Mike Brown

RECAP This is the kind of game that gets coaches fired. Miles Wood is useless He should see some press box time, and someone like Quenneville should take his place. Hell bring back McLeod, and let him loose. Tonight showcased everything wrong with the system Hynes runs. Allowing opposing teams' puck carriers to do whatever they want. On the flip side the Devils hang on to the puck for way too long and then turn it over. Unfortunately, Hall is the biggest culprit here. Keeping everything to the outside is bad. Just a pathetic effort all around GOALIE AND DEFENSE ANALYSIS Goal 1 Yakovlev needs to play that better He needs to step up into Meier instead of worrying about coverage in front. Kinkaid could have stopped it. Goal 2 An example of what happens when you allow teams to take point shots at will Nothing Kinkaid could do. Goal 3 Another example why you don't just allow teams to take point shots. Nothing Kinkaid could do due to having to see through like 3 bodies. Goal 4 Very similar to the first goal Lovejoy needs to not worry about the guy in front and just step up into the shooter. Kinkaid could have stopped it, but he might have been screened. Goal 5 Bad net front defense Not Kinkaid's fault, but he does flail around too much. OVERALL Very similar to last night Not bad not great 5 on 5 Possesion CF: 46 to 64 FF: 36 to 50 SF: 24 to 34 SCF: 17 to 33 HDCF: 9 to 17 5 on 5 SVA Possession CF: 41.71 to 64.34 FF: 32.81 to 49.35 SF: 21.3 to 32.85 SCF: 15.66 to 31 HDCF: 9.03 to 15.72

Kinkaid has not been as bad as you might think. Here is where he ranks among goalies who've played 500 minutes or more (52 goalies). 23rd in dSV% 31st in LDSV% 29th in MDSV% 19th in HDSV% 16th in GSAA So he's basically a middle of the pack goalie.

Dude, this goes to show the absolute flaw with the eye test. Both Greene and Lovejoy are both very effective d-men.

Your eyes are just deceiving you. Neither Greene nor Lovejoy are in anyway hindrances to this team.

RECAP If tonight doesn't epitomize the importance of getting the puck out of the zone, no game will Absolutely awful luck, but really it only happened because of not being able to clear the puck. The overall effort was good. This season has been full of shooting themselves in the foot. They are trying too hard to set up the perfect play in OT. Just keep it simple. Same thing with the powerplay. Just keep it simple. I truly feel as if Schneider deserved better. GOALIE AND DEFENSE SUMMARY Goal 1 Seeing eye shot Schneider could do nothing. Goal 2 Not the most egregious own goal. Similar own goals like that happen very frequently off the rush like that Goal 3 The whole team needs to be better Nice shot, but Schneider needs to make a better effort than that. Goal 4 What was Lovejoy thinking? Although, there was a game when he was a Duck where he put the puck in his own net in OT against us. Goal 5 WTF Greene?! Overall Analysis I thought Schneider played well in this game. He made some huge saves, and at the end of the day this game is not on him at all. 5 on 5 Possession CF: 49 to 58 FF: 39 to 45 SF: 26 to 31 SCF: 31 to 22 HDCF: 13 to 7 5 on 5 SVA Possession CF: 51.05 to 55.62 FF: 40.79 to 43.2 SF: 26.94 to 29.83 SCF: 32.98 to 21.01 HDCF: 14.19 to 6.79

I personally think Greene has played very well, and Lovejoy has been solid as well. Both are very solid and steady in their own zone, and don't do anything stupid. They never look spectacular which is part of the problem imo. I do agree they have limitations, but they're the kind of players who simply "get the job done". You never will be wow'd by them as they're just not those kind of players. Greene is basically a bottom four defensemen being thrust into a top pairing role, and is actually doing quite well. Yakovlev has been quite impressive imo, but he's been quite sheltered. Vatanen is basically playing like we expect out of him. Mueller has looked good too, but he reminds me a lot like Merrill in the sense he plays conservative and doesn't really show off his skill. Severson imo has been our best d-man and has really emerged as a legit top pairing guy. Finally, Butcher may not be putting up the points like he did last year, but I consider that partially due to bad luck. One thing he has done is he's really developed other aspects of his game better.

I've been watching the defense, and they have performed admirably based on my eye test. The problem isn't the defense. It's the coaching system. The d-zone system is a joke. The forwards barely ever engage along the boards, and the d-men are forced to fend for themselves along the boards. They're being asked to pin guys along the boards and get the puck at the same time.

All of the Devils defense ranks in the top 75 out of 190 defensemen in xGF% among defensemen who have played at least 200 minutes. Ben Lovejoy: 75th Sami Vatanen: 64th Mirco Mueller: 51st Damon Severson: 35th Andy Greene: 30th Will Butcher: 24th I also want to point out, the Devils have been much better than what their record would indicate. xGF%: 7th HDCF%: 3rd

RECAP Perfect example of a game why you don't simply allow teams to possess and shoot the puck from the perimeter. All 3 goals scored in this game came from low danger shots. Overall, they battled hard all series. Tampa was the only team that the Devils were truly overmatched against. Boston or Pittsburgh would have been the best matchups for the Devils. Washington, Philly, or Columbus would have been tough, but are beatable teams. Tampa was basically a no chance matchup. Schneider's play in the series makes me feel confident he can bounce back next season. Next season we need, the following. A new system that is centered around constant pressure on the puck A true number 1 d-man, preferably a LHD, although I won't say no to Erik Karlsson. Zacha to not wait until the All-Star break to turn his game on. Overall though he's gotten better in each season Schneider to bounce back. A 2nd line center GOALS AGAINST RECAP Goal 1 Zajac needs to either ice it or flip that puck out. No chance for Schneider Goal 2 Similar to the 1st goal Not as much of a screen, but still a screen. More saveable than the 1st goal POSSESSION ES CF: 42 to 38 ES FF: 29 to 32 ES SF: 23 to 25 ES SCF: 19 to 17 ES HDCF: 9 to 4 All CF: 47 to 59 All FF: 34 to 51 All SF: 27 to 38 All SCF: 20 to 31 All HDCF: 10 to 7 SCORE AND VENUE ADJUSTED POSSESSION CF: 35.39 to 38.25 FF: 25.29 to 31.68 SF: 19.43 to 24.58 SCF: 14.97 to 17.06 HDCF: 7.08 to 3.99

RECAP Hedman must feel like a real tough guy cup checking a 19 year old. Resiliency, this team has it. Games like this one made me really miss playoff hockey. Schneider was awesome tonight. Games like this is why Brian Boyle was brought to this team. The Devils still have never been swept in a playoff series. GOALS AGAINST RECAP Goal 1 Missed assignment by Coleman Almost impossible save to make without getting lucky. Goal 2 Another missed assignment Stoppable and should have been saved. POSSESSION ES CF: 30 to 42 ES FF: 27 to 33 ES SF: 22 to 25 ES SCF: 12 to 20 ES HDCF: 3 to 10 All CF: 58 to 53 All FF: 50 to 44 All SF: 41 to 36 All SCF: 22 to 27 All HDCF: 7 to 16 SVA POSSESSION CF: 27.65 to 38.22 FF: 24.78 to 29.62 SF: 20.03 to 23.06 SCF: 11.3 to 17.19 HDCF: 2.86 to 9.67

RECAP The Devils were the better team Play like that again on Monday, and they should win. Difference in the game was goaltending where oddly enough Kinkaid was not really at fault for any of the goals he allowed. Vasilevskiy was actually very good. Making the big save is extremely important, and Kinkaid did not do that despite the fact none of the goals against were his fault. Tampa didn't have the puck much this game, but they executed their plays very well. This game also shows the importance of simply getting the puck back rather than trying to keep the puck to the outside. The middle of the ice ISN'T the most important ice. The entire 200 by 85 sheet of ice IS the more important ice. Hynes needs to learn this if he wants to have any sustained success in this league. Hynes also needs to be more aggressive with pulling the goalie in the playoffs. If there's less than 4 minutes to go, and you're down by 2 with an offensive zone face-off, the goalie needs to be out. Face-offs are killing this team. GOALS AGAINST RECAP Goal 1 Missed defensive assignment Great shot by Point Stoppable Overall it wasn't Kinkaid's fault Goal 2 Great pass and great tip by Killorn. Stoppable Not Kinkaid's fault Goal 3 Nice deflection by Johnson Stoppable Difficult save, but probably should have been stopped. Goal 4 Terrible break Nothing Kinkaid could do Kinkaid is completely absolved. Goal 5 Another tough break Again, nothing Kinkaid could do POSSESSION ES CF: 55 to 48 ES FF: 47 to 37 ES SF: 38 to 22 ES SCF: 31 to 28 ES HDCF: 9 to 8 All CF: 64 to 55 All FF: 54 to 44 All SF: 44 to 26 All SCF: 35 to 34 All HDCF: 9 to 10 SVA POSSESSION CF: 43.77 to 47.57 FF: 37 to 36.77 SF: 29.5 to 21.03 SCF: 24.32 to 28.52 HDCF: 5.14 to 8.06

RECAP Too many mistakes were made. The game wasn't all bad. There were definitely spurts where the Devils outplayed them. Energy and compete level were certainly there. They were able to contain Kucherov and Stamkos. GOALIE RECAP Goal 1: Missed defensive assignment, not on Kinkaid. Goal 2: Face-off loss plus bad defense, not on Kinkaid. Goal 3: Bad break plus bad defense by Moore, not on Kinkaid. Goal 4: Forced turnover, plus a screen plus a perfect shot, not on Kinkaid. POSSESSION ES CF: 48 to 60 ES FF: 35 to 45 ES SF: 24 to 28 ES SCF: 14 to 28 ES HDCF: 3 to 7 All CF: 58 to 65 All FF: 43 to 49 All SF: 31 to 32 All SCF: 21 to 30 All HDCF: 4 to 7 SCORE AND VENUE ADJUSTED POSSESSION CF: 41.46 to 61.91 FF: 30.65 to 45.47 SF: 22.07 to 27.74 SCF: 13.7 to 27.44 HDCF: 2.91 to 6.73

Against Boston 5 on 5 CF: 135 to 97 FF: 104 to 72 SF: 82 to 54 GF: 6 to 5 SCF: 69 to 44 HDCF: 26 to 15 Against Tampa 5 on 5 CF: 120 to 152 FF: 104 to 122 SF: 75 to 84 GF: 7 to 4 SCF: 59 to 73 HDCF: 25 to 27

We went 3-0 against Tampa, but we were outoplayed in the final 2 games of the series. We got help from bad Tampa goaltending in one of those games. Game 1 was back in October, and ended in a shootout which doesn't really tell us much. Visually, we were much better against Boston than Tampa.

Only from dumb mistakes and bad penalties. We dominated them in every other area, and they showed they really struggled with the Devils speed.

I want Boston. They can't handle our speed, and we dominated them during the regular season despite the head to head record.

RECAP YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!! GOALIE RECAP Goal 1: Not his fault, it hit Greene's stick POSSESSION ES CF: 57 to 55 ES FF: 49 to 43 ES SF: 36 to 29 ES SCF: 25 to 22 ES HDCF: 10 to 4 All CF: 63 to 58 All FF: 54 to 46 All SF: 39 to 32 All SCF: 26 to 24 All HDCF: 11 to 5 SCORE AND VENUE ADJUSTED POSSESSION CF: 54.82 to 53.3 FF: 47.48 to 41.15 SF: 35.08 to 27.85 SCF: 23.77 to 21.17 HDCF: 9.53 to 4.33

It's all moot now, but don't act as if the Devils losing 2 in a row, and the Panthers winning 3 in a row is all that unthinkable. Thankfully it's all moot now.

Ok and where did I dispute any of this?

It's called being realistic. If the Devils were the Panthers, I'd say that if we win our last 3, we'd be in good shape to make the playoffs.

But why did he say "noose"? That's what makes it eery . He probably meant "leash" though.

Being 5 points ahead this late in the season has never felt more uncomfortable. The fact we have to beat one of Toronto or Washington doesn't make me feel too good. Good news is, neither team has anything to play for. I just hope Boston really cares about the division and plays hard on Thursday. I also don't see the Flyers losing to both the Canes and Rags.

RECAP They didn't just win this game, the dominated it which showed me they were focused. This game was needed, because you don't want to go in a situation having to play both Toronto and Washington with your season on the line. It's still the case that the season is on the line for now, but at least now winning BOTH games doesn't become a necessity. Hall is good at playing the sport of ice hockey. One thing I did not like is how Severson has been treated He's incredibly important to the blue line Both Mueller and Lovejoy have been great, but they should either go with 7 D, or rotate them in and out. Those guys being in should not be at the expense of Severson. BTW, did Dano say that Lou put the "noose" on him? I get what he was getting at where Lou wanted Kenny to be a shut down guy instead of an offensive puck moving guy, but I think Kenny meant to say "leash". GOALIE RECAP Goal 1: Impossible to stop Goal 2: Stoppable, but you can't really kill him here. POSSESSION ES CF: 61 to 43 ES FF: 49 to 34 ES SF: 38 to 22 ES SCF: 29 to 20 ES HDCF: 8 to 6 All CF: 67 to 49 All FF: 55 to 40 All SF: 44 to 24 All SCF: 32 to 21 All HDCF: 10 to 6 SCORE AND VENUE ADJUSTED POSSESSION CF: 62.64 to 37.52 FF: 48.55 to 30.23 SF: 37.63 to 19.32 SCF: 27.38 to 18.81 HDCF: 8.15 to 5.84

If they lose tonight, they should feel the worst shame they've ever felt. They're basically playing the Wolfpack tonight.

RECAP They were flat tonight. Once again, they gutted it out. A Panthers regulation loss tomorrow night, and a Devils win over the Rags on Tuesday, we're officially back in the playoffs! GOALIE RECAP Goal 1: Probably should have been stopped, but it was a nice shot. POSSESSION ES CF: 37 to 33 ES FF: 24 to 21 ES SF: 20 to 16 ES SCF: 9 to 16 ES HDCF: 3 to 5 All CF: 53 to 51 All FF: 37 to 34 All SF: 31 to 26 All SCF: 14 to 27 All HDCF: 5 to 11 SCORE AND VENUE ADJUSTED POSSESSION CF: 36.84 to 31.36 FF: 24 to 21.53 SF: 19.96 to 16.74 SCF: 9.34 to 16.36 HDCF: 3.07 to 5.79