New Jersey
(pacmanghost x) CHIEF KEEFE
Truth.
All three Cup teams were a group of hard-working individuals who played greater than the sum of their parts. This is an organization that prides itself on that. We can, and will survive.
Will the Devils adopt a new System now?
- Thread starter Devilshark
- Start date
Truth.
All three Cup teams were a group of hard-working individuals who played greater than the sum of their parts. This is an organization that prides itself on that. We can, and will survive.
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
Will we adopt a new system? No.
Will we tweak it for different players, different opponents, different situations and variables? Absolutely. That's what good coaches do, and I think PDB is a good coach.
Will we tweak it for different players, different opponents, different situations and variables? Absolutely. That's what good coaches do, and I think PDB is a good coach.
Unknown Caller
Registered User
- Apr 30, 2009
- 10,332
- 7,975
Our three Cup teams had potentially the best defense I've ever watched (since the early 90's). Don't kid yourself and think they were a bunch of decent players who just played well together. You had 3 or more hall of famers on those teams.
Brodeur, Neidermayer, Stevens, Daneyko, Rafalski, etc. Not to mention some very talented offensive players in their prime. They were stacked.
New Jersey
(pacmanghost x) CHIEF KEEFE
I should have been more specific.
Was our defense absolutely incredible? Yes. I'm not discounting the Stevens, Niedermayers, Danyekos, Rafalskis, etc.
Marty? Duh.
Our forward corps and the teams as a whole? Greater than the sum of their parts, IMO, and I'm okay with that.
It's early and I'm running on coffee. Not discounting anything.
Devilshark
Registered Abuser
Thank you. All those Cup teams were loaded with talent and grit.
This current roster is going to get its lunch money stolen when the games start getting physical. We dont have the personnel to do all the dirty work in the trenches.
Something is going to have to change because running a system that requires a lot of digging in the corners and behind the net is not going to work with the guys we have. Parise and Clarkson were the reason it worked so well with the top lines. Like I said, teams like the Bruins are going to eat us for breakfast because we're outmatched in size, strength and skating ability and trying to play a style that requires either those traits or a really gritty player.
5Minute Major
HENRIQUE! ITS OVER!
As a huge Denver Broncos fan I would say no. Kovy leaving is much much worse.
Robert Theodorson
Registered User
The overall gameplan will still be defense however there is no way the PK is as aggressive as it was the past two years.
Kovy was the league's biggest threat to score a shorty.
Kovy was the league's biggest threat to score a shorty.
Emperoreddy
Show Me What You Got!
It will go down, but others were plenty aggressive. Henrique, Patty on occasions. Seen Zajac break out too. Hell we had JJ and Greene do it. Hell more even Gio is aggressive.
Not seeing that changing as much either.
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
hopefully having Ryder helps to offset the loss of Kovalchuk.
put Clowe in front where Clarkson used to be
Heavy forechecks are easy. I know, we didn't do it very last year, but they're a lot easier to run than a purely defensive trap which requires timing, precision, coordination, and patience. And they're a lot easier to run than a purely offensive system a la Washington of a few years ago, which requires high-octane skill and speed (Ovechkin, essentially). A heavy forecheck is all about skating really hard, hitting someone, causing the other team to panic/get confused/etc. It's easy: go hit someone. As long as the other guys follow the system, it's very likely that the puck will come to a predictable place eventually, so we'll have a plan for that.
And it's not like you can 'game plan' much against a heavy forecheck. "OK guys. Go get the puck quickly, try to pass it before you get smashed into the 3rd row. The guy that gets it, watch out - you're about to get steamrolled." - Ok fine, you know what's going to happen. But that doesn't mean it's easy to operate against.
A heavy forecheck is, at least to me, the best system for this team. You don't need high skill. You don't need defensive poise. All you need to do is be able to skate hard, hit, and know the routes based on what the other team does. The forecheck and the turnovers it creates will provide enough offense that, as long as a few guys have some skill, we won't need to depend on one line or one player to carry the load. Our 4th line was magical during the cup run because they scared the crap out of the opposing D and pounced on turnovers. Not because of skill.
And it's not like you can 'game plan' much against a heavy forecheck. "OK guys. Go get the puck quickly, try to pass it before you get smashed into the 3rd row. The guy that gets it, watch out - you're about to get steamrolled." - Ok fine, you know what's going to happen. But that doesn't mean it's easy to operate against.
A heavy forecheck is, at least to me, the best system for this team. You don't need high skill. You don't need defensive poise. All you need to do is be able to skate hard, hit, and know the routes based on what the other team does. The forecheck and the turnovers it creates will provide enough offense that, as long as a few guys have some skill, we won't need to depend on one line or one player to carry the load. Our 4th line was magical during the cup run because they scared the crap out of the opposing D and pounced on turnovers. Not because of skill.
I haven't seen Ryder play much but I am going to guess he can't play 100% of the power play time on the left point.
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
well no but Kovalchuk shouldn't have been playing the point on the PP anyways
Ryder is a shooter so they should set him up in one of the circles
How exactly do you want our PP set up?
^ That sounded angry, but it is merely an inquisitive question. Lots of PP set-ups/goals/styles/preferences
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
as of right now this is what I would do
PP1
Clowe- front of net
Ryder- circles
Elias- half boards
some combination of Zids, Larsson and Greene at the back
PP2
Zubrus- front of net
Henrique and Zajac
some combo of the 3 D listed above
I would actually have Elias in a corner w/ Henrique on the half wall, but that's mostly because of my own preference on how a PP should operate.
Edit: Nevermind. 2D, but Clowe wouldn't be on it.
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
Clowe is perfect for the garbage goals at the front of the net. hes better at it than clarkson was.
I understand that, but just based on the way I prefer PPs to operate, it isn't as much based on garbage goals as it is providing passing options and isolating players to create 2-on-1s. It may be a bit hard to describe without a drawing, but basically the way I prefer (not right or wrong, just different) a PP might not be a very popular idea with most people. To get Clowe near the net and run the system effectively, Ryder would have to play D for part of it and then move into a different spot, or Clowe would have to play the half wall (or Henrique).
glenwo2
JESPER BRATWURST
Uh....The Bruins ate us for breakfast even when we HAD Kovy and Zach. Did you forget already?
Emperoreddy
Show Me What You Got!
Yes, been said more then once Kovy wasn't some linchpin to the forecheck or even very good at it especially last year.
manilaNJ
Optimism: Unwavering
The team maintained solid possession numbers despite having a shallower forward core and not having Kovy in the lineup. I don't see why not.
Pete's system isn't built off of guys like Kovalchuk. It's built off of guys like Zubrus and Zajac.
