21 replies to this topic

[Jimmy Leeds]

http://www.tmlfans.c...;threadid=24070

[pattyelias]

almost everything written is recycled espn garbage. i especially love hearing leafs fans whining about hooking and holding by the devils when the whole leafs team has perfected the art of water-skiing the opposing forwards in the neutral or when attempting to forecheck. all sour grapes but funny to read nonetheless.

[David Puddy]

Funny thing is they think they're making good arguments, but they really haven't said anything other than "the Devils play boring hockey". If I wanted to waste my time registering, I'd ask, "And how times have you seen the Devils play this year? Twice?"

[KYdevil]

Ok, How many of us really believe that any Leafs fan would rather them play exciting hockey than win a cup?

*listens to the crickets*

Thats what I figured.

[NJayDevil]

Don't draw fans in other arenas? Aren't the Devs top 5 in road attendance?!

Leaf fans crying makes me smile.

[sheeps]

Don't draw fans in other arenas? Aren't the Devs top 5 in road attendance?!

Leaf fans crying makes me smile.

I know last year we were #8.

I shall check.

This year we're #21 in home attendance (up one) and #23 in road attendance (down fifteen).

[NJayDevil]

Wow, I wasn;t expecting the Devs to be 23rd this year in road attendance. I am shocked actually.

[Don]

Well, my ticket package to the Sens games is with two other guys - both Sens fans. I had to fight and argue with them to put ONE Devils game into our 12 game pack.

"I'm not paying good money to see the trap" (after Alfredson admitted last year that the Sens DO use the trap to defend a third period lead)

"I want to see games with lots of goals"
"Devils games are always boring"
"The clutch-and-grab Cup Champions make hockey as exciting as soccer."

-------------------------

So we ended up with 1 Devils game in the pack - and one fellow suddenly fell ill that night.

Good thing too. That 2-1 game with the two goals in the last 90 seconds was 58:30 of HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, boring hockey. But the Sens were equally culpable in that.

--------------------------

Whether you consider them media myths or not, the vast majority of hockey fans hate our team and won't show up for the games.

[peteyvegas]

It's boring if you're not a Devils fan. It's gut wrenching if you are. Makes every game an adventure. Except the playoffs--those games are never boring. Somehow, the team figures out how good they are and goes b**ls to the wall.

[Jerrydevil]

I read that thread and I don't have a huge problem with it. I don't know if the Devils are single-handedly guilty of the boredom that often permeates NHL hockey, but I think the Devs do their share, and then some.

And I don't know how the NHL can fix it. I wonder if anyone really does. We all spit out theories, but I wonder, which ones would really work? Eh........

[NJD Jester]

From that Canadian board:

"Not only are they not loved, but they aren't hated.  They don't even have that going for them. "

I love the fact that fans can spew post after post of ficticious bile about the trap and "boring hockey," and then claim that no one hates the Devils.

What a joke...

<JESTER>

[NJD Jester]

I read that thread and I don't have a huge problem with it. I don't know if the Devils are single-handedly guilty of the boredom that often permeates NHL hockey, but I think the Devs do  their share, and then some.

And I don't know how the NHL can fix it. I wonder if anyone really does. We all spit out theories, but I wonder, which ones would really work?

What is there to fix? Other than the fact that the game is poorly officiated and the instagator rule has sucked the life out of the sport?

I'm so tired of hearing from these Disciples of Mario who think every game should be 5-4. You have been conditioned by the media to loathe and disrespect defensive play. It's just like the people scared to death of a New England/Carolina Super Bowl.

<JESTER>

Edited by NJD Jester, 15 January 2004 - 10:30 AM.

[peteyvegas]

Get a couch, Jester. You could get $200 an hour.

[Jerrydevil]

I guess you mentioned one huge thing to fix, NJD Jester: the officiating. The NHL has made half-hearted attemps to fix it, but it hasn't worked. Like a lot of other posters, the subject bores me as much as some of these games do. It's the same old sh!te, over and over, and improvement doesn't come.

[CMaGee]

The funny thing is, they mention the 70's Habs and 80's Islanders. Nobody in the States was watching then either. I think the main point should be, no matter who wins, the NHL is in deep trouble.

[NJD Jester]

I think the main point should be, no matter who wins, the NHL is in deep trouble.

Teams are still drawing, on average, over 15,000 people a night to arenas around North America.

The TV ratings are what they are, but hockey will always have a cable presense (and now, with Centre Ice, even more of one).

If the league can keep salaries down, it will encourage more investment in some of these franchises by ownership groups who won't be looking at a $50 million loss every season.

The NHL is fine, depending on how is labor thing goes and whether or not Gary Bettman continues to sellout this sport for the sake of some guy watching ESPN in Nebraska.

<JESTER>

[CMaGee]

Teams are still drawing, on average, over 15,000 people a night to arenas around North America.

The TV ratings are what they are, but hockey will always have a cable presense (and now, with Centre Ice, even more of one).

If the league can keep salaries down, it will encourage more investment in some of these franchises by ownership groups who won't be looking at a $50 million loss every season.

The NHL is fine, depending on how is labor thing goes and whether or not Gary Bettman continues to sellout this sport for the sake of some guy watching ESPN in Nebraska.

<JESTER>

Cable presense is fine. But when no one is watching it, there's a problem. Plus for the sport to truely work, it needs to have a broadcast presense, like ABC. Major PGA Tourney's and the PBA have better ratings. Something needs to be done.

And I didn't mention the Labor dispute. THe NHL is in dire circumstances IMO.

[Zamode]

[sheeps]

The Devils are boring to other teams' fans but aren't boring to Devils fans (with exceptions like 7).

We are towards the tops in shots.

Our strategy is always towards attacking the puck. Forechecking is exciting for us because it creates opportunities out of nothing and boring for others because it takes away any chance they have of creating a rush.

Sure we play defense. You have to. Everybody's jumping on the anti-defensive hockey bandwagon. I want to tweak the game as much as the next guy, but the Devils aren't exactly boring. They attack the puck. All the time. So-called offensive hockey usually skates back with them and then when they stop the other team's rush in their zone they counterattack. All the trap does is put pressure on so that teams try to counterattack within their offensive zones. IMO it could very well create MORE offense. But that's just me. The trap has been plagued by clutch and grab hockey and overinflated goalie pads since it started, so we can't really say that the trap is killing hockey. Let's try regulating pads and clutching and grabbing - I bet the Devils would be scoring a ton!

[Zamode]

Yes they attack the puck Sheepy they just don't get it in the net.