GDT: NJ Devils vs Buffalo Sabres

[Pepperkorn]

JUST.. sometimes someone has to step up and say "I'm a fvcking star -- and you're on my team so naturally you all are as well" I almost wish Zach would do that. But no one gets that arrogance thing -- modesty is the heart of the matter -- but fer gosh sake you have to KNOW you're good not try to share the fvcking talent wealth team effort sh!t. No. Marty steps outside I think too much - but he's a goalie so he IS outside.... I guess I just feel like they weren't pumped tonight so I think back on how they are NEVER pumped - never. When they're good they keep it too modest. it was so lackluster tonight it reminded me how they NEVER allow themselves to shine -- not for years.

[Prucenterrules]

Man the Devils just can't win at home.

[metallidevils]

My first game since the game 7 disaster. the first period was absolutely brutal..team played terrible, stadium was silent, but by the second period it was definitely the biggest crowd ive ever seen at a wednesday night game. i dont think a single person paid full price, but whatever.

if the parise line isn't on the ice, it's almost a given that the devils aren't going to score. it's painful watching this offense.

oduya was horrific tonight.

my hatred of rolston and zubrus gets justified every single night.

Edited October 29, 2009 by metallidevils

[SatansDevils]

This team and the defense is going to miss Paul Martin PERIOD!

Terrible game tonight all the way around including Brodeur. Oduya, Salvador, Mottau and White were just horrific. Nice goal by Andy Greene tonight but the PK and the PP was just bad too. Just have to put this one away and look to Boston tomorrow night and hopefully stay unbeaten on the road and go 6-0.

Pikkachu needs to sit and never play again. The 4th line of the Devils I have to agree has to be the worst in the NHL right now.

The attendance was pretty bad tonight saying there was 14,182 sold, but looked like there were maybe 10,000+ in attendance.

Time to bounce back in Boston tomorrow and expect Brodeur to bounce back as well after tonight's game.

[metallidevils]

This team and the defense is going to miss Paul Martin PERIOD!

Terrible game tonight all the way around including Brodeur. Oduya, Salvador, Mottau and White were just horrific. Nice goal by Andy Greene tonight but the PK and the PP was just bad too. Just have to put this one away and look to Boston tomorrow night and hopefully stay unbeaten on the road and go 6-0.

Pikkachu needs to sit and never play again. The 4th line of the Devils I have to agree has to be the worst in the NHL right now.

The attendance was pretty bad tonight saying there was 14,182 sold, but looked like there were maybe 10,000+ in attendance.

Time to bounce back in Boston tomorrow and expect Brodeur to bounce back as well after tonight's game.

i've probably been to less games than you but i dont think ive ever seen the lower bowl so full for a regular weekday game against a non-rival. there were definitely more than 10k there.

the 3rd and 4th lines are terrible. the second isnt much better.

[njdevil26]

Boy does this team look different without Paul Martin in the lineup...

Let's see... where to start.

Greene had a nice goal. He doesn't do many amazing things on the ice... but what thing I'm noticing about him is that he is confident and trying things... he's been one of the better guys on the back line so far.

Brodeur... nothing to say. Not bashing the guy... there wasn't much he could do because he was left out to dry honestly.

Zajac- Invisible tonight... He had been playing so well I give him a free pass

Parise- Nothing spectacular... he'll get going soon enough. When Elias comes back there will be pressure taken off of Zach. The opposing team's defensive forwards will have more ground to cover with Elias... Zach will get more room.

Langenbrunner needs to step it up

Rolston needs to step it up

I wish people would chill with the Zubrus hate. He is playing better than most in this lineup at the moment.

Bergfors is flying out there and I really like what I see

Halischuk is not ready... period.

Fraser is not an NHL defenseman... yet

Oduya hasn't looked himself yet this year...

Niedermayer should not see the top two lines or the power play... EVER. He is just not that type of player. When Elias comes back, Nieds should be center # 3 or 4.

Pikarrainen- USELESS

Clarkson- Haven't liked what I've seen lately...

Pelley- Good for the fourth line... just has nothing to work with

Leblond- 4th line enforcer

Salvador and Mottau were invincible tonight.

White didn't look too special.

Here's what I'd like to see:

Zharkov in for Halischuk. Vlad showed some promise this preseason.. Halischuk isn't really cutting it.

This team needs to trade for a better defenseman.I don't know how or where... but a first round pick/Halischuk/even Clarkson can be traded. Even when Martin is back... Oduya isn't top 2. Mottau/White/Salvador can not make up for half of a defensive corps. There will be NO offense from them...

I wish the Devils had signed Marc Andre Bergeron...

We'll see. The Devils have a tough test in Boston tomorrow... Hopefully Elias practices Friday or Sunday with the team..

[thelastonealive]

All that talk of signing one Neidermeyer to get the other would sure be sweet right now if it wasn't just talk.

Also, I was amazed at how long it took them to sell out of pucks for the mystery puck promotion. I didn't get into the arena 'til after 6 and still got one. Granted, it was a Rod Pelley, but still.

[njdevil26]

All that talk of signing one Neidermeyer to get the other would sure be sweet right now if it wasn't just talk.

Also, I was amazed at how long it took them to sell out of pucks for the mystery puck promotion. I didn't get into the arena 'til after 6 and still got one. Granted, it was a Rod Pelley, but still.

We got to the arena at 6:15... Jamie's little sister got a Zajac puck.

[NJDevils1214]

We got to the arena at 6:15... Jamie's little sister got a Zajac puck.

I got Johnny Oduya....

[DS88]

Traded a Parise for a Brodeur puck.

[NJDevs4978]

i've probably been to less games than you but i dont think ive ever seen the lower bowl so full for a regular weekday game against a non-rival. there were definitely more than 10k there.

the 3rd and 4th lines are terrible. the second isnt much better.

Yeah I thought it was going to be a disaster just before faceoff but the crowd filled in a little better than I thought. That said, I was surprised the mystery pucks were still there around 6:20 when I got there. At least I made out better than a couple of you with Robbie Nieds lol, can't complain too much about that since I got Elias last year and it's for a good cause anyway.

Still it was a crappy night, security was all jumpy because of prepping for Obama's visit Friday - got patted down like it was the Super Bowl, and apparently just now they discovered the F-U Sam Rosen chant on goals and decided to tell the back of 208-9 to tone it down, I guess cause we don't actually score power play goals they haven't realized this.

To top that off I could have made my train easily if I'd walked but didn't really want to with the weather so decided on the bus and it turns out the street was blocked off and traffic was bumper-to-bumper so it took 25 minutes on the bus to get back to Broad Street when it actually takes a couple minutes less to walk it. And for the coup de grace, my recap wouldn't save on BoNY and I lost almost all of it.

[justintime2989]

terriable game, today being there for another loss. And just wondering is there number for lost and found or something since i forgot my jacket there of section 233 row 8

[DevilinLA]

It REALLY takes a lot for me to get frustrated with a player but I seriously can't stand to watch Rolston anymore. Last year he probably deserved a pass because of the injury and Sutter but this guy flat out sucks as a hockey player. What the fvck happened to him? He's soft like tissue paper and really doesn't have a head for the game. He hits the net once out of every ten shots he takes and skates like he has sh*t in his pants. He seriously has to be one of the highest paid players I have ever watched on this team that brings absolutely nothing to the table. 5 million for some penalty killing? Fvck off! I would trade this guy in a heartbeat but he can't be moved. I really can't even say Lou dropped the ball on this signing because who the hell would have ever expected him to be this lousy? He is terrible.

It was not a good game tonight and I'm not singling Rolston out for the loss but it just burns my ass that this guy gets paid what he does and I can't even consider him a scoring threat. I seriously go into every game expecting zero production out of him. He's robbing this team blind.

Also, Oduya played like absolute sh*t tonight.

Agreed 100%, for all the hate here for the 4th liners (who are pretty poor), the finger really needs to be pointing at the guy eating nearly 10% of our cap space who seems to be bringing zero to the table.

This guy wanted JL, was one of the few vocal players about the positive change from Sutter, well buddy you got him, what now?

[DevilinLA]

Boy does this team look different without Paul Martin in the lineup...

Let's see... where to start.

Greene had a nice goal. He doesn't do many amazing things on the ice... but what thing I'm noticing about him is that he is confident and trying things... he's been one of the better guys on the back line so far.

Brodeur... nothing to say. Not bashing the guy... there wasn't much he could do because he was left out to dry honestly.

Zajac- Invisible tonight... He had been playing so well I give him a free pass

Parise- Nothing spectacular... he'll get going soon enough. When Elias comes back there will be pressure taken off of Zach. The opposing team's defensive forwards will have more ground to cover with Elias... Zach will get more room.

Langenbrunner needs to step it up

Rolston needs to step it up

I wish people would chill with the Zubrus hate. He is playing better than most in this lineup at the moment.

Bergfors is flying out there and I really like what I see

Halischuk is not ready... period.

Fraser is not an NHL defenseman... yet

Oduya hasn't looked himself yet this year...

Niedermayer should not see the top two lines or the power play... EVER. He is just not that type of player. When Elias comes back, Nieds should be center # 3 or 4.

Pikarrainen- USELESS

Clarkson- Haven't liked what I've seen lately...

Pelley- Good for the fourth line... just has nothing to work with

Leblond- 4th line enforcer

Salvador and Mottau were invincible tonight.

White didn't look too special.

Here's what I'd like to see:

Zharkov in for Halischuk. Vlad showed some promise this preseason.. Halischuk isn't really cutting it.

This team needs to trade for a better defenseman.I don't know how or where... but a first round pick/Halischuk/even Clarkson can be traded. Even when Martin is back... Oduya isn't top 2. Mottau/White/Salvador can not make up for half of a defensive corps. There will be NO offense from them...

I wish the Devils had signed Marc Andre Bergeron...

We'll see. The Devils have a tough test in Boston tomorrow... Hopefully Elias practices Friday or Sunday with the team..

You can't talk about upgrading this defense and mention MAB in the same sentence. Its a contradiction of terms.

MAB is Cory Murphy with 10% more defensive capabliity. That would have been a horrible pick up.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Honestly, Rolston is starting to become an issue. I just know this guy has talent, but he is having the hardest time ever finding it and every game that goes by, you get the feeling that he might be done. I don't know if it's our system or what, but he is just not the same player he was in Minny. However, at $5 million per year, it's really not a joke. Lou is going to have to find a solution here because another 3 years of this (including this year) is going to handcuff this team in a pretty major way.

Like Sickman, I was willing to give Rolston a pass for last year, but I can't take this guy anymore. Unfortunately he is to the Devils what Alexei Kovalev was to the Rangers...for some reason he puts on the red and black and his game seems to suffer. And yeah, he's not tradable with that much money left on his deal, so we have to hope he regains his Minny form.

And no surprise that the offensive black hole known as Dainius Zubrus couldn't convert on his chances, with his whopping 29 G in 174 GP as a Devil. If he ever manages 20 goals in any of his remaining seasons as a Devil I'll wet my pants.

But overall, 6-4 without Elias is actually quite good. If they can stay above .500 until Elias returns I'll be happy with that. Under the circumstances I think Lemaire has done a good job, but the too many men crap has to stop. Why is it that guys who have been playing hockey for most of their lives can't friggin' execute a clean line change?

[MantaRay]

Boy does this team look different without Paul Martin in the lineup...

This team needs to trade for a better defenseman.I don't know how or where... but a first round pick/Halischuk/even Clarkson can be traded. Even when Martin is back... Oduya isn't top 2. Mottau/White/Salvador can not make up for half of a defensive corps. There will be NO offense from them...

I wish the Devils had signed Marc Andre Bergeron...

We'll see. The Devils have a tough test in Boston tomorrow... Hopefully Elias practices Friday or Sunday with the team..

While I agree with much of what you said you lost me on these things.

-How is getting another defensemen help us at our greatest need: a 2nd line Center???

Our D isn't the problem, our D is a strength. If we could score, the defense isn't even an issue.

MA Bergeron??? Once/IF Markov comes back is a career minor leaguer. You might as well wish to sign Andrei Zyuzin.

Based on Patty's response to Matt Loughlin last night I dont think Patty is coming back for at least another week.

[CRASHER]

-How is getting another defensemen help us at our greatest need: a 2nd line Center???

Our D isn't the problem, our D is a strength. If we could score, the defense isn't even an issue.

Our D minus Martin is a MAJOR problem......

Would be nice if the goaltending was better too

We had 32 shots on goal last night

[njdevil26]

While I agree with much of what you said you lost me on these things.

-How is getting another defensemen help us at our greatest need: a 2nd line Center???

Our D isn't the problem, our D is a strength. If we could score, the defense isn't even an issue.

MA Bergeron??? Once/IF Markov comes back is a career minor leaguer. You might as well wish to sign Andrei Zyuzin.

Based on Patty's response to Matt Loughlin last night I dont think Patty is coming back for at least another week.

Breakout is a HUGE issue...

Without Martin, we had NONE.

Andy Greene and Oduya kept trying to lead rushes last night and absolutely failed.

Give Bergeron more credit...

2005/2006 With EDM 75 GP 15G 20A 35P +3

2006/2007 With EDM/NYI 78 GP 14G 32A 46P -4

2008/2009 With MIN 72GP 14G 18A 32P +5

He's got some offensive production...

Meanwhile, Oduya has never cracked 30 points

Martin has never scored more than 6 goals

In 10 games right now, we have goals from Andy Greene and Marc Fraser.

Martin has two points, Oduya has NONE

Marc Andre Bergeron signed with Montreal for less than 1mm and has 3 points in 5 games.

Edited October 29, 2009 by njdevil26

[Pepperkorn]

Now -- I just so those of you who were at the game know - LOTS of nice little stuff was going on. Obviously you needed the TV to see it. Problem was it was all too slow - First period was just slow reaction time but as the game wore on things smoothed out but STILL the team's collective brain was just slow.

I think Oduya may have looked bad because he to my way of seeing was trying to pick the pace up - he was ahead of everyone but then would hold up to see where everyone was so he looked off --- but really the rest of the team was behind him pace-wise. To me he was on the right page but lacks the leadership to take the team with him. That's FINE I don't look to Oduya to lead the team He;s still feeling out the ineffable system!

Langenbrunner was playing as if the other team wasn't there -- which CAN work. But it was ineffective last night. It totally stymied the pace of the team too. I think it's a poor approach for the guys right now -- they need a little bit of competitiveness backed with pure confidence to get things going. They shoudl just have that confidence. I can see Lemaire understands that -- but I dont know how ot get there -- the past seasons have done a little number on the over-all psyche. It's coming along well.... but this was a big back-step mentally.

Injuries - it's a tough call. For sure it effects production but --- i don't know

to wax all musical theatre on you all: 'tis a puzzlement!

[skullsmasher]

hilarious episode between Marty and Clarkson during warm up. Clarkson stuffed a rebound home during warm up and as he was skating away Marty shot a puck at his back. Clarkson looked back and smiled at him so it was all good. Pretty cool getting there early for the mystery pucks(i got parise) which there was no line for, and then I went down against the glass for warm up. Getting there early for the Parise puck and watching warm up so close is always fun so I definitely had a good time.

Until the game started.

What a disaster the first period was. Such an empty feeling watching them play a decent second and 10 minutes of a third and just stop trying. Marty had a bad game and there was very little offence generated from anything other then the obvious line.... which didn't even start the first or second and I forget about the third. Andy Greene is such a hard working player, even without that goal he was a star tonight keeping the puck in the zone etc. there were a lot of die hard Buffalo fans there, which I didn't mind because the majority of them were respectful. Devils need to move on and let me guess... We don't want Marty to have a bad game in his head so he'll start against Boston? It's time to give Danis a shot. If he doesn't play in a game soon he's going to forget how to.

[overtime98]

The best part fo the night is when the ceiling was collapsing in section 134!!! 6 or 7 ceiling tiles were collapsing into the seats during the first period!!! funny as hell!!!! Cant believe in a 2 year old arena that the tiles would start collapsing already!!!

[Pepperkorn]

This game was fun to see how you all see the game. I dont know why, but for some reason this is the first time I see where all of you are coming from, whether I agree or not. No one is wrong or off-base because they're looking for something they're not seeing.

But I won't tell you all how to watch a game pepperkorn style! I will say I start with a blank slate and then move right onto the WHY of it all - not the what did or didn't happen. What happened happened, so you stretch your view and see the big picture - it's just much easier to see from that place. The details really pop when you're not looking for them in any specific way. The details on this team are --- they're really getting crisper and I think that's really great. BUT ... I dont know how I should be feeling about that. I know the pitfalls of being detail oriented (let's face it: anal retentive) and I'm uneasy Lemaire might seriously think and see the way I do... I'm just starting to get a sense of his fatal flaw --

I just feel this is the moment - this is the critical time when he's going to take a specific direction -- I want to read his comments I need to feel where he's at to know what's coming next for this team...

No pressure or anything, Jacques

[MantaRay]

Breakout is a HUGE issue...

Without Martin, we had NONE.

Andy Greene and Oduya kept trying to lead rushes last night and absolutely failed.

Give Bergeron more credit...

2005/2006 With EDM 75 GP 15G 20A 35P +3

2006/2007 With EDM/NYI 78 GP 14G 32A 46P -4

2008/2009 With MIN 72GP 14G 18A 32P +5

He's got some offensive production...

Meanwhile, Oduya has never cracked 30 points

Martin has never scored more than 6 goals

In 10 games right now, we have goals from Andy Greene and Marc Fraser.

Martin has two points, Oduya has NONE

Marc Andre Bergeron signed with Montreal for less than 1mm and has 3 points in 5 games.

No doubt Martin is the key to our defense and he is missed. This isn't the same team without him.

32 Shots on goal is a meaningless stat in terms of W's. Its goals and getting high percentage opportunities.

I think Jacques is having Oduya play more of defensive game, Oduya is a solid D-man, who is listening to his coach.

I could care less how many points he gets as long as we win.

Bergeron deserves NO CREDIT, he has played on teams that gave him an opportunity to grow into a star player and he has failed, which is why he played on 4 teams and 4 years and why only an injury got him a job.

We don't need these types of players.

[DevilinLA]

Now -- I just so those of you who were at the game know - LOTS of nice little stuff was going on. Obviously you needed the TV to see it. Problem was it was all too slow - First period was just slow reaction time but as the game wore on things smoothed out but STILL the team's collective brain was just slow.

I think Oduya may have looked bad because he to my way of seeing was trying to pick the pace up - he was ahead of everyone but then would hold up to see where everyone was so he looked off --- but really the rest of the team was behind him pace-wise. To me he was on the right page but lacks the leadership to take the team with him. That's FINE I don't look to Oduya to lead the team He;s still feeling out the ineffable system!

Langenbrunner was playing as if the other team wasn't there -- which CAN work. But it was ineffective last night. It totally stymied the pace of the team too. I think it's a poor approach for the guys right now -- they need a little bit of competitiveness backed with pure confidence to get things going. They shoudl just have that confidence. I can see Lemaire understands that -- but I dont know how ot get there -- the past seasons have done a little number on the over-all psyche. It's coming along well.... but this was a big back-step mentally.

Injuries - it's a tough call. For sure it effects production but --- i don't know

to wax all musical theatre on you all: 'tis a puzzlement!

Tell me PK, regarding Stevens, does every "now and then" he say "something wonderful"?

[Pepperkorn]

Ahhh yes, the ever popular The Captain and I