msweet

Kinda feels like 1995 again because we have a lot of young new players.

Dude weren't you 2 in 95? Not that I'd know how 95 felt either.

Me neither   .. I was 6

Ugh, you people.... you're making me feel so old....  I was in my early twenties.

LOL, I was a sophomore in high school in '95... I feel old too with all these young'ins.  

Stop complaining all of you... I just had my 5th kid in 95..talk about feeling old now

....There is much more going on here than meets the eye. The picking of Lemaire shows that Devils’ GM/President/CEO, Lou Lamoriello has finally seen what I have been saying for years now. The Devils, since the winning the Stanley Cup in 2003, have been constructed in a flawed manner. Sort of a sum of the pieces is less than the value of the pieces individually. Surely there are top level NHL players on the roster right now, such as Zach Parise, Patrick Elias, Travis Zajac, Jamie Langebrunner, and of course Martin Brodeur. But somehow this team just can’t seen to get over the hump and win in the playoffs. And the Devils have won their 3 Stanley Cups on the team concept. This past year’s team wasn’t going to win a coffee cup let a lone a Stanley Cup. The fact that Lamoriello allowed former stars John Madden (Chicago) and Brian Gionta (to Montreal for an ridiculous sum of money), and role players Mike Rupp (Pittsburgh), and Scott Clemenson (Florida) all to sign with other teams, tells me Lou is interested in remaking the Devils. And he is interested in remaking the Devils in sensible fashion. Not by making news and signing salary cap busting and fan-popular free agents. But rather by using existing young talent from the Devils’ farm team, the Lowell Devils, and having them play within their level of skill. And playing within its capabilities relative to the competition is what is really going on with the hire of Lemaire as the new head coach.

While Zach Parise maybe a perennial 40 goal scorer, he is not a dominating player in the mold of an Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby or an Evgeni Malkin. Zach Parise is one of the hardest working skilled players in the NHL who can beat any defenseman who is not playing at his best. Malkin, Crosby and Ovechkin can beat any defender, at any time whether or not the defender is playing their best. Similar things could be said about the Devils’ current defensive corps, which are very good but not great.

With that being said, Jacques Lemaire is there to make the Devils play in a way that they can compete with the highly skilled offensive teams in the Devils’ own Eastern Conference such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. And that way is through controlled, sound and smart defensive play. And there is not better coach at doing that than Jacques Lemaire.

Please read what I am writing: You will see little or no neutral zone trap from the Devils this coming year. What you will see is smart, defensive based, well-positioned hockey, which controls the tempo of games.....

http://tinyurl.com/mqpnkt

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