GDT: Devils at Bruins 19:00 ET

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

I LOL'ed!



Remember he also set up our best chance of the game, with the cross-ice pass to Zubrus, who unfortunately hit the crossbar. It was really a great pass to a guy nobody else saw.

I think this team tries for the most part. They dog it here and there but they battle.

Good call on Clarkson right there. He also made a nice check that sprung Greene on his semi rush.

 

[RandoDoomer]

Only 4 teams in the league have fewer wins than NJ. Ouch.

 

[Tundra]

Only 4 teams in the league have fewer wins than NJ. Ouch.

Plus, thanks to the shutout, we are 29th out of 30 in terms of goals per game. Only Columbus is worse. Zach has to be giggling somewhere. Another clunker or two and we could statistically have the worst offense in hockey.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Just the ones I recall between facepalms;

Henrique point blank on a pass from behind the net - fired it into the B logo when the top corners were both open.
Gionta on a perfect one-timer pass across the crease had open net - fired it wide on a flubbed shot.
Clarkson on a 2 on 2 rush with Zajac busting to the net - shot it blocker high from way out rather than passing back to Zajac for a good scoring chance.
Elias in the slot with time - puts it right into the glove.
Carter on a rebound right in the slot backhands it right back into the pads rather than go wide and tuck it in behind or up high on Raask.

These were 4 goals waiting to go in if these guys had any luck/accuracy/composure but they are so rattled at this point they blindly fire at net as soon as they get the puck and it screams panic to me. Coaches are probably so fed up with bad passes for the perfect play that now they have preached shoot first at all costs and it's destroying what a quick look could do to help score and pick a shot location.

lose/lose scenario

Thanks... I recall a couple of them but I guess I didn't see most of those chances

I do agree that our coaching staff has probably told our forwards to shoot, shoot, shoot and it'll eventually go in, instead of trying to score on a tick-tac-toe every other play. Like you said, our confidence is at a ultimate low ATM and when that happens, that's usually the 1st thing that comes out of a coaches mouth... play it simple, shoot on net and crash the crease for loose pucks.

Edit: What Luke just posted is ****ing alarming... only 4 teams in the league have fewer wins then we do, yiiiiiiiiiiiikes !!!!!

 

[The Devil In I]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't consider a ****ty Clarktard backhander a good scoring chance...even if he did hit the post with it.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't consider a ****ty Clarktard backhander a good scoring chance...even if he did hit the post with it.

leading goal scorer hits post

I know it seems wrong, kinda like jumbo shrimp or depressing a button, but there's rules about these things or reality unravels like an old knit sweater.

 

[Brick City]

The amount of vitriol Clarkson is getting on these boards right now is absurd. He is a third line guy being placed in a top 6 role due to injuries. When he is slotted in his proper role he is the kind of player every team in the league wants.

And all that being said, he still leads the team in goals. Meanwhile, someone who is supposed to be a top 6 forward and just signed a max contract for $5 mil a year has less goals and less overall points.

I get that people might be worried about his next contract, but he doesn't have it yet and at this rate it probably won't be as high as originally thought because he has come back down to earth. Quit scapegoating the guy.

Came in here to post something like this, well said.

Bruins played down to the Devils level and barely escaped with the 2 points.

As far as Clarkson goes, it's just not about him not scoring goals, all other facets of his game have declined rapidly and deeply in the last 25 games.

He's a detriment to the hockey club now and not the only one.

I can say that about most of this team right now. Not targeting you in particular, but I do not understand why Clarkson is being singled out by the torch wielding mob. He's a 2nd/3rd liner being forced into a 1st liner role.

Clarkson is simply trying to do too much instead of playing the game that got him into this league. That's largely the problem.

Completely agree, but I can't really blame him. Due to our under-performance and lack of depth, he is the team's leading scorer and playing a couple lines too high on the chart. Too much unwarranted pressure on the guy to perform.

 

[The Devil In I]

Elias - 1 point in last 5
Clarktard - 0 points in last 5
Zajac - 1 point in last 5
Henrique - 0 points in last 6
Kovalchuk - no games in last 5

Mother of god we suck.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Zajac has been downright terrible. Nevermind Clarkson, people around here thought Zajac was a first line center. At least we only expect Clarkson to play a third line role. Zajac has been absolutley invisible and soft at that. Steve Bernier and Matt D'Agostini have had more of an impact on games than he has.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

zach made the right choice. got the money and the better team. **** him.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

If Clarkson would pass the puck rather than shoot from a mile out, not take the puck from teammates in a better scoring position, and maybe stop flopping around on the ice trying to draw calls with that constant look of astonishment and actually played like a 3rd liner being promoted to the top line then I could cut him plenty of slack. Pete is feeding his ego with more and more ice time and apparently Clarkson thinks he actually is a 1st liner at this point and a puck hog one at that.

Infuriating.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Holy **** Zajac has been ass

 

[Nick0930]

Bernier really shouldn't be our best forward, but right now he is...Or at least even with Lotki.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If Clarkson would pass the puck rather than shoot from a mile out, not take the puck from teammates in a better scoring position, and maybe stop flopping around on the ice trying to draw calls with that constant look of astonishment and actually played like a 3rd liner being promoted to the top line then I could cut him plenty of slack. Pete is feeding his ego with more and more ice time and apparently Clarkson thinks he actually is a 1st liner at this point and a puck hog one at that.

Infuriating.

exactly. people have used the argument "oh he's a third liner being used like a 1st liner. the problem isn't him it's our lack of depth." that's horse****! he's trying to be something he isn't. he rarely takes the body anymore, he rarely fights(which is ok he's playing a bigger role), he doesn't go in the dirty areas or in front of the net and muck out goals. he tries to snipe from outside the circle and racks up 9 shots a game bc they all go right into the goalies chest. if he played his game instead of trying to chance bc of his increased role the goals would come. he's just completely taking what made him special/effective out of the equation and is playing like a soft/slow player who's in the wrong role.

i said this yesterday: clarkson is always branded as a guy with a great combination of toughness and skill, but bernier is stronger, hits harder and has more skill. he's just not used as much and isn't as lucky.

 

[GentlemanOfLeisure]

If we dont get 2 points out of Toronto on Saturday, I'm then going to root for a tankjob. I'm not too thrilled about finishing 9th and picking 14th.

If we dont make the playoffs, I'd rather finish 12th or lower. The Caps and Flyers are about to pass us, The Lightning will play very hard to get the SE division and should pass us too. That means only the Panthers, the Hurricanes, and the Sabres will be worse than us. Maybe even Winnipeg although they look to be in a freefall also.

 

[slammer]

Losing while being better..and because of a goal which came even "accidently" is ****ing ******!

 

[Bologna 1]

rofl the positivity coming from nona is really catching me off guard. im not sure i can handle it

 

[Tretyak 20]

If we dont get 2 points out of Toronto on Saturday, I'm then going to root for a tankjob. I'm not too thrilled about finishing 9th and picking 14th.

Can't agree at this point. Lou made the gamble that this team could turn it around when he didn't unload Elias, Clarkson and Zidlicky for youth. I really REALLY hope he was right about that.

 

[Tundra]

If we dont get 2 points out of Toronto on Saturday, I'm then going to root for a tankjob. I'm not too thrilled about finishing 9th and picking 14th.

If we dont make the playoffs, I'd rather finish 12th or lower. The Caps and Flyers are about to pass us, The Lightning will play very hard to get the SE division and should pass us too. That means only the Panthers, the Hurricanes, and the Sabres will be worse than us. Maybe even Winnipeg although they look to be in a freefall also.

It's very doable. We could theoretically fall into a lottery spot! I hope we do & with the right draft and a few FA pickups, we could rebound like Montreal did. With each passing day, I'm not really minding the losses because I would love to see a top 7 pick.

 

[GentlemanOfLeisure]

It's very doable. We could theoretically fall into a lottery spot! I hope we do and with the right draft and a few FA pickups, we could rebound like Montreal did.

Doable, yes indeed. There is one game left that's a slamdunk win. Home vs. Florida. The rest of the schedule we can lose every game even if we go all out. I do think we'll win vs. the Penguins at home because they'll have everything wrapped up and not even try, and I can see us winning @ vs. Ottawa for some reason. I'm sure we'll get a point out the Rangers games and maybe even a point @ philly.

8 more points. 47 points and we essentially lose every tie breaker to every team. That would get us around 7th or 8th.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Holy **** Zajac has been ass

Like exceptionally bad from day one.

As least Clarkson came out of the gates like Maurice Richard. Zajac has been consistently awful.

 

[Tundra]

Like exceptionally bad from day one.

As least Clarkson came out of the gates like Maurice Richard. Zajac has been consistently awful.

And that contract is virtually untradable. It's basically until death do us part.

 

[nycbruins*]

Wow. Surprised by the clarkson hate. I hate watching him for different reasons. But i guess if a guy's about to get a 4-5 million/year contract, the evaluation is different.

Lucic looks nothing like himself this season & he gets paid way more.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

We didn't watch the same game then... but that's ok.

You just can't be serious.

 

[MartyOwns]

we should really look up posts from the johnny mac era (minus the 3 kovalchuk threads)

is it logical that all of our player started sucking at the exact same time? zajac, elias, clarkson, even kovy to an extent? is that logical? or is there a bigger fundamental flaw with this team?

lets not go anguish over the zajac signing 1 year into it…step back from the ledge!