Rock Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 http://www.nypost.com/seven/12212008/sport...torm_145279.htm They not only survived, the Devils prospered, their plague of injuries becoming a plague on their opponents. And they're all the stronger for it. The players are the biggest heroes, but significant credit must go to coach Brent Sutter, this recent prodigy of junior coaching no longer unproven at the NHL level Then comes his plan to play his top lines against opponents' stars, head-to-head, as the checking-line strategy vanishes. He tried to do it when he first arrived last season but was quickly shown that his team wasn't quite ready for it. Responding to evidence, Sutter re-emphasized the role of John Madden's checking line. Now he's tried it again, this time with stunning results, a major reason they've prospered without Brodeur. Their 11-2-1 record in 14 has less to do with keeping their goals-against down than it does with scoring at least three goals. In this 14-game run, they have won all 10 games in which they scored three or more, including overtime. The change followed the four-game losing streak that threatened to sink them in their season of injuries. It looks like a conscious decision to go for more goals, an entirely reasonable notion without Brodeur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prucenterrules Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 We have to keep scoring though because we are giving up more goals. I hope when Marty comes back we are still scoring like we are right now because that will put us in great shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 i believe he means de-emphasized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karupin Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 i believe he means de-emphasized. He's talking about last year, when Sutter tried to do what he's doing this year, but it didn't work, so he put Maddolfo back on assignment again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win. I give him credit he is not as bad as last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win.I give him credit he is not as bad as last year. Ya, he is in the jack Adams conversation 2 years in a row...I guess that's not bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSC Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I give him credit that he's still here. Lou doesn't like coaches to last more than a year. If that. Nice avatar But seriously, I kinda felt that when Lou hired Sutter he'd be sticking around longer than other coaches, he just seemed like a Lou kinda guy I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 But seriously, I kinda felt that when Lou hired Sutter he'd be sticking around longer than other coaches, he just seemed like a Lou kinda guy I guess. Yeah, I can't think of a coach that Lou actively pursued the way he pursued Sutter. He tried to get him to coach the Devils for at least two years before Brent finally caved. Now that Sutter has finally been able to successfully implement his aggressive forechecking style with the line-matching (or lack thereof) that Neverson mentioned with so much success without(!) Brodeur even playing, I think we can all finally see what Lou saw in him. Sutter's gonna be here for a while. He's a damn fine coach. And anyone who disagrees can take a long stationary bike ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D95E00V03ILS Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 The only coach I could see Lou liking better was Pat Burns another Lou type of Guy. Burns got alot out of that team it was a shame he took ill coaching one of the most elite teams hockey had ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win.I give him credit he is not as bad as last year. Are you fvcking kidding me with this? After losing two key players to UFA last year, he squeezed 99 points out of a group that didn't really have any business earning that many (check out their goal differential), and this season he loses the world's best goalie and loses a whole lot of other players to injury, yet has the team five points out of first place in his division, and has five games in hand on that first-place Ranger team. And the best you can come up with is a smug "Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win. I give him credit he is not as bad as lasy year"?! Quick, how many people thought the Devils would be 19-9-3 after 31 games after everything that's happened? I sure didn't. Devils fans are un-fvcking-believable sometimes. Really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elias26 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I knocked him when he did bad and changed the lines 4 times a game, I guess I have to give it to him for adapting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I knocked him when he did bad and changed the lines 4 times a game, I guess I have to give it to him for adapting. "when he did bad"? The guy's team has gone 65-38-10 during his time here. Factor in everything that he's had to deal with in that time: two major free-agent defections before he even coached his first game, a nine-game road trip to start his first NHL season, only to come home to a new building that would take some time to truly feel like a home building, injuries, a D-corp last year that for a while was suiting up guys like Sheldon Brookbank, VV and Karl Rachunek...honestly, what more could anyone possibly want out of this guy? I think the guy's earned a little more than just some begrudging respect. I'm not saying he's been perfect...the brutal records against both the Isles and Rangers last year were tough to take. But I think that more points to the fact that last year's team really wasn't that great...there was bound to be a "law of averages" factor somewhere, and unfortunately it manifested itself against the NY-area teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsadvoc8 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 (edited) Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win.I give him credit he is not as bad as last year. Typical Anyone who thinks that Sutter is doing anything less than a very good job will never be happy. They are 19-9-3 with a couple of retreads in goal and some injuries up front. Edited December 22, 2008 by devilsadvoc8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 TypicalAnyone who thinks that Sutter is doing anything less than a very good job will never be happy. They are 19-9-3 with a couple of retreads in goal and some injuries up front. Yeah, I don't get this at all. How many times have people here said, "Without Marty we're dead, this team has no chance..." Well not only does Sutter have them winning, he's had them flourishing! I think going in, after Marty went down, we were hoping the team could stay just competitive enough to have a shot at the playoffs. They've greatly exceeded that. They still have a lot of games to play without Marty, so it's not like they're safe, but I think Brent's overall record and what he's done with what he's been given has been very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucifersDog Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Sutter could be the coach of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Are you fvcking kidding me with this?After losing two key players to UFA last year, he squeezed 99 points out of a group that didn't really have any business earning that many (check out their goal differential), and this season he loses the world's best goalie and loses a whole lot of other players to injury, yet has the team five points out of first place in his division, and has five games in hand on that first-place Ranger team. And the best you can come up with is a smug "Sutter is a novice NHL head coach still learning how to win. I give him credit he is not as bad as lasy year"?! Quick, how many people thought the Devils would be 19-9-3 after 31 games after everything that's happened? I sure didn't. Devils fans are un-fvcking-believable sometimes. Really. When Marty went down- coupled with all of the other injuries- I was praying we could get to March without drowning. As of right now, we're walking on water. That doesn't happen with lousy coaching. I couldn't agree more CR- Sutter has done an OUTSTANDING job so far this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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