Clemmer?

[maxpower]

Are you saying that you can't sit Brodeur in a playoff game because he'll demand a trade?

For Scott Clemmensen, and an injured placeholder version of Scott Clemmensen at that? With the inevitable result of doing so? Better believe it. I would too. Hell, if I was reading this forum and I were him, I'd demand a trade to somewhere where the fans appreciated me.

Do you think the result would be different for any established NHL goalie? Especially being pulled for someone that lacking in stature?

[britoon]

I can't believe that we are all still talking about this.

[Jerrydevil]

Clemmer may play in relief, but I don't see him starting except due to injury.

I hope he doesn't play at all, obviously. But this end-of-season skid has me thinking about worst-case scenarios and what it will take to provide a spark for this team. Sutter should consider everything, that's all I'm saying. And when you have a backup who has had success this year, that option should be on the table, in my mind.

[Beezer34]

I hope he doesn't play at all, obviously. But this end-of-season skid has me thinking about worst-case scenarios and what it will take to provide a spark for this team. Sutter should consider everything, that's all I'm saying. And when you have a backup who has had success this year, that option should be on the table, in my mind.

AND HOW DARE YOU SPEW SUCH SLANDER JERRY!!! ARE YOU SURE YOU ROOT FOR THE DEVILS?!? YOU'RE THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE WORST FANBASE IN THE LEAGUE!!!

[Marv4Life]

The ONLY way I see Clemmer getting a start in the PO is if they are down 3-0. And even that's far fetched.

And for the 100th time, Clemmer had success because the offense learned how to score and the defense overachieved.

Edited April 8, 2009 by Marv4Life

[Jerrydevil]

Hell, if I was reading this forum and I were him, I'd demand a trade to somewhere where the fans appreciated me.

Gimme a break. Fan Appreciation Night is this Saturday. The real season starts after that. I appreciate him, but outplaying Marc-Andre Fleury isn't too much to ask of the great Martin Brodeur.

And if Clemmensen is a "placeholder" (too injured to play), then he shouldn't even be on the bench.

[Devils1985]

I don't think it's a viable option, myself. Put simply, Marty, even if he doesn't sparkle in the last two starts, gives us a better chance to win than badfinger'd Clemmer.

You put that playoff vibe on, and the added incentive for Marty of having something to prove (to himself) and we just may see a quick turnaround when the games MATTER. Right now, they matter (lower case). Playoffs is a whole 'nother animal.

Besides, if the skaters continue doing dumb things it won't matter much anyway.

[Jerrydevil]

The ONLY way I see Clemmer getting a start in the PO is if they are down 3-0. And even that's far fetched.

What's far-fetched, that the team could go down 3-0 or that Clemmensen starts?

[maxpower]

Gimme a break. Fan Appreciation Night is this Saturday. The real season starts after that. I appreciate him, but outplaying Marc-Andre Fleury isn't too much to ask of the great Martin Brodeur.

And if Clemmensen is a "placeholder" (too injured to play), then he shouldn't even be on the bench.

Why don't you wait to see what happens, first? I'd say I hope alot of you eat crow, but I don't give a sh!t at this point. I think this team needs to go to Islandersville for a couple of years and shake some people loose.

[Jerrydevil]

I think this team needs to go to Islandersville for a couple of years and shake some people loose.

Oh, come off it! You think the critics are jumping ship if the team hits the skids? Not the ones who post on this site.

As for waiting to see what happens, yeah, let's do that.

[maxpower]

Oh, come off it! You think the critics are jumping ship if the team hits the skids? Not the ones who post on this site.

As for waiting to see what happens, yeah, let's do that.

alot of people have nine toes in the water.

[Devils1985]

I dunno, seems like a normal fanbase to me. You have apologists (for team in general or a specific player), you have haters (usually for a specific player but in scary cases the team in general) and a whole bunch of folks in between.

Seems normal to me

There have been so many faces shown by this team this season that I just have no clue which one's going to show up in the playoffs, so I vote with playing the best players and telling them to go prove they deserve it.

[Jerrydevil]

I don't think it's a viable option, myself. Put simply, Marty, even if he doesn't sparkle in the last two starts, gives us a better chance to win than badfinger'd Clemmer.

There's no way I would yank Brodeur based on his performance in the last two regular-season games.

[NJDevs4978]

Maybe you're right. Who knows?

I just want Sutter to bench Brodeur in the playoffs if the situation calls for it. Some on this site will bash that idea, but some won't.

Hopefully, the team won't be looking down that gun barrel ... but I just want Sutter to make the tough decision if Brodeur is struggling. If the ship is sinking, do something.

What makes you think there's any chance of this happening? Sutter won't even bench Bobby Freaking Holik for more than a period, let alone Brodeur

[Triumph]

i was going to pose a question to the board when marty returned - how poor does marty have to play before sutter considers clemmensen a viable option? i figured i would get shouted down for doing that, so i never did.

if he plays poorly these next two games it'll be 5 of the last 6 as bad games for brodeur. that's just unacceptable.

Edited April 8, 2009 by Triumph

[Beezer34]

I dunno, seems like a normal fanbase to me. You have apologists (for team in general or a specific player), you have haters (usually for a specific player but in scary cases the team in general) and a whole bunch of folks in between.

Seems normal to me

There have been so many faces shown by this team this season that I just have no clue which one's going to show up in the playoffs, so I vote with playing the best players and telling them to go prove they deserve it.

No sh!t it's normal. We're better than just normal actually, we're passionate. Damn shame when people can't speak what's on their mind, or state a fvcking opinion without mongoloids running to label them and scream TROLL! The narsasisum of those is true stand'up at it's best. They're far too busy finding something to blast their fanbase about, (while beating their own chest) as opposed to any/all thought process out-side-the-box.

There's a thread up about how fans boo'ed last night... who gives a fvck?! Do these people watch sports? Fans boo... period. If fans wanted to boo, because they felt like we should have beat the Maple Leafs, they should be banished to islanderville? As if a fanbase has ever not done that from any team? (or any sport for that manner)

[Jerrydevil]

What makes you think there's any chance of this happening? Sutter won't even bench Bobby Freaking Holik for more than a period, let alone Brodeur

Good point.

[maxpower]

No sh!t it's normal. We're better than just normal actually, we're passionate. Damn shame when people can't speak what's on their mind, or state a fvcking opinion without mongoloids running to label them and scream TROLL! The narsasisum of those is true stand'up at it's best. They're far too busy finding something to blast their fanbase about, (while beating their own chest) as opposed to any/all thought process out-side-the-box.

There's a thread up about how fans boo'ed last night... who gives a fvck?! Do these people watch sports? Fans boo... period. If fans wanted to boo, because they felt like we should have beat the Maple Leafs, they should be banished to islanderville? As if a fanbase has ever not done that from any team? (or any sport for that manner)

this stuff after this game, especially the Marty stuff, it isn't passionate, it's borderline jaded self-loathing crap.

I've been a STH for 13 years now, trust me, I didn't come up with this opinion overnight. And yes, I do think we need time in Islanderville, because then maybe a couple of people will realize how good we had it.

[Triumph]

I've been a STH for 13 years now, trust me, I didn't come up with this opinion overnight. And yes, I do think we need time in Islanderville, because then maybe a couple of people will realize how good we had it.

but that's even worse. you do see how people now think the team is on serious decline. can you imagine if it actually were?

[Devils1985]

No sh!t it's normal. We're better than just normal actually, we're passionate. Damn shame when people can't speak what's on their mind, or state a fvcking opinion without mongoloids running to label them and scream TROLL! The narsasisum of those is true stand'up at it's best. They're far too busy finding something to blast their fanbase about, (while beating their own chest) as opposed to any/all thought process out-side-the-box.

There's a thread up about how fans boo'ed last night... who gives a fvck?! Do these people watch sports? Fans boo... period. If fans wanted to boo, because they felt like we should have beat the Maple Leafs, they should be banished to islanderville? As if a fanbase has ever not done that from any team? (or any sport for that manner)

TG's blog has a great entry with Sutter talking about a wall that a player hits when they come back from injury. Adrenaline often carries them for a bit, then it fades and the player has to fight to get back on track. That, plus 552, is what I think has happened here with Marty (add in that the play of the team has fallen off for extra spice). They're pretty much locked into their playoff position, so these two games are great for Marty to work out the mechanical issues that were covered up by adrenaline the first 10 games. You can only do so much in practice.

[Devils1985]

but that's even worse. you do see how people now think the team is on serious decline. can you imagine if it actually were?

As someone who was around when the Devils were really, truly, honestly AWFUL, I'm quite happy with the state of the franchise. I think sometimes the 'game to game' feeling and the 'state of the franchise' feeling overlaps and it shouldn't.

I wonder what would happen if we went back to the days where 30 wins was a goal to reach for (and miss).

[Devils731]

As someone who was around when the Devils were really, truly, honestly AWFUL, I'm quite happy with the state of the franchise. I think sometimes the 'game to game' feeling and the 'state of the franchise' feeling overlaps and it shouldn't.

I wonder what would happen if we went back to the days where 30 wins was a goal to reach for (and miss).

If I read the board properly, everyone would be happy because they'd rather have high prospects and a touted farm system than a winning team that is only top 5 in the league.

[maxpower]

but that's even worse. you do see how people now think the team is on serious decline. can you imagine if it actually were?

lol, maybe I'll have to check the archives from the first half of November, when it looked like they were going to pull a Flyers from a couple of years back.

All I know is no one turned out to the first couple of games after Marty got hurt. Now, no one's going to show up to playoff games because Marty had a bad game. Que? I just think people look for reasons to be upset, and I don't know what would make them happy. If the impossible happened and Clemmer actually got into a playoff game and gave up 6 or 7 goals (probably more likely than him giving up 0 or 1), the same people who are saying "you know, we should look into this... just in case" would be the first in line saying "SUTTER, WHAT THE fvck WERE YOU DOING!?!?!"

Maybe there's just alot of Mets and Jets fans here, because this thread and a couple of others read like neurotic WFAN callers sound.

[Devils1985]

If I read the board properly, everyone would be happy because they'd rather have high prospects and a touted farm system than a winning team that is only top 5 in the league.

Well, as a supporter of one of the farm teams I should root for that then

Of course simply not having Chris Lamoriello involved with filling the roster seems to have done the trick this year, so maybe we don't have to get that drastic....

[Triumph]

Maybe there's just alot of Mets and Jets fans here, because this thread and a couple of others read like neurotic WFAN callers sound.

i think there's something to this. there's also the 'post-stevens' void - in baseball the phenomenon has been noted that after star players begin to decline then leave a team they've been with for many years the team usually declines too.