GDT: Animal House, Bruins @ Devils, 7:30 TNT

[SJinNewJersey]

They have special teams and goaltending which can carry them

I am just not impressed by them. Yes, Ullmark has been good, but other than him I don't see them being a great team. I think they are frauds and will go out 1st round.

 

[Devs3cups]

This back to back thing is horse shit. We’ve lost every game when we faced a team on a back to back and we won one where we were in a btb.

We’re a young team facing older opponents and should skate them into the ground but it doesn’t happen.

Maybe because the effects of back to backs are overrated?

 

[TF1970]

This is one of those games where you kick yourselves for not getting the points needed in earlier games.

The big concern is under Ruff they have not been able to stop these snowballs. As a coach you have the find a way to stop the bleeding and too often they haven’t. If they don’t get this turned around in the next week or two, you have to make a change. Just to get a new voice in the room.

Yep that’s my exact thing with Ruff.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Right year to miss the playoffs if you're going to .

They can only move up so much if they're in the 10-15 range.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't know what his deal is... but every time puck touches his stick he hesitates.

The entire team has the confidence of wet tissue paper. The slightest nudge and it completely crumbles. I don't know if you've ever tried to put crumbled wet tissue paper back together, but it ain't easy.

 

[FooteBahl]

It can’t be a rental though

100%. Sure, we out skate and out chance almost every single team we have played, but we need finishers in the worst way. I wanted Holtz to be that, but he’s not there yet and that’s why I wanted Slaf to be our pick this year. Sharangovich can’t be the only guy with a plus shot up front. It’s infuriating!!!

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'll bet you anything other than my HF Boards account and the titles to my home and car that Ruff is DONE by January 15th, unless we really turn it around.

If we don't turn around in the new month, He's GONE.

I've never been more confident about it.

I really thought he was done so many times last year and then the offseason, but I'm really convinced the end is nigh

UNLESS we turn it around.

But for my money? He's currently the favorite to be the first head coach fired. It wasn't that way two-three weeks ago, but it is now.

If we don't turn it around by mid January we will be outside the playoffs.

They have zero cushion left. This has gone as much as they can allow before the season is truly over

 

[Satans Hockey]

We lose a close to the Best team in the NHL that is also the most battle tested and we are back to thinking were a crappy team and all our players suck or are soft.

Half of our the posters here are the most Namby Pamby people I've ever seen.

​

December has been atrocious. 8 points out of 24 points. This isn't just a bad game here and there now. It's been a horrible month, 6 straight regulation loses at home.

In the beginning of the month I'm with you in not jumping off the ship but this ship is sinking fast after this month.

 

[Call Me Al]

All your complaining is just tears for fuel for other fanbases.

no it’s just venting on an internet message board after watching our team shit the bed all month after showing a ton of promise.

maybe they’ll turn it around and be fine but they don’t look like a good hockey team. they look like a team that can control the play for long stretches and take a lot of shots, some of them of the high danger variety, but not finish. and let in more goals than they can score every night whether the opponents goals are hard earned or not.

if there’s one thing i can say about the last few years, it that the devils made scoring a goal look SO hard, like they had to fight and fight and fight to put the puck in the net. but the opponents make it look so easy! that’s the hockey we’ve been playing

 

[JK3]

Maybe because the effects of back to backs are overrated?

Yes that’s why I said it’s horse shit lol. I’m sure we’ll hear about in the post game presser though.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

haha zacha.....it had to be

Lol

Our awful December continues, at least there's only 1 game left.

3-7-2 for 8 points out of a possible 24 points and 6 straight regulation losses at home.

As a legacy fan of 3 plus decades this is what we traditionally do in December or so it sure seems that way.

 

[Bleedred]

This is one of those games where you kick yourselves for not getting the points needed in earlier games.

The big concern is under Ruff they have not been able to stop these snowballs. As a coach you have the find a way to stop the bleeding and too often they haven’t. If they don’t get this turned around in the next week or two, you have to make a change. Just to get a new voice in the room.

There's no reason to keep Ruff going at this point

But there was really not much of a reason to bring him back after last year to begin with, but I understood it a little bit.

If Fitz thinks it'll save our season then I think he pulls the trigger.

His replacement is here.

At the very least, I think this year is the final season of Ruff as a coach with the Devils. I doubt he's back next year, unless we finish with like 110 points.

 

[Whaddagoal]

This is a sick joke at this point. Despite it being tied 1-1 in the third, this game was over when the Bruins went up 1-0.

The Devils.... again... had a strong period where they outplayed a good team and couldn't convert on chances. After that, the Bruins tightened up and the Devils didn't see the middle of the ice in the offensive zone for the rest of the game.

Zetterlund has 1 goal, 0 assists in 12 games.
Tatar has 3 goals, 1 assist in 12 games.
Haula has 2 goals in 35 games.

That's 3/4 of our top six wingers. Not good enough. They needed a goal scoring winger in the offseason... they need a goal scoring winger now. Palat coming back doesn't solve that either. He will add much needed size, toughness, and experience but not a ton of goals.

Marino and Graves being out wasn't even the problem tonight. We can survive without them for the time being.

I am so tired of watching the Devils outplay teams, not convert, then just fizzle out.

Yup. Today wasnt on defense or goaltending.

Today was missed opporutnities by bratt,mercer, hughes etc etc etc.

And a bad change........ Against the bergeron line...

Vitek did his good thing. Deflection is deflection

 

[haak84]

Shoulda just gotten ullmark for the 3 wins against us. Wanted him for a while.

 

[glenwo2]

We lose a close to the Best team in the NHL that is also the most battle tested and we are back to thinking were a crappy team and all our players suck or are soft.

Half of our the posters here are the most Namby Pamby people I've ever seen.

​

Xirik, I don't understand where all this optimism is coming from (from you).

We are fast heading for an epic collapse the likes of which this Devils team has never seen this season.

@NJDevs26 said it best : Are you waiting for the Devils to completely fall out of the Playoff race before going "gee...maybe we do have a problem"?

Come on, Xirik.

I get being optimistic but this is a bit much.

 

[Devils090]

Fitz is watching a dream start go up in flames, can’t imagine he’s going to sit on his hands if it continues

 

[BostonDevil]

It can’t be a rental though

I wouldn't mind if it was. Not giving up a lot for a rental but I think this team is good enough that Fitz should show faith and move something for a finisher so they can get to, and win some in the playoffs.

That experience might be worth more than what they give up.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Remember when $10M was a reasonable price for Bratt? A couple more weeks of this, I might trade him.

 

[Eggtimer]

!

becoming a joke franchise. And the GM just gonna sit and watch it crash and burn once again this season then roll out the carpet of justification.

Fitz cannot waster an entire season where we got off to an epic start and piss away a playoff spot. Now is the time to make a move . Not when it’s already too late. Get Meier here asap. Do something. The team is free-falling and need a boost. Addig a player like Meier will be a massive addition on and off ice.
Our top players need to pull their heads out of their asses. Bratt has been invisible. Nico has not playing as well as he can.
We need a wake up call amd we need it ASAP.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

At least missing the playoffs in a season they rattled off 13 consecutive wins will be history. Not good history, but history none the less.

 

[Mgd31]

At 1-1, Devils had the Bratt breakaway and Hughes drive in front to go up 2-1

 

[Triumph]

The entire team has the confidence of wet tissue paper. The slightest nudge and it completely crumbles. I don't know if you've ever tried to put crumbled wet tissue paper back together, but it ain't easy.

What the hell are you talking about? This team lost two one-goal games to Boston.

 

[Bleedred]

If we don't turn it around by mid January we will be outside the playoffs.

They have zero cushion left. This has gone as much as they can allow before the season is truly over

Honestly, there's way more stranger things that can happen than him getting fired after the Canes game

But I think that means we have to lose both. I say the chances are 0% if we win one of those games. 0% that it happens after that game

But I'm 50/50 that it happens in the coming weeks.

And the 50% is because I have faith we'll snap out of this and start winning a bit again.

If we don't start winning I'm convinced he's outta here soon.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

Yup. Today wasnt on defense or goaltending.

Today was missed opporutnities by bratt,mercer, hughes etc etc etc.

And a bad change........ Against the bergeron line...

Vitek did his good thing. Deflection is deflection

Ya know sure he's small and not the power forward we really need but JG would definitely help this team get us out of this current funk but, the bastard went to Columbus.

 

[DerekDevils30]

At 1-1, Devils had the Bratt breakaway and Hughes drive in front to go up 2-1

At least Jack got his on net. Bratt’s almost ended up in the netting.

Sharangovich also had a great look in the slot around the same time and didn’t hit the net.