Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part III

[Saugus]

Looking ahead on the schedule, our next two games are on NHL Network for out of town fans. So were our last two.

What the hell? Four games in a row on that backwater channel is some bizarre broadcast scheduling. I pay for ESPN+ mostly so I don't have to pirate streams, but this shit makes it very difficult to watch the team legally.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Anyone who says that this team is like the 2023-24 team is delusional. They're actually even worse.

 

[devilsblood]

A timely goal by the bottom would in fact help us win those tight one goal contests

Scored a game tying goal yesterday.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Anyone who says that this team is like the 2023-24 team is delusional. They're actually even worse over the last few games. At least last year, they had confidence (misguided though it was) and could score their way back into it. This is more like the teams that had Corey Schneider playing at his peak and then a bunch of scrubs in front of them, which is inexcusable with this level of talent.

This is a team with talent, but it is not a good team. It is a team less than the sum of its parts.

again, no one was saying this three weeks ago.

We don't need to make diatribes on a whole season based on a couple week stretch. All teams have stretches for a bit that their play drops off.

Now, they need to turn it around soon for sure. But the point remains.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Anyone who says that this team is like the 2023-24 team is delusional. They're actually even worse over the last few games. At least last year, they had confidence (misguided though it was) and could score their way back into it. This is more like the teams that had Corey Schneider playing at his peak and then a bunch of scrubs in front of them, which is inexcusable with this level of talent.

This is a team with talent, but it is not a good team. It is a team less than the sum of its parts.

Did...did you just choose to not watch last year's team?

 

[Call Me Al]

there's 33 games left, it's not a stretch by any means to think this Devils team will win more than 3-4 games more than the teams behind them.

See, I can play this game!

yeah, totally. either thing could happen.

look at any post from a month ago and the conversation was all about how bad the east was because the wild cards team were all mediocre and there was a clear separation. a lots changed in a few weeks

 

[Emperoreddy]

yeah, totally. either thing could happen.

look at any post from a month ago and the conversation was all about how bad the east was because the wild cards team were all mediocre and there was a clear separation. a lots changed in a few weeks

It would take a lot of losing for your scenario to happen. It's the far more unlikely outcome.

Your issue is your are assuming two things. The WC teams continue to win at a high pace, which isn't likely. And we continue to lose at a high pace which is also unlikely.

The most likely outcome right now is us probably finishing 3rd unless we rattle off a good winning streak to make 2nd more likely.

 

[NjDevsRR]

23-24 Devils: -2 goal differential at gm 49

24-25 Devils: +23 goal differential at gm 49

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

yeah, totally. either thing could happen.

look at any post from a month ago and the conversation was all about how bad the east was because the wild cards team were all mediocre and there was a clear separation. a lots changed in a few weeks

not really. The cut-off for the Wild card right now is ~90 points. Last year the Caps made it at 91 points and everyone agreed that they were a terrible team. So this notion that the East is suddenly so strong now because Columbus and Detroit won a few games in a row is nonsense. Those are still middling teams.

 

[HoliksGhost]

Scored a game tying goal yesterday.

Yup, tartars first since the debut of the iPhone…

 

[Lou Bloom]

I don’t think that addresses the current issues with the roster surgery it entails. It still doesn’t address the teams issues of the bottom six forwards.

There’s just a massive gap between Hischier, Hughes, Bratt, and Meier and the rest of the forwards. Palat, Haula, Tatar, Cotter, Bastian, Dowling, and Lazar are all mediocre third liners at best, closer to fourth line. Mercer and Noesen are a step above that group but not enough to carry their own line.

It doesn’t seem like any of that “mediocre third line” group adds a dimension to the top four forwards other than just get carried by two of them into revelance. If you try to find a way to spread the offense, you leave one of the top four (likely Hughes or Hischier) on an island trying to drag two mediocre forwards to good results.

Mercer has not been a step above, I’d argue Palat has been much better than him. Palat has done a fine job on the Hughes and Bratt line, Mercer hasn’t been effective no matter the line he’s been put on.

I’d also push back that adding a player like Miller wouldn’t address the issue. It’d add another high performing forward that would be able to take away a bunch of minutes currently occupied by lesser talent, that alone would mean you have a more dangerous player on the ice for a large portion of the game versus whoever it is he’d be replacing. Doesn’t mean he’d be worth taking on his contract but the idea that adding a high end forward wouldn’t help is a bit ridiculous.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We really are only concerned about CBJ and NYR for the Metro 3 spot. Both teams have to win their 3 gms in hand in order to be a gm or two behind us.

Devils simply need to put up .625 pts % hockey. That gives them 100 pts. If they return to that December play, then even better.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

We really are only concerned about CBJ and NYR for the Metro 3 spot. Both teams have to win their 3 gms in hand in order to be a gm or two behind us.

Devils simply need to put up .625 pts % hockey. That gives them 100 pts. If they return to that December play, then even better.

I am simply not going to worry about the Blue Jackets. If they have 90 points they smashed expectations. If they finish with 95 points, they’ve done something miraculous.

 

[Cheddabombs]

The fact that this team is where they are without a winning streak longer than 3 games is pretty impressive. They've tended to bounce back after losses but are a bad rut right now. While I have little doubt that they'll pull themselves out of it eventually, I have more doubt that they can go on an extended winning streak to even it out a bit.

 

[Better Call Sal]

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/topic/big-reads/jacques-lemaire-big-read

Great stuff.

“I never thought I would be a coach because I didn’t like the coaches,” Lemaire laughed. “There were so many things that I felt they were doing that guys didn’t like. So, I said, I don’t want to do that job. And I was, in a way, pushed to be a coach.”

Lemaire walked out of the tunnel and stood on the Devils bench. He gazed around the empty arena and fate struck.

“When I stepped behind the bench, I had chills,” Lemaire said. “I looked all the way around and inside my body, I can’t explain it, I had this feeling like I was meant to be there. That’s how I felt.”

It was at that moment, for the first time in his life, Lemaire wanted to be a coach. But not just be a coach, he wanted to be the coach of the New Jersey Devils.

“I was thinking, ‘I hope he accepts the deal so I can become the coach,’” Lemaire said. “I wanted to coach there. I said, this is the place that I have to be.

“When I watched the games they played in the past, what stuck to my mind is the little things missing that were so important to go to the next level,” Lemaire observed. “Little things like playing defense when it’s time to play defense, gambling offensively when it’s time to gamble. Playing defense instinctively, it’s got to be automatic. And I didn’t see that. And it struck my eyes right away.

“I wasn’t looking at a team. This was not a team yet.”

But after watching the tapes, Lemaire called Lamoriello and guaranteed that he could get the team to play better.

“There was a lot of character on the team, they just were not working together,” Lemaire said. “And when they started doing it, oh my God, it was a different team.”

Lemaire brought with him former Canadiens teammate Larry Robinson as his assistant coach. The two implemented what came to be known as the “neutral zone trap.” The new strategy saw immediate dividends.

 

[RNCDevil]

They don't play until Wednesday, right? I hope they get a little break. I could use a break. Appreciated the sharing of "brown" liquors last game.

I would like to mention West Cork Barrel Proof. It's in the $50 neighborhood and boy is it some good value. hmm.. Should we have a permanent adult beverage thread... reviews, game pairings...

 

[jkrdevil]

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/topic/big-reads/jacques-lemaire-big-read

Great stuff.

That was a big shot at Herb Brooks (and Lemaire was obviously right).

 

[Call Me Al]

It would take a lot of losing for your scenario to happen. It's the far more unlikely outcome.

Your issue is your are assuming two things. The WC teams continue to win at a high pace, which isn't likely. And we continue to lose at a high pace which is also unlikely.

The most likely outcome right now is us probably finishing 3rd unless we rattle off a good winning streak to make 2nd more likely.

i’m not assuming anything. i think the devils could be one of the best teams in the league, they just need to snap out of their funk.

i also don’t think that’s guaranteed. i mean i think they’ll be better than they are and the reality is somewhere in between their play in december and january. i just don’t think we’re “99% chance of making the playoffs” like moneypuck or whoever had us in the first half of the year.

it could be true that teams figured out how to shut down our strengths. it could be that we don’t have enough depth to withstand any injuries to our 3rd line center. it could be that playing nico as a shutdown center instead of a 1-2c neuters he team offensively. it could also be that they click and pucks start going in, or keefe mixes up the lines and catches lightning in a bottle.

i’m not really concerned with what’s “likely.” weird things happen in this sport all the time, i just want this team to stop playing like ass

 

[Call Me Al]

not really. The cut-off for the Wild card right now is ~90 points. Last year the Caps made it at 91 points and everyone agreed that they were a terrible team. So this notion that the East is suddenly so strong now because Columbus and Detroit won a few games in a row is nonsense. Those are still middling teams.

no one said the east is strong, i just think the devils have drifted down to the mediocre middle with this months play. i don’t think they’ll win their games in hand but they could be within 2-4 points of us which is basically nothing over 30 games.

i’m not dooming saying they’re gonna fall out and miss the playoffs. i just think they completely squandered their cushion and they are playing really, really terrible hockey right now.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

no one said the east is strong, i just think the devils have drifted down to the mediocre middle with this months play. i don’t think they’ll win their games in hand but the could be within 2-4 points of us which is basically nothing over 30 games.

i’m not dooming saying they’re gonna fall and miss the playoffs. i just think they completely squandered their cushion and they are playing really, really terrible hockey right now

sure they are, after playing really really great hockey the few weeks before that.

Ebbs and flows of a long NHL season. They were never as good as they were when they were allowing teams to 15 shots/game and they aren't as bad as they have been the last 5-8 games or so.

 

[njdevils1982]

They don't play until Wednesday, right? I hope they get a little break. I could use a break. Appreciated the sharing of "brown" liquors last game.

I would like to mention West Cork Barrel Proof. It's in the $50 neighborhood and boy is it some good value. hmm.. Should we have a permanent adult beverage thread... reviews, game pairings...

we do but it's been dormant for quite a while

OT: Thread 'The New dRunks Thread ‎Part 2'

Aug 24, 2012

Starting thread.

Sorry Scotty.

• Cowbell232
• Replies: 919
• Forum: New Jersey Devils

 

[Better Call Sal]

That was a big shot at Herb Brooks (and Lemaire was obviously right).

One thing is for sure, Lemaire could size up what was wrong with a team better than anyone.

I was a young lad when he came here for the first time, but I'll always remember his presser from when he took over for Johnny Mac and simply said "it's like they've forgotten how to play the game".

 

[Cheddabombs]

we do but it's been dormant for quite a while

OT: Thread 'The New dRunks Thread ‎Part 2'

Aug 24, 2012

Starting thread.

Sorry Scotty.

• Cowbell232
• Replies: 919
• Forum: New Jersey Devils

Ah the drunks thread, should bring it back for old time's sake

 

[theoptimist]

Relying on 10-game sample sizes from past Stanley Cup winners to reassure ourselves today feels like recency bias. Unless I'm missing the point.