Mike Brown Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 They're not right at this moment...but they're reaching a tipping point. When you look at the WC standings and the GP per team, it gets a little uglier: Montreal: 56 GP, 64 Pts Detroit: 56 GP, 62 Pts Philadelphia: 57 GP, 62 Pts Carolina: 54 GP, 59 Pts Ottawa: 56 GP, 59 Pts Washington: 56 GP, 59 Pts Devils: 57 GP, 59 Pts They're really on the outside looking in more than they appear. Everyone except Philly has at least one game in hand on them. By Friday, these standings are probably going to look a lot worse...it's never a good thing when you have to hope this team loses and that team loses, and that's the position the Devils are now in. There's obviously still time, but now the Devils REALLY need to go on a real winning streak, where they actually get 2 points each game for 4-5 straight games. They also need to beat Washington, and then beat Detroit in both games after the break (it's not a true home-and-home, as Detroit has a game against the Avs in between their two games against the Devils, while the Devils play Detroit back-to-back). If they do that, then maybe there's something there. I'm not giving up on them, but at the same time, they're a hard team to take seriously, and it's even more maddening that they don't win games even when they're doing almost everything right. They haven't been more than two games over NHL .500 all season, and though I've pointed out that their overall point% over their last several games in pretty good, they're still only 3-3-3 in their last nine...yet again they're spinning their wheels. Cory is helping them avoid pointless streaks at least, but the Devils just have too many guys prone to long scoring droughts and cold spells, and they've shown no ability to get enough guys going at the same time. Everybody plays 82 games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Everybody plays 82 games. WTF kind of stupid response is that? No sh!t everyone plays 82 games genius. Can you comprehend that the Devils are at a little bit of a disadvantage in that the teams right around them in the standings have games in hand? Shouldn't be that hard to grasp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 WTF kind of stupid response is that? No sh!t everyone plays 82 games genius. Can you comprehend that the Devils are at a little bit of a disadvantage in that the teams right around them in the standings have games in hand? Shouldn't be that hard to grasp. No reason for the personal attacks. But I do grasp that idea actually. It's just the game in hand stuff isn't a big deal, at least not yet. It's not realistic that all the teams are gonna win out. It's also gonna take a lot more than 62 points to make the playoffs anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 No reason for the personal attacks. But I do grasp that idea actually. It's just the game in hand stuff isn't a big deal, at least not yet. It's not realistic that all the teams are gonna win out. It's also gonna take a lot more than 62 points to make the playoffs anyways. None of the teams are going to win out, and obviously 62 points isn't going to get it done, duh. And yes, teams will pick each other off, so of course they're not all going to finish up hot. I've said repeatedly I think it's going to take 92 points. Anyway, the point I was making with my standings post is that it's easy to say "Hey, look, the Devils are only three points out of the final WC berth!" It's true, but it's leaving out a lot of details, in that there's a lot of teams in the mix ahead of them, and most of them have games in hand on the Devils. This team can go on a nice run over the next 6-7 games and not make up much ground, especially when 3-point games rear their ugly heads. I'm still hopeful and not giving up, but it's not going to be as easy as being three points out will lead many to believe. Big difference between looking up at one team, as opposed to five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 None of the teams are going to win out, and obviously 62 points isn't going to get it done, duh. And yes, teams will pick each other off, so of course they're not all going to finish up hot. I've said repeatedly I think it's going to take 92 points. Anyway, the point I was making with my standings post is that it's easy to say "Hey, look, the Devils are only three points out of the final WC berth!" It's true, but it's leaving out a lot of details, in that there's a lot of teams in the mix ahead of them, and most of them have games in hand on the Devils. This team can go on a nice run over the next 6-7 games and not make up much ground, especially when 3-point games rear their ugly heads. I'm still hopeful and not giving up, but it's not going to be as easy as being three points out will lead many to believe. Big difference between looking up at one team, as opposed to five. Yes, but none of that matters right now. Look if the Devils just go out and win as many games as they can, what the other teams do is irrelevant. It's just too early to worry about games in hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 How about the team gets the puck out of the zone every once in awhile!! or maybe gets an insurance goal with the ridiculous amount of cahnces they have had!! How do you blame Corey when he was perfect for 58 minutes?? He was perfect for 58 minutes and then gave up the lead for the third night in a row. And then gave one up to lose the game. I'm not saying it's all his fault, but I wouldn't mind seeing him being a little more clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonginator11 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) He was perfect for 58 minutes and then gave up the lead for the third night in a row. And then gave one up to lose the game. I'm not saying it's all his fault, but I wouldn't mind seeing him being a little more clutch. No one was stopping those two goals last night. Two perfect tip-ins. Edited February 5, 2014 by Bonginator11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 No one was stopping those two goals last night. Two perfect tip-ins. This. He would have to have reflexes at the speed of light to stop those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsfan118 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Yes, but none of that matters right now. Look if the Devils just go out and win as many games as they can, what the other teams do is irrelevant. It's just too early to worry about games in hand. Man I gotta say, you probably have a very happy life if you're this positive about everything.outside of hockey. It's a good way to be - glass half-full. ..that being said, you need to take a step back and be a little more realistic here (as do I, in the other direction. i tend to be a bit negative with this stuff). "If the Devils just go out and win.." - yeah, this would be great, except they haven't been able to string an extended win streak together all year. It's not logical to assume they will at this point, so keeping an eye on the standings does help. And, for the record, as CR1976 was alluding too, there's a tremendous difference between being 3 points back of a WC spot with even games remaining, and being 3 points back with other teams have game(s) at hand. I'm hoping you understand this and are just selectively ignoring it..because it definitely matters. It's hardly too early to be looking at stuff like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 This. He would have to have reflexes at the speed of light to stop those. And the last second goals in the two previous games also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Man I gotta say, you probably have a very happy life if you're this positive about everything.outside of hockey. It's a good way to be - glass half-full. ..that being said, you need to take a step back and be a little more realistic here (as do I, in the other direction. i tend to be a bit negative with this stuff). "If the Devils just go out and win.." - yeah, this would be great, except they haven't been able to string an extended win streak together all year. It's not logical to assume they will at this point, so keeping an eye on the standings does help. And, for the record, as CR1976 was alluding too, there's a tremendous difference between being 3 points back of a WC spot with even games remaining, and being 3 points back with other teams have game(s) at hand. I'm hoping you understand this and are just selectively ignoring it..because it definitely matters. It's hardly too early to be looking at stuff like this. Realistically, they have a realistic chance at making the playoffs a reality. And no it doesn't matter this early in the season. 25 games to go is too early to worry about games in hand. Like I said, it's gonna take more than 62 points to get in regardless, and it is extremely unlikely that the other teams are gonna win out the season. I'm neither pessimistic nor optimistic. I am 100% being realistic here. And the last second goals in the two previous games also? Too wide open nets? Um yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) Who gives a sh!t about the early pulled goalie. It was a good move by Roy, but we have no clue if Pete would have done the same move if the exact situation occurred with the Devils down 1 goal. It really isn't relevant. The Devils have scored plenty with their own net empty this season. People seem to be grasping at anything to take a shot at Deboer. There is a reason Deboer got feisty with the media two games ago. Some times sh!t happens and it sucks, but there isn't a specific root cause for it. No need to point the finger at the coach or even put blame on a single player. Edit: Meant to quote NJDevs4978 for this response. Edited February 5, 2014 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown01NJ Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Rangers stomped Colorado tonight of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 WTF kind of stupid response is that? No sh!t everyone plays 82 games genius. Can you comprehend that the Devils are at a little bit of a disadvantage in that the teams right around them in the standings have games in hand? Shouldn't be that hard to grasp. Maybe I have a stupid sense of humor but this response really made me laugh. Sounds like a family dinner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) Who gives a sh!t about the early pulled goalie. It was a good move by Roy, but we have no clue if Pete would have done the same move if the exact situation occurred with the Devils down 1 goal. It really isn't relevant. The Devils have scored plenty with their own net empty this season. People seem to be grasping at anything to take a shot at Deboer. There is a reason Deboer got feisty with the media two games ago. Some times sh!t happens and it sucks, but there isn't a specific root cause for it. No need to point the finger at the coach or even put blame on a single player. Edit: Meant to quote NJDevs4978 for this response. DeBoer got feisty with the NEW JERSEY media...could you imagine him in Toronto or Montreal if we're ticking him off? It's not like we've ever asked him a tough question until like two weeks ago. He wasn't even asked a tough question the other night, he just got a uncharacteristically snide remark from TG and went off on it for a minute. And I'm not taking a shot at when DeBoer pulls the goalies, he does it chalk when we're down a goal and agressive when we're down two. That's fine with me. My only point about last night was it's funny how his fascination with certain players came back to bite him in the tookus when Roy took advantage of it. And that Roy pulled the goalie in a one-goal game earlier than Pete or pretty much any other coach. Edited February 5, 2014 by NJDevs4978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubie#8 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Lol I learned that everyone plays 82 games. What a thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 Lol I learned that everyone plays 82 games. What a thread. My point is that it's gonna take more than 62 points to get into the playoffs. 25 games remaining as opposed to 26 games remaining isn't a big deal. Worry about games in hand when one team has 4 games to go, and another has 5 games to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 My point is that it's gonna take more than 62 points to get into the playoffs. Really? Man I was hoping we could go 1-23-1 and still clinch. Another point or two and maybe we'd get home ice too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 My point is that it's gonna take more than 62 points to get into the playoffs. 25 games remaining as opposed to 26 games remaining isn't a big deal. Worry about games in hand when one team has 4 games to go, and another has 5 games to go. Wow, that's profound, thank God you pointed that out, none of us would've figured that out. So the season is 82 games for everyone and it will take more than 62 points to make the playoffs. Noted. I'll explain it to you one last time: the Devils aren't alone in this thing. There's a lot of teams in this mix. Like I said, I think there are some people who see the Devils as being three points out and think they're a lot closer to making the playoffs than they really are, that they only need a few wins in a row and they'll move up to a potential playoff berth. There's a couple of issues with that, one being that the Devils are going to need constant nightly help (due to the volume of teams ahead of them), and the other being that chances are the Devils could go on a 5-1-1 type run, yet still find themselves 3 points out with seven less games on the schedule. Again, I'm not saying the Devils can't make the playoffs, and if they get to 92 points, chances are they're in, especially if they win some key games (Carolina, Detriot, etc). But they have put together some approaching what the Rangers have done sooner rather than later. It's fine if you want to say that not all of the teams are going to "win out" (duh...BTW that's not what I was saying at all), but guess what? They're not all going to lose out either. Maybe I have a stupid sense of humor but this response really made me laugh. Sounds like a family dinner When I read this, I pictured Tony Soprano saying that to AJ. Definitely made me chuckle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) Wow, that's profound, thank God you pointed that out, none of us would've figured that out. So the season is 82 games for everyone and it will take more than 62 points to make the playoffs. Noted. I'll explain it to you one last time: the Devils aren't alone in this thing. There's a lot of teams in this mix. Like I said, I think there are some people who see the Devils as being three points out and think they're a lot closer to making the playoffs than they really are, that they only need a few wins in a row and they'll move up to a potential playoff berth. There's a couple of issues with that, one being that the Devils are going to need constant nightly help (due to the volume of teams ahead of them), and the other being that chances are the Devils could go on a 5-1-1 type run, yet still find themselves 3 points out with seven less games on the schedule. Again, I'm not saying the Devils can't make the playoffs, and if they get to 92 points, chances are they're in, especially if they win some key games (Carolina, Detriot, etc). But they have put together some approaching what the Rangers have done sooner rather than later. It's fine if you want to say that not all of the teams are going to "win out" (duh...BTW that's not what I was saying at all), but guess what? They're not all going to lose out either. It doesn't matter. By the time the end of the season comes around, or close to it, there will be teams that are eliminated. Hell maybe one of them is us. But this logjam will slowly start to break apart. THIS MAY COME TO A SHOCK TO YOU, BUT THESE TEAMS WILL ALL BE PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR THE MOST PART IN THE FINAL 2 AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE SEASON! That includes us. In other words, we will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap ourselves, not to mention when they beat up on each other. Worrying about the games in hand and seeding AT THIS VERY MOMENT is pointless! Edited February 5, 2014 by Mike Brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneax Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 (edited) It doesn't matter. By the time the end of the season comes around, or close to it, there will be teams that are eliminated. Hell maybe one of them is us. But this logjam will slowly start to break apart. THIS MAY COME TO A SHOCK TO YOU, BUT THESE TEAMS WILL ALL BE PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR THE MOST PART IN THE FINAL 2 AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE SEASON! That includes us. In other words, we will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap ourselves, not to mention when they beat up on each other. Worrying about the games in hand and seeding AT THIS VERY MOMENT is pointless! I hope you realize that the portion that you wrote in bold, doesn't help the devils case for making the playoffs. AKA there will be nights where someone in the standings near us is getting points no matter what. Also I doubt this logjam breaks up. This division will be like this until the end. Edited February 5, 2014 by Sneax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 It doesn't matter. By the time the end of the season comes around, or close to it, there will be teams that are eliminated. Hell maybe one of them is us. But this logjam will slowly start to break apart. THIS MAY COME TO A SHOCK TO YOU, BUT THESE TEAMS WILL ALL BE PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR THE MOST PART IN THE FINAL 2 AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE SEASON! That includes us. In other words, we will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap ourselves, not to mention when they beat up on each other. Worrying about the games in hand and seeding AT THIS VERY MOMENT is pointless! The last dozen posts or so by you are again you playing both sides and that is why half the board finds you annoying. You are telling people it's too early about what other teams are doing yet in the OOT thread you post every fvcking day about what results we want from other teams to help us in the standings. Stop talking out of both sides of your mouth and drop the "playing devils advocate" schtick coma you seem to be in and more people won't have an issue with you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 It doesn't matter. By the time the end of the season comes around, or close to it, there will be teams that are eliminated. Hell maybe one of them is us. But this logjam will slowly start to break apart. THIS MAY COME TO A SHOCK TO YOU, BUT THESE TEAMS WILL ALL BE PLAYING AGAINST EACH OTHER FOR THE MOST PART IN THE FINAL 2 AND A HALF MONTHS IN THE SEASON! That includes us. In other words, we will have plenty of opportunities to close the gap ourselves, not to mention when they beat up on each other. Worrying about the games in hand and seeding AT THIS VERY MOMENT is pointless! The other thing you're missing is that we'll also see our share of three-point games in those head-to-heads. That doesn't help matters, and is a big reason why climbing up the standings is a real bitch in today's NHL. These days, teams only really "beat up on each other" when one of them comes away with no points. You keep missing my point...I am NOT worrying about seeding and games-in-hand (I brought them up only to paint a complete picture of where the Devils are), I am pointing out that it's not going to be as easy to nab a wild-card berth as you seem to think it will be. I'd say the Devils have somewhere around a 45% chance to get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 I hope you realize that the portion that you wrote in bold, doesn't help the devils case for making the playoffs. AKA there will be nights where someone in the standings near us is getting points. It does actually. It does one of two things. 1. It breaks up the logjam. 2. It keeps the cutoff point total lower. The Devils have...... 2 games vs Carolina 1 game vs Columbus 2 games vs Detroit 1 game vs the Rags 1 game vs Ottawa 1 game vs the Flyers 1 game vs Tampa 1 game vs the Leafs 2 games vs Washington 12 of the remaining 25 games are against the teams in the logjam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brown Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 The other thing you're missing is that we'll also see our share of three-point games in those head-to-heads. That doesn't help matters, and is a big reason why climbing up the standings is a real bitch in today's NHL. These days, teams only really "beat up on each other" when one of them comes away with no points. You keep missing my point...I am NOT worrying about seeding and games-in-hand (I brought them up only to paint a complete picture of where the Devils are), I am pointing out that it's not going to be as easy to nab a wild-card berth as you seem to think it will be. I'd say the Devils have somewhere around a 45% chance to get in. Fair point. But remember. In the games where two teams in the logjam are facing off against each other, they're not just gonna give the point to the opposition. It won't make a ginormous difference in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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