2023-2024 Around The League thread

[NJDevils1214]

https://www.nhl.com/news/jamie-langenbrunner-to-be-inducted-into-us-hockey-hall-of-fame

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Vancouver has started to slow up after a red-hot start (now 4-6 in their last 10)...it's actually not that much of a surprise, and it wouldn't surprise me if they regressed even further.

For one, they're shooting 13.4% as a team (league average is 10.1%)...only two other teams are over 12%.  JT Miller (23.3%), Boeser (25.7%), Lafferty (21.2%) and Hoglander (25%) are all shooting WELL over their career shooting%s...so is Quinn Hughes (11.7%, more than double his career shooting%).  Petterson is actually right where he should be, but lots of guys feasting on unsustainable puck luck right now.  Guys like Boeser are absolutely going to see their good fortune start to go the other way.

Demko is also falling back to Earth...he's put up an .889 save% over his last 10 games (backup Casey DeSmith is at .890 over his last 5 games).  Demko came out flying in his first 9 games, to the tune of a .948 save%...like several of the other Canucks' fast starts, no way that wasn't going to even out.

Not saying that the Canucks will fall apart, more that their 12-3-1 start wasn't a true indicator of what they really are.  I'm guessing they'll remain in the playoff hunt, but they're not going to be some powerhouse.  They're simply just not as good as they teased over their first 16 games.  

 

[Lateralous]

3 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Vancouver has started to slow up after a red-hot start (now 4-6 in their last 10)...it's actually not that much of a surprise, and it wouldn't surprise me if they regressed even further.

For one, they're shooting 13.4% as a team (league average is 10.1%)...only two other teams are over 12%.  JT Miller (23.3%), Boeser (25.7%), Lafferty (21.2%) and Hoglander (25%) are all shooting WELL over their career shooting%s...so is Quinn Hughes (11.7%, more than double his career shooting%).  Petterson is actually right where he should be, but lots of guys feasting on unsustainable puck luck right now.  Guys like Boeser are absolutely going to see their good fortune start to go the other way.

Demko is also falling back to Earth...he's put up an .889 save% over his last 10 games (backup Casey DeSmith is at .890 over his last 5 games).  Demko came out flying in his first 9 games, to the tune of a .948 save%...like several of the other Canucks' fast starts, no way that wasn't going to even out.

Not saying that the Canucks will fall apart, more that their 12-3-1 start wasn't a true indicator of what they really are.  I'm guessing they'll remain in the playoff hunt, but they're not going to be some powerhouse.  They're simply just not as good as they teased over their first 16 games.  

 

On one of those NHLN pre-game shows, I saw Mike Rupp call for the Canucks to actually miss the playoffs like 2 weeks ago, before most of this recent slide.   He cited similar statistics.   I think he had Edmonton eventually catching them to claim the last spot. 

I think you often see these teams that underachieved the year before come out strong in October with something to prove while other more established teams are still easing into the season.   You're right that they usually come back to earth.      

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

13 minutes ago, Lateralous said:

On one of those NHLN pre-game shows, I saw Mike Rupp call for the Canucks to actually miss the playoffs like 2 weeks ago, before most of this recent slide.   He cited similar statistics.   I think he had Edmonton eventually catching them to claim the last spot. 

I think you often see these teams that underachieved the year before come out strong in October with something to prove while other more established teams are still easing into the season.  You're right that they usually come back to earth.      

The bolded can definitely be a factor, and that makes some sense.

Also interesting when you consider where their wins came from (league average point% right now is .552):

 

3-0 vs the Oilers (.432 point%)

1-0 vs the Panthers (.625)

2-0 vs the Predators (.520)

1-0 vs the Blues (.563)

2-1 vs the Sharks (.308)

1-0 vs the Stars (.674)

1-0 vs the Senators (.500)

1-0 vs the Canadiens (.500)

1-0 vs the Islanders (.563)

1-1 vs the Kraken (.423)

1-0 vs the Ducks (.400)

1-1 vs the Flames (.460)

 

They've also feasted on some of the weaker teams to date.  

[hit the post]

On 12/5/2023 at 12:54 PM, NJDfan1711 said:

Not going to bash you at all. You're entitled to your opinion. In fact, I'd say the general consensus around here is roughly 50/50 as to whether goaltending or defense is our biggest problem.

I was spoiled having half season seat (3)section 223 from 93---2004......I saw the best the Devils ever put on the ice and this group doesn't come close.With a top notch goalie they just might until then its a rollercoaster ride with a few peaks and long drops.

[NJDfan1711]

5 hours ago, hit the post said:

I was spoiled having half season seat (3)section 223 from 93---2004......I saw the best the Devils ever put on the ice and this group doesn't come close.With a top notch goalie they just might until then its a rollercoaster ride with a few peaks and long drops.

See, I dunno, as much as I'd love another world-class goalie that is on our team for the better part of 20 years or so to backstop us to a couple of Stanley Cup wins, I think when I look at the league as a whole times have changed and as I mentioned those types of goalies are much harder to find. Yet, obviously, every year there's still someone who wins the Cup, and  more often than not it's appeared to be a team that does not have one of those world-class goalies like we had from 93-04.  

I'm not saying Schmid or Vanecek are hall of fame worth - far from it - but do I think we can win a Cup with one or both of them? Absolutely. 

[RunninWithTheDevil]

Didn't see this posted yet 

 

 

[Satans Hockey]

Lmfao... 

 

 

[ButlerBulldog]

16 minutes ago, Satans Hockey said:

Lmfao... 

 

 

Brendan Smith with yet another penalty.

[hit the post]

1 hour ago, NJDfan1711 said:

See, I dunno, as much as I'd love another world-class goalie that is on our team for the better part of 20 years or so to backstop us to a couple of Stanley Cup wins, I think when I look at the league as a whole times have changed and as I mentioned those types of goalies are much harder to find. Yet, obviously, every year there's still someone who wins the Cup, and  more often than not it's appeared to be a team that does not have one of those world-class goalies like we had from 93-04.  

I'm not saying Schmid or Vanecek are hall of fame worth - far from it - but do I think we can win a Cup with one or both of them? Absolutely. 

Both are average at best. Sorry but I don't see this tandem getting us there ever.

[Nicomo]

39 minutes ago, hit the post said:

Both are average at best. Sorry but I don't see this tandem getting us there ever.

People really need to stop treating Schmid like he’s a finished product. Kid is only 23 years old (that’s still very young for a goalie), with less than half a season’s worth of games played. It’s silly to say one way or the other what he’ll be at this point. 

[hit the post]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

People really need to stop treating Schmid like he’s a finished product. Kid is only 23 years old (that’s still very young for a goalie), with less than half a season’s worth of games played. It’s silly to say one way or the other what he’ll be at this point. 

I remember when some here said the about KK and Blackwood.....Schmid fits in well with them.

[Nicomo]

15 minutes ago, hit the post said:

I remember when some here said the about KK and Blackwood.....Schmid fits in well with them.

Keith Kinkaid didn’t start a game in the NHL until his age 25 season. 

Blackwood was similar to Schmid, in that he came into the league at a pretty young age, and showed some early promise. It was mostly injuries that derailed him in NJ. 

All I’m saying is maybe don’t completely write Schmid off so quickly. Some of the current best goalies around the league (Igor, Sorokin, etc) were 24/25 before they even hit the NHL. And to be clear I’m NOT saying Schmid is going to be anything close to those guys, but I’m also not ready to say he’ll never be good enough to win a Cup either. The sample size is just too small at this point. 

[Nicomo]

🤣

[MadDog2020]

5 hours ago, Nicomo said:

🤣

I love the honesty 🤣

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

28 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I love the honesty 🤣

He said something pretty similar after the Devils spanked them in Game 3 of their series last season.  So he’s pretty consistent that way.

[ButlerBulldog]

22 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

He said something pretty similar after the Devils spanked them in Game 3 of their series last season.  So he’s pretty consistent that way.

Lindy would never…

[NJDfan1711]

He's brutally honest which is awesome, but the funny thing is they're 14-10-1, second in the division. And it's not like they lost to the Sharks like we did, they lost to Edmonton who hasn't lost a single game since blasting the Caps 5-0 on the road two weeks ago. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, ButlerBulldog said:

Lindy would never…

Lindy’s ripped his team before in postgame conferences, but he’s very inconsistent when it comes to accountability (Smith seems to hold a lifetime free pass to take as many awful penalties as he wants).

[ButlerBulldog]

13 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Lindy’s ripped his team before in postgame conferences, but he’s very inconsistent when it comes to accountability (Smith seems to hold a lifetime free pass to take as many awful penalties as he wants).

I must have erased those instances from my memory, as none are coming to mind.  Lindy’s look-the-other-way attitude with Smith will never not be weird.

[Nicomo]

39 minutes ago, ButlerBulldog said:

I must have erased those instances from my memory, as none are coming to mind.  

Off the top of my head, Lindy just recently said the game against the Red Wings a couple weeks ago was the worst he’s seen as the Devils coach. 

[Satans Hockey]

Just now, Nicomo said:

Off the top of my head, Lindy just recently said the game against the Red Wings a couple weeks ago was the worst he’s seen as the Devils coach. 

He also said Dougie was really bad recently in one game too when he made 2 awful plays that resulted in goals against. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yeah it's not that he hasn't ever ripped his team for sloppy play or bad mistakes; it's that we continue to see the same issues coming up again and again.  Even many of the wins have been uneven (just like this past one).  

[MadDog2020]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

(Smith seems to hold a lifetime free pass to take as many awful penalties as he wants).

That stupid a$$hole will be right back in tonight, you watch. 

[NJDevils1214]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Lindy’s ripped his team before in postgame conferences, but he’s very inconsistent when it comes to accountability (Smith seems to hold a lifetime free pass to take as many awful penalties as he wants).

Lindy also said the defense played fine in the Winnipeg game. Idk what he's like behind closed doors, obviously, but I really feel like a Brind'Amour or Torts is what this team needs. A real kick in their ass and no more of this soft hand sh!t.