GDT: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Calgary Flames, 7 PM, MSGSN

[Killing Joke]

oh okay. that's true, something with a 40% chance to happen can't happen. Forgot about that.

Addressing goaltending in season is very challenging. Don't envy Fitzgerald having to do something about it, but he does.

f*** Fitz. He caused this entire issue.

 

[NjDevsRR]

LMAO they aint pulling shit together with a head case in net and a clueless coach that has f***ing dementia and a GM taking too long to deal with the teams issues he's caused in the first place.

They actually can with a healthy forward group. A top 5 offense allows them to be in most games that would be normally to abysmal goaltending. They have a good points % with Jack and Nico healthy.

But yeah, thats the final do or die stretch of the season

 

[Maine Fan]

We all love Fitz

Our goaltending problem for the past two seasons is on Fitz.

He hired Vanacek
He hired Schmit
He hired Dawes

I will not defend him at this time but he deserves to not take the heat. The NJ Devils have had shitty goaltending since the end of Marty Brodeur and a year and a half of Cory Schnieder, Shero was the GM then not Fitz. Fitz inherited the goalie mess and it's not easy to fix.

 

[Bcap88]

11 quality starts all year for vitek

 

[Mgd31]

My last hope is this stretch. I knew these first 3 games after ASG would be tough, but this is the stretch I have had my eye on. It’s where they can finally put a streak together for the first time this season.

View attachment 816831

Maybe but it’s a lot of games in a short period of time. They really needed to win tonight with Carolina looming. Don’t have margin of error to waste these types of games

 

[glenwo2]

More importantly, I wonder how Ruff feels.

Maybe Erika can ask him since she's the "How do YOU feel" expert.

 

[Killing Joke]

They actually can with a healthy forward group. A top 5 offense allows them to be in most games that would be normally to abysmal goaltending. They have a good points % with Jack and Nico healthy.

But yeah, thats the final do or die stretch of the season

No they cant given the issues in net.

 

[Bleedred]

I'd have to think Vitek is at least in as big of a doghouse right now as Blackwood was after game 82 of last year.

But he'll play again (unlike Blackwood) because we don't have TWO better goaltenders than him.

But between his horror show that was last playoffs and what happened after he was taken out of the net in the Rangers series, on top of this disaster of a season, I'm pretty sure he's out. Blackwood got three strikes, but Vitek will get two. And I think he's already swung and missed for strike two. The organization clearly doesn't think the same way about him as they thought of Blackwood for a long time.

I'm just wondering what we'll have to pay to DUMP his last year. There's no way we make a splash in net, while still having his $3.4 million on the cap next year.

 

[NjDevsRR]

No they cant given the issues in net.

But they already showed they can. That 20 gm stretch after Vancouver 1 where they had a healthy forward lineup with the same goalie issues…

Im not saying it will happen. But thats the stretch of the season where they will live on or die

 

[Bleedred]

I rarely see VV interviewed. Can the Devils actually “protect him from the media?” If this is the case, the guy is more mentally broken, if possible, than I even thought. Take some damn ownership, step up and face the music.

I remember him talking last year, but not this year.

I think even Blackwood came out and talked during losses he had sometimes.

 

[PWiz30]

Vitek showed he's physically capable of being at least a slightly above average goalie last season. It doesn't seem like you can say he doesn't care either. The problem is that he's like Shane Falco. Stuck in quicksand.



Maybe an ayahuasca retreat or something would do him some good. Maybe he just needs a trade to a team with a hibachi restaurants near the arena. Until he gets his head right or we trade for an upgrade in net, this is going to keep happening.

 

[Triumph]

f*** Fitz. He caused this entire issue.

lol okay. which teams upgraded in net this offseason and how'd they do it?

 

[Richer's Ghost]

I miss Cory Schneider

I miss a decade of not even thinking about who's in net.

 

[NJDevs26]

Difference is, Jet's had options, as evidenced by the guy traded from Arizona to Minny.

I don't know what options are out there. Or if he should have rushed to make a move in Dec instead of waiting for something better.

That said, I bet Kahk would not have been too costly.

How about sending a message and waiving the piece of space junk in net? Or making a f***ing coaching change? The Oilers did both and look at them now

 

[kiwidevil]

Surely this must be the point of the season where Fitz makes a pivotal decision.

1. Status quo and punt the season
2. Make a change somewhere and see if it sparks something.

 

[glenwo2]

I'd have to think Vitek is at least in as big of a doghouse right now as Blackwood was after game 82 of last year.

But he'll play again (unlike Blackwood) because we don't have TWO better goaltenders than him.

But between his horror show that was last playoffs and what happened after he was taken out of the net in the Rangers series, on top of this disaster of a season, I'm pretty sure he's out. Blackwood got three strikes, but Vitek will get two. And I think he's already swung and missed for strike two. The organization clearly doesn't think the same way about him as they thought of Blackwood for a long time.

I'm just wondering what we'll have to pay to DUMP his last year. There's no way we make a splash in net, while still having his $3.4 million on the cap next year.

The only thing I'm thinking of as to why Putz-gerald (that's his new name now) isn't seemingly doing anything is that he's waiting for the Trading Deadline to do something.

Maybe he's looking to acquire a goaltender and send Vitek's ass out of here or, failing that, stuff him down in the Minors FOREVER....

(I'm just spitballing here)

 

[NjDevsRR]

How about sending a message and waiving the piece of space junk in net? Or making a f***ing coaching change? The Oilers did both and look at them now

They actually may be closer to waiving Vitek after tonight and bringing up Schmid as a wake up call. Ruff was dejected talking about Vitek postgame. There may be no more good will left

 

[Bleedred]

The only thing I'm thinking of as to why Putz-gerald (that's his new name now) isn't seemingly doing anything is that he's waiting for the Trading Deadline to do something.

Maybe he's looking to acquire a goaltender and send Vitek's ass out of here or, failing that, stuff him down in the Minors FOREVER....

(I'm just spitballing here)

It'll be too late by the deadline.

It may be too late now.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Punting on the season is a lot easier to swallow when there are also so many things outside of our control going wrong. Injuries, both number of games lost and quality of player lost. The rookie defensemen were going to have to take their medicine eventually. The other thing.

But that does not excuse the things we can control going wrong. Fitz isn’t an idiot, he sees the same things we see. Ruff will not be back, they built an out into his first deal because they didn’t trust him, and they built an out into his second deal because they STILL didn’t trust him after the best season in franchise history. We will get another goalie, that’s not even a discussion. Our top-end talent is good but our depth really got exposed this year, especially on the backend.

The long term outlook is still great, even if the short term really sucks.

 

[youryeah]

this was the first time in a while where I heard ruff say vitek had a rough game.

I can't remember the last time he said that.. usually said something about the defense when questioned about the goalie

 

[BurntToast]

This team hasn’t won more than 3 games in a row all season. They can’t play B2B’s. They barely start games and Lindy is terrible at in game adjustments.

Why da Funk are there two forwards with almost -20+/- and the rest of the team is in single digits (Mercer and Timo)?!

Yeah the goalies suck, but this team isn't right.

 

[Bcap88]

Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results

That certainly falls in the realm of starting vitek

 

[Forge]

This is probably the loudest I've ever heard the push back on him this year.

Alex said flat out to waive him during the game lol

 

[Bleedred]

And I don't care who gets mad and says I'm wrong

BOTH Schmid AND Daws have at least one game a piece that's better than any game this idiot has played all season long.

Schmid's game against Seattle (2-1 win, maybe 3-1 with the empty net?) and the game in Florida that Daws played were better than ANY game Vitek had this year.

Our 2-1 OT win over Boston in December is the only one that comes close.

That's one of his two games that he only allowed 1 goal this year. And the relief appearance in Calgary where he allowed 0 on like 11 shots in almost 2 periods.

The only other one goal game was against f***in worthless Columbus.

He also came close to losing us the game against Chicago at home, with a game pretty similar to this one.

 

[glenwo2]

It'll be too late by the deadline.

It may be too late now.

I think it is but he might do it anyway just to get rid of Vitek and his stink.