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Brodeur: Devils have accepted mediocrity


NJDevs4978

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http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2014/04/devils_martin_brodeur_says_mediocrity_has_been_the_norm_lately.html

 

“The thing is, we used to be a team that didn’t hover over .500,” Brodeur said Wednesday afternoon. “That’s something only the last few years we’ve been content with being that.

 

“Even the year we made it all the way (2011-12), all year it’s not like we gave ourselves a big cushion. We had to come back late to the middle of the season and we had to push to get to the playoffs.”

 

“So that’s something that going forward (Lamoriello) has to make sure we get back to that for the organization to be more of an impact. That means having a solid regular season and a solid start to the regular season, no letdown and be a power house like some of the teams are.”

 

 

In a sense he's not wrong...but part of me feels like shooting back, sure they've accepted mediocrity by playing YOU a shade under half the games this year.

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He is right about the team being a little too comfortable about being average, but he must also start by looking at himself in the mirror.  Hell for the past couple of seasons we would be happy if he was average, instead of these some nights good and a lot of nights bad kind of Brodeur we have been seeing.

 

If he is not happy with the direction of the team, then he can certainly move on to another team in the off-season.  I won't stop him.

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The only thing keeping us at least mediocre this year was Cory. If Marty had started more like he wanted we wouldn't even be that. It's unreal how oblivious he is and I really wish he'd shut up and go out with some shred of legacy left in my mind. This is killing me to witness.

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On one hand, he's not wrong, but on the other, I really don't want to hear it from a guy who's been a big part of the mediocrity the past two seasons either.  Sometimes it almost feels like he's daring his teammates to call him out as he's calling them out.

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On one hand, he's not wrong, but on the other, I really don't want to hear it from a guy who's been a big part of the mediocrity the past two seasons either. Sometimes it almost feels like he's daring his teammates to call him out as he's calling them out.

Exactly. Well said, pretty much hits on what I was going to post.

Don't be a mediocre goaltender then complain that the team has accepted mediocrity.

Also, anything better than NHL .500 would be over achieving for this roster, imo. The talent just isn't there.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

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I actually think he's calling Pete out as much as anything (which wouldn't shock me especially since Pete benched him).  But even there he's not wrong, I could pretty much write the script for a Pete press conference after every loss before it starts - 'I liked our effort, we just ran into a hot goalie...tough team in a tough building...couldn't get the breaks'

 

But yeah it's possible he could be calling out his teammates too, most of whom weren't even around when we were a consistent winner.

Edited by NJDevs4978
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He'd almost be tolerable if he threw one of these in there every once in a while.

 

That's part of the reason I love Schneider's approach to the game: rarely says uses the team as a collective when talking about needing to play harder or where things went wrong and shoulders it himself for why they lost. Sure he can't score the goals but he won't tell the press that, he takes it on himself.

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I think Marty is settting himself up in management of the team.   Maybe he's already got a front-office job in the fold?

 

This team has been mired in mediocrity since losing Scott Stevens / Scott Niedermayer / and Ken Daneyko.

 

No natural leader has stepped up to shoulder the burden and to deliver victories for the franchise.  Granted, NHL parity is at its all-time high, but still, no reason why this team couldn't compete to be in the playoffs.

 

Guys like Michael Ryder / Damien Brunner / and Ryane Clowe just dont work IN COMBINATION...it's like putting a sizzling steak on a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios...yes, good in their own individual right, but together, as disgusting as one would imagine.

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A few thoughts:

 

1) I'll credit TG for reporting on the team and not actively searching for clickbait when he easily could have this season.

 

2) I don't believe it at all. Winning in hockey is very very very hard. Building a great franchise is very hard. Constantly being at the top is near impossible. What the Devils had from 94 to 2003 was incredible. Most franchises would fvcking kill for 2004-2012. I don't get accepting mediocrity. Lou is trying to win. Deboer is trying to win. A lot of luck went into this team being a powerhouse. A lot of great moves too. Lou and his staff have had more misses lately, but just the way it is. Not about accepting anything. Did the Canadiens accept mediocrity after the 70s? Did the Oilers after the 80s? The Avs and Stars at the end of the first lockout? No. You can only be great for so long. It's like Brodeur himself, unless he can't see it in himself, he lost his fastball a long time ago.

 

3) For for him to talk about mediocrity is laughable. The only way I'd agree with him is if he said, "Deboer should have started Cory 65 games if we didn't want to be mediocre". Honestly, the team that signs Brodeur next season and gives him what he wants (more games than this year) will be the leader in the clubhouse for "accepting mediocrity" For Brodeur to say that, he is insulting Lou, Conte, Deboer, and his teammates.

 

4) I'll say this about NJ.com and Dave Huchinson, if you are going to run this piece, you better damn go and ask Lou, Deboer and Brodeur's teammates if they've accepted mediocrity.  See what they think.

Edited by devilsrule33
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Just because Marty isn't as athletically gifted as he once was, does not mean his opinion should count for less. Brain trust in the Devils locker room is Elias, Marty, and Jagr to a lesser degree. If all 3 of them feel this way it is a pretty damning assessment.

 

I'm not saying he's wrong, but he's also a big part of the problem and a big reason we're mediocre and thus probably shouldn't be calling anyone else out in this situation. If Jagr said it, well, I'd allow it because he's played his ass off and given his all.

Edited by PWW
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I wish he would just once in his career admit fault in anything. He's never pointed the finger at himself. It's so god damn annoying.

It was easier to tolerate and defend when he was stopping the puck. But hell, if HE was mediocre this season and not flat out awful, maybe we would be in the playoffs.

This is like Ryder calling out the team for accepting mediocrity.

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Just because Marty isn't as athletically gifted as he once was, does not mean his opinion should count for less. Brain trust in the Devils locker room is Elias, Marty, and Jagr to a lesser degree. If all 3 of them feel this way it is a pretty damning assessment.

 

His opinion should count for less when he is mediocre at best and thinks the Devils have accepted mediocre, yet wants to play as many games as possible. Does not add up.

 

Even if what he was saying is true, well it's up to two or tree people to make sure they don't accept it. The GM of a team and the player(s) that can link the past to the present. That's Brodeur and Elias. If he'd rather just sit and tell the media that rather than step up in a close door meeting and demand they don't accept where they are...well that's also a problem.

 

It's just a dumb thing to say the Devils are accepting mediocrity. Accepting mediocrity to me is an owner letting a GM and a coach still have a job after years and years of failure. It's what was going on in Buffalo before Regeir was fired or what's gone on with the Islanders with Snow. If what Brodeur is saying is not a shot at the GM of the team, it's a shot at the players for Andy Greene accepting that he isn't Scott Niedermayer, Bryce Salvador accepting he isn't Scott Stevens. Peter Harrold accepting he isn't Brian Rafalski.

Edited by devilsrule33
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He's not wrong at all.  If Martin Brodeur can't say it then who?  People can be down on him which is fine but this team is horrible.  I think his shot here is at Lou not anyone else.  Marty's playing career is done but he still knows the game. Management needs to wake up!  Lou should have traded Marty at the deadline for a bag of pucks.  We haven't seen anything, yet...

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He's not wrong at all.  If Martin Brodeur can't say it then who?  People can be down on him which is fine but this team is horrible.  I think his shot here is at Lou not anyone else.  Marty's playing career is done but he still knows the game. Management needs to wake up!  Lou should have traded Marty at the deadline for a bag of pucks.  We haven't seen anything, yet...

 

Jagr can.  Schneider can.  Because these players are NJ's best players and without them they'd finish bottom 5 in the league.  Brodeur can't because he sucks now.  I'll just say it in words that the fanbase definitely understands:  he sucks.  He's no longer better than anyone.  When players play well they can criticize their teammates.  When they do not play well they should close their mouths, because the rest of the team is trying, they're just not that good.  1999-2000 Jason Arnott isn't walking through that door.  Scott Niedermayer isn't walking through that door.  Scott Stevens is walking through that door but only to tell Gelinas to hit more or something.  It isn't a good team, but Brodeur isn't helping.  In fact, he's hurting - he hurts the team every time he steps on the ice to play.

Edited by Triumph
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He's not wrong at all.  If Martin Brodeur can't say it then who?  People can be down on him which is fine but this team is horrible.  I think his shot here is at Lou not anyone else.  Marty's playing career is done but he still knows the game. Management needs to wake up!  Lou should have traded Marty at the deadline for a bag of pucks.  We haven't seen anything, yet...

 

It's all about the phrasing.  He's pointing fingers.  He's been part of the problem the past two years, and for him to pretend otherwise is frustrating.

 

If he's speaking from a management perspective, he should give Pete kudos for sitting his ass when the games really mattered.

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Still have time to waive him. His comments are a shot at everyone in the organization, not just from this year, but for the last several years. They are beyond unacceptable. A bitter Marty just wants to take the ball home with him when he leaves, he better just hope one of his kids doesn't fire it past his mediocre blocker.

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