Fire Lindy and Green, Now

[Devs3cups]

Still have a lot of confidence in Fitz and I love the core. Future is bright.

But man, is it bleak right now.

f***

 

[Bleedred]

Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble, but the Devils don’t practice today and they have back to backs this weekend. There’s no shot Fitz fires him right now.

Are we sure the team doesn’t practice today? They almost always practice the day before a matinee game.

 

[Bleedred]

I’m not sure the context in which Novo wasn’t passed the microphone in time to ask Lindy what he wanted to ask him last night, but between Lindy’s claim that the media is creating excess pressure for the players (lol) and the fact that the only guy that ever calls him out didn’t get a chance to ask him anything, it feels like him not getting the mic may have been on purpose?

Only the people in the press room would know how this went though.

 

[My3Sons]

I’m not sure the context in which Novo wasn’t passed the microphone in time to ask Lindy what he wanted to ask him last night, but between Lindy’s claim that the media is creating excess pressure for the players (lol) and the fact that the only guy that ever calls him out didn’t get a chance to ask him anything, it feels like him not getting the mic may have been on purpose?

Only the people in the press room would know how this went though.

Apparently, the NJ handlers thought Novo was you and that you were going to unleash an unhinged tirade about the goalies ending with "and you better agree you no count, shit bag!!"

 

[billingtons ghost]

I've never been a Fire-the-coach guy, but it's clear when the room is lost.

I wasn't surprised at any of Lou's quick triggers. He knew when it was time.

I think Fitz has a real decision:
Sit on his hands and we might miss the window
Knee jerk fire Lindy and we may destabilize everything.

I think either way, there need to be player personnel changes as well. I don't think I can stomach going into every game against teams with 'real' hockey players wondering if our JV team is going to get killed. Find the next frigging Tom Wilson and give Adam Fox, Arteri Panarin, and any other player on the Rangers something to think about.

The Rangers had a plan coming in, and they executed. If we actually had the talented team we think we have, that first five minute major should have led to four goals.

Our talent isn't playing the game right, and we have no poise. It is not a pretty picture.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Lots of coaches get fired in season not because the GM gave up on the season but to save it. Hiller in LA for example, who's getting some rave reviews at the moment. Berube in St. Louis was an interim hire.

The season can still be saved, firing Lindy is the best way to do it, even if it means an interim Travis Green it sends a significant message and maybe Green has some legit insights into how to make this roster work. This just isn't working, it's been clear for months really.

If we lose to TBL in regulation on Sunday, we'll need to play at a .662 percent pace to overtake TBL. That's 16-6-2 the rest of the way. Only 6 teams in the league have played at that pace this season.

Even without Lindy there's no way our goaltending will hold up that well down the stretch without making a major (expensive) move.

We don't control our own destiny, and we have multiple games left against NYI and PIT who are chasing us and could easily pass us. Beating TBL in regulation keeps us alive mathematically for a little longer, but it's basically over at this point.

We can't save the season, it's too late for that. And honestly I'm okay with losing a season, we still have our window. But we should still fire Ruff for other reasons, mostly his handling of the young players which is the thing that WILL jeopardize our window..

 

[Nocashstyle]

Are we sure the team doesn’t practice today? They almost always practice the day before a matinee game.

 

[Devs3cups]

I've never been a Fire-the-coach guy, but it's clear when the room is lost.

I wasn't surprised at any of Lou's quick triggers. He knew when it was time.

I think Fitz has a real decision:
Sit on his hands and we might miss the window
Knee jerk fire Lindy and we may destabilize everything.

I think either way, there need to be player personnel changes as well. I don't think I can stomach going into every game against teams with 'real' hockey players wondering if our JV team is going to get killed. Find the next frigging Tom Wilson and give Adam Fox, Arteri Panarin, and any other player on the Rangers something to think about.

The Rangers had a plan coming in, and they executed. If we actually had the talented team we think we have, that first five minute major should have led to four goals.

Our talent isn't playing the game right, and we have no poise. It is not a pretty picture.

There needs to be structure, discipline and accountability.

 

[billingtons ghost]

There needs to be structure, discipline and accountability.

Amen

All should have been instilled in training camp.

Most troubling thing to me is how bad the vet forwards are. I've been waiting for Toffoli, Palat, Haula to step up with the intangibles but there's just no sign of them

 

[Clam Jensen]

There needs to be structure, discipline and accountability.

Much fast. Very attacking. So supportive.

 

[Bleedred]

Ah, definitely a departure from the norm, as we usually do have a practice the day before a matinee game.

Maybe they had to change it up a little since Monday will almost definitely be a travel day to California after the back to back, even if the team doesn’t practice that day.

 

[Call Me Al]

Still have a lot of confidence in Fitz and I love the core. Future is bright.

But man, is it bleak right now.

f***

i love our core but my confidence in fitz is shaken. he’s pissed away this season when there were ample opportunities to salvage it. for what?

i think there was an arrogant mood around the team after last year and the first two months of the season should have humbled them and let them reassess. they haven’t figured it out. no changes were made.

this isn’t about rookie d men. it’s about not giving holtz a bigger role when he earned it, not putting meier on his strong wing when he’s struggling, not switching up the power play when it’s costing them games, not being able to find lines that work consistently.

this team has been a mess this whole season and it was obvious to a lot of people. everyone just counted on them figuring it out but they still come out flat, give up leads, get pushed around and crumple when they face adversity. this season sucks

 

[Ripshot 43]

Confirmed with link confirmed with link

 

[Nico Hischier]

would be disappointed if ruff is not fired today. It’s time right now after losing 5-1 at home to the rangers.

 

[NJDevs26]

would be disappointed if ruff is not fired today. It’s time right now after losing 5-1 at home to the rangers.

The team rebounded from two such losses last April, that won’t be enough to get Fitz out of the bunker

 

[Nico Hischier]

The team rebounded from two such losses last April, that won’t be enough to get Fitz out of the bunker

I am saying this should be the final straw. Ruff should have been canned earlier.

 

[FinnishDevil]

Ruff needs to go, but I dont want to tie our hands to any coach before seeing who is available in the off season. Give someone not named Green the interim tag for the rest of the season and then evaluate during the summer who is out there rather than taking whoever right now cause were frustrated with Ruff.

Berube seems like a good option right now, but if summer comes around and Sullivan is out there or even Cooper (very unlikely but every coach gets fired at some point) then you want to try to get one of those over him.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

From the Vault of Memes.

 

[CalamityX23]

Not that Ruff had any straws left to be honest but last night, clearly the Rangers had a gameplan to bully and go above the hitting code in that game.

Where was Ruff's emotional outcry? his wtf are you doing to my players lashing at the refs or NYR staff/players?

Idk I can recall him being someone to stick up for our guys, who clearly on their own don't have backbone or resiliency as they absorb their coach's qualities, or when has he gone off at the opposition or refs(for bad missed calls)? He showed more energy belittling Novo than I've seen on the ice.

No, no... that was the last straw, nail in the coffin. Bastian, our most gritty guy left, was beheaded and you showed no outcry.... that same failure to respond, send a message that no one f***ing does that to our guys was replicated by the poorous 5 min PP.....

Brunette must've been doing something right last year(also group of players) cuz we had fight and some dog last year, this year, we're clearly a bunch deadbeats.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I half-wonder if the issue is with ownership. If Fitz fires Lindy then I'm not sure he'll be able to find a coach that will agree to the bizarre power structure that Harris insists on. They took a LONG time to remove the interim tag off Fitz and a lot of insiders at the time said that our ownership situation was not normal. They're hands-on in all the annoying and unimportant ways and hands-off in the ways that actually matter. They want daily reports, minority owners all have a say in operations.

Ruff was not on anyone's radar when we hired him. I'm starting to think that's not because we thought he was the best candidate, but because he was the only candidate willing to actually work here. If you're a good coach, why would you sign up to deal with all of this meddling and bullshit? Lindy's HC career was done, he was demoted to an assistant in NYR. Of course he'll take any job he can get, he's just happy to be here. Same thing with Hynes - he was a college coach when we hired him, he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to get an NHL job.

Harris has already shown his ass with the Commanders hiring process despite only having the team for a few months. High profile NFL assistant Ben Johnson publicly turned down the Commanders position, forcing them to hire a retread in Dan Quinn. The team leaked info about Johnson "not interviewing well" but it turns out he was the one that rejected them - he thought Harris and his minority partners came off as overconfident clowns.



All of the other coaches we talked to back in 2020 were guys that got coaching positions somewhere else. Would Ruff have gotten another HC position had we not hired him? I don't think so.

If Fitz isn't confident that he can find another coach willing to deal with all this bullshit, it makes sense why he'd be so hesitant to fire Ruff. That would mean he's forced to hire an internal replacement - Green (eww), Dineen, Brylin, McGill, or possibly put Dennehy back behind the bench. Either that or hire a first-time HC from college, juniors, or Europe, and IMO that's the last thing this team needs.

 

[My3Sons]

Not that Ruff had any straws left to be honest but last night, clearly the Rangers had a gameplan to bully and go above the hitting code in that game.

Where was Ruff's emotional outcry? his wtf are you doing to my players lashing at the refs or NYR staff/players?

Idk I can recall him being someone to stick up for our guys, who clearly on their own don't have backbone or resiliency as they absorb their coach's qualities, or when has he gone off at the opposition or refs(for bad missed calls)? He showed more energy belittling Novo than I've seen on the ice.

No, no... that was the last straw, nail in the coffin. Bastian, our most gritty guy left, was beheaded and you showed no outcry.... that same failure to respond, send a message that no one f***ing does that to our guys was replicated by the poorous 5 min PP.....

Brunette must've been doing something right last year(also group of players) cuz we had fight and some dog last year, this year, we're clearly a bunch deadbeats.

NJ needs a few sociopaths on the roster. They will be hamstrung until they adopt the same nonsense that other teams do and even more. Why wasn't Trouba hit the same way he hit Bastian or worse? Fighting isn't the answer. Those don't get the desired results. If Trouba is in the locker room having a stick removed from his sinsuses he can't be on the ice and when he returns he will be slowed down. It's not ideal, but we see it over and over and the league wants the game played that way. NJ is ahead of the curve but it will be years before an actually skill based game plan can succeed without some level of outside the rules violence to slow the other team down.

 

[NJDevs26]

I half-wonder if the issue is with ownership. If Fitz fires Lindy then I'm not sure he'll be able to find a coach that will agree to the bizarre power structure that Harris insists on. They took a LONG time to remove the interim tag off Fitz and a lot of insiders at the time said that our ownership situation was not normal. They're hands-on in all the annoying and unimportant ways and hands-off in the ways that actually matter. They want daily reports, minority owners all have a say in operations.

Ruff was not on anyone's radar when we hired him. I'm starting to think that's not because we thought he was the best candidate, but because he was the only candidate willing to actually work here. If you're a good coach, why would you sign up to deal with all of this meddling and bullshit? Lindy's HC career was done, he was demoted to an assistant in NYR. Of course he'll take any job he can get, he's just happy to be here. Same thing with Hynes - he was a college coach when we hired him, he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to get an NHL job.

Harris has already shown his ass with the Commanders hiring process despite only having the team for a few months. High profile NFL assistant Ben Johnson publicly turned down the Commanders position, forcing them to hire a retread in Dan Quinn. The team leaked info about Johnson "not interviewing well" but it turns out he was the one that rejected them - he thought Harris and his minority partners came off as overconfident clowns.



All of the other coaches we talked to back in 2020 were guys that got coaching positions somewhere else. Would Ruff have gotten another HC position had we not hired him? I don't think so.

If Fitz isn't confident that he can find another coach willing to deal with all this bullshit, it makes sense why he'd be so hesitant to fire Ruff. That would mean he's forced to hire an internal replacement - Green (eww), Dineen, Brylin, McGill, or possibly put Dennehy back behind the bench. Either that or hire a first-time HC from college, juniors, or Europe, and IMO that's the last thing this team needs.

For real you just described my current owner at work to a tee with the bolded lol, but that’s a separate story I’m not getting into here other than to say we waste time on picayune shit and have no organization, which is likely a Devils issue too

 

[NjDevsRR]

For real you just described my current owner at work to a tee with the bolded lol, but that’s a separate story I’m not getting into here other than to say we waste time on picayune shit and have no organization, which is likely a Devils issue too

Spill that tea

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Lindy isn’t likely getting fired yet given how close we still are to playoffs. If we lose both games it’s a possibility.

Given that I’m torn between wanting them to win both games this weekend or lose.
They win them both and they’re right close in the playoff race (1 or 3 points back with 2 games in hand).
They lose them both and maybe Lindy’s fired and we bring someone new in that can have a positive impact and maybe just maybe make a late push or at least set us up better for next season. Problem is even if this weekend doesn’t go great they may not rush to fire Lindy.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I half-wonder if the issue is with ownership. If Fitz fires Lindy then I'm not sure he'll be able to find a coach that will agree to the bizarre power structure that Harris insists on. They took a LONG time to remove the interim tag off Fitz and a lot of insiders at the time said that our ownership situation was not normal. They're hands-on in all the annoying and unimportant ways and hands-off in the ways that actually matter. They want daily reports, minority owners all have a say in operations.

Ruff was not on anyone's radar when we hired him. I'm starting to think that's not because we thought he was the best candidate, but because he was the only candidate willing to actually work here. If you're a good coach, why would you sign up to deal with all of this meddling and bullshit? Lindy's HC career was done, he was demoted to an assistant in NYR. Of course he'll take any job he can get, he's just happy to be here. Same thing with Hynes - he was a college coach when we hired him, he wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to get an NHL job.

Harris has already shown his ass with the Commanders hiring process despite only having the team for a few months. High profile NFL assistant Ben Johnson publicly turned down the Commanders position, forcing them to hire a retread in Dan Quinn. The team leaked info about Johnson "not interviewing well" but it turns out he was the one that rejected them - he thought Harris and his minority partners came off as overconfident clowns.



All of the other coaches we talked to back in 2020 were guys that got coaching positions somewhere else. Would Ruff have gotten another HC position had we not hired him? I don't think so.

If Fitz isn't confident that he can find another coach willing to deal with all this bullshit, it makes sense why he'd be so hesitant to fire Ruff. That would mean he's forced to hire an internal replacement - Green (eww), Dineen, Brylin, McGill, or possibly put Dennehy back behind the bench. Either that or hire a first-time HC from college, juniors, or Europe, and IMO that's the last thing this team needs.

I mean a lot of this is conjecture. But it’s hard to ignore a lot of red flags with leadership since these guys bought the team. I had a sense of major mismanagement during the Shero era. My hope was that the source was mostly Ray himself, but we are now on GM #2 and once again red flags abound.

We don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes but I do know that what we can see and feel on the back end isn’t positive.