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this is a horrible team and lou sucks


brylin18

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What's better being Eastern Div best team and getting bounced in the first round or missing the playoffs 2 out of 3 years and having a team like we have today? Probably if we make the playoffs this season we get bounced again in 1st round.what do you think?

Depends on the situation. 97-99 we had a team that was built to win. When they lost, it was a wasted season. This team is a couple years away, probably, so getting guys like Merrill, Gelly, Larsson, maybe Boucher some playoff experience and building off the good feelings that come from making it, especially in a tight race, would be a win, even if it's a result of playing in a crappy division.

 

Considering we, for better or worse, planned our future around Kovy and, again for better or worse, he left. we could be in much worse shape. IMO, aside from taking Matteau after making the finals and losing a better pick this year, and probably the Clowe signing, Lou has done everything right. Considering the situation, and how active he's been, that's pretty good. I think this team is building toward something, unlike somebody like the Isles, who look like a first round exit for the foreseeable future DESPITE sucking enough for years to get Tavares. 

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The Matteau pick is not bad unless we are in the lottery this year. If Matteau winds up being a third liner that's not a bad pick as a late first rounder.

The clowe signing is not bad either so long as he's able to get back on the ice and stay there. In two years his cap hit will be nothing compared to the cap increase and will probably look good if he's able to contribute as a second line winger with some grit.

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I loved kovy, alot, but let's be honest he hardly ever did anything in 5on5 play. He made our sh!t power play look pretty good, he was even a threat on the PK against weaker units. But he really never could play the forecheck and hardly generated opportunites outside of some good neutral zone passes. His loss can be absorbed through the players we picked up, Ryder + Jagr have made up that point production imo.

 

Our biggest concern over the last couple of years was goal tender, we had no idea who would be in net or if anyone in the system was any good. We have a potential top 5/elite goal tender now, our D and goal is probably shored up for the next 5-10 years (as long as we can resign schenider and the kids continue their out standing performance). We have time to draft fowards, the only problem I have with lou is his decision to draft matteu instead of surrendering that pick. If matteu turns into a good player, then fine all is forgiven, but on paper it looks stupid.

 

So the future,

 

Goal tending : Solid

Defense : Solid

 

So look at the young fowards,

 

Henrique is still young, and is a very well rounded player (could use some more offensive boost) Def a good piece for the future

Loktionov, seems like hes taken a step back the past few weeks, I wonder if that has to do with his linemates. Anyway still another good foward piece for the future if things pan out

Reid Boucher, dont think hes gnna be the next stamkos but hes got potential.

And matteau is having a good year in albany now, he's probably at worst a solid 3rd line player if he continues his development.

 

I mean that is our future (lokti aside), is that really so bad? If we had a a superstar player, if we had kovalchuk still or praise, would you really be so down on this team?

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It always goes back to the same thing...guys like you and brylin18 simply don't realize that even the very best GMs make mistakes and have moves not work out for them, and sometimes that can happen in bunches.  If you're criticizing every misstep Lou makes, then you're pretty much expecting perfection or something close to it. 

 

There are reasons for optimism.  Some young defensemen with upside are playing with the big club.  There's a terrific puck-stopping goalie who will help, once DeBoer realizes it and gives him a real chance to prove it.  Some of the Lost Scorers' Club is coming to life.  Boucher is getting a chance, though we don't know what he's going to be.

 

It's not all perfect, and not having a first-round pick this year sucks, and that one can be coughed up to inexcusable arrogance on Lou's part...he was warned not to go through with Kovy Contract #1, but gave the NHL the finger and had a press conference to boot.  Did he really think the league was just going to sit there and take it?  Lou has always such a knowing finger on the pulse of NHL (it's how he was able to get Stevens as compensation for Shanahan), so he REALLY should've known better.   

 

Anyway, I don't the future is really THAT bad.  It's cloudy, but not stormy, and I can rays of sunshine peeking through. 

 

well there you said it. Anyone making decisions will likely have bad ones, you can never be perfect, it can always go either way. Some players won't pan out etc etc the only thing i hate about Lou is this. It's never that he take a bad decisions that doesnt pan out really that is pissing me off it's that he's doing thing in such an arrogant and hard nose way refusing to adjust and see outside of his box, then when it bites you back it's even more frustrating cause if he wouldnt be so damn stubborn then better results would have come with it. 

 

So his arrogance / stubborness has cost the team lately. Of course that too can go both ways, we got good deals because he was like that.

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 Our biggest concern over the last couple of years was goal tender, we had no idea who would be in net or if anyone in the system was any good. We have a potential top 5/elite goal tender now, our D and goal is probably shored up for the next 5-10 years (as long as we can resign schenider and the kids continue their out standing performance). We have time to draft fowards, the only problem I have with lou is his decision to draft matteu instead of surrendering that pick. If matteu turns into a good player, then fine all is forgiven, but on paper it looks stupid.

 

I mean that is our future (lokti aside), is that really so bad? If we had a a superstar player, if we had kovalchuk still or praise, would you really be so down on this team?

 

I have to take issue with the idea that Lou decided to draft Stefan Matteau instead of giving up the pick.  That's not the calculus at all - he had to decide after the Cup Finals whether or not to give up the pick.  That Stefan Matteau happens to be the guy taken with the pick, and that NJ didn't trade it away or pick someone else has no bearing on Matteau the player or what came afterwards.

Edited by Triumph
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I have to take issue with the idea that Lou decided to draft Stefan Matteau instead of giving up the pick.  That's not the calculus at all - he had to decide after the Cup Finals whether or not to give up the pick.  That Stefan Matteau happens to be the guy taken with the pick, and that NJ didn't trade it away or pick someone else has no bearing on Matteau the player or what came afterwards.

 

And again, what you hear was that Lou was taking a calculated risk that Subban or Vasilevisky would be available. 

 

Re Kovalchuk from Sneax's post.  I remember him being a beast on the forecheck, although maybe the spreadsheet will say something different.  Just look at the game winning goal in game 5 against the Rangers.  That was entirely a product of excellent forechecking by Kovalchuk.

 

Otherwise, regarding the future, while I recognize there's a tendency for fans, including myself, to overrate their own team's prospects, in 3-4 years, the Devils could might have one of the best defense corps in the NHL.

Edited by Daniel
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And again, what you hear was that Lou was taking a calculated risk that Subban or Vasilevisky would be available. 

 

Re Kovalchuk from Sneax's post.  I remember him being a beast on the forecheck, although maybe the spreadsheet will say something different.  Just look at the game winning goal in game 5 against the Rangers.  That was entirely a product of excellent forechecking by Kovalchuk.

 

Otherwise, regarding the future, while I recognize there's a tendency for fans, including myself, to overrate their own team's prospects, in 3-4 years, the Devils could might have one of the best defense corps in the NHL.

 

Kovalchuk was awful on the forecheck.  He often took bad angles enabling easier breakout passes for the opposition.  He seldom tried to hit anyone - which I'm fine with, that's not his job - but sometimes that is what's called for so that the 2nd man can get the puck.  Yes, on that goal, Kovalchuk did take his man, but that was a rarity.  He could force a turnover if the D wasn't paying attention but other than that he was real bad out there at doing what DeBoer needed.

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Kovalchuk was awful on the forecheck.  He often took bad angles enabling easier breakout passes for the opposition.  He seldom tried to hit anyone - which I'm fine with, that's not his job - but sometimes that is what's called for so that the 2nd man can get the puck.  Yes, on that goal, Kovalchuk did take his man, but that was a rarity.  He could force a turnover if the D wasn't paying attention but other than that he was real bad out there at doing what DeBoer needed.

I don't think he was awful on the forecheck. He was horrible on the cycle.

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I don't think he was awful on the forecheck. He was horrible on the cycle.

 

I don't think he was awful on the cycle. I just think other teams made it difficult for him on the cycle because they all knew where the puck was going. That wasn't so much his flaw as it was the team's for relying on him too much to produce offense when he was on the ice. They would all make bad passes and try to force pucks, not just Kovalchuk.

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Didn't read pages 2-3 and I see this is now a thread about Kovalchuk (:P) but on the original topic of the Devil's sucking this year... I'm still hoping this will be a second half team since we will have more home games in a row and hopefully an easier schedule with the Pacific Division and Central mostly behind us.

Also the benefit of sucking in an Olympic years is that no one wants your sucky players on their sucky Olympic team. Hopefully guys can get rest and build up some momentum in the second half. This team is exhausting to watch because everything seems like a grind... but hey were not the Sabres so there's that.

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Well -- I think things are off.  they have been a smidgeon off for a few years now.  It's so hard to see what's going on.  I can say it's been a little too ---  what do i want to say...  conservative.  But how to articulate in what way.

 

I;m not fond of a lot of the stubborn sticking to a plan deBoer seems to cling to.  When forced to change things up - and they start clicking -- he abandons the forced alteration the NANOSECOND it starts to give.  His clinging to what he decided equals consistancy actually creates a detrimentally inconsistent chemistry.  Players aren't grateful for chances they're feeling sh!t on when they get sent down or forced to sit.  And it's disproportionate.

 

You know - when you have a talented vet then you can pull the respect card. It's just CMON!  NO BRYCE DOES NOT GET THE (should not get the) SAME TREATMENT STEVENS DID -- WTF??????  It's clinging to a stupid idea that is just not true -- it's a faulty Devils mythos.  It WAS ABOUT THE PLAYERS -- so work with the good ones not the "character guy"  OK?    The team has to just give to that -- and they keep playing Brodeur like all rules aside for him -- see?  inconsistent as ALL sh!t!  We all see who gets it done on ice.  I'm the BIGGEST proponent of hard work over talent -- but winning kind of has to fit in there somewhere...

 

Sorry DeBo -- you have to get your mind clear and stick to losing FLAT OUT, your way so Lou can see the problem and get rid of you.... or stick to winning. 

anyhow -- the inconsistencies I see for ME, feel like they are caused by sh!tty management.  There -- fine I'm wrong whatever.  It's just what it looks, feels and sounds like.

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I really dislike PDBs line juggling. I also think he rarely ices our best team. 4th line in particular and obviously the goalie is the most glaring part of it..  I still haven't given up hope on this season however. If we could start playing our best team (and goalie) and guys like Ryder and Brunner come into their own, we could still have a long shot at this.

Edited by njdevsftw
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Look, this was bound to happen, the Dynasty (95-03) was built mostly through the draft, and its really hard to do that when you are picking at the bottom every year, while this year is frustrating, the kids keep me excited every game.

 

And IMHO this is good compared to the 1st round exits in 97-99 when we were the best team in the eastern conf.!

Dynasty? They Yankees are a recent dynasty. The Lakers and Patriots are recent dynasties. Depending what the Heat does this year they'll be a dynasty as well. Did the Devils win 2 Cups in a row or 3 Cups in 4 years? 

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I really dislike PDBs line juggling. I also think he rarely ices our best team. 4th line in particular and obviously the goalie is the most glaring part of it.. I still haven't given up hope on this season however. If we could start playing our best team (and goalie) and guys like Ryder and Brunner come into their own, we could still have a long

shot at this.

Few things I have wrong with this, first off, Schneider has not neen terrible, while Marty hasn't really been better. Our goalies are more of a strength now. Also, Ryder is over 30 years old, I think he could be considered a veteran
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Dynasty? They Yankees are a recent dynasty. The Lakers and Patriots are recent dynasties. Depending what the Heat does this year they'll be a dynasty as well. Did the Devils win 2 Cups in a row or 3 Cups in 4 years? 

 

Oilers never won 3 in a row even in the 80's yet their 84-90 years is often considered and called a dynasty.

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I really dislike PDBs line juggling. I also think he rarely ices our best team. 4th line in particular and obviously the goalie is the most glaring part of it..  I still haven't given up hope on this season however. If we could start playing our best team (and goalie) and guys like Ryder and Brunner come into their own, we could still have a long shot at this.

eh, its not like there were set producing lines to begin with. I think the juggling had its merits and there now seems to be some harmony and consistency. plus we tend to over-emphasis the 4th line around here. 

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eh, its not like there were set producing lines to begin with. I think the juggling had its merits and there now seems to be some harmony and consistency. plus we tend to over-emphasis the 4th line around here. 

 

I agree but the lines WERE producing against the jackets, I mean we had 4 goals. What was he thinking? That somewhere there is a magic line combo that has us scoring 5 goals+ a night? He got panicked and was trying to squeeze offense out of the boys, the switch he shoulda been making was in net, but ya know PDB doesn't know which guys to use. It's a shame because the thing he actually is good at is, getting the guys that are playing to give their best effort.

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There not winning it. James won't be a miami heat after this year. Tbese are two things basketball people see this year.

Dynasty? They Yankees are a recent dynasty. The Lakers and Patriots are recent dynasties. Depending what the Heat does this year they'll be a dynasty as well. Did the Devils win 2 Cups in a row or 3 Cups in 4 years?

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My expectation coming into this season was that I was totally and absolutely sure that we would finish dead last and yet not qualify for the first overall pick because we lost this year's pick. I was positive we were going to be the NHL laughing stock. So by my measure, we're actually doing quite well. Things could be worse. We could be Buffalo. 

 

No team can suffer the losses we have seen over the last 5 years. We have bled just far too much talent. And it's not an easy job to replace it. 

 

I said I would buy NHL Centre Ice as soon as the Devils have more wins than losses. I saved my money this year. Still checking the box scores and seeing how things are going, but am not letting my mood be dictated by how some guys I don't know personally put a rubber disc into netted cage. I'm still a Devils fan as I am sure Brylin18 is. And the "go cheer for another team" crap is not useful to the conversation; you should be able to voice frustration without being told to go away. 

 

All I want now is for the Devils to continue to not be in the bottom 5 of the league *and* win on January 14th when Moustic and I are in Montreal. :) 

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