Lemaire allergic to goal scoring

[sundstrom]

before anyone gives me the Iversonian "Practice?! You're talking about practice?" crap, this is where the Devils are going to get in sync.

Too bad Smarty McCanaidienne thinks that completely fvcking with the lines is the cure to the devils scoring woes:

http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/kovalchuk_back_for_devils_practice_today/#When:13:46:25Z

hey JL, why not go w/ what worked when you scored 5 goals and looked pretty dominant against Pittsburgh?

I think he hates Zubrus almost as much as Sutter did.

Are fans really smarter than this guy?

[njdevil26]

I was just about to post this as well...

Why the hell am I so angry? I don't get it!

Parise NEEDS to be with Zajac.

Zubrus NEEDS to be on the second line with Elias and Kovy.

The Rolston-Nieds-Clarkson line was actually playing well!

What the hell is going on!?

And he's rotating Zubrus and Nieds on the second PP unit? Zubes has been one of the best players since he came back. There has to be something we aren't being told here...

Zubrus played 13 minutes on Saturday...

[Devil Dan 56]

Far be it from me to question a hall of famer on hockey sense, but WHY IN THE HELL CAN'T WE STICK WITH THE LINES THAT DOMINATED THE RAGS AND PENS?!?!?

[overtime98]

Parise NEEDS to be with Zajac.

agreed 110 percent!

[sundstrom]

again, we've said it before - this is our team and this is our coach.

but an early exit because of poor line combos and inability to make adjustments should result in JL's ouster and end to his hockey career.

i don't think Lou would have any trouble explaining to the public that early round defeats that are clearly from a coach not being able to push the right buttons means you're out when you've got a team this talented.

[Triumph]

i am fine with separating elias and kovalchuk because that combination is simply not working - neither kovalchuk nor elias is getting enough chances at even strength. the devils scored 5 goals against pittsburgh, yes, but two of them were a direct result of terrible line changes, and another one was a gift on the power play. you can't really count on those sorts of things to drive your offense.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Triumph

[njdevil26]

The only lines I could see working besides what we've had are :

Kovalchuk-Zajac-Zubrus

Parise-Elias-Langenbrunner

[MantaRay]

While I agree that JL is not helping by changing lines around (and I agree with NJDev26 with his line combo's), but Lou is not going to fire JL.

I think Lou will take the blame by throwing the dynamics of the team out of whack by picking up Kovy. Kovy is a talented and great individual player who seems to really want to win, but changes the way the team plays (players deferring to him, JL giving him far too much PP time and playing him out of position on the point and Kovy just trying to do too much).

Right now, this trade looks like a mistake (I hope I am proven wrong), but I don't expect us to go beyond the first round, nor do I expect Kovy to be with us after July.

This team now lacks an identity.

[njdevil26]

i am fine with separating elias and kovalchuk because that combination is simply not working - neither kovalchuk nor elias is getting enough chances at even strength. the devils scored 5 goals against pittsburgh, yes, but two of them were a direct result of terrible line changes, and another one was a gift on the power play. you can't really count on those sorts of things to drive your offense.

6 goals against the Rangers (where Rolston-Nieds-Clarky were a great line) and 5 goals against the Pens. You can say whatever you want about how the goals got scored... But that's what happened. It is the chemistry and the play of those lines as units that cause turnovers and create the energy.

[sundstrom]

i am fine with separating elias and kovalchuk because that combination is simply not working - neither kovalchuk nor elias is getting enough chances at even strength. the devils scored 5 goals against pittsburgh, yes, but two of them were a direct result of terrible line changes, and another one was a gift on the power play. you can't really count on those sorts of things to drive your offense.

i disagree - when zubrus is with them, i've seen plenty of sustained pressure and some good chances.

as said earlier, i could possibly accept:

kovalchuk-zajac-langenbrunner

parise-zubrus-elias

but that's the ONLY change.

rolston has lost the chance for top 6 minutes IMO.

[njdevil26]

Parise-Zajac-Langenbrunner

Kovalchuk-Zubrus-Elias

Rolston-Niedermayer-Clarkson

Pelley-McAmmond-Zharkov (Leblond, Pandolfo)

Martin-Skoula

Salvador-Greene

White-Mottau

If I was coaching, these would be the lines. Not changing them EVERY FREAKING DAY might help with some chemistry issues.

Elias and Kovalchuk HAVE to work together. The whole roster gets thrown off if they don't mesh. I don't care what they have to do... make them spend a night or two in one of those interesting looking motels on Rt 1 in Elizabeth together. I don't care.

[Risky]

It's tough splitting up Elias and Kovalchuk because you instantly F with the Zajac-Parise pairing. Rolston absolutely has to be out of the top 6. Adding him demotes Zubrus or Langenbrunner and that simply can't happen. Not only is Rolston terrible, but his presence in the top 6 has a double-damage effect of removing someone else with actual ability and physical presence.

If I were Jacques, who I'm glad I'm not, I would restore the lines to the brief flash of success that we had after the Olympic break. That seemed to really have things going for us and the whole team fed off the resulting energy. Unfortunately, against both Toronto and St. Louis, this team looked like it had forgotten how to score goals. There were a few good flurries in the offensive zone, but the confidence as a whole for NJ is so fragile right now that even a short stretch of games where they are scoring 1, 0, 2 goals and not winning can have a deleterious effect that carries over into the next game(s).

I agree there is a problem with chemistry in our top 6 and I don't know how to fix it. I have the sense that Kovalchuk needs another constant offensive threat on his line, who at this point could only be Parise. Kovalchuk is trying to do too much every time he is out there. He needs a disher. Someone to take the heat off him and just feed him the puck with regularity. We all hoped this could be Elias but it hasn't really worked that way with any consistency. I'd even suggest putting Zajac with him. His offensive-zone passing is crisper than most of the other guys on the team, save Parise, who is still our best overall offensive threat. It's a big, unorthodox change but I wonder if it could get Ilya going a bit.

We still have 10 games to get this figured out, but the clock is clearly ticking.

[PaDevsFan]

Far be it from me to question a hall of famer on hockey sense, but WHY IN THE HELL CAN'T WE STICK WITH THE LINES THAT DOMINATED THE RAGS AND PENS?!?!?

Totally agree, I was saying this during the game against the Blues i nthe chatroom. I really for the LIFE OF ME dont understand this coaches logic. You go out and you put up what 5 against the Pens and 6 against the Rags, agaisnt 2 top goalies, with Lines of Parise Zajac and Zubie again and Kovie Patty and Langs, then you muck with them, and much some mor and now you get shut out by the Blues with Zubie on the 3rd line? This is ridiculous. And Rolston cannot be on the same line as Kovie total waste!!!

[HellOnICE]

JL is trying everything he can think of. Like I've said in previous threads, I'm cool with that. Things will settle down in the next 10 days or so, you'd have to think.

Relax and see what happens.

[cubanjd305]

Merge with the "Real Problem" thread. I'm sick of this guy shuffling lines. There's 11 games to the playoffs and I don't think one guy knows really how to play with and for his linemates. This is just ridiculous.

[njdevil26]

Besides PZL, this team has a chemistry issue. Not in the locker room, but on the ice. But I honestly blame that on the fact that no line has played together long enough to develop anything!

[NJDevs26]

A serious question, was Lemaire a constant tinkerer in his first tenure (specifically '93-95)? I know he shuttled young guys in and out during the playoffs like Rolston, Brylin, Dowd etc but I didn't watch the game with a discerning eye back then, I don't know whether he literally changed the lines every game the way he has this year. He didn't really change the top lines or the crash line around during the playoffs, I'm pretty sure of that.

Edited March 22, 2010 by NJDevs26

[Elias26]

Yea, I never have seen a coach changes line combos so much. I'm starting to think JL is losing his mind.

[msweet]

The Devils are going to do whatever it takes to try to work their $5M Rolston investment. JL/Lou are willing to potentially throw a few games to see what they can do for Rolston

Zubrus makes $3.4M per and is more tolerable in that way on line 3.

IMHO they will try this for a while.

Look at how they are paired today: he put his 2 problem wingers Kovy and Rolston with his best Center, Zajac.. hoping Zajac can control some of the play... Zajac wins the team's highest percentage of faceoffs so the hope is he wins the draw and Rolston or Kovy bang it home. Zajac is also good on the boards.

Elias and Parise with some toughness on the line (Langs) should be a very good line...Langs is good on the boards.

Clearly Zubrus is the best hope to allow a pairing of Elias and Kovy, but Rolston is the center of attention right now. Bench him,. and them speak out about how vital he is to the team and then play him in your top 6. SOP for an NHL team.

If Rolston can't get it going (which I'd bet giving 3-1 odds) you'll see ZZpops and Elais-Zub-Kovy come playoff time (or sooner)

The part that bothers me the most is the continued playing of R Niedermayer on the 2nd pp unit.... which really demonstrates this team's weakness in not having a legit 2nd line center.

[John Wensink]

First let me say that they should have kept the lines from the Rag/Pen games and ride it out.

But if there is to be change, I would suggest something radical...and I know almost all on here will hate it.

First line - Parise-Zajak-Zubes - to get anything out of Zubes he has to play with talent and have a defined role. I think we get this with him on this line. The other two are perfect together.

2nd line - Rolston-Elias-Langs - I'm no Rollie lover but he played his best with Elias. Langs is another good shooter for Elias to set up and he is great along the boards.

3rd - Kovy-Nieds-Clarkson - I know, I know....how to you put Kovy on the 3rd line? First - do not think of these lines like that, they'll all be very close to each other in time played. Secondly, Kovy is the only forward we have that can create his own chances. Why not put him with two other big bodies that create space for him? It's not like he needs a play making center or another shooter to be effective. That has not worked so far.

4th - Pelly-McAmmond-Pando/Zarks platoon.

This is just an alternate idea. Be kind!

No matter what JL does he should start to show patience. Hopefully he is tinkering now so if we hit a wall in the playoffs everyone has played with everyone?

[Triumph]

i disagree - when zubrus is with them, i've seen plenty of sustained pressure and some good chances.

as said earlier, i could possibly accept:

kovalchuk-zajac-langenbrunner

parise-zubrus-elias

but that's the ONLY change.

rolston has lost the chance for top 6 minutes IMO.

there is sustained pressure and good chances, when they actually manage to enter the zone with the puck, which simply doesn't happen often enough. kovalchuk has 14 shots at ES, elias 9, over the last 7 games. elias only has 1 shot on goal at even strength in the last 3 games. kovalchuk is going to get scoring chances almost regardless of who he plays with, but the kovalchuk-elias combo has really struggled to bring the puck up the ice from the defensive zone, plus elias just keeps losing faceoffs.

i agree that rolston should be out of the top 6.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Triumph

[sameblood]

Parise NEEDS to be with Zajac.

This has, and will always be, my thinking. They were made to play hockey together. Don't you dare split them up.

[maxpower]

even if Elias-Kovalchuk wasn't working, Elias-Zubrus was. and you isolate the bizarity to one line.

this Rolston-Kovalchuk combo blows on the boards. how is Zajac going to make that any better, is he going to get deep and do all the dirty work? good luck with that, leaving those two back there to play D.

this is Lemaire. it's the same thing as last time. he can't leave better off alone with the lines. he gets into this tinker mode and kills all of the chemistry the team has. Zubrus on the third line *on the wrong side* is retarded. Rolston on the wrong side is retarded, hell, the concept of Rolston itself is retarded

I've had enough of him for 3 lifetimes. hopefully the team can overcome him, because if they lose in the first round to any of that garbage, I never want to see Lemaire again.

Edited March 22, 2010 by maxpower

[Devils731]

So we've never seen Elias-Parise have really nice chemistry together before? Zajac and Kovalchuk can't possibly have any together?

People complain the lines get changed too much and then also complain when they aren't changed because they aren't working. It's such BS, just say "when the team wins I knew those lines were good and when they lose I knew they needed a change".

Zajac has 2 assists in the last 6 games and is -3. Langenbrunner has 0 points in the last 6 and is -1, Langenbrunner also has 0 shots in the last 2 games. That seems worthy of a shake up to me.

[devilsrule33]

So we've never seen Elias-Parise have really nice chemistry together before? Zajac and Kovalchuk can't possibly have any together?

People complain the lines get changed too much and then also complain when they aren't changed because they aren't working. It's such BS, just say "when the team wins I knew those lines were good and when they lose I knew they needed a change".

Zajac has 2 assists in the last 6 games and is -3. Langenbrunner has 0 points in the last 6 and is -1, Langenbrunner also has 0 shots in the last 2 games. That seems worthy of a shake up to me.

So do you think that demoting Zubrus to the 3rd line and off the PP and replacing him with Rolston and Niedermayer is the answer? Jacques has made some bonehead decisions all year and I think partly has to do with the scoring woes this season. Now it probably isn't fair to put all the blame on Lemaire, but this team might be the lowest scoring playoff team when it is all said and done and are among the worst scoring teams in the entire league. One way or another...the Devils have gone backwards in that regard.