The defensive gaffes themselves don't worry me but I need to rewatch who are committing them. If it's the usual suspects, then that will be the problem.
GDT: #3 Part II Devils at Oilers
- Thread starter Rhodes 81
- Start date
It seems to be a team wide thing though. It's easy to point to the defense and point out what they should of have done better, but the play as 5 man units really needs some work. You look at the Second Grabner breakaway from the Isles game and as much as Larsson got smoked, Jagr didn't do a damn thing to help slow down Grabner while at center ice. Tonight, Volch and Harrold, like idiots, both found themselves on the same side of the ice and not a single forward picked up on this to try and help out. It's just dumb **** like that which is costing this team points early on.
PWiz30
I love to hockey!
- Jan 3, 2013
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1. Any coach Lou hires during a season can be considered interim coach and he couldn't do any worse than this.2. Have you seen Housley coach? Last I saw of him he was leading an unheralded team to a major championship. Sound familiar?
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
I honestly don't know much at all about Housley as a coach; for all I know he could be great. I just have nightmares about his play in his own zone... 16+ years after his disastrous short stint with the team.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
To be honest, part of it is definitely lack of chemistry. This team effectively rebuilt the entire forwards corps during one offseason and it's going to take awhile for them to get in sync.
Did people really forget they have something like 6 1st overall pics playing on the top 3 lines? How many 1st overalls do the Devils have? One. And he's in Russia right now.
Volchenkov should be banished to ****ing Siberia. But our coaching staff is either too stupid or too stubborn to realize how truly awful he is. I understand you don't want a $4 million player sitting in the press box, but what's more important, your pride or winning games? Because that useless sack of **** is costing you points in the standings. Meanwhile, a guy who is actually capable of playing defense and not handling the puck like a grenade sits in the press box. Wake the **** up!
Capt Nico Poo
Holik to HHOF
Lou is God
Registered User
I went to bed after the 2nd thinking game in hand, wake up and check ESPN to see if maybe we ran up the score, never in my life did I expect to see this crap, what the **** happen?? Was Marty to blame?? Unreal and this ain't your Father's Devils anymore.
Capt Nico Poo
Holik to HHOF
we lack solid defence. Aint no weber in our team. Though adding so many new forwards can be difficult to assimilate into our system. It still looks better than it ever did during maclean circus
NJDevs26
Once upon a time...
- Mar 21, 2007
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I'm still pizzed I didn't do the same after the Jet game. Cost me an extra hour and a half of sleep and a lot of annoyance
Agree about the chemistry and about the total 5 on 5 play. For example some of the odd man rushes has started by forwards making bad plays causing the D to be caught flat footed. This has been a major problem specifically in the neutral zone. But a big problem has also been in the D zone under the circles where the D, who have been here for awhile, have over pursued and left men wide open. That's mostly on the D men.
Greene and Sal have been decent, Larsson up and down, Volch has been like an 18-wheeler making a U-turn, and Harrold and Zid over pursue and/or get caught behind their men too often.
just watched the game. what a joke. choking away a 3-0 lead then another laughable shootout. Marty looked terrible. oh you're going backhand top shelf? allow me to lay down on the ice and make it plenty easy for you
DeBoer has also lost 100% of my confidence now
DeBoer has also lost 100% of my confidence now
Marty does look terrible but I have to give him a break because it's not all on him and he didn't get in enough practice and his mind is probably scrambled because of his father's death. So DeBoer should be playing Schneider.
guitarguyvic
Registered User
- Mar 31, 2010
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So I slept on it and...I angrier this morning than I was last night. Not disappointed or let down, just angry. There's just no excuse for what happened and there is no excuse for the New Jersey Devils of all organizations to look like a pee wee team on defense. The Oilers literally only played quality hockey for 7 minutes out of 60 an still won despite being down by three goals. I feel like this team owes me something substantial like a 5 game winning streak immediately. That is pretty much the only thing that will get me over this **** show that I witnessed. Two damn seasons in a row now where we have to worry about holding 2 or 3 goal leads in the third period...what kind of bush league **** is that?! 
ThePSEGPowerPoster
LOSER POINTS!
- Feb 23, 2013
- 11,822
- 0
Just a few thoughts this morning, under the influence of zero alcohol.
Offense: our best offensive players thus far have been Brunner, Loktionov, and Ryder in that order. Pete need to keep Brunner and Lokti together, permanently, and that includes on the PP. I have no idea where Pete gained this illusion that Henrique is a playmaker or a scorer but he's not. He's a grinder. He had one year with a two way game and that was being flanked by two of the best in the world.
Whereas Lokti can very clearly create for his stud winger (Kovy, Brunner), Henrique has very clearly always benefited from the creativity of others. That's fine. I'm not complaining. I love Henrique. I'd love him more if the more deserving player played the PP.
Defense: I caught some flak for stating Harrold was our best defender thus far and Greene has been poor. I think that became even more evident last night. Greene had a poor first game, poor second game, and an awful third period of last nights game. I'm still not worried about him, but he needs to get his act together. Hell, all of them do. Harrold should be in the Press box not playing top pairing minutes.
Offense: our best offensive players thus far have been Brunner, Loktionov, and Ryder in that order. Pete need to keep Brunner and Lokti together, permanently, and that includes on the PP. I have no idea where Pete gained this illusion that Henrique is a playmaker or a scorer but he's not. He's a grinder. He had one year with a two way game and that was being flanked by two of the best in the world.
Whereas Lokti can very clearly create for his stud winger (Kovy, Brunner), Henrique has very clearly always benefited from the creativity of others. That's fine. I'm not complaining. I love Henrique. I'd love him more if the more deserving player played the PP.
Defense: I caught some flak for stating Harrold was our best defender thus far and Greene has been poor. I think that became even more evident last night. Greene had a poor first game, poor second game, and an awful third period of last nights game. I'm still not worried about him, but he needs to get his act together. Hell, all of them do. Harrold should be in the Press box not playing top pairing minutes.
Devils Trap
Registered User
8 minutes of MacLean.
Guys abandoning their assignments, staring at the puck flat footed, defense both on the side boards, 3rd man back not covering slot, stupid delay of game, back massages in the paint with the puck loose, failed clears out of the zone, broken sticks and top centers can't win a defensive zone faceoff.
Yep - it was like a trip in the not so way back machine.
Then Marty was just humbled by the kids in the shootout with two of the absolute sickest backhand top shelf shots I've seen in a long time. They made Parise's patented move look like Thomas Edison invented it.
But ya know - Marty's fault... or Chico's if you believe in his absolute ability to summon the hockey gods and strike him down for foolishly uttering the shutout word mere moments before this all fell apart - again.
I've been saying this for the past 4 years+ now. #28 shouldn't be anywhere near our starting roster and it's just too painfully obvious. Why is our coaching staff refusing to see what the entire world can see is as big of a enigma as to how the pyramids were built.
GET THAT ****ING SACK OF **** OFF OUR TEAM FOR CRYING OUT LOUD
Yeah, not the best of combos right there.
And for the record, please Pete, scratch Harrold and stop this madness already.
How so? I don't want to crap on the kid but to me, Larsson looks like a 3rd pairing d-man ATM. I can honestly say that I screamed at my TV everytime he took one his soft wristers from the point, only to find the pads of the opposing winger, right around the faceoff circles.
This kid isn't impressing me at all and since his sophmore year, or you can even say the "Subban hit", he's looked real ordinary to not say bordeline mediocre. He has alot of work in front of him if he wants to turn out as a top pairing d-man, alot.
Devils Trap
Registered User
Well for starters his poise on the breakout last night was amazing. Very few if any turnovers .
He wasnt beat by anyone last night, even saw him physical last night in the corners. Some solid stick checks behind the net and like always looked calm cool and collected.
Also, his soft wristers from the point is exactly what we want him to do. His shots are very deflectable and he can actually get it on net.
He is already a top 4 D at worst, he will become a top pairing D by the end of the year, book it. Just because he isnt putting up numbers doesnt mean he didnt play well, and yesterday he played well
Devils Trap
Registered User
Feed Me A Stray Cat
Registered User
I'm actually fairly happy with a lot of what I saw last night. Devils outplayed Edmonton for most of the game and would have won if they got better goaltending.
One thing people need to realize about the Devils' defensive "gaffes" - Deboer's system allows the Devils to control the puck for most of the game, however it will also result in giving the other team some odd man rushes and chances because of all the defensive pinching. That's why I think it's very important that a) all the Devils' defensemen can skate well (get Volch out of the lineup) and b) we have good goaltending (i.e., Schneider, although Marty didn't play bad last night).
Loktionov and Brunner are a treat to watch. It's a shame that Loki missed the coverage on Edmonton's 4th goal, because other than that he had a great game. Brunner is electric with the puck and reminds me of Kovalchuk actually.
Ryder is also so incredibly smart with the puck. He never rushes decisions.
One thing people need to realize about the Devils' defensive "gaffes" - Deboer's system allows the Devils to control the puck for most of the game, however it will also result in giving the other team some odd man rushes and chances because of all the defensive pinching. That's why I think it's very important that a) all the Devils' defensemen can skate well (get Volch out of the lineup) and b) we have good goaltending (i.e., Schneider, although Marty didn't play bad last night).
Loktionov and Brunner are a treat to watch. It's a shame that Loki missed the coverage on Edmonton's 4th goal, because other than that he had a great game. Brunner is electric with the puck and reminds me of Kovalchuk actually.
Ryder is also so incredibly smart with the puck. He never rushes decisions.
