NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES

[DevsNets]

Also, both season finales were against teams we were in danger of getting swept by in the season series. Both times the Devs avoided the season sweep with a squeaker of a win.

I briefly lived in Allentown, PA when the Devils came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Flyers and won the series. At that time, I got the Philadelphia cable feed. When the Flyers were up 3-1, the sports talk shows on TV were already discussing the next round's possible opponents AT LENGTH, and spent a good deal of time on it.

Well as you know, the rest is history.

[Gunslinger27]

I like this match-up ! We need to stay out of the box ! Smart, discipline hockey. I hope.

[Triumph]

I'll take it. And the reason why is that I think that Pittsburgh may be better than New Jersey 5 on 5 as well as on the PP. I am sure that Carolina isn't better than New Jersey 5 on 5.

The keys -

Stay out of the box - in both senses. Do not take penalties, and when you do, don't sit there and wait to be defeated. I suggest all of us bombard TG's comments section to ask TG to ask Sutter why he is using the passive box when it has proved itself to be a terrible strategy (in light of all the teams not playing passively and owning our power play by, you know, forcing the team to move the puck). I really think at this point it must be a Marty Mandate because it is just so wretched.

Stop using Jay Pandolfo - goes without saying. He's finished.

Hit and hit hard - Carolina's got some guys who shy away from contact - let's make them do that.

Brodeur has to play like Brodeur - enough with the 522 nonsense, have a save percentage over .915. Have a GAA under 2.3. That's how New Jersey is going to win this series - no awful angle goals.

[devilsrule33]

I'm just going to post the same message I wrote in the game thread before I saw this thread on the series. It pretty sums up my feelings on what the Devils should and shouldn't be doing.

What pisses me off about how the last few games turned out is that the Devils are basically getting away from what made them so good this year, and are slowly moving towards what has failed in the last few playoffs.

The Madden line with Pandolfo and Shanahan has to go and likely will only go once it gets burned in the playoffs. It is just a waste of a line and they are all getting too much ice time. This is where it counts, so hopefully Madden and Shanahan will not be getting the most ice time. Madden had over 18 minutes, which was second to Parise today. If this is the way Sutter wants to do this, I think we'll get killed.

The team was at its best when Madden and Pandolfo's roles were limited, and our best offensive guys were getting the most minutes. For example, when the Devils beat San Jose 6-5 in February, Elias and Parise saw 22 minutes, Zajac 21 and Langenbrunner 19 with Madden getting 15.

This isn't the regular season now. You don't need to tax Parise and Elias like Torts did with Vinny and co. in 2007, but you can give them more than 17-18 minutes...maybe 20-21 minutes.

Now instead of being a 4 line team we once were, we are back to the old tired formula of 2 scoring lines, 1 checking line followed by an energy line (although a more skilled one now than past).

And Madden and Pandolfo getting main penalty kill minutes is another major problem. These guys are not great penalty killers anymore. Zajac and Langenbrunner should be getting the most penalty kills moments and then use Elias and Madden, and maybe Gionta and Pandolfo/Parise for a bit. No Shanahan near the penalty kill.

I just think if the new Madden line plays a major role in the playoffs, the Devils are repeating past failures.

And Tri, you mentioned everyone should bombard TG to ask Sutter what is he doing. That is a good idea and a problem I find with the Devils media in general. There is no pressure coming from the media or fans or call in radio shows for Sutter to change anything. Sutter really only has to answer to Lou. The media as a whole doesn't challenge him on anything and asks generic layups. Maybe TG and Chere want to keep a good relationship with Sutter and Lou, but many times throughout the year I felt they should have asked Sutter about Holik's penalties, Weekes not getting into any games when Marty was hurt, and now some strategy on the penalty kill.

Edited April 12, 2009 by devilsrule33

[DevilsCapsgal]

To the extent that hockey is also a mind game, we should remember that Marty is 36, very competitive and surely knows that there are not that many more opportunities to win the Cup left in his career. He has set the wins record, is 3 away from the shutout record and we know he wants another Cup to match Roy's 4 cups. So that is likely going to be additional motivation for him personally to have the kind of playoff series that we know he can. Even with their uneven play during the weeks after No. 552 I have confidence (hopefully not misplaced) that the Devils can go far in the playoffs this year and that Marty can steal at least one, like he has in the past.

That's the biggest weakness of my other fave team - the Caps - great offense but very sketchy goaltending.....but I know everyone here is rooting for them to ruin the Rags, hopefully in 5 games! If the Caps wind up playing the Devils in a later playoff round, I'll probably crawl under a rock until the series ends. But on the bright side, at least I'll have one team to continue rooting for!

[MadDog2020]

I'm just going to post the same message I wrote in the game thread before I saw this thread on the series. It pretty sums up my feelings on what the Devils should and shouldn't be doing.

What pisses me off about how the last few games turned out is that the Devils are basically getting away from what made them so good this year, and are slowly moving towards what has failed in the last few playoffs.

The Madden line with Pandolfo and Shanahan has to go and likely will only go once it gets burned in the playoffs. It is just a waste of a line and they are all getting too much ice time. This is where it counts, so hopefully Madden and Shanahan will not be getting the most ice time. Madden had over 18 minutes, which was second to Parise today. If this is the way Sutter wants to do this, I think we'll get killed.

The team was at its best when Madden and Pandolfo's roles were limited, and our best offensive guys were getting the most minutes. For example, when the Devils beat San Jose 6-5 in February, Elias and Parise saw 22 minutes, Zajac 21 and Langenbrunner 19 with Madden getting 15.

This isn't the regular season now. You don't need to tax Parise and Elias like Torts did with Vinny and co. in 2007, but you can give them more than 17-18 minutes...maybe 20-21 minutes.

Now instead of being a 4 line team we once were, we are back to the old tired formula of 2 scoring lines, 1 checking line followed by an energy line (although a more skilled one now than past).

And Madden and Pandolfo getting main penalty kill minutes is another major problem. These guys are not great penalty killers anymore. Zajac and Langenbrunner should be getting the most penalty kills moments and then use Elias and Madden, and maybe Gionta and Pandolfo/Parise for a bit. No Shanahan near the penalty kill.

I just think if the new Madden line plays a major role in the playoffs, the Devils are repeating past failures.

And Tri, you mentioned everyone bombard TG to ask Sutter what is he doing. That is a good idea and a problem I find with the Devils media in general. There is no pressure coming from the media or fans or call in radio shows for Sutter to change anything. Sutter really only has to answer Lou. The media as a whole doesn't challenge him on anything and asks generic layups. Maybe TG and Chere want to keep a good relationship with Sutter and Lou, but many times throughout the year I felt they should have asked Sutter about Holik's penalties, Weekes not getting into any games when Marty's hurt, and now some strategy on the penalty kill.

DR, this has become a big enough concern to me that not only did I leave a comment on TG's blog about the PK, but I also sent him an e-mail asking him to ask Sutter what the hell is going on. This team has too much potential that I absolutely refuse to watch another first or second round failure. It would be utterly unacceptable, and a gigantic shame. I want answers as to what Sutter is thinking, and I want them now. I suggest everyone else do the same.

Edited April 12, 2009 by MadDog2020

[mouse]

Although a few awful angle goals would never hurt anyone...

That's what Rod Pelley's for.

[moj8681]

And Tri, you mentioned everyone should bombard TG to ask Sutter what is he doing. That is a good idea and a problem I find with the Devils media in general. There is no pressure coming from the media or fans or call in radio shows for Sutter to change anything. Sutter really only has to answer to Lou. The media as a whole doesn't challenge him on anything and asks generic layups. Maybe TG and Chere want to keep a good relationship with Sutter and Lou, but many times throughout the year I felt they should have asked Sutter about Holik's penalties, Weekes not getting into any games when Marty was hurt, and now some strategy on the penalty kill.

Thank God Sutter only answers to Lou. If he had to answer to every idiot with an internet connection and the media, who get paid to write about the game, not coach it, we'd all be in big trouble.

[RockingTheRed81]

I think the Devils are due to defeat the Hurricanes in the playoffs...that doesnt mean it's going to happen but they are way over due to pull it off. I believe this years team is the one to do it, as long as they play to the ability they've been playing with for most of the season (excluding late March)

[metallidevils]

Anyone else notice how incredible it is that two years in a row now we have played our first round opponent the last game of the season? pretty crazy odds for that to happen.

Anyway, I think we match up better against the canes than almost any other team. I think getting philly would have been the best for us because the goaltending doesn't have the same high talent ceiling that carolina's does, plus we have a lon history of beating them. That said I think the canes are a real close second because these games can be played tight. By that I mean when you play philly you are facing a team with, what, SEVEN 20+ goal scorers not including some of their talented rookies that easily could have been if they were up the whole season. Instead you face a team that has only a few highly skilled forwards and 2 incredible defenseman.

Point being, Carolina's lack of depth is gonna be their downfall in this series provided Cam Ward doesn't steal the show and carry them to round two.

Lets GO Devils!

We've matched up well against the Canes every other time they've slaughtered us too.

[thefiestygoat]

I suggest all of us bombard TG's comments section to ask TG to ask Sutter why he is using the passive box when it has proved itself to be a terrible strategy (in light of all the teams not playing passively and owning our power play by, you know, forcing the team to move the puck). I really think at this point it must be a Marty Mandate because it is just so wretched.

I just left a comment and sent an e-mail. I think this is a good idea and encourage everyone else to keep doing it.

[Risky]

Sutterian trends that need to stop for the Devils to succeed in this series:

1- The "passive" PK. We all know why. Pressure the point and puck-holder. You have talented guys like Elias and Madden on the ice -- trust them! What's the worst that happens? We continue to go 2/3 on PKs?

2- The misuse of Brian Rolston. Again, I have no idea how our newest offensive weapon is supposed to be at all productive playing with basement offensive talent for 12 minutes a night. He needs to play with Elias or Parise and do so consistently.

3- The overuse of our "checking line." In the new era of the NHL, the days of the shutdown line are nearly dead. John Madden and Jay Pandolfo can no longer get the lions-share of forward minutes. Those need to go to guys like Parise, Elias, Zajac, Langenbrunner and Rolston.

4- Passive defense in the Devils own end 5 on 5. In the disastrous losing streak, many of the goals were the result of our defense standing around waiting for someone else to make the play deep in their end. This is death.

5- Excise "The Marty Mandates" -- Unless Brodeur's GAA is <2.0, he should have no ground to tell the defense how to play their game. Our guys should be blocking shots in the playoffs. Sacrificing the body is how championships are won.

6- Play hard and leave it all out on the ice. This team is built to go deep and anything less than the conference finals should be considered a failure.

LGD

[devilsrule33]

Thank God Sutter only answers to Lou. If he had to answer to every idiot with an internet connection and the media, who get paid to write about the game, not coach it, we'd all be in big trouble.

Sure, but say he coached in Canada...and the penalty kill was really struggling...and the media was questioning his strategy and it was on the front page of the papers. Fans were calling into radio stations blasting Sutter, but Sutter stuck with his guns and believed that his penalty kill strategy was the right one.

Next game, the Canes kill Sutter's team on the power play. Now Sutter really looks stupid going into the playoffs and he's going to get murdered by everyone on this. The bottom line is Sutter can get away with anything in the regular season without questioning or consequence. That can be a good thing, or in a few cases, a bad thing.

[MadDog2020]

Sure, but say he coached in Canada...and the penalty kill was really struggling...and the media was questioning his strategy and it was on the front page of the papers. Fans were calling into radio stations blasting Sutter, but Sutter stuck with his guns and believed that his penalty kill strategy was the right one.

Next game, the Canes kill Sutter's team on the power play. Now Sutter really looks stupid going into the playoffs and he's going to get murdered by everyone on this. The bottom line is Sutter can get away with anything in the regular season without questioning or consequence. That can be a good thing, or in a few cases, a bad thing.

Agreed. I like Sutter and I think he's a good coach. But he does some things that consistently make me scratch my head, and ice-time allotments and PK strategy are chief among them at the moment. If he coaches this team to fail, they'll fail. If he's better about making adjustments and acknowledging that giving Pando and Madden gobs of ice time over guys who can actually score goals is a death sentence (as I thought he learned earlier in the year when Madden and Pandolfo were relegated to the 4th line), he will obviously set this team up for the type of success it was having back in January and February. I'm just confused as to why Sutter has seemingly gotten away from things that were working just fine before. It's a bit un-nerving.

[Don]

Sure, but say he coached in Canada...and the penalty kill was really struggling...and the media was questioning his strategy and it was on the front page of the papers. Fans were calling into radio stations blasting Sutter, but Sutter stuck with his guns and believed that his penalty kill strategy was the right one.

I think of the Senators listened to their fans on Team 1200 they would be below the Islanders in the standings.

[RunninWithTheDevil]

Although a few awful angle goals would never hurt anyone...

522?

[Triumph]

look, i definitely think in general that coaches are right more often than fans. that said, coaches make some terrible decisions based on sentimentality or comfort that are proven mistaken time and time again.

teams shouldn't be run by the fans - but i'd just like to know why sutter thinks this way of penalty killing is good, ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that new jersey's power play isn't very good in part because of this wretched strategy.

dr33 has it - the good news is that pando and madden can theoretically go against a brind'amour line, depending on who's on his wings. the bad news is that sutter will likely have them against a staal line and that's just a recipe for seeing that empty look on pandolfo's face when yet another goal goes in on his watch.

also part of the reason why pandolfo and madden get so much ice time is because they are always caught in their own zone, so they overstay their shifts by 20-30 seconds at least once a period.

Edited April 12, 2009 by Triumph

[MadDog2020]

look, i definitely think in general that coaches are right more often than fans. that said, coaches make some terrible decisions based on sentimentality or comfort that are proven mistaken time and time again.

teams shouldn't be run by the fans - but i'd just like to know why sutter thinks this way of penalty killing is good, ESPECIALLY in light of the fact that new jersey's power play isn't very good in part because of this wretched strategy.

dr33 has it - the good news is that pando and madden can theoretically go against a brind'amour line, depending on who's on his wings. the bad news is that sutter will likely have them against a staal line and that's just a recipe for seeing that empty look on pandolfo's face when yet another goal goes in on his watch.

The Devils were at their offensive best when Sutter stopped matching lines. He needs to just roll 4 lines and stop his recent trend of trying to get match-ups, or we'll be done in 6 games.

[Jerrydevil]

The Devils were at their offensive best when Sutter stopped matching lines. He needs to just roll 4 lines and stop his recent trend of trying to get match-ups, or we'll be done in 6 games.

I agree about not matching, but I don't even think Sutter should roll 4. Get your best players more ice time, and give the Madden-Pando-Shanny line less.

[MadDog2020]

I agree about not matching, but I don't even think Sutter should roll 4. Get your best players more ice time, and give the Madden-Pando-Shanny line less.

That's fine too- I just want him to cut out the line-matching. There is no reason to mess with something that has worked fine all year.

[devilsrule33]

That's fine too- I just want him to cut out the line-matching. There is no reason to mess with something that has worked fine all year.

Unfortunately for the us and the Devils, it might take a bad loss before Sutter realizes he needs to make that change. Hopefully that loss won't be the 3rd or 4th one.

[Sickman]

I trust that if the Devils play at the top of their game that they will win this series. With that being said though there are so many x-factors when it comes to playoff hockey that you'll never really be able to predict what will happen. All I know is that I'm thirsty like a motherfvcker for a deep playoff run. The overtime heroics, big time players stepping up and the unexpected heroes like Marshall and Mckay. This is what it is all about.

What better way to start then to take out the team who squashed those dreams in 02 and 06? This thing can go either way but to hell with stats and all that jazz. I'm going into this series believing the Devils will find a way to get this train rolling. We're due for it and this team has showed me way to much this year to not believe in them now. Game 1 cant come soon enough. Lets go Devils!

Edited April 13, 2009 by SickMan

[MadDog2020]

Unfortunately for the us and the Devils, it might take a bad loss before Sutter realizes he needs to make that change. Hopefully that loss won't be the 3rd or 4th one.

I don't know how the hell he hasn't figured it out already. Sutter isn't a stupid guy- how can he not see that the Devils played their best hockey when he just rolled 4 lines? That just dumbfounds me...

[Jerrydevil]

I trust that if the Devils play at the top of their game that they will win this series. With that being said though there are so many x-factors when it comes to playoff hockey that you'll never really be able to predict what will happen. All I know is that I'm thirsty like a motherfvcker for a deep playoff run. The overtime heroics, big time players stepping up and the unexpected heroes like Marshall and Mckay. This is what it is all about.

What better way to start then to take out the team who squashed those dreams in 02 and 06? This thing can go either way but to hell with stats and all that jazz. I'm going into this series believing the Devils will find a way to get this train rolling. We're due for it and this team has showed me way to much this year to not believe in them now. Game 1 cant come soon enough. Lets go Devils!

Good post.

And while I don't believe 100% ... I hope and root.

[RockingTheRed81]

Does anyone know when the schedule is going to be released? this wait is brutal