We Suck

[NJDevs4978]

Exactly. This team is playing below expectations. Now is the true test to see if they can pull it together.. This is the same exact team that got us to the finals (minus minny boy). Have a little faith. 

 

Pretty big minus considering his team's in first place and ours is sinking like a stone.  And Kovy's also a non-entity until the playoffs, if there's even playoffs to come back to.

Did not think it was possible, but we just got OLDER!!!

 

Who cares, guys like Sullivan and Kostopolous aren't going to be here beyond the next 15 games anyway.  They're not losing because they're old, aside from not getting good goaltending.  The 'younger' players on offense/defense aren't doing jack either though.

Edited April 4, 2013 by NJDevs4978

[ATLL765]

actually we are older this year, we are the OLDEST team in the league, and we have lost 16 of the last 22 games, if that makes you happy so be it..  I'm not, please someone explain to me what makes you optimistic about this team?

 

Last year we caught lightning in a bottle, we will be LUCKY to make the playoffs this year...

BUYOUTS!!!! Why must I keep saying this every time someone's whining about losing. Lou knows this season is more about not screwing up than winning. It's less important than next year, fact. He's not going to add salary because he wants to be one of the least salary handicapped GM in the league this offseason and I'd be beyond surprised if we did not add someone via UFA.

[redruM]

BUYOUTS!!!! Why must I keep saying this every time someone's whining about losing. Lou knows this season is more about not screwing up than winning. It's less important than next year, fact. He's not going to add salary because he wants to be one of the least salary handicapped GM in the league this offseason and I'd be beyond surprised if we did not add someone via UFA.

I was not suggesting trading for a big salary, I was suggesting being a seller!!  anything over 30 was fair game as far as I'm concerned!!!

Exactly. This team is playing below expectations. Now is the true test to see if they can pull it together.. This is the same exact team that got us to the finals (minus minny boy). Have a little faith. 

Disagree, our depth is what made us so good last year, the 4th line was unreal, those same players have spent time on the top 3 lines this year, that is not good...

[SterioDesign]

I was not suggesting trading for a big salary, I was suggesting being a seller!!  anything over 30 was fair game as far as I'm concerned!!!

Disagree, our depth is what made us so good last year, the 4th line was unreal, those same players have spent time on the top 3 lines this year, that is not good...

 

this is true and not true... we finished with over 100pts... and for the major part of the season we had no 4th line at all. We got those guys together at the very end and they got hot for the playoffs.

 

but then yeah now we have those guys playing bigger roles and it shows that our depth is bad and some players are not having the season they had last year... 

 

it doesnt take a huge difference in production think about it... lets say a guy like Zach, zubrus had and sykora had 10 tight game winning goals all together... well thats 20 points in the standings and its not a big difference in their personal stats from a year to another to have maybe... 3-4 less goals... well 2 of those are gone and one is injured, its all about the timing 

[ATLL765]

I was not suggesting trading for a big salary, I was suggesting being a seller!!  anything over 30 was fair game as far as I'm concerned!!!

Disagree, our depth is what made us so good last year, the 4th line was unreal, those same players have spent time on the top 3 lines this year, that is not good...

I never said you suggested that. But what sense does it make to sell off everybody right now? We don't need to get rid of everything, just Volch, Sal, maybe Tally and now Sullivan. These are the guys I don't want here next year, even though I'm fine with them being here now. I do, however, understand that no one wants Volch with a NTC or Sal with a $3M cap hit. Tallinder was probably the best piece to move, with Fayne being the next one after that, since he'd actually bring a return.

Again though, why blow up the team, which you said you weren't suggesting in another post, but now have said anything over 30 is fair game, when you could hold off and retool with better option in the summer?

[redruM]

I said this was the first time I have suggested blowing up the team, its not something I do everytime we have a bad month, but I do truly beleive we need to reconfigure this team, its way too old, Sal, Vol, Tal, Zid, Poni, Zub, Sully, Kost, & Barch should all go, along w/ Hed, Marty & elias can stay but all other I'd like to see gone next year...

[ATLL765]

I said this was the first time I have suggested blowing up the team, its not something I do everytime we have a bad month, but I do truly beleive we need to reconfigure this team, its way too old, Sal, Vol, Tal, Zid, Poni, Zub, Sully, Kost, & Barch should all go, along w/ Hed, Marty & elias can stay but all other I'd like to see gone next year...

You can't be serious in wanting to dump Zubrus? That's ridiculous. He'll get less in his next contract and I bet he plays up to that contract.  Zid, does something no one else on our D can do, pass and shoot with accuracy. Green occasionally can and Larsson shows flashes of what he will be, but everyone else is retarded when it comes to this.

Barch is the best goon we've had since Rupp, so I assume we should find some other cheap player off the discount rack at wally world, since it's just that easy.

And reconfigure the team? Look at who is signed past next year, NO ONE. It's Zajac, Kovy, Green, Volch, Sal. Lets say we buy out Volch or Sal, that leaves 1 of the players you'd prefer to see gone, still on the team in two years. It's obvious Lou wants to re-tool and he's set it up so he'll be able to do so over the next couple years.

Are you that impatient?

[Zubie#8]

At least it was good suckage today!

[BigZ]

Well everything seems to be going according to plan.

All that's left now is for the Rangers to win the Cup & to decide what bridge I'm going to jump off of.

What an embarrassing season for this organization.

We finally start selling out games and this is what this team gives to the fans.

Appreciate the effort tonight but sorry..not good enough.

We deserve more.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Well everything seems to be going according to plan.

All that's left now is for the Rangers to win the Cup & to decide which team I'm going to jump ship to.

What an embarrassing season for this organization.

We finally start selling out games and this is what this team gives to the fans.

Appreciate the effort tonight but sorry..not good enough.

We deserve more.

 

Fixed.

 

Not every season is going to be successful, and though I'll admit things are looking dicey right now (especially with Kovy out), this season isn't over YET.  7-12-6 is one fugly prolonged stretch, can't deny that, but last night at least suggests that they may be able to do enough to get into the playoffs, if frustration doesn't kill them first.  But sometimes it doesn't all come together. 

 

No, "you" don't deserve more.  Your team makes the playoffs damned near every season.  You've seen your team get to five Finals since '95.  Just look at the number of playoff games Marty has appeared in:  205!  That is a HELL of a lot of playoff games!  There's fans of other teams who probably would've killed for half that total since '93-'94, and just one Cup...hell, even just a Finals appearance! 

 

Hard to believe you'll be sticking by this team when the inevitable downturn comes (like some have pointed out, Lou will have some flexibility in the seasons to come, so he may be able to keep the Devils competitive for a while).  Pittsburgh looks like they'll be good for a while...maybe you should go root for them.   

[newjerseydamo]

I love how people pull put the "jump ship" comment whenever someone says the team is sucking.

Are people that blind and ignorant? This is a horrible season, and people are making good points.

We love our team and would never jump ship, but call a spade a spade for gods sake.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I love how people pull put the "jump ship" comment whenever someone says the team is sucking. Are people that blind and ignorant? This is a horrible season, and people are making good points. We love our team and would never jump ship, but call a spade a spade for gods sake. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

You didn't read my post correctly at all.

 

I've pointed out how bad the record has been over the last 25 games.  7-12-6 is awful.  At 15-13-9 overall, it's impossible to sugarcoat that the record isn't very good.

 

My beef with him is that he thinks he's entitled to better, and his tone in general.  Read what he wrote.  He seems to think the Devils should be successful and at the top of the league every friggin' year.  Just like he acts as though every single game in a winnable entity.  He threw sh!tfits after every single loss last season.    

[DevsMan84]

You didn't read my post correctly at all.

 

I've pointed out how bad the record has been over the last 25 games.  7-12-6 is awful.  At 15-13-9 overall, it's impossible to sugarcoat that the record isn't very good.

 

My beef with him is that he thinks he's entitled to better, and his tone in general.  Read what he wrote.  He seems to think the Devils should be successful and at the top of the league every friggin' year.  Just like he acts as though every single game in a winnable entity.  He threw sh!tfits after every single loss last season.    

 

I was talking to someone just the other day who is a huge Yankees fan and was commenting about how silly a lot of other Yankees fans are being this year when everyone is predicting them to win less than 90 games this year.  Apparently a lot of Yankees fans are sh!tting their pants over this and he was talking about how most of the fans reacting this way were either too young or were not Yankees fans in the 80's and early 90's when they were at time pretty awful.

 

This applies to the Devils now where the ones going nuts are usually either too young or don't remember the Devils of the 80's and early 90's.  I remember when just making the playoffs were still a big accomplishment for the team.  Team has been pretty damn good for the past 15-20 years so to expect that level of play for eternity is silly.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I've pointed it out before, but there's a lot of mid-20-something Devils fans (and Yankee fans, for that matter) who've grown up watching their team make the playoffs almost every single year...it's pretty much all they know.  Great way to start off your rooting career, but when they find out that such prosperity doesn't go on forever, they don't know how to handle it, and can't believe that, yes, even the best-run franchises have their leaner years.  The quick-fix, keep-the-team-on-top answers simply aren't there every year. 

 

The hope is that, as many of them are buying tickets and supporting the team in good times, they'll stick with the team during the bad times (even extended, multi-year ones).  I could be wrong about guys like BigZ, but I can't see guys like him being able to handle not being a top or even decent team for too long.  I can't say for sure that the Devils are heading into a downturn, but there's definitely a LOT of uncertainty as to where this team is going to be in the next few years. 

[CRASHER]

I've pointed it out before, but there's a lot of mid-20-something Devils fans (and Yankee fans, for that matter) who've grown up watching their team make the playoffs almost every single year...it's pretty much all they know.  Great way to start off your rooting career, but when they find out that such prosperity doesn't go on forever, they don't know how to handle it, and can't believe that, yes, even the best-run franchises have their leaner years.  The quick-fix, keep-the-team-on-top answers simply aren't there every year. 

 

These are the same geniuses that boo'ed the Devils 5-minute pp during the Florida game minutes after Kovy left the ice dangling his should like he was Igor from a Frankenstein movie....the more popular your team gets....the more idiotic the fan base becomes.....it's sad.....

[maniacdevsdude]

My opinion is anyone who is a true fan should appreciate what this team has accomplished since '95 and keep the b*tching to a minimum. There should also be two topics which automatically categorize you as a "fairweather fan" or "complete ignoramus": 1. Trashing or questioning Marty's abilities and/or contributions, 2. Questioning Lou's decision making and performance as a GM.  Both Lou and Marty should be hands-off as far as I'm concerned in any negative discussion having to do with this organization. That's how I see it anyway...

 

This team played a hell of a game last night and should have won. The puck just didn't bounce our way. I'm confident though that if we keep up the effort, we'll not only make the playoffs, but will make some major noise once in. Once we get Kovy back, this team has what it takes to defeat Boston, NY Rangers, and Pittsburgh. We dominated last night's game against one of the best in the East. That should tell you what we're capable of....

[DevsMan84]

I've pointed it out before, but there's a lot of mid-20-something Devils fans (and Yankee fans, for that matter) who've grown up watching their team make the playoffs almost every single year...it's pretty much all they know.  Great way to start off your rooting career, but when they find out that such prosperity doesn't go on forever, they don't know how to handle it, and can't believe that, yes, even the best-run franchises have their leaner years.  The quick-fix, keep-the-team-on-top answers simply aren't there every year. 

 

The hope is that, as many of them are buying tickets and supporting the team in good times, they'll stick with the team during the bad times (even extended, multi-year ones).  I could be wrong about guys like BigZ, but I can't see guys like him being able to handle not being a top or even decent team for too long.  I can't say for sure that the Devils are heading into a downturn, but there's definitely a LOT of uncertainty as to where this team is going to be in the next few years. 

 

Problem is this season as well as the past couple of seasons I have seen what an entire generation growing up watching a winning team does.  Every year the Rock becomes less and less enticing to go to because of these types of fans.  While the Rock may be selling out more this year there is a part of me that wished for the more modest and less obnoxious days of CAA.

[Devil Dan 56]

I've pointed it out before, but there's a lot of mid-20-something Devils fans (and Yankee fans, for that matter) who've grown up watching their team make the playoffs almost every single year...it's pretty much all they know.  Great way to start off your rooting career, but when they find out that such prosperity doesn't go on forever, they don't know how to handle it, and can't believe that, yes, even the best-run franchises have their leaner years.  The quick-fix, keep-the-team-on-top answers simply aren't there every year. 

 

The hope is that, as many of them are buying tickets and supporting the team in good times, they'll stick with the team during the bad times (even extended, multi-year ones).  I could be wrong about guys like BigZ, but I can't see guys like him being able to handle not being a top or even decent team for too long.  I can't say for sure that the Devils are heading into a downturn, but there's definitely a LOT of uncertainty as to where this team is going to be in the next few years. 

 

This. The sense of entitlement in this fan base is disgusting at times. If the Devils are indeed in for a rough stretch (multiple years of losing and missing the playoffs) a lot of these 'fans' will drop off. Or worse, stick around to complain on a nightly basis.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

This. The sense of entitlement in this fan base is disgusting at times. If the Devils are indeed in for a rough stretch (multiple years of losing and missing the playoffs) a lot of these 'fans' will drop off. Or worse, stick around to complain on a nightly basis.

 

Yankee fans are worse...when they actually (gasp!) missed the playoffs in 2008, quite a few of their fans used the word "suffering" to describe how they were feeling that year.  They also think their team should be in on every available star and superstar in the league, and their trade proposals for such players are always "five of our guys nobody really wants for a great player".  My uncle (I think he's 56 or so now) has been a hardcore Yankee fan since he was old enough to take an interest in MLB, and he's locked in whether they're winning 100 games or losing 100 games.  The Stump Merrill days were brutal for him, but damned if he didn't watch almost every game and still go to a few.  I've always respected his Yankee fandom for that reason...he's all in no matter what.

 

 

My opinion is anyone who is a true fan should appreciate what this team has accomplished since '95 and keep the b*tching to a minimum. There should also be two topics which automatically categorize you as a "fairweather fan" or "complete ignoramus": 1. Trashing or questioning Marty's abilities and/or contributions, 2. Questioning Lou's decision making and performance as a GM.  Both Lou and Marty should be hands-off as far as I'm concerned in any negative discussion having to do with this organization. That's how I see it anyway...

 

This team played a hell of a game last night and should have won. The puck just didn't bounce our way. I'm confident though that if we keep up the effort, we'll not only make the playoffs, but will make some major noise once in. Once we get Kovy back, this team has what it takes to defeat Boston, NY Rangers, and Pittsburgh. We dominated last night's game against one of the best in the East. That should tell you what we're capable of....

 

In fairness, I think it's OK to worry aloud about Marty.  No one except the most clueless of fans will try to take anything away from Marty's career with the Devils.  His numbers say it all, and not just the on-the-ice ones...a guy who accomplished what he did only had one tough contract negotiation, and that had more to do with his agent than him at the time...he was still very young and learning about that side of the business (this was after the Devils won the Cup in 1995).    

 

All that being said, he's 40 years old (soon to be 41), has played an absurd amount of games at the position, and is finally showing some signs of decline (amazing how long that took).  Even with that, unless it gets really ugly, Marty is going to get the chance to take a victory tour next season, and leave on his own terms.  It means he will probably not be a terribly good, pure puck-stopper through the end of next season, and that will lead to some games that will be tough to watch, where he'll look old, but it's like I said, as long as it doesn't get routinely embarassing, and the Devils can overcome him more often than not (and help him out by keeping shots down, etc), for everything that he's done for the Devils for all these years, I can live with the Devils having to deal with a diminished version of Marty.  Detractors might wish Marty would retire and not make it an uncomfortable situation for the Devils (if he has a rough October and November and even December next season, I can't see Marty giving up on himself...he wouldn't be who he is if he was one to give up), but I think Lou and this organization respect Marty to the absolute hilt.  They're going to let Marty decide how he leaves the game, and I can completely understand why. 

Edited April 5, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[ATLL765]

Yankee fans are worse...when they actually (gasp!) missed the playoffs in 2008, quite a few of their fans used the word "suffering" to describe how they were feeling that year.  They also think their team should be in on every available star and superstar in the league, and their trade proposals for such players are always "five of our guys nobody really wants for a great player".  My uncle (I think he's 56 or so now) has been a hardcore Yankee fan since he was old enough to take an interest in MLB, and he's locked in whether they're winning 100 games or losing 100 games.  The Stump Merrill days were brutal for him, but damned if he didn't watch almost every game and still go to a few.  I've always respected his Yankee fandom for that reason...he's all in no matter what.

 

 

 

In fairness, I think it's OK to worry aloud about Marty.  No one except the most clueless of fans will try to take anything away from Marty's career with the Devils.  His numbers say it all, and not just the on-the-ice ones...a guy who accomplished what he did only had one tough contract negotiation, and that had more to do with his agent than him at the time...he was still very young and learning about that side of the business (this was after the Devils won the Cup in 1995).    

 

All that being said, he's 40 years old (soon to be 41), has played an absurd amount of games at the position, and is finally showing some signs of decline (amazing how long that took).  Even with that, unless it gets really ugly, Marty is going to get the chance to take a victory tour next season, and leave on his own terms.  It means he will probably not be a terribly good, pure puck-stopper through the end of next season, and that will lead to some games that will be tough to watch, where he'll look old, but it's like I said, as long as it doesn't get routinely embarassing, and the Devils can overcome him more often than not (and help him out by keeping shots down, etc), for everything that he's done for the Devils for all these years, I can live with the Devils having to deal with a diminished version of Marty.  Detractors might wish Marty would retire and not make it an uncomfortable situation for the Devils (if he has a rough October and November and even December next season, I can't see Marty giving up on himself...he wouldn't be who he is if he was one to give up), but I think Lou and this organization respect Marty to the absolute hilt.  They're going to let Marty decide how he leaves the game, and I can completely understand why. 

I've always said this team owes it to Marty to allow him to go on his terms. Whether that means after a solid season next year or after he posts a .001 save %. It doesn't matter. Marty gets a pass.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I've always said this team owes it to Marty to allow him to go on his terms. Whether that means after a solid season next year or after he posts a .001 save %. It doesn't matter. Marty gets a pass.

 

I agree with you to an extent, but you don't want a Mark Messier/Rangers type situation, where a clearly past-his-prime star has too much power and too much say and feels like the organization is indebted to him forever, and his organization doesn't know how to tell him that it's time for them to move on.  Thankfully I don't see Marty ever becoming like this, but at the same time, there's guys like Kovy on this team who are in their prime and deserve a chance to win.  The Devils can't pay Marty (on-ice) for everything he's done forever.  If Marty doesn't have it next year to the point where it's not going to be hard to improve the play at that position with another player, the Devils have to say goodbye on the on-ice part of Marty.  I'm guessing he'll be a part of the organization for as long as he wants to be afterwards. 

[Pepperkorn]

on the other hand -- my cousin is kicking butt in the girls nationals out in California.  Alaskan All-Stars!  Woohoo 

[1Guy3Cups]

I loathe it. The way some of these morons talk about the players I love is mindblowing. I am confident we'll make the playoffs this year. And, if we don't, I will clap loudly at the draft and remain confident that we'll make the playoffs next year. I'm a fan, someone who loves the team. Self-proclaimed "realists" are crocks of sh!t. They use the phrase "realist" to mask their short tempered and 'what have you done for me lately' attitude. What if you were rangers fans and couldn't remember the last Stanley Cup victory? Leafs fans? Flyers fans? You act like the team does you a PERSONAL injustice because they aren't leading the league in wins. Hrmph, you lose your backbone of the team to free agency, your Hall of Fame goaltender was out the majority of the season, and now your 100 million dollar superstar has missed time? What the flying fvck do you expect?

Being a fan means rooting for your team. The list of people to ignore is getting too great. I love these forums, I spent too many hours arguing and bickering and talking about the Devils here. But I cannot do it any more. It's blood boiling to see the self entitled sons of bitches whine like they're on their period. Not like you will miss me anyway, but I'm done.

Maybe I'll come back when the board doesn't make me want to kick kittens, but for at least the next while I'm outta here.

You made some seriously valid points.  I am in my thirties and have been blessed to watch a team that was just down right terrible when I was a young lad to a team that has been in the thick of it from year to year.  Its a great accomplishment with what they have done especially with Marty between the pipes.  As a fan I am forever greatful for all the memories.  But the times are changing and so has this team.. We were so defensively based in those years of success and teams dreamed of our lineups.  But the tide is shifting and most teams today have 3 amazing players on their front line.  My focus as a fan is where are we headed?  What proactive moves will be made in the off season, how are we hedging Marty? So many questions with really no answer set... Its more of a panic on my behalf as a fan of what I see coming down the pipeline..

 

And the I find myself to be a realist.  Its just owning whats really happening vs sugar coating it with butterflies and rainbows like some people do.  Like saying, " well Kovy is out".. hate to break the bank but he hasnt done anything this year..

 

There is a realist comment..

[Zubie#8]

I loathe it. The way some of these morons talk about the players I love is mindblowing. I am confident we'll make the playoffs this year. And, if we don't, I will clap loudly at the draft and remain confident that we'll make the playoffs next year. I'm a fan, someone who loves the team. Self-proclaimed "realists" are crocks of sh!t. They use the phrase "realist" to mask their short tempered and 'what have you done for me lately' attitude. What if you were rangers fans and couldn't remember the last Stanley Cup victory? Leafs fans? Flyers fans? You act like the team does you a PERSONAL injustice because they aren't leading the league in wins. Hrmph, you lose your backbone of the team to free agency, your Hall of Fame goaltender was out the majority of the season, and now your 100 million dollar superstar has missed time? What the flying fvck do you expect?

Being a fan means rooting for your team. The list of people to ignore is getting too great. I love these forums, I spent too many hours arguing and bickering and talking about the Devils here. But I cannot do it any more. It's blood boiling to see the self entitled sons of bitches whine like they're on their period. Not like you will miss me anyway, but I'm done.

Maybe I'll come back when the board doesn't make me want to kick kittens, but for at least the next while I'm outta here.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Zubie#8

[PWW]

And the I find myself to be a realist.  Its just owning whats really happening vs sugar coating it with butterflies and rainbows like some people do.  Like saying, " well Kovy is out".. hate to break the bank but he hasnt done anything this year..

 

There is a realist comment..

 

How can you call yourself a realist and then make such an ABSURD comment? Kovy has done nothing? He leads the team in both powerplay and shorthanded points (even still after being out the last 5 games), he leads the team in time on ice, and he's still second in scoring by a pretty wide margin. I mean, the powerplay has become absolutely useless, down from it's usual mediocre at best. He's not far off his usual PPG pace, either. But you're right, we're the exact same team without him as we were with him. Unreal.