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

[PKs Broken Stick]

Had to logout to confirm this response was, as expected, to one of the usual suspects. I really don't know why folks just don't use the ignore function. Disagreements are fine, but those constantly misquoting people, creating nonsensical strawmans, and possessing an inability to admit when wrong (everyone is sometimes lol) are pointless in interacting with.

They just derail any real dialogue. There's enough to actually discuss/debate without engaging in bad faith, fraudulent arguments. That's all I'm saying on it, so hopefully this stays up.

Or why there's constant arguing about dumb things here. Doubt anyone cares (or noticed) but I haven't been posting here for a while because there's just no point. I have much better things to do with my life.

 

[JimEIV]

He’s had one playoff birth since he’s been gm and the team with all the money he spent this year is barely better than last years injury filled can’t get a save team. That rope is non existent right now.

Pretty significantly better this year than last year.

Last year on March 3rd we were 11th in the conference 30-27-4. 64 points

Today we are 33-22-6. 72 points - 6th in the conference.

That's pretty significant improvement to me.

 

[Patrik26]

Yes that’s exactly what I am saying.
He’s not as good as you think he is.

Excellent skater, great passer, yes. But he is soft as butter both mentally and physically.

Physical talent will only get one so far, without mental growth and maturity. Everything I've witnessed with Jack in 6 seasons shows a lack of maturity. PERIOD.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Physical talent will only get one so far, without mental growth and maturity. Everything I've witnessed with Jack in 6 seasons shows a lack of maturity. PERIOD.

Please cite examples. Be specific.

I'll guess- he doesn't like doing interviews and he said "people pay to watch me play" to another player that one time.

am I close?

 

[Better Call Sal]

Pretty significantly better this year than last year.

Last year on March 3rd we were 11th in the conference 30-27-4. 64 points

Today we are 33-22-6. 72 points - 6th in the conference.

That's pretty significant improvement to me.

And also, clearly, better hockey as a whole. The way the team plays overall is more likely conducive to success than how we were playing under Lindy, which was almost an all or nothing type of play.

No one could have truly expected the scoring well to dry up this significantly over the past 2 months after how the first half of the season went. There is still time for it to be corrected, and we are in control of our own destiny if we do. We're 8 points up from the first team out in the standings. Being without Jack, while not ideal, hopefully galvanizes this group to get it together.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Possibly not as bad as we thought means, we went from season is likely over to season is up in the air.

Tom still needs to buy at the deadline and get help.

Guys he should be trying to get, McLeod, McCann, Peterka, Novak. All are locked up or we would control their rights.

Also, lets look at what we could've had, but what we chose instead and eventually got rid of.
Apparently Rossi still might not be in Minnesota's long term plans, if that is the case Tom needs to be all over that and grab him.

View attachment 985925

If the Devils had Shero up until 2022, we probably have Stankoven Rossi and Cooley as Devils.

 

[MB3]

jesus christ people just use the ignore feature

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Pretty significantly better this year than last year.

Last year on March 3rd we were 11th in the conference 30-27-4. 64 points

Today we are 33-22-6. 72 points - 6th in the conference.

That's pretty significant improvement to me.

Considering where they were on Jan 1, no it's not. They've played 1 good month of great hockey and have been mediocre, at best, the rest of the way.

And also, clearly, better hockey as a whole. The way the team plays overall is more likely conducive to success than how we were playing under Lindy, which was almost an all or nothing type of play.

No one could have truly expected the scoring well to dry up this significantly over the past 2 months after how the first half of the season went. There is still time for it to be corrected, and we are in control of our own destiny if we do. We're 8 points up from the first team out in the standings. Being without Jack, while not ideal, hopefully galvanizes this group to get it together.

I don't agree with this, they were dogshit at finishing in early points in the year as well. The shutouts happened early on as well. Besides December, this is who they've been all year.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

If the Devils had Shero up until 2022, we probably have Stankoven Rossi and Cooley as Devils.

Fast , attacking , supportive

 

[TrufleShufle]

Or why there's constant arguing about dumb things here. Doubt anyone cares (or noticed) but I haven't been posting here for a while because there's just no point. I have much better things to do with my life.

Name 7 things, right now.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Considering where they were on Jan 1, no it's not. They've played 1 good month of great hockey and have been mediocre, at best, the rest of the way.



I don't agree with this, they were dogshit at finishing in early points in the year as well. The shutouts happened early on as well. Besides December, this is who they've been all year.

in October, the Devils had 50 goals on 44.6 xG

 

[Patrik26]

Please cite examples. Be specific.

I'll guess- he doesn't like doing interviews and he said "people pay to watch me play" to another player that one time.

am I close?

No single instance. Every interview I've seen with him he just speaks in a monotone and comes across as a 14 year old. I honestly don't think he's the brightest bulb and that leads to poor decisions on the ice like blind passes to nowhere and knowing when it's prudent to back off - you know, like last night down 2-0 late and putting himself in an unnecessary situation. And NO, I wouldn't question his lack of effort in that situation, so there's that.

 

[Edmonton East]

Pretty significantly better this year than last year.

Last year on March 3rd we were 11th in the conference 30-27-4. 64 points

Today we are 33-22-6. 72 points - 6th in the conference.

That's pretty significant improvement to me.

Again, this team is playing at a 75 point pace since Christmas. That is miraculously worse than the 81 point season last year. So yea, anyone with concerns and criticisms is right to have them.

Btw do you wanna debate the Mercer contract again?

 

[Better Call Sal]

I don't agree with this, they were dogshit at finishing in early points in the year as well. The shutouts happened early on as well. Besides December, this is who they've been all year.

In October, they scored 4, 3, 2, 5, 3, 2, 3, 5, 5, 3, 3, 6, 6. 3.84 GPG.

In November, they scored 0, 3, 5, 4, 0, 4, 6, 0, 4, 3, 5, 0, 5, 5. 3.14 GPG despite getting shutout 4 times.

In December, they scored 5, 3, 0, 1, 3, 4, 4, 2, 3, 5, 4, 2, 2. 2.92 GPG. This includes 2 losses from after Christmas when their game started to turn. They were at 3.09 GPG before then.

My take on this? They weren't dogshit at finishing earlier in the year. They got shutout at times, yes, but they were actually finishing quite well in October when the defense and goaltending weren't as stout. As it looked like they were figuring that side of the game out, they were still regularly potting goals at a solid clip.

I don't have time to assess the last 2 months, I just know it's much worse.

 

[Derps]

No single instance. Every interview I've seen with him he just speaks in a monotone and comes across as a 14 year old. I honestly don't think he's the brightest bulb and that leads to poor decisions on the ice like blind passes to nowhere and knowing when it's prudent to back off - you know, like last night down 2-0 late and putting himself in an unnecessary situation. And NO, I wouldn't question his lack of effort in that situation, so there's that.

I honestly think the better argument for what you are saying is that there are cases during the game when you can see how frustrated he is and that does translate into his hero-puck play.

But given the current state of the team, and given how bad things were last year, it can be hard to fully blame him for it. But it's certainly something I've noticed and I do think it can be impactful at times.

 

[JimEIV]

Again, this team is playing at a 75 point pace since Christmas. That is miraculously worse than the 81 point season last year. So yea, anyone with concerns and criticisms is right to have them.

Btw do you wanna debate the Mercer contract again?

But the season didn't start at Christmas... I'm not sure why we do this...look at segments to prove positive or negative.

 

[longislanddevil]

Hopefully we get a Jack update tomorrow. It’s such an uncomfortable feeling knowing the injury diagnosis will determine if we have ANY shot this season.

 

[Patrik26]

I honestly think the better argument for what you are saying is that there are cases during the game when you can see how frustrated he is and that does translate into his hero-puck play.

But given the current state of the team, and given how bad things were last year, it can be hard to fully blame him for it. But it's certainly something I've noticed and I do think it can be impactful at times.

I'm not blaming Jack for the teams awful play. He's just a part of it. Unfortunately he's seen as the de facto face of the team and I don't believe he's the complete package to be just that.

It certainly sucks seeing the team as bad as they've been since the beginning of the new year.

 

[britdevil]

respect "Gabe Trevino" please, thank you!!!

Uh yeah sure, whatever.

I have no idea why this guy would stick his head above the parapet like this? Like, if he's wrong and his "source" is bullshit, all credibility lost forever in my eyes.

 

[Marv4Life]

No single instance. Every interview I've seen with him he just speaks in a monotone and comes across as a 14 year old. I honestly don't think he's the brightest bulb and that leads to poor decisions on the ice like blind passes to nowhere and knowing when it's prudent to back off - you know, like last night down 2-0 late and putting himself in an unnecessary situation. And NO, I wouldn't question his lack of effort in that situation, so there's that.

If he didn't try to kick the puck away he prolly wouldn't have lost his balance and crashed into the boards.
I respect his hustle and his obvious talent+skill, but he makes poor decisions, even to those who aren't 100% hockey experts.

 

[Killing Joke]

Pretty significantly better this year than last year.

Last year on March 3rd we were 11th in the conference 30-27-4. 64 points

Today we are 33-22-6. 72 points - 6th in the conference.

That's pretty significant improvement to me.

That is not significant given the amount we spent on this team and the upgrades in net lol. Last years team was riddled by injuries and had league worst goaltending. 8 points above a team that had and injured is not better.

 

[My3Sons]

Name 7 things, right now.

bumblebees
car batteries
sleeping cats
inexpensive Cuban cigars
doilies
humidity
intestinal cramps

Dammit, that's only six. There are no inexpensive Cuban cigars.

 

[guitarguyvic]

The reality is that we are many years into this “rebuild”…yet here we are bemoaning a season going down the tubes because one core player gets injured. We should be much further along than this already.

Ugly and depressing stuff.

 

[Bleedred]

Funny that the team had/has the best save percentage in the NHL since Markstrom went down, yet they're still at or just below NHL 500 during that time.

Because I've thought to myself a lot of times recently that I felt like I was watching reruns from the 13-14 season where the team just couldn't score enough, especially when the better goalie was playing.

 

[Triumph]

You have to go back 20 years to a different era of lower scoring to come up with this, wow ok. Hockey is streaky, you guys keep repeating this generalized drivel as if we don’t all know that.

I went back 20 years because I wanted to head off any silly niggling criticisms like -

A: the team wasn't very good, so that's a bad example

B: the player wasn't very good, so that's a bad example

I found two teams that won a Stanley Cup where their best forward put up horrendous numbers for the better part of two months. Both times. Far worse numbers, even adjusting for era. Did Elias also have 10 games where he scored 11 goals, in 1999-2000? Yes.

Yeah no shit the problem is that others aren’t scoring - the whole point is that we have multiple core guys, multiple players who are supposed to be our best, going 20 f***ing games contributing goals at the same rate as fourth liners.

We have guys not scoring much. They're not scoring like fourth liners.

I don’t have enough time to respond to every friggin post you guys make trying to convince people that what they observe for themselves is not real, particularly when a good counter requires paragraphs of parsing out all the points.

You literally never respond when I do any sort of research, it's uncanny. Assertion made, I counter it or at least provide evidence not in favor of what you're saying, blink and move on.

We need a new term for arrogant gaslighting.

The team's played poorly. They are just not generating enough offense 5v5, it's been an issue for 2 months. I think nonetheless that the team can weather this, especially if they get reinforcements.