2013 New Jersey Devils (Team News, Player Discussion - Part VII)

[Volodya Krutov]

The problem is more that he's currently our starter. Too big of a role for him but a few weeks ago he still was one of the best true back-up in the league.

 

[RandoDoomer]

A cross-section of woe --

Clarkson: 1g1a=2pts, last 10 games
Henrique: 1g2a=3 pts, last 11 games
Zajac: 4g2a=6pts, all 22 games (!?!)

Ouch!

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

If we can't score more then a goal a game, I don't care who we play... the chances of us winning games is slim to none.

 

[Czech Trio]

Start Kinkaid please. What could go wrong? We lose and wonder what would have been if we had started Hedberg?

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Hedberg looked bad again against the Leafs. Time to give Kinkaid a go.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I'd be stunned if Kinkaid doesn't actually get the start. What could it honestly hurt?

 

[Devils Insiders]

Bryttani Jones of Devils Insiders gives her take on stud prospect Reid Boucher. Check it out!

http://wp.me/p347yn-uY

 

[HischierSeDgewOrk]

Deboer needs to stop being stubborn with his line changes and needs to go back to what was working.

Elias Henrique Clarkson
Matteau Loktionov Kovy
Poni Zajac Bernier/Zubrus when back
Carter Gionta Barch/Bernier when zubrus back

Greene Larsson
Salvador Fayne
Atrain Zidlicky

The elias henrique clarkson line was on fire and then he puts zajac with them to try to spark him. it didn't work. go back to what worked.
Zajac is struggling offensively right now so put him with some checkers to be a shutdown line for a while.
Those d pairs were working great until he started to put tallinder in the lineup and changed up the 2nd and 3rd pairings.

 

[The Joker]

Deboer needs to stop being stubborn with his line changes and needs to go back to what was working.

Elias Henrique Clarkson
Matteau Loktionov Kovy
Poni Zajac Bernier/Zubrus when back
Carter Gionta Barch/Bernier when zubrus back

Greene Larsson
Salvador Fayne
Atrain Zidlicky

The elias henrique clarkson line was on fire and then he puts zajac with them to try to spark him. it didn't work. go back to what worked.
Zajac is struggling offensively right now so put him with some checkers to be a shutdown line for a while.
Those d pairs were working great until he started to put tallinder in the lineup and changed up the 2nd and 3rd pairings.

I'd agree with this. With all of it.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Tallinder has been probably our best defence-man the last 3 games and the Elias-Henrique-Clarkson regressed big time lately too.

 

[apice3*]

elias henrique and clarkson were split up after a cold streak. I cant even come up with 4 solid lines i have confidence. We need a top 6 winger so badly

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Zajac has 2 assists on the year...TWO!!! That's a joke. And I'm kinda pissed that Zidlicky had the 2 goals bc now he'll never come out of the lineup...he is such a terrible defenseman it's sickening.

The only players this season who have brought it every game have been Bernier, Carter and Lotkionov. Everyone else has seemingly taken games off or grossly underperformed for a long stretch of games. I'll give Clarky somewhat of a pass bc I think he's injured and he still busts his ***. We have to want it more. This team just looks disinterested at times.

 

[Oroku Saki*]

Tallinder has been probably our best defence-man the last 3 games and the Elias-Henrique-Clarkson regressed big time lately too.

That's not saying much. The whole team looks shaky. Go back to what was working. Greene and Larsson were looking legit, Salvador - Fayne was a reliable shutdown pairing and Volchenkov - Zidlicky was a nice mixture with Volch hanging back to protect Zids aggressiveness.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Zajac has 2 assists on the year...TWO!!! That's a joke. And I'm kinda pissed that Zidlicky had the 2 goals bc now he'll never come out of the lineup...he is such a terrible defenseman it's sickening.

The only players this season who have brought it every game have been Bernier, Carter and Lotkionov. Everyone else has seemingly taken games off or grossly underperformed for a long stretch of games. I'll give Clarky somewhat of a pass bc I think he's injured and he still busts his ***. We have to want it more. This team just looks disinterested at times.

Zidlicky is not a terrible defenseman. He almost single-handedly created our two goals last night. He is what he is - good offensively and pretty creative, but limited in what he can do in the defensive zone and in transition.

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

If you look at this team's performance the last couple games it's actually been pretty good. I know no one likes to accept that a team can perform well in a loss, but if we got some better goaltending no one be freaking out as much.

 

[Mickey Mouse]

New guy here...IMO this team goes as Elias goes. He's playing some bad hockey right now and the rest of the team is following suite. Until he breaks out of his funk we don't stand a chance. He is THE playmaker, goal scorer, and overall leader especially with Marty sidelined. Just my opinion...

 

[Jersey Fresh]

New guy here...IMO this team goes as Elias goes. He's playing some bad hockey right now and the rest of the team is following suite. Until he breaks out of his funk we don't stand a chance. He is THE playmaker, goal scorer, and overall leader especially with Marty sidelined. Just my opinion...

I agree that Elias is immense. But Kovy is the talisman now (and for the next 112 years). He has not looked dynamic at all and he is being criminally misused on the power play. He needs to make something happen. He only has one more goal than Steve Bernier.

At the end of the day it's all the top guys, not just Kovy.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Zidlicky is not a terrible defenseman. He almost single-handedly created our two goals last night. He is what he is - good offensively and pretty creative, but limited in what he can do in the defensive zone and in transition.

He had 1 goal on what, 49 shots before that? He HAS to score or create goals just to be contributing a net zero most games. His defense is that bad. On his second goal wtf was he doing near the blue line? He's so incredibly terrible defensively. He's great offensively but honestly, I'd rather have Harrold in bc he's at least competent in his own end. Also Zids is supposed to be a pp wizard and what are we 0 for our last 19? He does more harm than good.

 

[Bologna 1]

i wouldnt even mind harrold getting in if not just for the sake of giving the PP a new body.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Getting 49 shots on net is clearly creating scoring chances, there's nothing wrong with Zids offensively IMO

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Tallinder has been good, keep volch out of here until we start getting some confidence back.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Getting 49 shots on net is clearly creating scoring chances, there's nothing wrong with Zids offensively IMO

No one is saying he's not good offensively. He's just embarrassing horrendous defensively. And Larsson's shots create many more chances than Zidlicky's do. I have no stupid stat to use, just watch the games and you can see that the shots are always low, deflatable and lead to chances. That's why I want him on the pp bc it could not be worse than its been....with the great Marek Zidlicky.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Zids trade value is high after the 2-goal explosion.

Call some Western Conf teams Lou and get us a 2nd round pick.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

If half of our fowards weren't that incapable to be on the scoreboard Zids would probably have 2 or 3 more points and we'd be all way more ok with him. Soft, deflectable shots from the point are not as effective on PP as they are at ES, goalies have more space to see how the shot is coming from the point. Everything posted here is IMO.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If half of our fowards weren't that incapable to be on the scoreboard Zids would probably have 2 or 3 more points and we'd be all way more ok with him. Soft, deflectable shots from the point are not as effective on PP as they are at ES, goalies have more space to see how the shot is howling from the point. Everthing here is IMO.

Larsson was ripping shots yesterday for the first time in a while. They looked hard. It's not Zids point production that's bothering me, it's been fine, it's his defensive play. He's noticeable terrible every game defensively and I don't think he helps us more than he hurts us.