12/7 Game Thread - Devils vs. Flames

[Steven M.]

Stevens went down in the beginning of January.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ehh.. half a season.. still good

[MadDog2020]

Well except for the fact that the coaching staff is also WAY too passive to be able to really get in there and fire the troops up too....

anyone think this team would be THIS bad if Pat Burns was healthy ??

(BTW, Larry is right that this team is a leader-less ship)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, we wouldn't be THIS bad- but there's only so much a coach can do with so little talent. We might have 2 or 3 more wins, but that's it. Although we'd play our asses off every night win or lose, and that's obviously not happening.

[ilzz89]

Yet we still lost 5-2 

How you people want to trade away Marty is just beyond me. As I said earlier, Clemmy is not NHL starting material. He is a career backup.

The truth hurts.. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dude i didnt say trade marty, thats awful. All I said marty has BEEN SUCKING!! and clemmy has been playing better lately.

[RowdyFan42]

Ari's gone to sh!t? Really, I didn't know he's even played yet.

So I guess there's an imposter in Albany, then. Someone alert the authorities, Ari's been kidnapped.

How can people say Ahonen doesn't have it or will never make it when he hasn't even gotten a chance to play an NHL game? Fact is, he's had sh!t for defense, and has never been thurst into the role as a starter. He seemed to play pretty well against Binghamton, or maybe that was Doyle in net again.

If Ari was the second coming of Marty like everyone expected him to be, he would have been able to rise above that. He hasn't. And oh wow, he had one good game, let's give him the Vezina. That makes as much sense as saying we should trade someone for having one bad game.

I've been one of the biggest Ari supporters out there ever since he came to Albany, but it's become painfully obvious this year that he's ruined. This was the year he was finally going to be the clear-cut #1 goalie for the Rats, and he's getting his ass kicked by some guy fresh out of the ECHL. Sad.

Doyle is probably one of the top 3 goalies in the AHL right now. He's having more than a "decent season". He gets peppered with shots night after night, and continues to be a wall. Even it weren't for Doyle, the Rats record would be absolutely abysmal, far worse than it is now. If he keeps this up, he'll easily be an All-Star.

Sounds kinda like how Ari should've turned out. Oops.

[LetsGoDevils]

Does anyone really think this team is going to make the playoffs? Brodeur will be lucky to get 25 wins. Not making the playoffs would do this team a world of good in learning to rebuild for this new age of hockey.

[CRASHER]

I didn't think Gomez was all that bad tonight BUT in general I agree that it's time to take the Huggies off him (as your coach in Dallas would say ). 

And I was thinking about this earlier, every time one of Gomer's wingers goes into a slump whether it's Mogilny in the 2001 playoffs, Elias in 2002-3 when the Elias-Gomer connection was going through its failed attempts before finally being successful, or Kozlov earlier this year...every single time, the winger took the brunt of the blame.  It's about time Gomer got a good chunk of it.  Someone posted about a shakeup before, maybe trading Gomer himself is the shakeup, quite honestly.  Too bad Parise looks like he's not ready.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ugh... you had to bring up the fat slug didn't ya ??

Well I guess you can't get any good Herm Quotes

That is pretty much what I'm saying though... Gomer wants to be one of those guys who smiles and is chock full o-excuses in the media each day... how about shutting up and being part of FIXING that problem ... SO WHAT the Joe is a tough place to play ?? SO WHAT they out worked you (maybe you need to work your ass harder)

you want to be a star player and take all the glory.. (this goes for Brodeur too BTW)

well be ready to foot most of the blame when it goes bad !!!!

Who gets credited with the interception when the ball bounces off 10 sets of hands and right into mister lucky linebacker ??

Who gets the goal against when it's kicked in ???

Who gets all the credit even when the team plays amazing defense in front of him (or blocks the pass rush so the QB can throw all the touchdowns to use the football analogy again)

Part of being the star is getting all the glory... but JUST AS MUCH is taking a fell swoop of the blame when it DOESN'T go well

high time our "stars" started shouldering their load !!!

Man this is gonna be a fun recap tomorrow

[brodeurfanatic]

Larry Robinson's quotes from the game - http://msgvox2.cv.net/ramgen/msgnetwork.co..._post_120705.rm

[Derek21]

Devils coach Larry Robinson, back behind the bench after missing two games with a virus, remains puzzled by his team that has been mired around .500 most of the season.

''It's the strangest team I've ever been around,'' Robinson said. ''They're a different group. A leader would probably help. Most great teams have somebody that will step forward. We have a bunch of guys and not one particular guy to come forward and step in front if things get out of hand.''

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=146141&hubname=

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Man, if that isn't a condemnation of this team, I don't know what is.

[Derek21]

To add to what Rowdy said regarding Ahonen. If the Devils had confidence in him, they would have given him a start.

[Don]

Man, if that isn't a condemnation of this team, I don't know what is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is DEFINITELY a condemnation of Madden and all the others that have had a chance to wear an "A". Absobubalutely.

[dmitri]

I only watched the first 15 minutes, then I had to leave. So I guess I am lucky

What a laser by Mogily, though, eh? That was such a nice shot. Can anyone on the team shoot like that besides Almo? He's on pace for 35.

[CRASHER]

it's a shame the NHL wouldn't allow them to do it... but it would be interesting to see an entire team skate without an A or C on the roster... it's a small thing but how about stripping the A's from the 3 who have them and give them to people PLAYING hard... at this point I'd say the A's should go to:

Gionta

Brown

Brylin

the 3rd one was a tough one....

but why the hell not ?? Even a symbolic change IS CHANGE!!

[Flames]

Thanks Devils for waking Iginla up.

[insanity_gallops]

Hey, no problem. Devils seem to do two things well, consistently: a) wake up sleeping giants (Iginla, Gaborik, Bertuzzi, etc.), b) turn backup goaltenders into all-stars.

[Risky]

Don't forget "Evacuate the bandwagon like it's on fire," IG!

[insanity_gallops]

Oh yeah, my bad.

What he said.

...I got sammied?

Edited December 8, 2005 by insanity_gallops

[Voros19]

So I guess there's an imposter in Albany, then.  Someone alert the authorities, Ari's been kidnapped.

If Ari was the second coming of Marty like everyone expected him to be, he would have been able to rise above that.  He hasn't.  And oh wow, he had one good game, let's give him the Vezina.  That makes as much sense as saying we should trade someone for having one bad game.

I've been one of the biggest Ari supporters out there ever since he came to Albany, but it's become painfully obvious this year that he's ruined.  This was the year he was finally going to be the clear-cut #1 goalie for the Rats, and he's getting his ass kicked by some guy fresh out of the ECHL.  Sad.

Sounds kinda like how Ari should've turned out.  Oops.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was sarcasm...

I don't think you get my point. Ari has played 8 or 9 games this season. How can you expect some to put up great performances while playing sporadically on a team that has abysmal defense? If you remember back to last season, towards the end of the season, he got more playing time and started to get shutouts and played well.

Almost every other goalie in the AHL would be getting their ass kicked by Doyle. He is 1 percentage point off from being tied for 3rd in the AHL in save %. And this is on the River Rats, one of the worst teams in the AHL. Why do you keep diminishing Doyle's accomplishments? I never remember Ahonen playing as well as Doyle, especially in his rookie season.

Edited December 8, 2005 by Voros19

[NJDevs4978]

"Jerome Iginla hasn't scored in nine goals" -- Chico Resch

Oh god he didn't really say that did he Oh well he's Chico and I love him no matter how many dorky mistakes he makes

BTW if you wanna make fun of Chico you might wanna get Iginla's first name right

Edited December 8, 2005 by Hasan4978

[CRASHER]

Oh god he didn't really say that did he   Oh well he's Chico and I love him no matter how many dorky mistakes he makes

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He said it TWICE man

Remember I watch the games when I get back home so I was already good and pissed before the game even started.... I heard that and I think I may have new neighbors soon!!!

spelling is overrated mister!!

[insanity_gallops]

It's cool, on the way to the game I commented that "Iginla has gone nine goals without a game."

D'oh!

[NJDevs4978]

It's cool, on the way to the game I commented that "Iginla has gone nine goals without a game."

D'oh!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, but have you called Forsberg 'the other guy who's hurt', confused White with Brown and forgot about Madden being in the penalty box? (all in the same game)

[MadDog2020]

Thanks Devils for waking Iginla up. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ya know I fvcking knew he'd break out last night. I knew it. I said to my mom before the game these exact words while we ate dinner: "Iginla hasn't scored in 9 games- he'll have two goals and two assists tonight. I guarantee it". Well, unfortuntely, I was almost right- 2 goals, 1 assist.

[RowdyFan42]

I don't think you get my point. Ari has played 8 or 9 games this season. How can you expect some to put up great performances while playing sporadically on a team that has abysmal defense? If you remember back to last season, towards the end of the season, he got more playing time and started to get shutouts and played well.

Sure I remember that. That's why I was happy he'd finally get the bulk of the playing time this year, because Ari's the type of goalie who thrives on action. However, he's playing himself right out of a job. While his time spent in New Jersey this season partially accounts for the fact that he's only been in 9 games here, consider this: since Ari's return, he's played in 5 games while Doyle's been in 9. I don't expect great performances, but I do expect him to give the team a chance to win. He's only done that twice since his return from the Devils. In years past I'd always get pissed at Rats fans who said that it was Ari and Scott's fault the Rats stunk so much because you can't blame the goalie for the rest of the team playing poorly; this year, though, Ari deserves his share of the blame.

Almost every other goalie in the AHL would be getting their ass kicked by Doyle. He is 1 percentage point off from being tied for 3rd in the AHL in save %. And this is on the River Rats, one of the worst teams in the AHL. Why do you keep diminishing Doyle's accomplishments? I never remember Ahonen playing as well as Doyle, especially in his rookie season.

Weren't we told to expect these accomplishments from Ari? Weren't we told that this was the Devils' goaltender of the future, the heir apparent to Martin Brodeur? I don't mean to diminish Doyle, but he's doing what Ari was supposed to do all along: prove himself as one of the AHL's elite goaltenders despite the team in front of him. Also, call it pessimism gained from watching the Rats embarrass themselves for the last five years, but I keep waiting for the bottom to fall out. I can't help but think that Doyle's play thus far is a fluke. This guy was in the ECHL last year (granted, he *was* the league's best goaltender) and now he's mopping the floor with the AHL? It can't be right, can it? I'm use to seeing our goalies be the difference between losing a close game and getting blown out, but this seems unreal. I can't explain it.