will be all right.

 

[devilsblood]

Actually I thought he's looked abysmal since that injury. If these guys are hurt they need to just sit it out. They aren't doing us any favors playing through it right now.

Graves?

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Ugh, Ruff shut down that question about the PP quickly. He's convinced what they're doing is going to work, yuck.

in 5 years?

 

[Emperoreddy]

They don't do anything right on the PP. Entries are terrible. When they finally get set up, everything is so slow and deliberate. No rotation. No quick passing. Never pulling PKers out of position or getting the goalie moving or screened.

Look at every PP in the league we have faced against us and they are always able to accomplish getting our PKers out of place, getting them to turnover the puck or fail clears, get traffic in front of the goalie for tips and backdoor plays.

It's just basic staff every NHL PP in the league has to do to get basic success that ours can't do.

 

[Kg810]

Glad to hear Hughes comments.

I still can't shake this itch to see him and Holtz play together. I thought they were fantastic together during the preseason.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Glad to hear Hughes comments.

I still can't shake this itch to see him and Holtz play together. I thought they were fantastic together during the preseason.

Yea well..there's also another player who looked excellent in preseason but has looked lost now (since the season started)...just saying lol

 

[Auto Pilot]

 

[Whaddagoal]

This game totally didnt go as planned... Hype wise.

1st period was pretty good minus the SJ goal which seemed weak. Didnt see replays yet but...

Then wheels fall over and off and that was that.

3rd period had some nice moments... Too little too late. Whole bunch of guys didnt look good. Zacha, Mecer, Smith.. Etc. Etc

Yet again. Passing was horrendous for 50% of game in 2nd and 3rd. Pass in skates. Pass to SJ for turnovers galore. Video challenge looked uselessly risky. Not sure who made that but was total risk.

Hope NJ can dig outta this hole now...

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

They don't do anything right on the PP. Entries are terrible. When they finally get set up, everything is so slow and deliberate. No rotation. No quick passing. Never pulling PKers out of position or getting the goalie moving or screened.

Look at every PP in the league we have faced against us and they are always able to accomplish getting our PKers out of place, getting them to turnover the puck or fail clears, get traffic in front of the goalie for tips and backdoor plays.

It's just basic staff every NHL PP in the league has to do to get basic success that ours can't do.

I wrote it earlier in the gdt, but what really pisses me off is how they do the drop pass and then the receiving player brings it in and then makes a pass as soon as they enter the o-zone. Like...why? It's just asking for a turnover. The opposing team is already going to be in position to intercept it so easily at that point. They need to carry it in a bit further before making the pass.

 

[glenwo2]

McLeod isn't on the list.

Now he is.

Sorry. He's a pretty forgettable player to me.

 

[glenwo2]

Also, it probably goes without saying, but Bob Wischusen is miles better than Bucci or Leah. Was cool to hear him call hockey, I’m used to him narrating our misery on the radio for the Jets.

Well that's not exactly a high bar to clear, you know?

 

[Emperoreddy]

They got to string some wins together too.

Big win at home slapping a rival around. You have to build off that, not lay an egg and need to have another rebound game, this time on the road.

This just isn't sustainable. Eventually win/lose/win/lose will became 3 to 4 game losing streaks and the season will be toast.

Lots of winnable games coming up, but they need to actually win them.

 

[MauDevils]

We've scored 7 PP goals and given up 3 shorthanded?

If we get outscored on our own PP is that when Recchi gets fired?

 

[NJDevs26]

They got to string some wins together too.

Big win at home slapping a rival around. You have to build off that, not lay an egg and need to have another rebound game, this time on the road.

This just isn't sustainable. Eventually win/lose/win/lose will became 3 to 4 game losing streaks and the season will be toast.

Lots of winnable games coming up, but they need to actually win them.

It's already more or less become win/loss/loss the last three weeks at 2-4-2

L
L (SO)
L
W
L (SO)
L
W
L

 

[guitarguyvic]

It's already more or less become win/loss/loss the last three weeks at 2-4-2

L
L (SO)
L
W
L (SO)
L
W
L

This is what I was pointing out earlier in the thread. This team is not as good as everyone was convinced they were when they came back to beat Tampa on the road.

The only way I see this team moving up from where they currently stand is if Jack breaks out as a ppg player the rest of the way. And even that might only make a marginal difference. I think we have some very good forward pieces but Fitz needs to re-shape the top 9 in much the same way he did for the d-corps with the additions of Hamilton and Graves.

 

[Triumph]

This is what I was pointing out earlier in the thread. This team is not as good as everyone was convinced they were when they came back to beat Tampa on the road.

The only way I see this team moving up from where they currently stand is if Jack breaks out as a ppg player the rest of the way. And even that might only make a marginal difference. I think we have some very good forward pieces but Fitz needs to re-shape the top 9 in much the same way he did for the d-corps with the additions of Hamilton and Graves.

Yeah, Hughes as a PPG player who drives play thrown into this lineup probably makes a marginal difference. All the good trends are bound to stop whereas the bad trends should just keep rolling. Negativity as putative wisdom.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Yeah, Hughes as a PPG player who drives play thrown into this lineup probably makes a marginal difference. All the good trends are bound to stop whereas the bad trends should just keep rolling. Negativity as putative wisdom.

Here we go again with the "pessimism" trope. You of all people should know that one player can only make so much impact in terms of wins/losses. Unless you think Jack will be turning in a Crosby / McDavid level performance for the remaining 60 games...

Who said anything about good trends stopping?

 

[Buck Dancer]

Here we go again with the "pessimism" trope. You of all people should know that one player can only make so much impact in terms of wins/losses. Unless you think Jack will be turning in a Crosby / McDavid level performance for the remaining 60 games...

Who said anything about good trends stopping?

Having an opinion where you’re not proclaiming everyone to be semi superstars will get you tagged as been a Debbie Downer.

Having questions about some of the guys who are supposed to carry this team forward, who are playing good hockey but not as great as some are saying, is perfectly normal and justified. We’re paying Hischier 7M+ for potential, we did the same today with Jack and some are willing to three peat with Bratt. We all see the potential of all those guys but they have yet to prove anything so far.

Potential is great but production is even better.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Having an opinion where you’re not proclaiming everyone to be semi superstars will get you tagged as been a Debbie Downer.

Having questions about some of the guys who are supposed to carry this team forward, who are playing good hockey but not as great as some are saying, is perfectly normal and justified. We’re paying Hischier 7M+ for potential, we did the same today with Jack and some are willing to three peat with Bratt. We all see the potential of all those guys but they have yet to prove anything so far.

Potential is great but production is even better.

No it's pure negative nonsense to suggest that Jack could score at a PPG pace and the team would barely improve.

It implies all the good things the team does will cease and all the bad things will continue and get worse.

It's baseless and needlessly negative.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Haven't read many of the previous comments but why did last night remind me of last year when the Devils brought back Nico, signed him to the big contract, and named him captain?

Whether that was related or not it sure seemed like it took the steam out of things. Can't help thinking a rehab stint in Utica for Hughes might have allowed him to work his way back while not breaking up three lines that were going well.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

The shilliest of shills in a media corps full of them. And why does he emphasize every fourth word even when it doesn't have any particular relevance?

Sounds like he's an eighth-grader in public speaking - and one of the C-minus students.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Also, it probably goes without saying, but Bob Wischusen is miles better than Bucci or Leah. Was cool to hear him call hockey, I’m used to him narrating our misery on the radio for the Jets.

C'mon, you're really related to Bob aren't you?

Only Buccigross and perhaps Eyeon (Nobody else in the world pronounces Ian like me) Eagle value their own opinion more than Wischusen. Ponderous and torturous at the same time and everything bad about modern sportscasters.

 

[13BearerOfHope]

Bring back Holtzy. If we can’t be 25% on PP with this group incl him in the next 5 games then Recchi needs to go.

as a big Nico fan I now want to see more of him. No more excuses or passes for anyone. Get your shit together or you are shit