196 replies to this topic

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Count me in the glass half empty crowd...one regulation win in five games, and we've gotten smoked by two of the three good offenses we faced (and probably the only reason we dominated LA was their ridiculous travel schedule).

Maybe the fact we had long layoffs before the Philly and Shark games had something to do with the hideous defensive performances, but we'll find out soon enough.

Yeah, agree, Devils are very lucky to be 3-1-1 (last night may be the beginning of that luck starting to run out). I think of them more as a 1-1-3 team (old W-L-T record).

I guess the glass half full crowd can say, hey, the Devils haven't really been that good but have found a way to take 7 out of 10 points. At least they find ways to win, right?

But I'm definitely not in that camp...I get the feeling a downturn is coming.

[njdevil26]

Yeah, agree, Devils are very lucky to be 3-1-1 (last night may be the beginning of that luck starting to run out). I think of them more as a 1-1-3 team (old W-L-T record).

I guess the glass half full crowd can say, hey, the Devils haven't really been that good but have found a way to take 7 out of 10 points. At least they find ways to win, right?

But I'm definitely not in that camp...I get the feeling a downturn is coming.

I don't know... I still think it's too early to start getting worried... especially when we've played the Flyers, Kings, Preds, and Sharks along with the Pens tonight then the Kings again. That's a pretty tough schedule to open a season with while you have a good number of young guys in the lineup with a brand new coach with a new system.

Meanwhile, the first place Pens have played the Jets, Wild, Panthers, Oilers, and Flames.

The Devils don't start seeing a lighter schedule til the end of November with the Panthers, Blue Jackets, Isles x2, Avs, into early December with the Jets, Wild, Leafs and Sens.

[Legion15]

I'll take 3-1-1 for the first five.

me too given the schedule we had to open with. the rookies and the new coach

[Triumph]

What do the two games where the Devils got outplayed have in common? A huge gap between games. The others, NJ was the better team, clearly. This team is barely lucky to be 3-1-1.

[RunninWithTheDevil]

i thought they played pretty goddamn decent if i can say so myself, came away with a point from a very tough sharks team...

Our fans are the only fans who could ever find (a) problem(ssssssss) with this start. we're 3-1-1 (for the most part without marty, may i add), and that's a damn good start IMO, especially after last year.

man, if this thread doesn't prove that we have some of the most spoiled, bratty fans in the NHL... (im sure we'll prove it eventually)

[devlman]

This was posted over at HF and I think it speaks volumes:

If the Hockey Gods told us two weeks ago that we will come out of the gates 3-1-1 (7th in the East with games in hand aplenty) against Philly, Carolina, LA, Nashville, and SJ, you guys would be dancing in the streets. (credit apice3)

We had no business winning this game - we eaked out a point - onwards and upwards!

Agreed. We've had a tough ached to start.

[Onddeck]

i thought they played pretty goddamn decent if i can say so myself, came away with a point from a very tough sharks team...

Our fans are the only fans who could ever find (a) problem(ssssssss) with this start. we're 3-1-1 (for the most part without marty, may i add), and that's a damn good start IMO, especially after last year.

man, if this thread doesn't prove that we have some of the most spoiled, bratty fans in the NHL... (im sure we'll prove it eventually)

thats not the point, its just that we lost the game last night in the final minute... never fun to see

[Devils731]

What do the two games where the Devils got outplayed have in common? A huge gap between games. The others, NJ was the better team, clearly. This team is barely lucky to be 3-1-1.

I think you can argue the style of both those teams is similar as well, so it could be the Devils struggle after long layoffs, struggle against teams that heavily forecheck with size and speed, or some combination of both.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

i thought they played pretty goddamn decent if i can say so myself, came away with a point from a very tough sharks team...

Our fans are the only fans who could ever find (a) problem(ssssssss) with this start. we're 3-1-1 (for the most part without marty, may i add), and that's a damn good start IMO, especially after last year.

man, if this thread doesn't prove that we have some of the most spoiled, bratty fans in the NHL... (im sure we'll prove it eventually)

It has nothing to do with being spoiled. It has to do with how they got that record, and their play in those five games.

One of the wins came in regulation.

They've scored 13 goals in 6 GP...a total that's pretty bad to begin with, and of those 13, 2 don't exist (phantom goals for winning the SO), one was an empty netter, another was on a penalty shot. Scoring on the power play and getting goals from the defense continue to be issues. They have looked overwhelmed at times, which has also been an ongoing problem.

Maybe you can look at a 3-1-1 record (now 3-2-1) and blindly be happy with it, but it has a very smoke-and-mirrors feel to it.

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976, 24 October 2011 - 11:49 AM.

[Triumph]

It has nothing to do with being spoiled. It has to do with how they got that record, and their play in those five games.

One of the wins came in regulation.

They've scored 13 goals in 6 GP...a total that's pretty bad to begin with, and of those 13, 2 don't exist (phantom goals for winning the SO), one was an empty netter, another was on a penalty shot. Scoring on the power play and getting goals from the defense continue to be issues. They have looked overwhelmed at times, which has also been an ongoing problem.

Maybe you can look at a 3-1-1 record (now 3-2-1) at blindly be happy with it, but it has a very smoke-and-mirrors feel to it.

The Devils have a solid defense, although without Zajac and Josefson that's going to be tested. They are going to play a lot of low-scoring games. This is rewarded in today's idiotic NHL point structure. They're also pretty good at the shootout - among active goalies, Johan Hedberg has the highest SV% in shootouts. Parise is one of the best shooters - he ranks 11th all time in shootout shooting percentage (min 20 attempts). Elias is above average. NJ should win more than 50% of its shootouts. Those extra points are going to help a great deal.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

The Devils have a solid defense, although without Zajac and Josefson that's going to be tested. They are going to play a lot of low-scoring games. This is rewarded in today's idiotic NHL point structure. They're also pretty good at the shootout - among active goalies, Johan Hedberg has the highest SV% in shootouts. Parise is one of the best shooters - he ranks 11th all time in shootout shooting percentage (min 20 attempts). Elias is above average. NJ should win more than 50% of its shootouts. Those extra points are going to help a great deal.

Agree, the SO points will help, but to me it adds to the whole smoke-and-mirrors feel. I remember back during the 2008-09 season, the Rangers were racking up a lot of SO points, and how we all pointed that out, and how their record seemed fake because of it (looked it up, and from Oct 17 to Dec 13, the Rangers posted a record of 15-10-2...on the strength of 8 shootout wins. It got to the point where squishyx made it sound like the Rangers were purposely trying to get to the shootout due to the fact they were winning them). Just six of their wins out of those 22 GP came in regulation.

[Triumph]

Agree, the SO points will help, but to me it adds to the whole smoke-and-mirrors feel. I remember back during the 2008-09 season, the Rangers were racking up a lot of SO points, and how we all pointed that out, and how their record seemed fake because of it (looked it up, and from Oct 17 to Dec 13, the Rangers posted a record of 15-10-2...on the strength of 8 shootout wins. It got to the point where squishyx made it sound like the Rangers were purposely trying to get to the shootout due to the fact they were winning them). Just six of their wins out of those 22 GP came in regulation.

Sure, but it beats not winning shootouts. The 08-09 Rangers were actually a pretty good team (53.4% fenwick with score tied, below-average PP, above average PK) whose shooting luck fell off a cliff mid-season and that got Renney fired. But if you play low-scoring games, you'll play a lot of overtime games, and you'll have enough points to get to the playoffs. That's all that matters.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Sure, but it beats not winning shootouts. The 08-09 Rangers were actually a pretty good team (53.4% fenwick with score tied, below-average PP, above average PK) whose shooting luck fell off a cliff mid-season and that got Renney fired. But if you play low-scoring games, you'll play a lot of overtime games, and you'll have enough points to get to the playoffs. That's all that matters.

Yeah, all the points you can get, of course you take 'em...goes without saying.

Devils have given up 3+ goals in 3 out of their 6 GP. I'm not sold on them being this good defensive team yet. I think what we've seen in this limited sample is what's going to be norm...eeked out wins, losses by 2+ goals. They're likely going to have a pretty lousy goal differential.

[Triumph]

Yeah, all the points you can get, of course you take 'em...goes without saying.

Devils have given up 3+ goals in 3 out of their 6 GP. I'm not sold on them being this good defensive team yet. I think what we've seen in this limited sample is what's going to be norm...eeked out wins, losses by 2+ goals. They're likely going to have a pretty lousy goal differential.

There've been 6 games, 5 of which were against playoff teams from last season. It's incredibly premature to say anything like that, and frankly, a little ridiculous.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

There've been 6 games, 5 of which were against playoff teams from last season. It's incredibly premature to say anything like that, and frankly, a little ridiculous.

Based on what? The sample size? Because Triumph said so? I don't think it's ridiculous at all, especially with Zajac and now Josefson out of the lineup. Like I've said, the issues aren't anything new...the weak PP, lack of scoring from the defense...I don't see anything to lead me to believe that it's going to significantly improve anytime soon.

I'm actually OK with this, in that my expectations weren't high going into this season...I do feel like this was going to be a transition year.

[Triumph]

Based on what? The sample size? Because Triumph said so? I don't think it's ridiculous at all, especially with Zajac and now Josefson out of the lineup. Like I've said, the issues aren't anything new...the weak PP, lack of scoring from the defense...I don't see anything to lead me to believe that it's going to significantly improve anytime soon.

I'm actually OK with this, in that my expectations weren't high going into this season...I do feel like this was going to be a transition year.

Wow, so it took you six games to conclude what you thought anyway.

And yes, of course it's the sample size. Josefson out hurts, and the PP hasn't been good, but both of these have time to improve. There's new players, which is really the potential difference.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Wow, so it took you six games to conclude what you thought anyway.

And yes, of course it's the sample size. Josefson out hurts, and the PP hasn't been good, but both of these have time to improve. There's new players, which is really the potential difference.

On the "Wow" comment...yes, there was a part of me hoping the team would surprise, out of simple fan optimism. But we're clearly a long way from that.