devspage
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Posts posted by devspage
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Ah, wish I could see it.
He must have some awesome shiite.
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Well thanks for telling me who everyone is supposed to be. I wasn't sure.
He sucks at it, does he? Let's talk about some goals from the past couple weeks (Gionta in Philly in OT, to Brylin in Ottawa last week). He does not SUCK at it. I've seen a lot of through the crease passes that Sykora woulda been there for last year. Guys are starting to get to them and know what he's up to and that's good.
Like I always say, what's there to argue about Elias' goals? He doesn't have them. It's a slump. Our bitching and moaning certainly won't make him score.
However, seeing him with his head up and looking for the play and the puck following him around like it did at the Ottawa game, well, I think he's coming out of it.
Contrast that with Nieuwy, whose head is down and who is gripping his stick very tightly. He is in serious need of a garbage goal to loosen them up.
And I've been through this before, but I'm not familiar with you, so I'll say it one more time. The media goes to Elias because he has the A, because he is the go-to guy. They ask him questions and he answers with what's on his mind. What he says is what he feels: he'd like to be on the ice more (he's getting paid for it so I think the majority here would agree with that), and that he's having trouble finding the same chemistry with his linemates (not that he's not trying to do it, just that it hasn't come through.)
If you listen to his actual quotes things like "they're gone... it's a business... and you find a way to go on" and you'd realize he isn't the kind to let a trade get to him.
I think he has great heart. He has great pride in his game and didn't have it quite as easy as the Euros who get tagged with a slacker tag.
Also, he is now a leader on this team by virtue of his paycheck. He has scored or been a crucial part a great deal of this team's game-winning goals of note (from postseason to OT) and so he is worthy of the A in my book.
There's no emotional tie linking him to Anaheim and Dallas. The rest of the league is just looking for him now, that's all. With less threats than Arnott and Sykora around, it really is easier to focus on him. And re: all the shots on goal, he puts them there, it will be nice if others are there for the rebound. All shots on goal are not attempts at scoring.
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I'm riding the PK wavelength today, cause again I agree.
How much weaker are we the Senators? Not much, we have everything they have personnel-wise. What we also have are guys in slumps -- and there's the difference.
I'd like a power forward for Christmas, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't.
I'm so Pollyanna about it, but I like this team.
And I want games every night too!! Saturday to Wednesday particularly sucks. I like having one on my weekend. And I get zippo this week which hacks me off going into a six-day work week. No wait, that's on the other side when I'm working Christmas...
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Agree with 16w. Let's get one goal before we think about 4.
This guy Joey N is dying on the vine.
You know, we're just having some fun here. I mean, a guy who's struggling we're not placing bets on him getting No. 500 against his former team. Just saying it would be nice and a pretty interesting storyline.
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Ohh, forgot about Elias & Gomer- these guys are MIA for too long now.
So if you don't see goals, they're not doing anything for you?
I disagree on both counts. I've seen each of them be the best guy on the ice in the past two weeks and one of the best guys on the ice in many of the past three weeks.
Both of their games are changing. Gomez is trying to finish and Elias is trying to playmake a lot more than they usually have. When their linemates get used to what they can do, EVERYONE will benefit.
I really don't consider them MIA at all. (Obviously we'd all love tons more goals.)
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That WOULD be pretty sweet. And I'd love to see the reaction.
I vote for that!
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Here's what I see as negative.
We have a WINNING record.
This article makes it seem like we suck ass.
We don't.
And no one ever gets credit in the media for our wins but Marty. And he's not the only one doing something on defense. It takes EVERY SINGLE body out there for the games to be as close as they keep them.
The penalty kill is one or two in the league depending on the day.
Yes, scoring would be good. But couldn't that be brought up every OTHER day instead of every FRIGGIN' day?
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I was just counting out Devils cards for someone here and putting some aside for another friend who taped the games I was at for me, so if anyone's seeking hockey cards, 'tis the season to be transacting apparently.
Having been in NJ (and paying RIDICULOUS book prices), I'm pretty happy with what I can put together for people. And if you have even ONE Brodeur or Elias that I don't have, I'd love to trade with you and get one step closer to getting the hundreds of different cards they both have.
If you're into Brodeur or Elias, you're in particular luck. MAN, I have a lot of doubles, triples and what not on them. Also have some good lots of Niedermayer, Stevens, Rafalski, Gomez and even Arnott, Mogilny and Sykora. I have two Holiks you can burn. And even a rare insert of Clemmensen! (Numbered 26 of 150... that always cracks me up, it's probably why I picked it up in the first place.)
Also have some, gulp, outside the team cards...
I guess it would be best to just PM.
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Very cute.
I'm sure it will sell a lot of papers.
Too bad he doesn't understand the concept of a team game. And he'll never understand the Devils.
Keep putting down that everything they do hinges upon seeing goal numbers on paper. And they'll keep winning in the meantime.
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At what point do we, the fans, get REAL pissed at the total lack of production from Elias and Nieuwendyk?
And I'm not talking ASSISTS, I'm talking GOALS - these guys are supposed to be our finishers.
I don't see me getting pissed about this for some time.
I see them working very hard. Elias might have been the best player on the ice for us the other day.
As long as it goes in the net, and it's because of the hustle that he showed in getting the puck to the front to Brylin or Gionta or whoever, I'm gonna be pretty happy.
Elias' game is changing by necessity. With the A-Line he was a finisher. But unless he's with Nieuwy, I see him as more of a playmaker now. And that's fine, I've seen some real nice goals of late.
But then again, I think we're gonna see some goals from him soon. It's not just chances right now. It's almost like willing the puck. Burns said it best "it was following him everywhere." That's such a good sign -- that's what happened with Iginla last year and he got major-league dividends from it.
Nieuwy... well, I am a bit concerned there. I'd sure like to see him get one to just get him settled and able to play his game again.
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It does seem like Patty's not worrying about it as much on the ice and letting it get to him there.
He had a real nice game against the Sens.
I gotta think he's working his way outta it.
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New Jersey hurt itself by missing 13 free throws.
"We shot about the same number of attempts as them, but they made 10 more than we did and we lost by 10,'' Richard Jefferson said. "I'm not saying that's the only difference, but we definitely didn't help our situation.''
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I'm sure Lou must have nightmares at night about power plays and foul shots...
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I gotta think Elias is on his way out of it.
His head is up and he's really on everything he can get to -- even before it gets to him. This is the pride in his game that's so important to the way he plays.
And, oh, Tom???
Devils' fans will take the awesome pass he centered to Brylin for an assist any day. And I'm sure Patty will too.
It looked like it was in the net to me.
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http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?level_...33&page=5998981
By TOM GULITTI
Staff Writer
OTTAWA - A little bit of bad luck? Sure.
Still, the one point the Devils came away with from their 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night was probably all they deserved - if that.
"Got a point that I didn't think we were going to get when the game started," Devils' coach Pat Burns said.
They were not sharp in the first period for the second game in a row, getting outshot, 14-5, and falling behind, 2-0. They rallied to tie it on goals from Jamie Langenbrunner and Sergei Brylin in the second period and took the lead after Christian Berglund scored 6:39 into the third.
Berglund took a feed from Jiri Bicek at the blue line and split the Senators' defense and moved in alone on goaltender Patrick Lalime, who attempted an aggressive pokecheck. Berglund calmly moved the puck to his backhand and deposited it in the empty net behind the fallen goaltender.
But that's when the bounces, a poor decision, and the Devils' impotent power play combined to undo their hard work.
First, Shane Hnidy's pass was tipped by teammate Martin Havlat and went in off John Madden just 27 seconds after Berglund had given the Devils the lead. Then in overtime, after defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky was caught deep in the offensive zone trying set up the winning goal for New Jersey, the Senators came back and scored on the resulting three-on-one rush 3:10 in.
Mike Fisher was credited with the winner, but Havlat did most of the work, carrying up the right wing, cutting to the middle around Devils defenseman Scott Stevens, and firing a shot that Fisher deflected past goaltender Martin Brodeur.
By reaching overtime, the Devils avoided losing consecutive games in regulation for the first time this season, but they still have just one victory in their last four games (1-2-0-1) and are winless in their last three on the road (0-2-0-1). Conversely, Ottawa has just one loss in its last 16 games
"We're just not lucky," Brodeur said. "The goals they scored, a lot of them were deflections and pucks that went off my [teammates]. It's just a matter of working hard and making the breaks on our side."
The Devils were divided on Tverdovsky's decision to join the rush and leave Stevens as the only defenseman back in overtime. Though they earned a point by losing in overtime, they didn't want to see the Senators, a conference rival, come away with the extra point by winning the game.
"You've got to try not to give up too much," Stevens said. "A three-on-one is a little too much to give up."
"You just have to be sure you have two guys back," Tverdovsky admitted.
Tverdovsky lamented not shooting before passing toward Patrik Elias in front. The puck was waist high, however, and there was no way the struggling Elias - no goals in 11 straight - could handle it.
Ottawa's Zdeno Chara collected the loose puck and passed to Havlat to start the rush that produced the game-winner.
"We had the point so why not go for two points?" Elias said. "What's the point of sitting back and just trying to get one point?" But as Brodeur said, "If you trade chances with a team that has a lot of talent, you're going to get burned."
The Devils had two power plays in the final 10 minutes of regulation but could not net the go-ahead goal. They went 0-for-3 on the man-advantage and are scoreless their last 26 opportunities.
It was the first time in seven games the Devils scored more than two goals without getting an empty-netter, but Joe Nieuwendyk (19 games without a goal) and Elias remained mired in their respective slumps. Burns tried playing them together in the third period - Elias moving back to left wing from center with Turner Stevenson on the right side - but that didn't work.
"I just threw that together mid-way there to get something going a little bit more on the offensive," Burns said. "The puck seemed to be following Patrik around."
But, it's still not going in the net.
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I def. am on board with what you're saying SBT.
I don't think we can score anyone as powerful as a Bertuzzi. But I do think if we can get ourselves as far as the Finals, that we have grit and determination that goes a long way. I would have a lot of confidence in this team if that were the case -- but then again, that's pretty much my stock and trade.
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Does anyone get the feeling that the biggest underestimator of the Devils often is the Devils' own fans?
It's hard to believe considering how little the media, the league and the other fans care about the Devils.
Everyone has the right to their own opinion, obviously. But I'm amazed at how low the Devils' fans opinions can get (and here I'm not just talking about this thread or this forum -- this is an observation culled over much time and space. And doesn't really apply to the more rabid contingent -- which hangs around here.)
Mine is that they're showing a helluva lot more conviction then they were last year at this time. And yes, they have a couple holes that they didn't have this year at the time.
I only take issue with the power play. Other than that, I'd say I'm pretty happy with the guys.
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And they had us too, unfortunately. (2-0 was VERY disconcerting.)
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I like today's combo -- Elias, Brylin, Friesen.
I know Friesen liked moving with Gomez, but if we're not gonna get Nieuw-E (and it looks like not), this works for me.
Brylin can work with shoe leather. It's amazing how adjustable he is. He might be TOO easily fit into slot. He can play top line. He can center fourth line. He's a transformer.
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I don't think it's the true colors at all, Z.
We have an ABOVE average team. We happen to have some guys who are struggling, as does happen over a season.
Everyone goes through this. Even the Bruins and Stars and Flyers, who all opened so great are going through it. The Avs are struggling even MORE than us.
We are a team that plays a lot of one-goal games. But that's our nature and not our problem.
The only thing frustrating me is the power play. But it looks like they're attacking it a bit more and hopefully some pucks will find their way to backs of nets real soon.
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You know the weird thing is that they're playing it a little better. If they could get one, it would sure do much for everyone's confidence.
It looks better than it did a few games ago. But having said THAT, it sucks ass and lost us this game.
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Game Thread
in Hell
I very much appreciate how hard Tivo's working and that effort.
What really sucks is not getting ANYTHING on ANY power play chance. That's where we lost.
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Game Thread
in Hell
I'm pissed.
ONE goal on ONE of the power plays and no OT.
We're wasting valuable points.
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Game Thread
in Hell
VERY nice goals from our guys.
Good to see them working hard, after the rough first.
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I too like their chances in a game that they'll play hard, rather than a game they think they don't have to.
(Although I STILL don't understand how you can wait til the end to play a game, when you're already losing. I'll never EVER get that.)
Stars Vs Flyers & Devils This Week
in Hell
Posted
I missed that and since then I've missed it ever since.
What I DID see was Hatcher leveling Roenick. Not the same as the Syk hit, but I got chills looking at him knocking him down at the blue line. And then I'm like, OK, Roenick.
It was a hit from behind on Modano?
And back to our convo...
I agree with Iggy. Whenever Elias is asked about his line he says something like "I think we're starting to get something going." And then the next game Burns changes it up. So I guess Patty prefers stability.
Both those line combinations sound very good to me. He works well with Gomez, but I don't think it's necessary to match them up since they can playmake for others and create more of a threat on TWO lines if they're split up.