Pre-Game Talk: Devils Canes Round 2

[Blueline Bomber]

As far as I'm aware, the Haula story played out like this (my commentary in italics):

- He's traded to Carolina. It wasn't something he wanted, but it's the NHL and these things happen.
- He's bounced around the lineup, trying to find a place where he fits best. Not unheard of for a new player.
- Rumors come out that one player isn't happy with his ice time and it's believed to be Haula.Haula. I believe it was simply because he was the one who made the most sense to be unhappy compared to what he was doing in Vegas.
- Eventually, he asks for a trade, and the organization accommodates him. Between the ice time issue and the miscarriage, it made sense for him and his family to move on
- On the way out, he and his wife trashes the city, the fans and the team on social media and interviews. Fans are rightfully upset.
- Since then, Haula has had a few notable interactions while playing against the Canes, taking cheap shots at Necas and sitting on Jarvis' neck.
- Add in comments like his most recent one, and there's a reason he's treated like a villian.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

I have literally nothing against Haula except how everytime we play against him in a series it becomes this HUGE THING and apparently we will face him in the playoffs til the end of time

 

[3CanesInTheBox]

This on top that they were just having their wedding and had got their dream house set up in Vegas when the news came that he was traded to Carolina. It's hard to not attribute x amount of his hardship with Canes and as an NHLer in general to him maybe having been caught a bit more off-balance than your regular guy. They probably got some what-ifs about their miscarriage after things went that way too.

I'm inclined to give him some benefit of doubt because his Canes career started on the rocks and only went worse from there, and would wish that Canes fans just let him be. The universe is f***ing enough with him as is by always putting the Canes on his path in the NHL.

I feel the exact same way. But I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. Is what it is. #LetsGoCanes

 

[Porvari]

IIRC Haula was great for the Canes early in the season and made the power play sing, but then his knee injury flared up and things got sour all around.

 

[Chrispy]

I swear if this jinxes us...YOU'RE DONE FOREVER!

He left with kind of a douchey elitist attitude...dude put up 12G - 22PTS in 41 games and was acting pissy because he wasn't getting 1st line minutes or something...his injury held him back and he was very "meh", his attitude was poor, and he got reduced ice time/role. And there were multiple reports from Willis and others that he was not a "good fit" in the locker room, but no specifics were ever really given. Then the first game we faced him he instantly started targeting guys like Necas with cheap shots, starting shit after the whistle, and acting like a goon (despite not being tough enough to fill the role). He earned every bit of it, and it's hilarious because he acts like "I'm not the problem"...but he's on his 7th team in 7 years...

He started hot, got hurt, and when he got back Haula thought he deserved to be 1C. Over Aho. Based mostly on scoring stats. With Rod Brind'Amour.

Hence "Haula-famer."

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

IIRC Haula was great for the Canes early in the season and made the power play sing, but then his knee injury flared up and things got sour all around.

Yes. Haula, Dzingel and Necas were the third line to start that season and they were absolutely lighting it up as a unit with great chemistry. Haula's knee injury flared up and he was out of the lineup due to that for a few weeks maybe, came back and that line wasn't clicking so he got "demoted" or maybe not even demoted but just got lesser linemates as Necas may have been moved up. But yeah that I think was the turning point. And ultimately his knee was a big reason he was available to us that offseason and has bounced around so much. It's a long term issue that has followed and will follow him his entire career.

 

[LostInaLostWorld]

6 teams last 6 seasons. Methinks that sort of says it all re Haula.

 

[Stubu]

He has a punchable face.

He has a very kickable ass too.

 

[The Faulker 27]

He has a very kickable ass too.

 

[Negan4Coach]

I have no idea how this series will go. But it is interesting to see the change in overall general attitude on this board from before the last series to now. Before (and even into) the Isles series I thought the general vibe was overly negative. Most were down on the Canes chances this playoff and a lot had an overall negative outlook going forward. Now, I see a lot who are more optimistic about this Cup run than I am at the moment. It's not that I'm pessimistic, I'm agnostic (that's the one where you admit you really don't know, right?)

Just an observation, it'll be interesting to see how the series actually goes.

That was before Tampa. Boston, NYR all were magically removed from the equation.

 

[LakeLivin]

That was before Tampa. Boston, NYR all were magically removed from the equation.

Oh, no doubt the path certainly appears to be easier. But there were many here who didn't think the Canes would beat the Isles, and that was before Turbo went down. And almost everyone (myself included) was more or less conceding a 2nd round loss regardless of whether NY or NJ won. The positivity/negativity ratio shift in attitude seems due to more than just the upsets, at least to me. But of course I could be wrong. After all, I'm the only person in that HF26 playoff pool that doesn't even have a possibility of hitting a final score in triple digits, lol.

[Note that I only say "appears" easier because what if the Boston upset wasn't completely a fluke or choke? What if Florida has recaptured some of the mojo that led them to a President's Trophy last year? Or what if Toronto, breaking through the playoff jinx, becomes the actual threat they seem like they should be on paper? Or, more immediately, what if the regular season actually does give some insight and there was a reason NJ ended up 5 points better than the Rangers?]

 

[DaveG]

As far as I'm aware, the Haula story played out like this (my commentary in italics):

- He's traded to Carolina. It wasn't something he wanted, but it's the NHL and these things happen.
- He's bounced around the lineup, trying to find a place where he fits best. Not unheard of for a new player.
- Rumors come out that one player isn't happy with his ice time and it's believed to be Haula.Haula. I believe it was simply because he was the one who made the most sense to be unhappy compared to what he was doing in Vegas.
- Eventually, he asks for a trade, and the organization accommodates him. Between the ice time issue and the miscarriage, it made sense for him and his family to move on
- On the way out, he and his wife trashes the city, the fans and the team on social media and interviews. Fans are rightfully upset.
- Since then, Haula has had a few notable interactions while playing against the Canes, taking cheap shots at Necas and sitting on Jarvis' neck.
- Add in comments like his most recent one, and there's a reason he's treated like a villian.

This one and the flopping like Neymar in the Preds series is what set everyone against him. Before that it is a vocal minority and more than anything most Canes fans had some sympathy chalking the comments up to having a hard time here both with injuries and in his personal life. After that it was "nah, f*** this guy"

 

[Stickpucker]

Hopefully Jordo is okay.

I wonder if it was noted he has a hurt neck before this series started.

 

[Summer Rose]

Would it be okay if I made the GDT for game 2?

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Noesen producing and looking like a Middle 6 forward is helping. In the 24 total games he’s played since Svech went down, 14 points.

 

[Stickpucker]

Would it be okay if I made the GDT for game 2?

I don't speak for everyone but I feel pretty ride or die for @3CanesInTheBox back2thefuture gdts.

Iirc she gdtd us to victory against the Caps as well?

Maybe you can be on deck for after our next loss

 

[Unsustainable]

If we continue what we did yesterday, I don’t see the devils coming close to winning

 

[MinJaBen]

If we continue what we did yesterday, I don’t see the devils coming close to winning

True, but I doubt we are able to maintain that discipline and intensity for every game, and I doubt Jersey plays the same way as well . Both teams will make adjustments.

I would be very surprised if we swept them.

 

[Unsustainable]

True, but I doubt we are able to maintain that discipline and intensity for every game, and I doubt Jersey plays the same way as well . Both teams will make adjustments.

I would be very surprised if we swept them.

When you’ve got 2 hockey teams playing good hockey, you have a good hockey game, but when one team plays better, you’ve got a team that will win

 

[Derailed75]

I don't speak for everyone but I feel pretty ride or die for @3CanesInTheBox back2thefuture gdts.

Iirc she gdtd us to victory against the Caps as well?

Maybe you can be on deck for after our next loss

Yeah !wait for a loss then its all yours.

Also have some others queued up cause if they win your in the hook until they lose again

 

[Lempo]

I don't speak for everyone but I feel pretty ride or die for @3CanesInTheBox back2thefuture gdts.

Winning GDTer keeps making GDTs until a loss is the rules.

Though, I have let myself be told by authorative sources that we keep breaking the rules and f.ex. have our sticks hit people in the face when they lift them, so.

 

[hblueridgegal]

Some bonds can’t be broken.

 

[tarheelhockey]

lol I actually kind of respect Haula now. He wasn't bad enough or a true cancer for long enough for our fans to boo him like we still do. I guess it's just sort of a tradition.

Booing Haula wasn't really a thing until we saw him in the playoffs multiple times. He's a scrappy player which was just fine when he was on our roster but a war crime on other rosters. I get booing him though, it's hard to shed the villain label once acquired.

What I don't get is booing Dougie. That was kind of ****ed up and I would like it to not be a thing.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

I'm still sitting on the greatest regular season GDT win streak of all time so we can have that in our back pocket for if we need it. I.e. after a loss leading to an elimination game which hopefully we will have none of this postseason.

 

[3CanesInTheBox]