You don't need a captain to "get down and dirty". Loads of teams that are successful don't. You need a captain who sets an example on the ice and in the room which Nico does. Nobody ever questions his effort or his desire to win. Look at captains like Bergeron, McDavid, Stamkos, Barkov, etc. They're not the Trouba, Benn, etc type of captains.
I'm sure Bergeron, Crosby, etc can make their point heard without throwing a skate. Those teams don't usually have long losing streaks, bad starts or wild inconsistencies the way we do.
Good call I had forgot that. When did the pandemic hit - his year two maybe? Or was it three? The first serious injury was the 2d or 3d game of the season shoulder against Seattle right? Two seasons back. Then last year okay but with something. And now this. I just hope he gets back to baseline 100 percent and can avoid serious issues going forward. What’s ailing him now has really been serious. I’m still not sure it wasn’t a wrist or arm or hand, despite what they say. Because he seems to have no strength at all with his stick.
10-11 and 12-13 were both worse, IMO. Both those teams were assumed to be playoff locks just like almost every Devils team before them for nearly 20 years.
Nico isn't the one to put that on if that's what you're trying to do. He's seems to be pretty much the only guy who hates to lose on this team.
In the bottom 6 at forward we lack talent; at 3 of the six D we lack talent too and the other 2 or 3 are raw; in goal we lack talent as well. We are right now where our roster about puts us. And yes we’ve not played a very organized or efficient team game either but let’s not flatter ourselves as to the strength of the roster. We have 3 or 4 top end guys (3 of whom are very light and one of whom is seriously hurt) and after that the talent level falls away very steeply.
10-11 had one of the most exciting 2nd half runs i can remember.
This is the worst part. Nobody is running away and all they had to is play like .600 hockey. They can't put together anything more than a win every three games and it's sickening.
I'm saying it doesn't seem like he's done much to hold anyone else accountable. He's the ultimate self-starter and beyond reproach for his own play but our supposed leadership - Nico, Mr. Stanley Cup (Palat) - also hasn't done a damn thing to curtail everyone else's nonsense unfortunately. We can't just pretend like it's ALL the coaches' faults, players have to have some agency for themselves too.
The pandemic hit in March of his rookie season (2019-20). He played every game that season. The next year he missed 1 game (I believe due to Covid before the team got shut down).
What is it - with the season on the line we are 1 and 3 in our last four games maybe? Maybe it’s even worse than that over the last 8 or so ?
No way. 10-11 they put in a gutsy second half where they went from dead last in the conference to nearly being in the playoffs. The team itself was extremely likeable, that season's failure was completely on the coach who may be was the worst in the history of the league.
Considering all the "talent" we have, this team has unequivocally been the most disappointing in the last 20 years for my money.
Not to mention that was 28 years ago.
The only more unlikable Devil team would be the 2019-20 team. 2021-22 also more unlikeable as that season basically ended in December.
