GDT: Detroit @ Devils 7:00 PM 10/15- the home opener

[SterioDesign]

2 minutes ago, jagknife said:

The first bolded, I think that truly is the problem, its Ruff's system and it must be played his way. I believe he is making his other coaches conform to his system. I took more time that I want to admit today to watch some of the Panther's highlights from last year, looking at their power play, they rarely used the slingshot breakout, yet it was a staple for us last year and it has continued into this season. Then the defense, its a... floating box... mess? idk what to call it, but we ALL blamed nASS for the approach and technique, yet there it is again this year, where they have some good spots, but are exploitable. Lindy might not have been given the reins to recruit whom he wanted to work with him, but it's clear to me when it comes to the bench/strategy, he has a lot more say than he did with personnel.

I loathe his line shuffling. Its too inconsistent, he refuses to allow guys to get anything resembling chemistry together. If players need time to adapt to a system, then they also need time to adapt to one another and the way each other play. We've all played some kind of sport on various levels, we know how important it is to know where your teammates are going to be at a given time, now exacerbate that to a professional level. If you can't understand the system, and you're new to a team that wont let you build any foundation with your new teammates, you're being doomed to fail. Well over simplifying my point here, but for the love of freaking god would it kill the old bastard to put just the top line together for more than a single period?

Hughes and Co obviously need to freaking finish their chances already, that part cannot be understated. I think I saw both Mercer and Hughes combined for 15 high danger chances with obviously zero finishes, dont know if it was the last game or both games combined, but them not finishing with opponents doing the exact opposite when facing them is downright demoralizing.

This is something that is just... damned if you do damned if you don't for coaches though.

If things don't work and you don't make changes. Fans will say that you're not trying to fix anything and breaking chemistry.

And if you do try to fix and balance things. They will say that you're not letting players get chemistry.

I won't pretend to know exactly what's going on. BUT, i'm with you on that you need to keep guys together for a bit to let them build chemistry obviously.

And that also plays into my stance of... we need to be a bit patient until our guys gets the system down and get their chemistry going.

[jagknife]

1 minute ago, SterioDesign said:

This is something that is just... damned if you do damned if you don't for coaches though.

If things don't work and you don't make changes. Fans will say that you're not trying to fix anything and breaking chemistry.

And if you do try to fix and balance things. They will say that you're not letting players get chemistry.

I won't pretend to know exactly what's going on. BUT, i'm with you on that you need to keep guys together for a bit to let them build chemistry obviously.

And that also plays into my stance of... we need to be a bit patient until our guys gets the system down and get their chemistry going.

But for how long though? Sure the new guys (Palat, Smith, Marino, Haula, et al) should have some time but what about the guys whom have been here for Ruff's tenure? Especially when they're the ones openly frustrated or citing confusion. That is 100% why I'm all aboard the Fire Ruff train. Its the homegrown talent saying they don't get it, saying they dont have answers, that is a massive foul against the coach.

I get wanting to give players time, but it isn't like they were traded mid-season so they REALLY need some leeway to adapt to a new team. Most teams play very similar styles with some subtle nuances which make them unique and successful. These guys have had a full camp this off-season, played together through the preseason, and are still confused and look out of sorts. It very well could be "Andrew is saying this, but Lindy is saying that.... what the hell do I do...."  (again oversimplifaction but still)

I think a large number of people would have been less rabid over Ruff's head had a) we not gotten curb-stomped in Philly and b) he actually kept together the line that worked. Nico's injury should have had zero effect on it (not that you mentioned it, not saying you did either), but Ruff almost went 'oh no, gotta spread out the scoring to make up for it' and has not stopped this line shell game.

[devlman]

20 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

So what's your theory then? Straight up. What do you think is happening.

I’ll answer for him: Bad coaching

[SterioDesign]

Just now, jagknife said:

But for how long though? Sure the new guys (Palat, Smith, Marino, Haula, et al) should have some time but what about the guys whom have been here for Ruff's tenure? Especially when they're the ones openly frustrated or citing confusion. That is 100% why I'm all aboard the Fire Ruff train. Its the homegrown talent saying they don't get it, saying they dont have answers, that is a massive foul against the coach.

I get wanting to give players time, but it isn't like they were traded mid-season so they REALLY need some leeway to adapt to a new team. Most teams play very similar styles with some subtle nuances which make them unique and successful. These guys have had a full camp this off-season, played together through the preseason, and are still confused and look out of sorts. It very well could be "Andrew is saying this, but Lindy is saying that.... what the hell do I do...."  (again oversimplifaction but still)

I think a large number of people would have been less rabid over Ruff's head had a) we not gotten curb-stomped in Philly and b) he actually kept together the line that worked. Nico's injury should have had zero effect on it (not that you mentioned it, not saying you did either), but Ruff almost went 'oh no, gotta spread out the scoring to make up for it' and has not stopped this line shell game.

Well if it's a new system. And based on Ryan's article it sounds like it is. Then that a player was there last year or not. It's new. So building chemistry on top of learning a new system. Can't be that easy as a team.

It's not like the olympics or wtv where you get only the best of the best who are typically smarter overall and can make it work.

So to answer your question. How long... i'm not sure... but longer than 1-2 games for sure lol My personal threshold is not necessarely what the record will be after 10 games but how they will be playing in 10 games.

And for the record, i'm all for Andrew taking over cause i think he can bring more to the table than Ruff at this point. But it's not going to make me being unfair to Ruff either. Eventhough i never wanted him in the first place.

[SterioDesign]

5 minutes ago, devlman said:

I’ll answer for him: Bad coaching

Thats cool and it's a possibility but personally i'm not convinced that's it or the main reason. It's just.... the easy scapegoat for fans right now. Who let's be honest. the fanbase is absolutely desperate to put the blame on someone. Hynes was the ultimate scapegoat. Did things really get that much better once he left? I don't think it made much of a difference with everything that happened. Again, even Pat Burns would have 

We cannot deny that if Ruff had 2 solid starters last season (all season) and that our top players wouldn't have been injured as much. Our record would have been WAY better. We had the WORST goaltending in the league. That will affect things big time.

Edited October 18, 2022 by SterioDesign

[jagknife]

3 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

Well if it's a new system. And based on Ryan's article it sounds like it is. Then that a player was there last year or not. It's new. So building chemistry on top of learning a new system. Can't be that easy as a team.

It's not like the olympics or wtv where you get only the best of the best who are typically smarter overall and can make it work.

So to answer your question. How long... i'm not sure... but longer than 1-2 games for sure lol My personal threshold is not necessarely what the record will be after 10 games but how they will be playing in 10 games.

And for the record, i'm all for Andrew taking over cause i think he can bring more to the table than Ruff at this point. But it's not going to make me being unfair to Ruff either. Eventhough i never wanted him in the first place.

No, you absolutely did not. We were on the same page in that regard from the get-go.

The eye test is a justified factor. No advanced stats, how the hell do they actually look out there. If they pass the eye test, then sure, record wont matter because they will be clicking and inherently begin to win games. But it has to be 60 minutes, none of this 20 on-40 off crap. No more of this looking great for 20 minutes, then get into the break and the other team adjusts while Lindy's primary adjustment has been to shuffle lines once the team goes neutral mid-way second period.

I also don't think it's unfair to Ruff, even after only two games. They didn't look this bad preseason, in fact they looked like they were making progress and building something. What the hell did he do difference once the games counted? We'll obviously never know but something happened, and it wasn't goaltending, or the defense or the offense, so it has to be his system and what he's doing

[Devil Dan 56]

1 minute ago, SterioDesign said:

So what's your theory then? Straight up. What do you think is happening.

Personally, my theory is that the defense is so unsure of their assignments that they are overthinking and forgetting basic fundamentals.

I think some of the team has lost faith in Ruff. Not all. I know Jack loves him. But some players appear very frustrated… Nico, Wood, Severson, etc. I’m hoping there isn’t split developing in the locker room. I think the line shuffling is also frustrating to players. If you don’t know who you are working with, you don’t have a chance to build anything with other players. Chemistry, trust, etc.

I think Ruff needs to simplify things and give up on things that just don’t work (like the slingshot that jagknife mentioned). I also think he needs to realize he has some smart hockey people behind the bench with him and he should learn to trust them. 

[mfitz804]

3 minutes ago, jagknife said:

and it wasn't goaltending, or the defense or the offense, so it has to be his system and what he's doing

Unless its all 4...

[jagknife]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

Unless its all 4...

That's it, blow up the team, fire your long-lost relative into the sun with his staff and players

[mfitz804]

7 minutes ago, jagknife said:

That's it, blow up the team, fire your long-lost relative into the sun with his staff and players

Since I never got my free luxury box, I have disavowed him anyway. 

 

[StarDew]

3 hours ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

Personally, my theory is that the team is so unsure of their assignments that they are overthinking and forgetting basic fundamentals.

I think some of the team has lost faith in Ruff. Not all. I know Jack loves him. But some players appear very frustrated… Nico, Wood, Severson, etc. I’m hoping there isn’t split developing in the locker room. I think the line shuffling is also frustrating to players. If you don’t know who you are working with, you don’t have a chance to build anything with other players. Chemistry, trust, etc.

I think Ruff needs to simplify things and give up on things that just don’t work (like the slingshot that jagknife mentioned). I also think he needs to realize he has some smart hockey people behind the bench with him and he should learn to trust them. 

FIFY 😉