Race To The Bottom II - 2018-19 Edition

[Devilsfan118]

20 hours ago, SterioDesign said:

4 pts ahead of last place. The good thing is that we know Ottawa will have no desire to just roll over and die since they have no first round pick lol 

Seriously, if I was Ottawa I would be doing everything I could to climb in the standings. 

Including buying at the deadline.

[mfitz804]

2 hours ago, Devilsfan118 said:

Seriously, if I was Ottawa I would be doing everything I could to climb in the standings. 

Including buying at the deadline.

I think most teams are doing that, no?

[Triumph]

Ottawa buying would be profoundly stupid - I know Toronto tried this in 1991 as well, but they just have to live with whatever happens.

Ottawa's win last night still means they are 3 points behind New Jersey with NJ having a game in hand.

[Antiquated Colorado Rockie]

Speaking of Ottawa, Duschene is a UFA already. Wow. What a train wreck of a deal that was. They'll probably deal Stone to and really have nothing post deadline.

[vadvlfan]

With signing Hall just around the corner,  i doubt Ray goes for another "big contract" type (Panarin/Duschene). He has to sign Nico the following year.  Ownership wants to see return on investment from whomever Shero brings in.  Although I'd love to see Ray shore-up 2nd line with a good UFA, he's not going to do anything (significant)  at trade deadline day. No one can salvage this season. 

[mfitz804]

10 hours ago, vadvlfan said:

With signing Hall just around the corner,  i doubt Ray goes for another "big contract" type (Panarin/Duschene). He has to sign Nico the following year.  Ownership wants to see return on investment from whomever Shero brings in.  Although I'd love to see Ray shore-up 2nd line with a good UFA, he's not going to do anything (significant)  at trade deadline day. No one can salvage this season. 

Based on what Hall will get, and what Nico will get, and how much cap room we have, I think that’s the wrong move. We definitely have room for another big ticket guy. 

[EdgeControl]

We absolutely need another big name forward . And we need two top pairing  defenseman..  Blackwood looks real, but it's no guarantee... all these needs aren't coming from this draft.. but we desperately need to get lucky and fill one from this draft. I'd throw a ton at either panarin or Duchesne , it also goes a huge way in resigning hall, not the opposite

I'd also overpay for an aging past his prime blue liner, as long as the term was short..2-3 years.. we need a quick fix back there.. 

[Triumph]

Not a great weekend for the tank but at least Ottawa won.

27:  LAK -4

28:  ANA -5

29:  NJD -5

30:  DET:  -6

31: OTT -8

[Devil Dan 56]

On 2/9/2019 at 8:50 PM, mfitz804 said:

Based on what Hall will get, and what Nico will get, and how much cap room we have, I think that’s the wrong move. We definitely have room for another big ticket guy. 

We also have to factor in that there will be even more cap room in the coming years, as Greene, Zajac, and Cory's contracts all expire in the next few seasons. Of them, I only expect Zajac to still be around and I highly doubt he's getting a raise at 35 years old. 

[mfitz804]

54 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

We also have to factor in that there will be even more cap room in the coming years, as Greene, Zajac, and Cory's contracts all expire in the next few seasons. Of them, I only expect Zajac to still be around and I highly doubt he's getting a raise at 35 years old. 

Yup. We can afford an awful lot in the next few years. 

[Nicomo]

Can’t believe the Sens actually beat the Jets, but I’ll take it. 

[Triumph]

Not great results here with some other teams falling into the Devils' face, but there's still a wide gap at the bottom.

25.  CHI  -2

26:  ANA -4

27:  NJD -5

28:  EDM -5

29:  DET -6

30:  LAK -6

31:  OTT -9

[NJDfan1711]

Obviously there's about less than a 1% chance of us making the playoffs, and this team getting a top 3 pick is probably the best thing that could happen to it, but with the way the Blues were playing earlier in the season and how they were basically neck and neck with us for a while in the league-wide standings, it's amazing to see them go on a 10 game winning streak right now especially this late in the season, and I gotta be honest, it leaves me with thoughts of..."why can't we do that?"

[MadDog2020]

21 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

Obviously there's about less than a 1% chance of us making the playoffs, and this team getting a top 3 pick is probably the best thing that could happen to it, but with the way the Blues were playing earlier in the season and how they were basically neck and neck with us for a while in the league-wide standings, it's amazing to see them go on a 10 game winning streak right now especially this late in the season, and I gotta be honest, it leaves me with thoughts of..."why can't we do that?"

Well for one thing, we don’t have a healthy Taylor Hall.... the other thing is Binnington is playing superhuman goal right now.

Edited February 18, 2019 by MadDog2020

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, MadDog2020 said:

Well for one thing, we don’t have a healthy Taylor Hall....

The Blues also have ROR having a career year, a hot Tarasenko, and of course, this year's "Insanely Red-hot Goalie From Out of Nowhere Story" in Jordan Binnington...guy is 12-1-1 in his last 14 games with a .944 save%.  He's been a quantum leap and then some over what the Blues were getting from their other netminders (Jake Allen was at .901 in his 38 GP, and Chad Johnson was at .884 in 10 GP). 

[mfitz804]

54 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

Obviously there's about less than a 1% chance of us making the playoffs, and this team getting a top 3 pick is probably the best thing that could happen to it, but with the way the Blues were playing earlier in the season and how they were basically neck and neck with us for a while in the league-wide standings, it's amazing to see them go on a 10 game winning streak right now especially this late in the season, and I gotta be honest, it leaves me with thoughts of..."why can't we do that?"

It’s kind of what we did last year, isn’t it?

[NJDfan1711]

41 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

It’s kind of what we did last year, isn’t it?

I suppose, but we weren't really that far out of it in January/February, were we?  If I recall, I think we were actually in the thick of things around this time, and I'm pretty sure a lot of us were talking/getting nervous as it seemed like that was a chance that we actually might let our wildcard spot slip away. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

I suppose, but we weren't really that far out of it in January/February, were we?  If I recall, I think we were actually in the thick of things around this time, and I'm pretty sure a lot of us were talking/getting nervous as it seemed like that was a chance that we actually might let our wildcard spot slip away. 

They weren't ever out of it, but there were definitely some hysterics who insisted that Florida was going to blow by them and leave them fully in the dust.  Never happened. 

[NJDfan1711]

12 minutes ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

It would’ve happened if we didn’t finish the season on that crazy run. You act like we didn’t make the playoffs by *one point* last year.

What was all that crazy about it?  Between the month of March and the little bit of April that the season extends into, we went 11-7-1.  Not really earth-shattering, or even eye-popping at all, really.  I guess you could say April was impressive, because we won 3 games in a row, but we actually lost our very last game of the season, and we needed help to get in.  So it's not like we rattled off 7 or 10 wins in a row on some heater.  We played average to above-average hockey down the stretch.

Edited February 18, 2019 by NJDfan1711

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

24 minutes ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

It would’ve happened if we didn’t finish the season on that crazy run. You act like we didn’t make the playoffs by *one point* last year.

And Florida never would've made it close if they didn't go on their crazy run.  What happened last season happened.  Your "what if" never came to pass, so the only timeline that matters is the one we witnessed. 

Like I kept saying at the time, the Panthers were going to cool off eventually, and that's what happened.  A 5-5-1 "cool off" period cost them dearly.  To their credit, they did pull out of it to win their final five games, but the Devils did what they needed to do to finish things off. 

You had the Devils definitively missing the playoffs countless times last season, when they never even surrendered their berth...I'm not saying that I ever felt like they had it all the way, just that I thought the "It's all going to sh!t, we're not making it!" reaction that you and some others had was a bit much. 

13 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

What was all that crazy about it?  Between the month of March and the little bit of April that the season extends into, we went 11-7-1.  Not really earth-shattering, or even eye-popping at all, really.  I guess you could say April was impressive, because we won 3 games in a row, but we actually lost our very last game of the season, and we needed help to get in.  So it's not like we rattled off 7 or 10 wins in a row on some heater.  We played average to above-average hockey down the stretch.

The Devils went 10-3-1 down the stretch, and clearly decided not to kill themselves for that final game...so more like 10-2-1, really.  What got that run going was a VERY tough six-game road trip that saw them go 4-2 (EVERYONE on here was nervous about that one going in, me included).   Included in that was a 7-0-1 burst, so yeah, they did play very well when they absolutely had to.

And the Devils had clinched, so their last game didn't mean anything (though they could've finished higher up in the standings with a point or more in that game).  They DIDN'T need help to get in.  Florida was out by three points prior to their final game, which they won to pull to within one point of the Devils.  Their final game was meaningless. 

 

Anyhoo, will post back on topic before Tri (rightly) smacks my hand...

Edited February 18, 2019 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

It took a historic hot streak by Taylor Hall, he played out of his mind for like 30 days, and we BARELY made it. Multiple games were stolen. That was our epic run that you were asking why we never have.

[Devilsfan118]

4 hours ago, Triumph said:

Not great results here with some other teams falling into the Devils' face, but there's still a wide gap at the bottom.

25.  CHI  -2

26:  ANA -4

27:  NJD -5

28:  EDM -5

29:  DET -6

30:  LAK -6

31:  OTT -9

This sucks.  Trending in the completely wrong direction.

[mfitz804]

Maybe a series of fines for good play? Suspend Nico for 3 OT goals, that fvcking jerk. 

[NJDfan1711]

25 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

And Florida never would've made it close if they didn't go on their crazy run.  What happened last season happened.  Your "what if" never came to pass, so the only timeline that matters is the one we witnessed. 

Like I kept saying at the time, the Panthers were going to cool off eventually, and that's what happened.  A 5-5-1 "cool off" period cost them dearly.  To their credit, they did pull out of it to win their final five games, but the Devils did what they needed to do to finish things off. 

You had the Devils definitively missing the playoffs countless times last season, when they never even surrendered their berth...I'm not saying that I ever felt like they had it all the way, just that I thought the "It's all going to sh!t, we're not making it!" reaction that you and some others had was a bit much. 

The Devils went 10-3-1 down the stretch, and clearly decided not to kill themselves for that final game...so more like 10-2-1, really.  What got that run going was a VERY tough six-game road trip that saw them go 4-2 (EVERYONE on here was nervous about that one going in, me included).   Included in that was a 7-0-1 burst, so yeah, they did play very well when they absolutely had to.

And the Devils had clinched, so their last game didn't mean anything (though they could've finished higher up in the standings with a point or more in that game).  They DIDN'T need help to get in.  Florida was out by three points prior to their final game, which they won to pull to within one point of the Devils.  Their final game was meaningless. 

 

Anyhoo, will post back on topic before Tri (rightly) smacks my hand...

The Panthers won their final 6 games in a row, but didn't Philly win a couple?  I know we were jockeying with them as well for that final spot, and I think by them winning a game or two is what essentially helped us get in, since Florida was really the ones playing out of their minds (we played well too as you mentioned, but they actually took it up a notch).  I think both us and the Flyers winning is what kept Florida out.

Edited February 18, 2019 by NJDfan1711

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, NJDfan1711 said:

The Panthers won their final 6 games in a row, but didn't Philly lose a couple?  I know we were jockeying with them as well for that final spot, and I think by them losing a game or two is what essentially helped us get in, since Florida was really the ones playing out of their minds (we played well too as you mentioned, but they actually took it up a notch).

Florida absolutely did. That wasn’t the question though. The question was why we never go on an epic run, and the answer is, we just did last year. Whether Florida was more epic is irrelevant.