Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Ofcourse I know Marty has done it before. Im just saying he wanted to prove a point after Ward did it the game before. I thought so...just checking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn01 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) I thought so...just checking Can anyone explain to me why Kovy consistently takes the puck off other Devils sticks rather then letting them bring it into the zone? Last night he did it to Henrique. Edited December 29, 2011 by Quinn01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 That was one of the oddest two on ones ever. Instead of skating away from Henrique and the defender Kovy went towards them and killed the play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn01 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 That was one of the oddest two on ones ever. Instead of skating away from Henrique and the defender Kovy went towards them and killed the play. Ok as long as Im not the only one that had no idea what the hell he was thinking. Is it a trust thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) I think Kovy wanted a drop pass and have Henrique drive the net as a screen and to take the defender with him. Instead Henrique slowed up to try and give Kovy a chance to catch up to the play and go far side. Just 2 guys on different pages there. Edited December 29, 2011 by Devils731 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I don't know what has been going on, but the top line might have set a record for failed 2 on 1s, especially Parise and Kovalchuk. Both are trying to be so unselfish and never look to shoot. Usually leads to failed passes. Way too much talent not to bury one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn01 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) I don't know what has been going on, but the top line might have set a record for failed 2 on 1s, especially Parise and Kovalchuk. Both are trying to be so unselfish and never look to shoot. Usually leads to failed passes. Way too much talent not to bury one of them. It is hard to comprehend why this team is failing. Best PK in the league, two of the best players in the league plus Elias who is also arguably one of the best players in the league, Marty, who is supposed to be in the top 5 goaltenders in the league. The stars are just not lining up. Edited December 29, 2011 by Quinn01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils731 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Marty is not a top 5 goalie and nobody expected him to be, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 It is hard to comprehend why this team is failing. Best PK in the league, two of the best players in the league plus Elias who is also arguably one of the best players in the league, Marty, who is supposed to be in the top 5 goaltenders in the league. The stars are just not lining up. Are they really failing though? Not only are they 20-15-1, they are 16-10 in their last 26. I know their shootout prowess is distorting their record, but like I said in a previous post, it could be a lot worse. There are positives...record-wise this team is right about where I'd thought they'd be, maybe a couple of points better. And can Marty be expected to be one of the top 5 goalies anymore? Coming into this season, I was hoping for that, sure, but at his age with his miles, I definitely wasn't expecting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Are they really failing though? Not only are they 20-15-1, they are 16-10 in their last 26. I know their shootout prowess is distorting their record, but like I said in a previous post, it could be a lot worse. There are positives...record-wise this team is right about where I'd thought they'd be, maybe a couple of points better. And can Marty be expected to be one of the top 5 goalies anymore? Coming into this season, I was hoping for that, sure, but at his age with his miles, I definitely wasn't expecting it. No but they are underachieving and making mistakes that are embarrassing. Wipe the latter out and we might be good to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChilltownDevs2673 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Yes but remember last year was an a fluke. We knew this team wasn't that bad; it was the coaching or lack there of. I think the mistakes are left over from last season and just maybe them trying to adjust to new coach. The mistakes will go away I feel. I really do as the season goes on. This team is right where I thought they would be as well. This is a good Devils team and I feel strongly that they will make the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 No but they are underachieving and making mistakes that are embarrassing. Wipe the latter out and we might be good to go. How are they underachieving? This to me sounds like "the Devils should be winning just because they are the Devils" mentality. How much better should this team really be record-wise? Can you really make a case that they should be better than 20-15-1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Crash Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Haha nice and yeah I saw that on the jumbrotron. I still say the Devils mascot is the best in the entire NHL. How is Wyatt these days? I plan on getting Natalie to at least one game this year...hopefully soon! Wouldn't surprise me if she hugged the NJ Devil on site...she tends to do that when she sees "characters". N.J. Devil is great! We have two of his stuffed dolls (one big and one small), and we joined his Kids Club. I also have an old bobblehead of his that was a SGA at CAA a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) How are they underachieving? This to me sounds like "the Devils should be winning just because they are the Devils" mentality. How much better should this team really be record-wise? Can you really make a case that they should be better than 20-15-1? They should be better than 20th in the league in goals per game and worst in the league in SHG allowed. They should probably also be better than 26th in the league on the PP considering the firepower. Throw in the amount of leads we have blown, even in eventual victories and we are definitely underachieving. Edited December 29, 2011 by ben00rs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) Are they really failing though? Not only are they 20-15-1, they are 16-10 in their last 26. I know their shootout prowess is distorting their record, but like I said in a previous post, it could be a lot worse. There are positives...record-wise this team is right about where I'd thought they'd be, maybe a couple of points better. And can Marty be expected to be one of the top 5 goalies anymore? Coming into this season, I was hoping for that, sure, but at his age with his miles, I definitely wasn't expecting it. +1 This team is going through a rebuilding phase while still trying to stay competitive. Frankly, I think they're doing a pretty good job of it, and are just about what I expected them to be at this point in time. Right now they're sitting at 6th in the East after playing long stretches of the season without their # 1 center, #2 center, and 1 of their top 4 D. Shootout wins or not, at least they're winning games and competitive on a nightly basis (much more than we could say for last year). While they are not likely to compete for a Cup this year, at least they're giving themselves a chance and, in my mind, should be a playoff team come April. Edited December 29, 2011 by Chuck the Duck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 How are they underachieving? This to me sounds like "the Devils should be winning just because they are the Devils" mentality. How much better should this team really be record-wise? Can you really make a case that they should be better than 20-15-1? As much as bitch and moan about this team, when I opened up my newspaper and looked at the standings and also looked at the players stats, this team is actually pretty decent. We are 6th in the conference and keeping pace and we have, what 7? players who have at least 10 goals. We also own the league's best PK unit and our record of 20-15-1 is better than I figured it would be. Nonetheless, this team has some major issues with the PP and blowing leads they have built. The goaltending has also been pretty shaky and some players have underperformed, but that is like any other season in the latter respect. Overall though, I would say this team is pretty much where I expected them to be before the season started and actually maybe just a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneykoIsGod Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 They should be better than 20th in the league in goals per game and worst in the league in SHG allowed. They should probably also be better than 26th in the league on the PP considering the firepower. Throw in the amount of leads we have blown, even in eventual victories and we are definitely underachieving. Being ranked 20th overall required a significant effort by this team in the month of December, considering how bad the goal-scoring was in October and November. In 13 December games so far, the Devils have scored 39 goals (not counting SO tallies). That's an even 3 G/G. To put 3 G/G in perspective, only seven teams are scoring at a better pace this season. The power play also improved this month (10-110, 9% in October and November; 7-45, 15% in December), and we've seen fewer blown leads and more multi-goal wins. There is still work to do, but things are definitely picking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 They should be better than 20th in the league in goals per game and worst in the league in SHG allowed. They should probably also be better than 26th in the league on the PP considering the firepower. Throw in the amount of leads we have blown, even in eventual victories and we are definitely underachieving. Should be better based than 20th on what? If anything they've probably OVERACHIEVED somewhat to be that high...unless you expected 10 goals from Henrique, 10 goals from Sykora, 10 more from Zubrus, and 12 from Clarkson at this point in the season. And most of that was without Zajac in the lineup. PP should be better, but the PK has been damned near off-the-charts terrific. Devils have also fought back in games too, but that's what .500-or-so-type teams like the Devils do...tease like they're better than they are, before they remind you that they still have a ways to go. Problem with everything you're saying is that you're only looking at the things that have gone wrong, while ignoring what has gone right or exceeded expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) They should be better than 20th in the league in goals per game and worst in the league in SHG allowed. They should probably also be better than 26th in the league on the PP considering the firepower. Throw in the amount of leads we have blown, even in eventual victories and we are definitely underachieving. Last year they were 30th in the league in goals scored, and even in the second half were a bottom five team in offense. So no they really shouldn't be 'that' much better than 20th. They have slightly above-average talent up front and are among the bottom of the league in getting offensive production from the blueline, so overall that spells out slightly below-average offense. As far as the shorthanded thing, it's annoying but like CR said you're only accentuating the negative. I can say the PK shouldn't be as good as it's been, both in defending and creating offense...hell, they've scored almost as many shorthanded goals as they've given up which in itself is an accomplishment Their record pretty much spells out what they are up to this point, even if how they got there is bizarre (blowing leads, coming back, winning shootouts). Same thing with their record last year, they dramatically underachieved in the first half and dramatically overachieved in the second half so in a weird way their record was exactly where it should have been by the end. Edited December 29, 2011 by NJDevs4978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) Should be better based than 20th on what? If anything they've probably OVERACHIEVED somewhat to be that high...unless you expected 10 goals from Henrique, 10 goals from Sykora, 10 more from Zubrus, and 12 from Clarkson at this point in the season. And most of that was without Zajac in the lineup. PP should be better, but the PK has been damned near off-the-charts terrific. Devils have also fought back in games too, but that's what .500-or-so-type teams like the Devils do...tease like they're better than they are, before they remind you that they still have a ways to go. Problem with everything you're saying is that you're only looking at the things that have gone wrong, while ignoring what has gone right or exceeded expectations. They've slightly overachieved points-wise, but the goaltending's been bad and the power play's been bad, and I expect both to pick up a little bit in the 2nd half. The penalty kill obviously can't sustain this level of play, though. 4978: The Devils were a playoff team last year, they didn't even come close to approaching what they 'should have' been. Edited December 29, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) They've slightly overachieved points-wise, but the goaltending's been bad and the power play's been bad, and I expect both to pick up a little bit in the 2nd half. The penalty kill obviously can't sustain this level of play, though. 4978: The Devils were a playoff team last year, they didn't even come close to approaching what they 'should have' been. Brodeur actually got his GAA below 3.00 and his save% up to .888 with last night's effort, but I'm not sure how much better I can expect him to be. Hedberg's numbers are about what they've been since the '09-'10 season...his save% over that time (about .913) has been well above his career number (.902). Don't think I can expect much more out of him either. And we all know about their ages (Brodeur 39, Hedberg 38). So who knows if they pick it up, even a little? Power play should be better though...at least as far as giving up shorties goes. Edited December 29, 2011 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 They've slightly overachieved points-wise, but the goaltending's been bad and the power play's been bad, and I expect both to pick up a little bit in the 2nd half. The penalty kill obviously can't sustain this level of play, though. 4978: The Devils were a playoff team last year, they didn't even come close to approaching what they 'should have' been. Every game for two months could have gone either way, and every one of those games went the Devils' way. That just isn't sustainable. Neither is Marty and Moose both putting up a .930 save percentage in the second half. If they lost even a few of those one-goal games (still winning the majority of them) they were winning during that 22-3-2 stretch that would have put them a lot closer to .500 for the second half. Instead of 28-13, they would have been 23-18, or 22-19. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpower Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Being ranked 20th overall required a significant effort by this team in the month of December, considering how bad the goal-scoring was in October and November. In 13 December games so far, the Devils have scored 39 goals (not counting SO tallies). That's an even 3 G/G. To put 3 G/G in perspective, only seven teams are scoring at a better pace this season. The power play also improved this month (10-110, 9% in October and November; 7-45, 15% in December), and we've seen fewer blown leads and more multi-goal wins. There is still work to do, but things are definitely picking up. Yeah, this team's identity is going to be an offensive team. Sort of a B-team Boudreau Caps team. They've been scoring lately, that's what they need to do. Win games 5 on 5, which they did convincingly last night. Wasn't their best PK game this year by a mile, but it didn't matter. Marty is playing better lately too. His season stats will probably be a mess no matter what, but his last 6 game split is pretty decent. (4-2 2.29 .911%) Moose's last split isn't pretty, but if Marty plays well it won't better as much. Shots against also appear to be down, next thing to work on would be quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) Every game for two months could have gone either way, and every one of those games went the Devils' way. That just isn't sustainable. Neither is Marty and Moose both putting up a .930 save percentage in the second half. If they lost even a few of those one-goal games (still winning the majority of them) they were winning during that 22-3-2 stretch that would have put them a lot closer to .500 for the second half. Instead of 28-13, they would have been 23-18, or 22-19. That's not what I am talking about. I am talking about the first half of the year when the Devils were shooting 5.5% as a team and had one of the worst first halves of any post-lockout team. Yeah, this team's identity is going to be an offensive team. Sort of a B-team Boudreau Caps team. They've been scoring lately, that's what they need to do. Win games 5 on 5, which they did convincingly last night. Wasn't their best PK game this year by a mile, but it didn't matter. Marty is playing better lately too. His season stats will probably be a mess no matter what, but his last 6 game split is pretty decent. (4-2 2.29 .911%) Moose's last split isn't pretty, but if Marty plays well it won't better as much. Shots against also appear to be down, next thing to work on would be quality. DeBoer mentioned that one of the Devils' goals is to allow the fewest shots in the league - right now they appear to be around 5th in that category, although the number of OT games they've played may be skewing things. The Devils aren't anything like the Boudreau Caps. Edited December 29, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazer Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 DeBoer mentioned that one of the Devils' goals is to allow the fewest shots in the league - this i like and create the most shots on too duh that would be a good goal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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