67 replies to this topic

[Jerrydevil]

I'll go with meritocracy: the guy who has won 8 SC's, twice coach of the year, another cup as coach with us, 2010 Gold Medal coach....

... and lame-duck interim.

[moustic]

Who care if PP was working if 5 on 5 was putrid ?!
You have to look at the big picture.. not only our PP... Having rested player at 5-5 (with not having the whole "stars" in the same PP unit)

Anyway...
With the way this team play this year... Players are always wrong so they shut up !

[maxpower]

they've been putrid all year 5 on 5, no matter who played on the PP. it's a strawman. like I said, Jacques probably saw them play 2 or 3 times, if that. who in their right mind would sit through that if they were unaligned with the team?

[Devils731]

Maybe JL watched the start of the year when the same PP wasn't scoring at all.

[CarpathianForest]

Jacques has been pretty right on with his observations of their play if you read his comments. The PP was getting better before Jacques fiddled with it but we were still losing. Like I said before guys like Sestito and Pelley are getting PP time because of their effort and ability to susatin a presence in the offensive end during a PP. You can have the old lineup on the powerplay but once those guys get rushed by a defender they typically make awful decisions and boom! the puck gets tossed out of the zone. No offensive pressure from the regualr cast of folks on the powerplay. Add to that the fact that Zubs was out, he's the only guy that can really get down low with puck possession and not get shaken and you've got to give other guys a chance. It's all moot though. 5 on 5 should be the concern.

[coldply123]

I like the fact that Lemaire does seem to be a knowledgeable coach and I'm sure he is trying to evaluate what seems to be wrong with the Devils. However, I actually kind of understand what Elias saying and agree with him somewhat. It seems that Lemaire is just sort of tossing things around like a salad.

[NJDevs4978]

Maybe JL watched the start of the year when the same PP wasn't scoring at all.

It wasn't the same power play, they weren't using nine forwards all the time and didn't have Zajac as the PP QB until they got really desperate.

The only time having nine forwards on the PP hurts you is the next even-strength shift if you don't score, then you have to send out the fourth line against likely the opposition's top scorers.

[Devils731]

They Devils did use 9 forwards earlier in the season, people were mad about it since it wasn't scoring goals then.

This also wasn't Zajac's first time being used at the point.

Point being, the PP was hot and so people don't want it to have been changed, but it wasn't going to be hot forever, and they've been trying different things all season. They've all worked if guys first shots are going in and they've all failed when they haven't. To look at the PP that was hot for a few games and act like it found a magic formula isn't right.

[NJDevs4978]

They Devils did use 9 forwards earlier in the season, people were mad about it since it wasn't scoring goals then.

This also wasn't Zajac's first time being used at the point.

Point being, the PP was hot and so people don't want it to have been changed, but it wasn't going to be hot forever, and they've been trying different things all season. They've all worked if guys first shots are going in and they've all failed when they haven't. To look at the PP that was hot for a few games and act like it found a magic formula isn't right.

And Lemaire's power play was historically bad the second half of last season and has been awful again since he came back so maybe he should have left bad enough alone at least until the PP did go cold again.

He changes things that don't need to be changed, like when Parise-Zajac-Zubrus were dynamite for a few games last year then he all of a sudden decides to put Zubrus on the fourth line, 'to get them going'. As if Zubrus is even a good enough player to elevate a line on his own anyway.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 06 January 2011 - 04:24 PM.

[DevilinLA]

If Langenbrunner had made this comment to the press this board would be screaming "he's leading a locker room mutiny - he's a whiner!".
How is this any different?

This is what 3, 4 times he's done this with the press this season?

Patty needs to re-learn how to keep his mouth shut to the press. Its not the coaching - its the players work ethic - you included St. Elias.

[maxpower]

yeah, he should keep his mouth shut when he's right and the coach is wrecking one of the few things they did well. makes sense. bottom line is JL probably wasn't watching the Devils when this worked, and Zajac was not playing paddy-cake with Kovy at the point earlier in the season. it was a desperation move, because no one overloads their PP with *no defensemen* and having a C, who has to take the faceoff, play a lone point unless they've just run out of logical things that could work.

but, since Lemaire was up in the mountains of Quebec or wherever he was, I'm pretty damn sure he wasn't paying attention to it. like I said, why would he want to?

this is the guy who tried Parise at the point. he's stubborn and I don't think he does his homework before he shows up. obviously, this time, he has a perfectly valid excuse not to.

[coldply123]

If Langenbrunner had made this comment to the press this board would be screaming "he's leading a locker room mutiny - he's a whiner!".
How is this any different?

This is what 3, 4 times he's done this with the press this season?

Patty needs to re-learn how to keep his mouth shut to the press. Its not the coaching - its the players work ethic - you included St. Elias.

Elias is not a part of the problem here. He's been the team's most consistent forward this year. And I couldn't disagree with you more, coaching is and has been a part of the problem.

[CarpathianForest]

yeah, he should keep his mouth shut when he's right and the coach is wrecking one of the few things they did well. makes sense. bottom line is JL probably wasn't watching the Devils when this worked, and Zajac was not playing paddy-cake with Kovy at the point earlier in the season. it was a desperation move, because no one overloads their PP with *no defensemen* and having a C, who has to take the faceoff, play a lone point unless they've just run out of logical things that could work.

but, since Lemaire was up in the mountains of Quebec or wherever he was, I'm pretty damn sure he wasn't paying attention to it. like I said, why would he want to?

this is the guy who tried Parise at the point. he's stubborn and I don't think he does his homework before he shows up. obviously, this time, he has a perfectly valid excuse not to.

Which stellar defenseman are we going to put at the point, Tallinder or Greene?

[DevilinLA]

Elias is not a part of the problem here. He's been the team's most consistent forward this year. And I couldn't disagree with you more, coaching is and has been a part of the problem.

The issue a hand is what should be kept "in house" vs. what should be "aired to the public". Period

I don't care if he scored 40 goals.

The coaching "problem" is nearing on a decade.

[CarpathianForest]

DevilinLA has a point. I wouldn't go agreeing with Elias wholeheartedly especially when this team has been known as coach killers for several years.

[Jerrydevil]

The fact that Lemaire is here at all is a joke, and the fact that he played scrubs (who have no future here) on a power play in a tight game shows that he's really out to lunch. Whatever, it all fits like a glove considering how screwed up things are in NJ.

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

Patty has been vocal all season when he has seen something he didn't like. I doubt he is the only person in the dressing room thinking it. I dont think he was overly negative or disruptive. If anyone else had said it i would have felt the same.

DevilinLA,its just going to be like this, get over it.

[MantaRay]

With JL back it is just a matter of time for Langs to be traded and potentially Patty.

[DaneykoIsGod]

Patty needs to let the coach do the coaching.

[BlueSkirt]

... and lame-duck interim.

when we're winning at a .400 clip, I will be happy that he's back