2023-2024 NJ Devils season thread

[NJDevils1214]

1 hour ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

They don't have to do any of that. This team does not have to be in "all in" mode yet. We are still just entering our window of competitiveness.

I am totally against moving anything significant for a netminder over the age of 30.

More than willing to ride this season out withnwhat we have and look to address issues in the summer.

Dude, you didn't read his first point... No reasonable disagreements allowed. Unreasonable disagreements only. 👆

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

2 hours ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

They don't have to do any of that. This team does not have to be in "all in" mode yet. We are still just entering our window of competitiveness.

I am totally against moving anything significant for a netminder over the age of 30.

More than willing to ride this season out withnwhat we have and look to address issues in the summer.

I am curious to see what Fitz does.  We know his Plan A was to stay the course and NOT tie up money or term in a goalie right now, but I also don’t think he wants to see the 2023-24 season get away from the Devils either.  He’ll have some more space to work with now that Dougie’s on LTIR, but not sure if he would try to go for some vet upgrade (and give up the assets it would take to make that happen), or for a much cheaper option, just to have someone else to add to the mix.  

[MadDog2020]

The entire division won tonight, so these idiots are doing themselves absolutely no fvcking favors losing to sh!tbag AHL teams like San Jose. 

[Nicomo]

4 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

The entire division won tonight, so these idiots are doing themselves absolutely no fvcking favors losing to sh!tbag AHL teams like San Jose. 

They’re only 3 points out of the 2nd WC spot, but eventually there will just be too many teams to climb over if they don’t start going on some runs. 

I’ll say one thing, if they do make it in with this goaltending, and 2 rookies on defense, they’ll have really earned it. 

[NJDevils1214]

Buffalo lost tonight and might be on the verge of firing Granato. If they end up hiring Woodcroft there's no other proven HC on the market I'd take. I think they're going to sink or swim with Lindy regardless, but just throwing it out there.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

35 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

Buffalo lost tonight and might be on the verge of firing Granato. If they end up hiring Woodcroft there's no other proven HC on the market I'd take. I think they're going to sink or swim with Lindy regardless, but just throwing it out there.

Yeah as much as I gripe about Lindy, I just don’t see Fitz canning him after having extended him.

I just hate that his time here isn’t eventually going to end with the Devils somehow winning a Cup on his watch…instead it will be with Fitz saying “We’d like to thank Lindy for all of his hard work, and we wish both he and his family the best as we move forward.”  Only a matter of time.

As much as I wish I could believe otherwise, I don’t think Lindy is capable of doing any more with this team than he already has.  If anything, in time we’ll look back on 2022-23 and wonder how a team with Lindy as its head coach managed to finish a season with 112 points.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

7 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

The entire division won tonight, so these idiots are doing themselves absolutely no fvcking favors losing to sh!tbag AHL teams like San Jose. 

Caps and Pens lost.

[MadDog2020]

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Caps and Pens lost.

The Pens lost to the Flyers though 

[HughesCorporation]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

The Pens lost to the Flyers though 

in a shoot out, so every team gets a point or two

[slasher72]

"John Marino looked mediocre on the night again, and Jonas Siegenthaler is looking like an AHL player." 

That's probably the best description of Siegenthaler to date...

 

https://pucksandpitchforks.com/2023/12/02/devils-lose-to-nhls-worst-team/

 

[MadDog2020]

6 minutes ago, HughesCorporation said:

in a shoot out, so every team gets a point or two

Yep. No bueno. 

[Guadana]

Marino and Siegs could play better for real. Anyway Devils are good in HDCA and odd man rushes against. Not the bestbut average or better. Sv% is awful. SJ is bad team, but not 16SF team. Ofcourse mistakes are there, but nothing special in compare with other team.

With just a couple of saves or even with one it could be much better game. Lindy made stupid decision to use Schmid in back to back after load from flyers.

 

I think Devils should find defenseman to ease the pressure in Siegs and Marino. And of course goalie.

Vejmelka, Lankinen, Allen, Detroit goalies(3) are better than what we have now. They are not game changers but everything we need is average or even little below average goalie now. All of them are having 91%+ in 5 on 5. Vanecek has below 89%, Schmid too. But I believe Schmid will be better if Ruff will continue to limit his starts.

DeSmith is a good option too, but I don't think VAN will trade solid backup in the year they are trying to compete for playoff spot. 

Gibson isn't the option, he is old, with awful history of injuries, three back to back bad seasons and awful deal, its literally Schneider 2.0 for the Devils. 29 good games doesn't change his status. Markstrom is better, but much older, reason why I'm not happy to deal for him. Crawford and Bernier are fresh in my mind. At least his deal will not hurt us next season. 

I know people want Swayman or wolf, but teams will not deal them. Samsonov and Kahkonen could be an option, but questionable. Toronto may want to protect themselves from risk to bet on a young goalie only(Woll), and Kahkonen isn't showing consistent to be even 1B. ButI would easily be happy if Fitz will want to try to use three goalie. 

Reimer/Lyon/Husso? Its interesting what Yzya wants for them, I think he is sitting and waiting for good offer. Goaltending is bad in recent years. 

 

 Team is fighting with injuries and shows a lot in offensive end. They will figure it out, if leaders will stay healthy. Its not an easy road like it was year ago, but year ago everybody were healthy. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Guadana

[NJDevils1214]

11 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Yeah as much as I gripe about Lindy, I just don’t see Fitz canning him after having extended him.

I just hate that his time here isn’t eventually going to end with the Devils somehow winning a Cup on his watch…instead it will be with Fitz saying “We’d like to thank Lindy for all of his hard work, and we wish both he and his family the best as we move forward.”  Only a matter of time.

As much as I wish I could believe otherwise, I don’t think Lindy is capable of doing any more with this team than he already has.  If anything, in time we’ll look back on 2022-23 and wonder how a team with Lindy as its head coach managed to finish a season with 112 points.

 

2 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

Yep. No bueno. 

A lot of us have been here through the darkest of dark seasons with this team. We have all had our ways of coping with that and finding a way to let go of any expectations or just finding our way to enjoy it for what it is. We all(most of us) had high hopes for this season but it's getting very close to the time, Xmas, where I let go of whatever expectations I might have had, mark my calendar for the draft, and just enjoy it for what it is. This team still has a chance, don't get me wrong, but there are very few vital signs outside of Jack Hughes being Jack and it's better to start being realistic. There have been some really bad Devils teams with one with 1/3 of the talent and nearly zero expectations that played more competently than this one.

Anyway, not there quite yet so hopefully they turn it around like the Blues did in 2018. Their record was pretty abysmal by Xmas and they managed to get their sh!t together, but they're the exception and not the norm.

[Satans Hockey]

2 hours ago, NJDevils1214 said:

 

A lot of us have been here through the darkest of dark seasons with this team. We have all had our ways of coping with that and finding a way to let go of any expectations or just finding our way to enjoy it for what it is. We all(most of us) had high hopes for this season but it's getting very close to the time, Xmas, where I let go of whatever expectations I might have had, mark my calendar for the draft, and just enjoy it for what it is. This team still has a chance, don't get me wrong, but there are very few vital signs outside of Jack Hughes being Jack and it's better to start being realistic. There have been some really bad Devils teams with one with 1/3 of the talent and nearly zero expectations that played more competently than this one.

Anyway, not there quite yet so hopefully they turn it around like the Blues did in 2018. Their record was pretty abysmal by Xmas and they managed to get their sh!t together, but they're the exception and not the norm.

 

That Blues team had the worst record in the league in early January before they turned it around. We are 20th in the overall league standings and only 3 points out of a wild card spot and 3 points out of 3rd place in our division. They don't have to remotely do anything as hard as the Blues did that year. 

[Guadana]

1 hour ago, Satans Hockey said:

 

That Blues team had the worst record in the league in early January before they turned it around. We are 20th in the overall league standings and only 3 points out of a wild card spot and 3 points out of 3rd place in our division. They don't have to remotely do anything as hard as the Blues did that year. 

No no no no no no noooo. no. Time to move on. After 20 games, injured Jack and/or Nico in the half, behind 3 straight win after 1 disappointing loss in the game where Devils overshoted opponents in three times, and in 3-5 points away from playoff spot. With 60 games in a hand. 

This is a time. Who is the best prospect? Celebrini? Whats about trading Hall back, we need in another 1OA. 

[ButlerBulldog]

1 hour ago, Satans Hockey said:

 

That Blues team had the worst record in the league in early January before they turned it around. We are 20th in the overall league standings and only 3 points out of a wild card spot and 3 points out of 3rd place in our division. They don't have to remotely do anything as hard as the Blues did that year. 

No, but they are making things more difficult than they need to be by squandering winnable games, opportunities for additional points that they may wish they’d cashed in on by year’s end.  They need to put the loss to San Jose in the rear-view mirror as quickly as possible and look at the upcoming West Coast trip as a soft reboot of their season.  For whatever reason, the Devils have played better away from the Rock, so perhaps they can regain the momentum they seemed to be building prior to Friday evening.

[NJDevs4978]

3 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

That Blues team had the worst record in the league in early January before they turned it around. We are 20th in the overall league standings and only 3 points out of a wild card spot and 3 points out of 3rd place in our division. They don't have to remotely do anything as hard as the Blues did that year. 

LOL difference is they sh!tcanned a coach for one (I'm not even convinced we can the goalie coach at the end of the year much less Ruff now), for another I haven't seen any fight or desire out of this team for like 90% of the year.  I really hoped they got their oomph back after the Sabres and Isles games but it's been the same sh!t the last two games.

Edited December 4, 2023 by NJDevs4978

[smelly]

1 hour ago, NJDevs4978 said:

LOL difference is they sh!tcanned a coach for one (I'm not even convinced we can the goalie coach at the end of the year much less Ruff now), for another I haven't seen any fight or desire out of this team for like 90% of the year.  I really hoped they got their oomph back after the Sabres and Isles games but it's been the same sh!t the last two games.

Yup, no goaltending, but fire the coach.

It sure fixed everything in Edmonton.  So it certainly will work for us, right?

My goodness.

Edited December 4, 2023 by smelly

[smelly]

Some interesting points. Not just the Devils. But definitely the Devils. 
 

https://nypost.com/2023/12/02/sports/the-nhl-has-a-goaltending-problem/

[MadDog2020]

Hugh’s-a-Palooza! https://www.nhl.com/news/all-three-hughes-brothers-to-play-in-same-nhl-game-for-first-time

[NJDfan1711]

21 hours ago, Guadana said:

Marino and Siegs could play better for real. Anyway Devils are good in HDCA and odd man rushes against. Not the bestbut average or better. 

There is no possible way this is true. I don't care what metric you are using. We give up odd man rushes like no one else.  We definitely aren't "good" at giving them up, we're not even medicare.  We're downright bad.  

[Guadana]

1 hour ago, NJDfan1711 said:

There is no possible way this is true. I don't care what metric you are using. We give up odd man rushes like no one else.  We definitely aren't "good" at giving them up, we're not even medicare.  We're downright bad.  

Nope, we are not. We are not very good or great, but everything is fine with this. Goaltending svck, that's all from something special.  Goals against? Really bad. 

 

If You feal different than sorry, you have high expectations, average level of league is different. Summing isn't hard task.  I just don't feel badly when I saw our mistakes. Because I saw how we lost our chances a lot. 

 

Sorry, but thats just fact.

On other hand if Devils will fix goaltending at least to the average level (now Devils are 88.5%sv 5 on 5, should be 90.7%) and will start to use their chances in offensive zone, they will outcrush the league. 

 

There are plenty resources that show it. And MY eye test approve it. So like every person in the world I trust my personal own eye test, but im taling with grain of sault. But. Stats from different resources are helping me to understand that Devils are not bad in defensive zone. Yes, they are making more mistakes than they should, but summ of this mistakes isn't dramatic at all. 

 

When They will start to dominant again, it will takes from what they have now, may be better goalie, may be better performance from goalie we are having. It will make a job for our forwards easier. Healthy roster would help too. We were 7-1-2 in 2021/22 when Dougie, Nico and Jack were on the ice.

And we  are 10-4-1 this season when Jack, Timo and/or Nico were on the ice.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Guadana

[MadDog2020]

https://newjerseyhockeynow.com/2023/12/04/whats-hindering-devils-disrespecting-the-game/?fbclid=IwAR1_9NMoIrNHUm6g-xbZupaz4XOEIDORjoC2loxzL9bMQVN4jnqT_m1jFDU_aem_AUn-GTqjZ-6HXukpq-w7PmrzvixjPMD1WyqGPeCN1QBGBEKbMBFqwFVi0y_Sgcp5cfY This sounds like a coach who is out of answers. Either that, or they’ve tuned him out, but this sounds like a guy who doesn’t know what to do anymore.

Edited December 4, 2023 by MadDog2020

[MadDog2020]

In good news: https://newjerseyhockeynow.com/2023/12/04/devils-forward-named-nhl-star-of-the-week/?fbclid=IwAR1CdIq3M4omAZF5gbCXyS_0Zs3w8chV54vR_4hGRcfkcJD6F5dYXXfs4PU_aem_AUlt_S7tmUK-pz2oMb3qp3KBavDzv03-RGhdKFcwf7DJ-v4p2XGXom3R7uBGOKDiFg4#lprbqaala4hqu9hrkh

[NJDevils1214]

32 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

https://newjerseyhockeynow.com/2023/12/04/whats-hindering-devils-disrespecting-the-game/?fbclid=IwAR1_9NMoIrNHUm6g-xbZupaz4XOEIDORjoC2loxzL9bMQVN4jnqT_m1jFDU_aem_AUn-GTqjZ-6HXukpq-w7PmrzvixjPMD1WyqGPeCN1QBGBEKbMBFqwFVi0y_Sgcp5cfY This sounds like a coach who is out of answers. Either that, or they’ve tuned him out, but this sounds like a guy who doesn’t know what to do anymore.

Disrespecting the game is just another way of saying they're not prepared and not doing the basics. I think that pretty much aligns with the eye test. Making stupid decisions leading to turnovers, leaving guys alone in front of the net, giving up odd man rushes and breakways, etc. The real question is wtf are they doing about it? They're 20 games into the season.and things still aren't clicking. I feel like we've heard "puck management" over 9000 times in the last two seasons.