GDT: Devils @ Capitals - 7:00 PM - MSGSN2

[SteveCangialosi123]

The recent stretch of Daws playing well after they somewhat adjusted defensively is proof it was more the coaching having their head buried in the sand after Nico/Jack got hurt than the goaltending solely

Nothing will make losing Dougie not enormous. Nothing will make Timo going from one of our best wingers to one of the worst players in the league because of injury not devastating. Jack being a shell of himself because of injury — devastating. That doesn’t magically stop mattering because a system tweak could’ve happened a little earlier (which has had zero impact on our ability to compile points).

Vitek was just abysmal and his rebounds would kill us in this “system” too.

 

[Bleedred]

If Vitek didn't get hurt, I'd have to think we would have lost a couple of these recent games that were wins. Or at least one of them.

I could easily see the stadium game turning into tonight's game with Vitek playing in it or even the Nashville game. I'm not saying both games, but one of them could have definitely went down the shitter. And you know they were gonna give Vitek the stadium game, for the same reasons they gave Marty the Yankee Stadium game.

He probably would have played most of these games, considering Ruff threw him out there after one of his worst games of the season, only to have his best of the season. That really would have bought him some leverage.

The Seattle game was a rocking chair game. Seattle are SHIT. Vitek might have been able to keep that to just one goal also.

It’s unfortunate that quinnville turned out to be such a POS because he would be the perfect coach for this group

He'd still be in Florida.

Unless he decided to retire on his own accord.

 

[Bleedred]

Vitek was just abysmal and his rebounds would kill us in this “system” too.

Honestly, it may have been worse than he wasn't here to kill us in some of these other games, and the dream wasn't over already before this one.

Although, I do think it's kind of a good thing that we won that stadium series game, just for sentimental reasons, but I couldn't care less about the other games at this point, when it's clearly evident we're now in junk time.

 

[Bcap88]

If Vitek didn't get hurt, I'd have to think we would have lost a couple of these recent games that were wins. Or at least one of them.

I could easily see the stadium game turning into tonight's game with Vitek playing in it or even the Nashville game. I'm not saying both games, but one of them could have definitely went down the shitter. And you know they were gonna give Vitek the stadium game, for the same reasons they gave Marty the Yankee Stadium game.

He probably would have played most of these games, considering Ruff threw him out there after one of his worst games of the season, only to have his best of the season. That really would have bought him some leverage.

The Seattle game was a rocking chair game. Seattle are SHIT. Vitek might have been able to keep that to just one goal also.


He'd still be in Florida.

Unless he decided to retire on his own accord.

There were murmer’s over the summer that he may get re instated. I’m sure Florida would let him look elsewesr considering how they have done under PoMo but that would be extremely bad optics with just having the majority of the shit bags in the hockey Canada stuff

 

[Bleedred]

There were murmer’s over the summer that he may get re instated. I’m sure Florida would let him look elsewesr considering how they have done under PoMo but that would be extremely bad optics with just having the majority of the shit bags in the hockey Canada stuff

I'd rather stay away from him.

He's a scumbag. He isn't any good as a human. It's not a good look to have him represent this hockey team.

That's an indictment on Fitz and the owners if they let him come here.

I also don't know how a player under him could possibly feel he has their back.

 

[Bcap88]

No way in any shape or form am I saying they should even look at him but in an alternate universe type stuff

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah like you said if there's any team that REALLY can't take the Quenneville PR hit right now it's us, outside of maybe Chicago which would be a complete f*** you to the rest of the hockey world. Of course given how much the Devils have managed to neuter the media and isolate themselves from facing the criticism they might not give a shit.

 

[Bcap88]

Yeah like you said if there's any team that REALLY can't take the Quenneville PR hit right now it's us, outside of maybe Chicago which would be a complete f*** you to the rest of the hockey world. Of course given how much the Devils have managed to neuter the media and isolate themselves from facing the criticism they might not give a shit.

He’s likely on the lifetime Babcock,peters do not touch list

 

[Zacha37]

This team NEEDS Sullivan

 

[guitarguyvic]

Nothing will make losing Dougie not enormous. Nothing will make Timo going from one of our best wingers to one of the worst players in the league because of injury not devastating. Jack being a shell of himself because of injury — devastating. That doesn’t magically stop mattering because a system tweak could’ve happened a little earlier (which has had zero impact on our ability to compile points).

Vitek was just abysmal and his rebounds would kill us in this “system” too.

Even with all those things being true this roster has more talent on paper than Washington, yet they've lost to them 3 out of 4 this year, amongst numerous other mediocre teams with worse rosters.

Jack and Timo underperforming is not why this team has a bottom five goals against. Dougie isn't the cause either considering it was happening even when he was in the lineup.

And yeah yeah...you're gonna blame it all on Vitek. Just ignore that he wasn't in net tonight and the team gave up six to an old, mediocre, offensively challenged team...because the D reverted back to the usual shit...in large part because the coaching, once again.

 

[Bcap88]

Sometimes a team just needs a different voice in the room and that’s where this team is at right now

Cassidy got fired because he was getting stale and then went to Vegas and won a cup.

Paul Maurice was the voice that saved the panthers season.

Rangers do it almost every couple years

Dallas for deboer after he bounced around after being here

 

[NJDevs26]

Pete's on his fifth team and it's not like he hasn't gotten a certain level of results at least. Laviolette's bounced around the entire Metro basically - Isles, Caps, Flyers, Rangers along with the Canes.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Even with all those things being true this roster has more talent on paper than Washington, yet they've lost to them 3 out of 4 this year, amongst numerous other mediocre teams with worse rosters.

Jack and Timo underperforming is not why this team has a bottom five goals against. Dougie isn't the cause either considering it was happening even when he was in the lineup.

And yeah yeah...you're gonna blame it all on Vitek. Just ignore that he wasn't in net tonight and the team gave up six to an old, mediocre, offensively challenged team...because the D reverted back to the usual shit...in large part because the coaching, once again.

It’s not one thing. But if we miss by a couple points, which is looking fairly likely, then there is no doubt that missing a 20+ goal dman for the whole year (plus all the other injuries) and icing the worst goalie in the league will be a significant reason for missing. I don’t see how it’s possible to come to any other conclusion.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Nothing will make losing Dougie not enormous. Nothing will make Timo going from one of our best wingers to one of the worst players in the league because of injury not devastating. Jack being a shell of himself because of injury — devastating. That doesn’t magically stop mattering because a system tweak could’ve happened a little earlier (which has had zero impact on our ability to compile points).

Vitek was just abysmal and his rebounds would kill us in this “system” too.

Well, the only game he played + against the team is a house of horrors for this team, he got them a point and probably deserved better. But yes, majority of the year he's been ass. I don't care for Vanecek because I lost all the confidence in the world in him after the playoffs. And again, it was on Lindy running him as much as he did this year. The injuries, sure I get it, I've said countless times before it took until the ASB for this coaching staff to do anything to help this team system wise.

Sometimes a team just needs a different voice in the room and that’s where this team is at right now

Cassidy got fired because he was getting stale and then went to Vegas and won a cup.

Paul Maurice was the voice that saved the panthers season.

Rangers do it almost every couple years

Dallas for deboer after he bounced around after being here

They're actually in the same spot as Washington was pre Trotz where their stars haven't truly learned the defensive size of the game well enough to win a Cup besides Hischier. Bratt's come a long way defensively too but Jack has been tossing pizzas ever since he got hurt in November.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Lol ok guys. I mean all the core players are signed long term so you can tell them to pound sand if need be, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Jack, Nico, and co aren’t having conversations urging Fitz to trade for defensive help and a goalie.

Ultimately you can go either way and save assets for the future but all these players want to go for it this year.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Lol ok guys. I mean all the core players are signed long term so you can tell them to pound sand if need be, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Jack, Nico, and co aren’t having conversations urging Fitz to trade for defensive help and a goalie.

Ultimately you can go either way and save assets for the future but all these players want to go for it this year.

They don't deserve it losing to the dogshit teams they have this year and why are we saying this after Daws's first bad game in 10 days?

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

They don't deserve it losing to the dogshit teams they have this year and why are we saying this after Daws's first bad game in 10 days?

Daws and Schmid are both young guys that can appear awesome for a game and be bad the next. You give guys like that 20-25 games and hope for the Stolarz or Brossoit result. You generally don’t depend on that if you want to make noise in the playoffs. A couple of years from now, one of them might develop into a starter though. Sucks that they will both be waiver eligible next year (I think?).

 

[My3Sons]

Lol ok guys. I mean all the core players are signed long term so you can tell them to pound sand if need be, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Jack, Nico, and co aren’t having conversations urging Fitz to trade for defensive help and a goalie.

Ultimately you can go either way and save assets for the future but all these players want to go for it this year.

You are probably right. But the team isn’t going anywhere this season as presently held together with duct tape and some gorilla glue. A goalie and one more defender aren’t going to magically bail them out when they have nights where only one line of four is functional. Beyond that one more defender probably pushes Nemec out of the lineup. That would be painfully disappointing.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Daws and Schmid are both young guys that can appear awesome for a game and be bad the next. You give guys like that 20-25 games and hope for the Stolarz or Brossoit result. You generally don’t depend on that if you want to make noise in the playoffs. A couple of years from now, one of them might develop into a starter though. Sucks that they will both be waiver eligible next year (I think?).

I have no problem them getting a goalie for 24-25, I'm not trading for one mid year.

 

[CalamityX23]

It be a lie to say I'm in disbelief but I am so disappointed in us tonight

We need these wins and it's so off putting to see none of our goal scorers or high end talent taking over consistently

The system is hurting us

 

[Bcap88]

Lol ok guys. I mean all the core players are signed long term so you can tell them to pound sand if need be, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Jack, Nico, and co aren’t having conversations urging Fitz to trade for defensive help and a goalie.

Ultimately you can go either way and save assets for the future but all these players want to go for it this year.

I suppose but playoff teams don’t flush down the toilet roughly 15 points against dog shit teams like the caps x3, sharks, ducks, blue jackets, flames and canadiens.

They have to win 17 games which I don’t think they have

 

[guitarguyvic]

It’s not one thing. But if we miss by a couple points, which is looking fairly likely, then there is no doubt that missing a 20+ goal dman for the whole year (plus all the other injuries) and icing the worst goalie in the league will be a significant reason for missing. I don’t see how it’s possible to come to any other conclusion.

Yeah it's not one thing.

Here's the thing though. You can't control injuries. A better coach would not have kept trotting Vitek out there despite him looking like hot garbage, and would have had a system in place from the beginning (or made adjustments much sooner) to mitigate as much as possible the impact of that and the injuries. That is within the coach's control, and I'm 100% confident that if the right strategies and decisions were executed this season it would be worth more than enough points to be in at least that WC2 spot.

 

[glenwo2]

This is EXACTLY what i was talking about.

1 Step Forward

1 Step Back

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Them losing to Arizona, Sharks, CBJ, the Washington losses besides tonight also happened when they were fully healthy this year, that's near inexcusable.

Yeah it's not one thing.

Here's the thing though. You can't control injuries. A better coach would not have kept trotting Vitek out there despite him looking like hot garbage, and would have had a system in place from the beginning (or made adjustments much sooner) to mitigate as much as possible the impact of that and the injuries. That is within the coach's control, and I'm 100% confident that if the right strategies and decisions were executed this season it would be worth more than enough points to be in at least that WC2 spot.

Also been saying that the PP has an easy fix and you just pull Luke off of it and make him focus on his 5v5 game again and put Nemec there

 

[Camille the Eel]

I mean the players deserve blame but this team shouldn't be at the bubble unless something catastrophic happened to them like say Nico/Bratt/Jack all out for the year. Their coach consistently bombs the lineup, doesn't make the right in game adjustments if ever, didn't make the right goalie start for the first 45 games and didn't make actual team adjustments pre ASB.

Yes, although I think he’s a better in game coach than your assessment. What I do wonder, though, is whether your assessment of our strength (which I fully shared at the seasons beginning) didn’t grossly overate our real strength and talent. Injuries have of course distorted things. But at no point during the season, even at the start when our injuries were fewer, have I felt we truly outclassed the average run of our opposition.

Except for that one big streak at the start of last sesson, have we really been that dominant?

It matters to realistically weigh this during the off season, because a cool assessment of our true relative strength should drive our offseason and trade deadline moves.

Unlike a lot of what’s been argued, I doubt that simply upgrading at goalie and bringing in a new coach automatically makes us a cup contender. A playoff team probably. But elite? No. I think the problems with balance in our make up go deeper than just goal tending and coaching.