Jersey Sure

One of the things I like about Ruff and his system is that their is plenty of talk and emphasis on winning the board battles and puck retrievals. That kind of hockey and talk was missing around this team for a bit. So it was good to hear Ruff kind of give it to his team post game. Said they wanted to be a "fancy, stick handling team." Will the boys respond tomorrow? Let's hope so, but it's good to get the emphasis on not just playing fast but being heavy as well.

This team doesn't quit, I'll give them that. Let's hope that they get to a point, very soon, that they are pulling out some wins and points. I think that it's never a bad thing for a young, improving team to be in a race and playing games that mean something late in the year. This team is so much better than they were with Hynes.

Goal scoring, as was mentioned by pumpkin cutter. But I think that they need 2 forwrds who are similar to Tom Wilson or Patty Hornqvist. Big, excellent and puck retrieval. A guy like that would help Hughes's line and would enhance the 3rd line. Wood is kinda like that, but to me he's a click below that level of power forward.

Pavel Zacha to the rescue

Yup. That loose coverage, the deflection off a D-man's stick, not converting on the Power Play, and some poor passing decisions (on clears on zone entries, and in the neutral zone). All the ingredients were there. But they got the Win and the 2 points. Maybe this gets a bit of internal pressure off this team and they can clean things up a bit. These games are all going to be tough ones now, and that was a good way to end a slide. Be better Thursday, get a W, stay on track.

Yes, and that switch has been made. But still the 1st line center is on an "innings limit."

This is an important point. Our 1st line has been Nico/Hall/Bratt. Because this is their 1st NHL season and because they are teenagers, both Nico and Bratt have been playing on a shift and minutes limit. Both are playing 21/22 shifts per game and Hynes has been real careful in limiting their minutes to about 16:30 per game. So 2 of this team's 1st line players rank outside the top 150 in the NHL forwards in both shifts and minutes. And it is the right thing to do, but it does put the team into a different situation in terms of 2 of it's best players not playing what other team's top forwards play.

And again not taking advantage of getting opportunities on the Power Play...0-7 and giving up 2, no matter how bizarre they were. How many games since the New Year have they been 0-5, 0-6, 0-4? When that happens we've all seen enough games where teams don't cash in and it bites them.

Here's your Devils after the New Year...play a fair amount of games well enough, but make way too many mistakes that shoot themselves in the foot. It's just not the goal-tending, teams that are playoff teams just don't make this many mistakes every game, or what seems like the games they lose. It's just screw-ups, bad penalties at the wrong time..breakdowns, not tying guys up in front. It's a shame. But it's beyond the net, these screw-ups and breakdowns have been the bigger issue.

The Devils were out hustled, out-muscled, out played, out desired, out...every friggin aspect of a hockey game. Too loose as team, including forwards on D, too many awful passes and attempted clears. Allowed Columbus to come a flyin through the neutral zone. Just a horrible performance in a big divisional game in February. No puttin lipstick on this pig. This team needs to get it's act together. You don't want to end a promising season with many more of these types of performances.

Keep the 2 points moving along. 11/7...I'll take either one on a come out roll. And I'll take 11/7 to keep the streak going.

At Ottawa, home vs. Calgary, at Columbus this week. This team has a chance to keep the ball moving and continue this stretch. It's going to need another hot stretch. 17 games, 34 points up for grabs before this team goes on a killer 6 game March road trip that starts in Nashville, Vancouver and California, and winds up in Pittsburgh...and that's the front end of a back to back that has them playing Tampa the next night coming home. That's a gauntlet all right. If the Devils can bank 18-20 points before that trip, that sets them up pretty good.

Mirco Mueller. They haven't lost since he came back. If nothing else, he's a good luck charm.

Travis and the Texans...I like that.

Smothering game by the Devs. All over the Penguins, and those shifts in the Penguins end to stop the momentum in the 3rd..nice. Huge confidence boost, and this team is in this race all the way. Big games in February, love it.

Last night exposed the issue of 7D/11F. While given the choices at forward, yeah I'd rather not have had Jimmy Hayes in there and have the xtra D. But on the other hand, you run into a forward getting a 5 minute penalty, and then 2 more in the box and you have Stefan Noessen playing almost 17 minutes. That's too many for a bottom 6 player. So John Q hopefully makes the most of his chance. I'm assuming he's going to be on Zajac's left wing, it may be turn out ok. He does have a nice shot, so it would be sweet if Quenneville can come in and contribute.

2 points, I ain't throwing it back. Still relevant games as we head into February, that's the important thing. These games count and a 19 year old scores the winner. Plus a 20 year old with 2 primary assists, and a 23 year old scores the game tying goal. I didn't think the Devils were that sharp with the puck tonight and the fact that they weren't and got 2 points is the whole purpose of this. Let's keep this thing moving along against the Pens on Saturday.

Good to get 2 points and a win. That was a good start coming out of the break, not the prettiest, but the Sabres seem really intent on not giving up chances and less so on creating. But the Devils played with good structure. I agree on keeping the 11/7 with the options at forward. Kyle Palmieri is going to have to get some goals during this finishing stretch, so it was good that his empty netter counted. Maybe that's a start. and a good breakout pass on Wood's goal. This team should be focused for Thursday's Flyers game. It better be after the last 2 times against them. This team will need it's share against the Metro teams down the stretch. It's doable.

Looking forward to a few days of no Devils hockey. Mama mia. Regroup.

You never know. Maybe a pre-all star break upset. I'm sure they won't open things up and might try and play a safe game, maybe. But it looks like they need guys. However, it might not be a bad idea at about 6:30 or so that someone heads over to the area by the Rock and cut the electricity heading into the building. A postponement wouldn't hurt as well. (I'm kidding here.)

No injury update on him. He was already concussed this year.

Yeah. So much went on in this game that can get lost.. That was overtly dirty and dangerous.

When did the price on that go up?

Per Andrew Gross: "John Hynes says refs approached him and Miles Wood afterward and acknowledged a mistake, said it should have been one penalty." Reply Retweet Like

The Devils play more games like that, minus the refs bullcrap, they'll get back to winning. That was the hottest team, and the Devils outplayed them. It sucks with the refs and all but tonights game gives me a little more hope. But Palms needs to pick his game up, that would help.