GDT: Carolina at New Jersey, 7pm EDT - OLN,TSN

[sandman441]

this is also wrong. he may go to UFA, but i wouldn't say that he walks for sure. i can state the following as near fact based on inside stuff i've heard:

gomez wants to stay and likes it here, but he won't stay for a discount. this is his first choice, but he would go elsewhere for more. i think 4/16-18 gets him signed. and i can assure you that IF elias leaves, lou will look to lock up gomer for as much as 5/year

It is but the biggest thing is a long term deal. He does like it in Jersey though he had problems with Burns I think they got over that though. I can't remember what he was asking right now I think it was in the $4 million a year range but I heard that figure at the beginning of the season. I have to wait and see when they start contract negotiations but I am pretty sure if he only gets a 1 year deal he is most likely gone. When they start the negotiations I'll try and add some stuff I heard. The last time was kind of goofy because when I heard it TSN had it had about a minute after I did.

[brodeurfanatic]

i gotta random question..

Was Doc and Chico doing announcing this game on FSNY?

[David Puddy]

yes.

[LucifersDog]

A lot of our key players were hurt and their psyche wasn't good going into that series. It was predictable what happened. I think health would have made it a more competitive series. I still feel they would have lost but in at least 6 games.

I meant to say Overrated for the first round because of injuries. Mentally that beat them.

The Rangers gave the Ranger fans something to be excited about. Injuries hurt many team. The Devils were lucky regarding injuries.

As long as the Devils management think that defense will win the Devils will struggle. As long as the Devils management think that they can get cheaper less talented offensive player the Devils will struggle. Note Struggle means in the real season, the second season, the playoffs. As long as Marty demands to play everygame and management lets him the Devils will struggle.

To win the Cup again they need size spped and talent on the offense. Size and speed on the defense and a backup goalie that gets to play more than 10 game in the fun season, you know the one before the playoffs where the only thing that counts is getting into the playoffs. No one will remember that the Devils went from out of the playoffs to division leader other than fans here. Who cares about that? No one.

The off season will determine if the Devils will repeat the same next year as this. Winning the Cup is everything anything less is expensive entertainment and frustration.

[SueNJ97]

As long as the Devils management think that defense will win the Devils will struggle. As long as the Devils management think that they can get cheaper less talented offensive player the Devils will struggle. Note Struggle means in the real season, the second season, the playoffs. As long as Marty demands to play everygame and management lets him the Devils will struggle.

To win the Cup again they need size spped and talent on the offense. Size and speed on the defense and a backup goalie that gets to play more than 10 game in the fun season, you know the one before the playoffs where the only thing that counts is getting into the playoffs. No one will remember that the Devils went from out of the playoffs to division leader other than fans here. Who cares about that? No one.

The off season will determine if the Devils will repeat the same next year as this. Winning the Cup is everything anything less is expensive entertainment and frustration.

hmmm...where to start. Well, first I have to say that they lost to a team that was faster on defense, deeper on the PP units and, well, just wanted it more. I saw urgency in Carolina in every game except Game 4, and, for the most part they played with that urgency for the full 60 minutes (or, if they had to go to overtime, more). At worst, they would have a shaky first 5-10 minutes and right the ship. I didn't see it in every game, that same way, from NJ. Carolina was just better and, I suspect, although nobody on the Devils said it, few 'Canes players have ever won a Cup. They look like they are willing to go through a brick wall to do it. NJ, not so much. I congratulate the 'Canes for that, however, I am rooting for Clown and his Sabres to kick the 'Canes' collective butts and win their first ever Cup.

The problem with NJ isn't necessarily the focus on defense per se. The problem may be the same one they had in 1998-1999, when they went out in the first round against the Pens. They met after that and said, what was the real problem (besides the fact that Marty wasn't at his best in that series)? What allowed the Pens to stop our offense and turn the puck over (which is what they did)? It was the lack of a second really good mobile, puck-moving defenseman (who was also defensively responsible - no Ozo's needed). Lou asked who was the best one available. They said Rafalski. That's how Brian ended up in NJ. Before they only had Nieds. Now they have Rafi and Martin, who is still learning, but I think the problem is, now, you need to have three. And your "defensive" guys have to be mobile even if they aren't expected to really contibute offensively. It also wouldn't hurt if the guy had a point shot for the PP. If he doesn't, then they need to get a forward who does.

Which means some serious changes to the team. We've seen the cap situation, they have 11 guys signed for next year at about $19 million and change. They may wind up having to buy out the M&M boys at 2/3 of their collective contracts and spreading that out over a 2-year cap hit, which would bring it to about $23 million. Compared to some teams, this isn't horrible. Philly is in much worse shape, as is Atlanta and, despite some amazing gloating I have seeen on Ranger boards about NJ's cap situation, if Lou doesn't have to buy out the M&M boys, he will have more cap room and the same # of players signed as the Rangers for next year, and if he does, it will be about the same.

The problem is, of course, that many of the players NJ would be interested in, many teams are also interested in. Also, some of the players we know have the things we are looking for (point shots, some size and speed as forwards), have been here before and didn't exactly leave under the best of circumstances. They also haven't exactly performed in the playoffs recently. So what do you do?

Edited May 15, 2006 by SueNJ97

[LucifersDog]

So what do you do? posts SueNJ97

Rebuild and get the fans to aceept rebuilding and build with youth. This answer is based on the situation you discribed. IMO Lou created the situation you described and it's coming back to bite the team.

SueNJ97 if you were Elias with his talent would you want to stay with the Devils if getting your name on the cup is important?

Edited May 15, 2006 by LucifersDog

[Devils731]

Why shouldn't the Devils compete for a cup next season and after? They have some good prospects that should be making an impact in the next few seasons. They were one of the 8 last teams playing in the NHL this season in a season where not a lot of things went right. Most of the important pieces to this team are still young, they have one of the best goalies in the league, and they have some good guys coming up the next few seasons. Getting your name on the cup is what NJ is all about and it is going to continue to be that way.

[Derek21]

I don't see how the Devils need to rebuild Lucifer. If they re-sign Elias and Langenbrunner, they can have the same core of forwards for the most part. Parise made great strides down the stretch and will be better next year.

Your D will include Hale who was steadier than Martin in the postseason. You still got Rafalski and White. What about that defenseman you signed out of college? Isn't he good?

The one area the Devils need to improve is backup goalie. Either Clemmensen is good enough to play in more games and give Brodeur more rest or it's time for them to go in another direction and sign someone.

[sundstrom]

the back up goalie thing is much more a product of brodeur than it is lack of confidence in clemmensen. marty wants to play. the team allows him to play. that's the beginning and the end of it. he's had guys like terreri, schwab, and VBK as backups. they were ALL in the same situation as clemmensen. the devils backup goalie basically gets paid $450k to watch 82 hockey games a year from a pretty good seat on the bench.

[brodeurgirl30]

I have a random question as well....if anyone recorded the game and it isn't too much trouble...could you tell me the exact time on the clock the lights went out? Please don't ask why...I live in the twilight zone and you would all think I was crazy if I told you...thanks

[CaptainScotty]

my 0.02..

Team got beat because there were

.. too many blown coverages by Luko and Matvichuk

.. too many boneheaded penalties by Hale and Langenbrunner

.. too many missed shots, fumbled passes

.. a fourth line that had bark, but no bite (how many shots on goal for that line?)

.. Marty not playing world class. He wasnt as bad as Emery, but come on Marty, with that kind of rep you couldn't steal ONE??

.. and yes, Elias was the linchpin on this offense. Gomez and gionta disappeared.

.. what the heck happened to the heart on this team? Guess it really did leave when those jerseys went up to the rafters..

In my mind, Lukowich and Matvichuk were about two too many slow D (damn you nieder, where are you?), and Marty of circa 1994-1995, WHERE ARE YOU?

[Devils731]

The team's heart didn't leave when those jersey's went to the rafters. Plenty of people questioned Steven's leadership in the 90's when the Devils tore up the league only to leave early in the playoffs. This just wasn't a good series for the Devils but it doesn't mean they didn't play with heart.