GDT: Senators @ Devils 7:00 PM MSGSN, MSGSN2, ESPN+

[FinnishDevil]

And no one belongs in this team’s bottom six. lol

Eh, it probably feels like that now but I think theres still some quality there. Noesen is a fine 3rd liner. Same goes for 4th line Cotter.

The problem is that there is absolutely no variety. Everyone is slow, with no scoring touch or ability to drive play. Its okay to have "palat" or "haula" in your bottom six but you cant have six of them.

Mercer is a complimentary player too. Either he plays next to Jack/Nico and you get 50 points out of him and or you probably get nothing.

One of the biggest needs for this team is to get a 3C. Someone to boost noesens and mercers of the world or whoever is playing bottom 6. I dont care if Glass plays well down the stretch, get a proper 3C in the off season. Someone who can skate, who can shoot and who can make plays. Who can jump up if one of 86 or 13 goes down. Its the #1 need over anything else imo.

 

[devilsblood]

Kovacevic was kind of a weird player to single out like that, but he possibly could have done to that to some other guy if they were interviewed after the game and that reporter said their name and that he had to say the same things. It's always possible Keefe could have said the same about that player instead.

Well I didn't see the whole interview but it did look like the reporter brought up Kova and Keefe responded. Could have been anyone.

 

[devilsblood]

Constructively?

Keefe's answer is the one of a 5 year old who couldn't handle his emotions.

Some of the best coaches in the history of sport have used the media in similar fashion.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I think calling a player out has a time and place...that was not it.

It was an innocuous comment by Kovacevic.

Our D Corp has been decimated, we've had a few frustrating losses recently and the coach attacking a remaining pilar on Defense in public was simply the wrong decision in my opinion.

Keefe's job is to hold this together in the face of adversity... I think his comments came off as a weak leader with no answers and little character.

It came across needlessly aggressive for sure. Like a married couple driving,
"oooo maybe we should have taken that left back there"

"Yea? maybe you should man up and clean the damn gutters finally"

 

[Bleedred]

Well I didn't see the whole interview but it did look like the reporter brought up Kova and Keefe responded. Could have been anyone.

That’s what happened. Whoever the reporter was talked to Kovacevic after the game, then the same reporter quoted what he said to Keefe and that’s when Keefe made that comment, which ended the press conference.

So it’s possible he could have said that about any numbers of players had the bait been set by those players talking to the media and their name and quotes then being brought up to Keefe.

I did think it was kind of weird, as I didn’t think he was particularly bad that game. But I also don’t hate that he called him or a player out like that. Then again, maybe I do.

It’s hard to say. I don’t have a strong enough opinion on it.

 

[Bleedred]

There was a big news several weeks back about Todd McLellan calling out Dylan Larkin after a game.

 

[Bleedred]

My season ticket holder friend has stopped going to games for the remainder of the season. He may or may not go to the playoff games. He may not even secure tickets.

But it’s not like he’s local. He spends most of the year in Florida, a few hours away on the east coast. He still has his house in Jersey. He’s also the friend I had talked about who is in his 50s and just became a first time dad. That’s definitely put him on the shelf for the remainder of this season.

He says he’s had to sell his tickets for like $35-$55 the last few games, which are club seats. I think he’s getting more, but with the stubhub, seat geek or whatever fees that’s all he’s coming away with. He gave his ticket to the Calgary game to our other friend for nothing. Granted, teams like Columbus and some of these Western teams are probably no draw. And he used all of his buybacks back in December when he knew he couldn’t make any games for the month.

I don’t think many people are getting rich by reselling their Devils tickets. They’re taking huge losses if anything lol.

 

[njdevils1982]

Are you suggesting we call up Mike Hardman?

ask keefe, it's been clearly eatablished i want oliwa instead

 

[NJDevs26]

Complete trash from Keefe.

Kovy was our second best defenseman yesterday. You just re-signed him. And you end up throwing him under the bus because you couldn't face the heat.

What heat lol, he was only asked a question about whether the team needs more of a playoff mentality. If that qualifies as turning up the heat our media (and some fans’ sensibilities) is even more pathetic than usual.

 

[Eggtimer]

You would think that coaching in Toronto would help thicken your skin and teach you how to handle the press , in regards to questions asked by the media .
It’s a circus in Toronto and probably 100x worse than what the media is like here in comparison . So you’d think Keefe would be able to handle questions without getting upset .

 

[Devs3cups]

What heat lol, he was only asked a question about whether the team needs more of a playoff mentality. If that qualifies as turning up the heat our media (and some fans’ sensibilities) is even more pathetic than usual.

Keefe has dealt with the Toronto media for years, I have to think he feels absolutely 0 heat from the 4-ish reporters we have.

 

[Devs3cups]

You would think that coaching in Toronto would help thicken your skin and teach you how to handle the press , in regards to questions asked by the media .
It’s a circus in Toronto and probably 100x worse than what the media is like here in comparison . So you’d think Keefe would be able to handle questions without getting upset .

Hadn’t read your post before posting mine, but yeah basically this!

 

[Marv4Life]

Kovy was the 2nd best player on the ice last night. I can understand if this was the Calgary game but it wasn't.

And if you're gonna go after him for the delay of game, okay fine, go after others.

 

[JK3]

I would have respected Keefe a lot more if he said "Kovacevic just needs to play better, that would help. Look at Mrs. Fields, she got the job done".

 

[Bleedred]

Kovy was the 2nd best player on the ice last night. I can understand if this was the Calgary game but it wasn't.
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And if you're gonna go after him for the delay of game, okay fine, go after others.

Really shocked to see one his favorite players in Lazar right at home at the bottom.

Oh wait, no I’m not! That’s about where he resides nightly.

 

[Dylan9z9]

Markstrom's inability to shut down a game late has cost them multiple times this year, it cost them games early on too. The one in Detroit where Kane scored 5 hole that my deceased grandma would stop comes to mind as well

I’m disappointed Keefe thought publicly calling out Kovacevic was appropriate. If Keeef thinks Kovacevic has struggled then man up and tell him face to face. Just my thoughts.

I'm sure he has gone talked about this kind of play over and over without any change, frustration sometimes gets the best of us OR maybe it was a last resort to light the fire that seems to have left the room .... who knows

 

[Dylan9z9]

It's done multiple times, every single season. Kind of a nothing burger really.

I also hope he doesn't address it AT ALL. Don't shy away from it.

Again, let's see how the team responds.

You won't catch Torts pulling that shit!

 

[BahlDeep]

What heat lol, he was only asked a question about whether the team needs more of a playoff mentality. If that qualifies as turning up the heat our media (and some fans’ sensibilities) is even more pathetic than usual.

He got extremely defensive about it for some reason and decided to throw his player under the bus.

He defn felt some heat.

Again, unwarranted stuff.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Complete trash from Keefe.

Kovy was our second best defenseman yesterday. You just re-signed him. And you end up throwing him under the bus because you couldn't face the heat.

Kovo was not great in some key moments for the team recently, I don't care what the bars show from last night, he's been apart of some bad plays on bad moments over a stretch of games. Not all his fault, but he has been right in the middle of bad plays

Outside of the goalie...

He was a big reason the Calgary got the GWG with his misdirected poke that kicked the puck right back to Huberdeau for the late lead goal. There were some failed breakout attempts by him in that game.

He was the guy who iced it in the Dallas game when he clearly had an easy chance to cross centerline, that lead to the super late faceoff loss (Haula) with seconds left.

There were some botched clearing attempts that almost lead to goals in those games that didn't lead to a goal but could have. He also misses the net on every close attempt he does get (had one or two over the last 3-4 games in the circle low area/slot really good spot and he misses wide.

No need to blast it publicly, but Kovo hasnt been awesome for this last half of season and I understand why Keefe is upset. Kovos name comes up in TV watching more than it needs to.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Why do they keep trying. It's the same insane plan over and over again. Nolan foote has been given time since the COVID years, when we had what was his name, studenic. I remember both of them getting goals on the same stints the year we were trash at the end.

It feels like almost 10 years looking at foote, I know that is hyperbole, but it is about 5, but Jesus can we close that book already?

There's a bunch of other minor league guys that can play probably.

Former first round pick and if I'm not mistaken the last player left from the Hall, Coleman, Zacha rash of trades. Forget who they sent to the Sharks for Merkley.

Didn't get to see the game but was Foote that overmatched?

 

[glenwo2]

I don't know if it's something "wrong" per se, but maybe as an example, Nico scores a pretty big goal last night which gets us back in the game, and we get a zero emotion cellie. Bratt is always a zero emotion guy. Even Jack's cellies have been toned down.

We might be too business like as a group. Which for a fairly young team which has won nothing, might not be the best mental approach.

Showing emotion is good for the fans watching but "emotion" won't put the puck in the net more.

 

[glenwo2]

That’s what happened. Whoever the reporter was talked to Kovacevic after the game, then the same reporter quoted what he said to Keefe and that’s when Keefe made that comment, which ended the press conference.

So it’s possible he could have said that about any numbers of players had the bait been set by those players talking to the media and their name and quotes then being brought up to Keefe.

I did think it was kind of weird, as I didn’t think he was particularly bad that game. But I also don’t hate that he called him or a player out like that. Then again, maybe I do.

It’s hard to say. I don’t have a strong enough opinion on it.

He would've said it about Nico, Bratt, or whomever...if their name was mentioned too.

He was just pissed royally and didn't give a shit.


BTW, I don't view this as him acting like a 5-year-old like @BahlDeep stated.

I view it as him doing what other coaches have done.

Kovy doesn't need "protection" from the big-bad-Keefe-monster by us.

What he needs is, like the rest of the team, to play better than he has been.

 

[glenwo2]

Kovy was the 2nd best player on the ice last night. I can understand if this was the Calgary game but it wasn't.

And if you're gonna go after him for the delay of game, okay fine, go after others.

Look at all the purple on the left for many players.

Keefe was on the warpath in that presser.

If the reporter mentioned Bratt as the one who said Kovy's comments, he ALSO would've responded the same.

It just so happened that it was Kovy's name that was brought up.

 

[JimEIV]

.

Look at all the purple on the left for many players.

Keefe was on the warpath in that presser.

If the reporter mentioned Bratt as the one who said Kovy's comments, he ALSO would've responded the same.

It just so happened that it was Kovy's name that was brought up.

This maybe 100% true. It doesn't make the way said it and then stormed off the stage like a little child being sent to their room without a cookie any better.

He lost his professionalism and decorum. It looked weak, unhinged and cowardly.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Kovacevic, in the second half, is probably the poster boy of the Devils struggles ironically enough. When he was playing like a monster, the Devils were doing great and when his struggles began like the rest of the team, we hit a road block. I get the logic of challenging Kovacevic but agreed with others that it's a bit heavy headed and ironic to go after one of your better players this whole season