Devils Pride 26 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 The run the Devils went on the second half of the season was something incredible -- still it was not enough to dig out of the massive hole they dug themselves in the first half. While I'm just as big of a believer as anybody else, it's safe to say the Capitals all but ended the playoffs dreams tonight. For a large part of the end of this streak, the Devils have certainly been living on the edge; it was only a matter of time before playing in all those one goal games caught up with them. Walking out of the building tonight, I can't say I was disappointed as I thought I would be. I was much more upset last week after the Sens game last week which really was a bummer. Getting plenty of chances, it was clear what the Devils have been missing in the last few games - a top notch finisher. Lucky for the Devils, they will not have to go out and acquire one, as they already have him in Zach Parise. After such a season of difficulty, I would have never thought it would close giving us more hope than ever, especially seeing the Devils not make the playoffs for the first time in my life (well, following the team at least). We have seen the team transform and give us hope for years to come. Kovalchuk hit rock bottom after whiffing on a shootout attempt against Buffalo early in the season that provoked one fan to toss his jersey on the ice. In the very next game, Kovy blasted home the overtime game winner vs. Edmonton, finally winning over the crowd. The Devils did not make much of that, but it gave all of us hope. We witnessed the struggles of Brodeur, just as we witnessed his turnaround. Some of the goals he gave up were so un-Brodeur like plenty questioned if he was done after this season. There was a clear changing of the guard as Langs was traded and Mac was fired. Regardless of the return, it was time to move Jamie, he was no longer an asset to the franchise. Lemaire returned to coach and I believe his impact will be felt for years to come on many of the younger players in the system this year. Lemaire taught the Devils how to win again by getting back to the basics. It's like watching two different teams in terms of responsibility now. Following a home and home with Philly, things really started to heat up, with an extended home and home with Tampa. The Devils found a short span of success prior to the All Star break which everyone thought would pass. It didn't. We saw Kovalchuk become the monster we all knew he could be in the month of February, going on tears with six gwg's in 12 games. Personally, I like his goal against the Rangers that was the only tally in a 1-0 win. Tedenby gave us a glimpse to the future on February 8th, scoring two, including the OT GW against Carolina. Beating Carolina three times that month was satisfing. Even Brian freaking Rolston looked like a passable NHL'er during this late season push. Moose played great at times, and it was good to see another goalie step in and see success as the dreaded day of Brodeur hanging up the skates gets closer. We have seen how great of a defensemen Anton Volchenkov can be. Many forget he was out of the lineup early in the year after getting hurt. Henrik Tallinder completely turned his season around just as the Devils did. Mark Fayne surprised us out of nowhere, after years of waiting for Corrente/Eckford to step in, Fayne filled a back pairing role very solid and may stick around for a while. He reminds me of a better skating Mottau. This 'lost' season has us Devils fans excited for next year, even with games left to play. By no means am I giving up, I'll still watch every game and probably make it to about two more. Not having the playoffs to look forward I thought was going to be depressing, but how many seasons can you not make the playoffs and still end on a good vibe? No Devils team, maybe no team in NHL history has gone through such a mid season turnaround. Walking out of the Rock tonight was just a sacrafice we will all have to make to watch this team succede for the next 10 years. After the last three playoff failures, everyone of us was calling for changes - they don't happen over night. This season was tough at times but I think will go down as one of the most important in this franchise's history. The excitement is back, the players are enjoying success. After making the playoffs for so long I think a lot of them forgot - or just didn't know what it's like to have a down year. They're hungry again. Thank you, Devils for not quiting on us, although some of us may have given up on you at times. There's no doubt that this season ends on a high note. With the return of Parise and impact of others, there is no reason why this team cannot contend for the Stanley Cup in 2012. If you made it this far, thanks for reading, here's to a high five next year during our playoff run. Feel free to add any input. Lets Go Devils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anhkheg Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benfica356 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 +1 +1 for me too, but give the devils one more loss before putting the nail in the coffin lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 It's not over 'til it's over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunninWithTheDevil Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Goddamn what a roller-coaster of a season. Though, knock on wood, whatever happens I've never been more proud to be a Devils fan than this second half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 great post, agree with just about everything. there is tons of hope for next season, even if lemaire doesn't come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilNurn Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Far as I'm concerned finishing this season over .500 is a miracle. Playoffs be damned, I'm impressed. This team has shown it has a lot of heart and a lot of potential, and it makes me look forward to the future... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Nice post. Our d has been very good since the second half. Allowing <25 shots almost every night is quite a feat. I cant wait to see Taormina and hopefully Urbom make an impression next year. Josefson and Tedenby will be better AND we are getting back Zach Parise. Add our best pick in years and we have a very bright future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmajeski06 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Nice post. This second half has more than made up for the first half of the season. It isn't over yet, but it will take a miracle of epic proportions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 This 'lost' season has us Devils fans excited for next year, even with games left to play. By no means am I giving up, I'll still watch every game and probably make it to about two more. Not having the playoffs to look forward I thought was going to be depressing, but how many seasons can you not make the playoffs and still end on a good vibe? The last two months has been far better than any playoff run the last few seasons anyway. Basically we had our playoff run from mid-January to mid-March this year and unlike those playoffs we actually won home games for the most part I do still hope we finish above .500 though, to give the team at least something tangible to hang their hat on after the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDPucks Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I can't add anything else to this post. Bang-up job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msweet Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 +1 Don't forget how promising Taormina looked too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 +1 Don't forget how promising Taormina looked too Wanted to sneak him in there. I think Taormina allows the Devils to let Greene walk at the end of the year, he hasn't really been anything special. Taormina, Urbom, and Merill alone give the Devils a bright future on the blueline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unknown Soul Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 post of the year???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefiestygoat Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I also agree with everything in the post. There is a lot to be excited about next year, my number 1 being a full season with Parise and Kovalchuk running the offense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChilltownDevs2673 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) I think this team hasn't reached the end of its 22 years of success. I still think we have atleast 3 good years in us. This run was unbeleveable. I hope that we finish over 500 to make its 19 straight seasons of over 500 seasons and would continue the longest active streak in any of the the four major sports. I still have hope but if we lose in Columbus thats it. Excellent post and no team has more heart than we do NOT A ONE!!! LETS GO DEVILS!!! Edited March 20, 2011 by ChilltownDevs2673 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) I agree with a lot of your post DP26. There's reasons to be optimistic next year, starting with Kovalchuk's all-around improvement this season and Parise's return. This team should be back in the playoffs next year. Having said that, you can't win unless you score goals, and there's one massive issue with this team that can't be ignored anymore: this team flat-out cannot score goals. I know we all feel a certain attachment to the Eliases and Zajacs, and I do think this team does try hard most of the time when they're on the same page as their coach, but there's a reason why no one outside of Kovy is going to reach the 20-goal mark. Yes, Parise coming back next season will help a lot, and guys like Zajac will post better numbers due to Parise's presence, no question, but there's been a mistaken belief that this team boasts more firepower than it really does. I can see us all making this mistake again, listing the same names before the start of the '11-'12 season. Let's face it, apart from the 6-0-1 burst that started this surge, when the team scored 28 goals, this team has pretty much struggled to average 2 GPG the rest of the season. This can't continue. The stifling defense the Devils played over the last 18 games or so covered up some ills, but with Brodeur and Hedberg growing another year older next season, is it realistic to expect the Devils to continue to hold the opposition to 2 goals or less nearly every game? I think a lot of this upcoming season will hinge on Josefson's and Tedenby's offensive contributions, because to count on guys like Elias to provide much in the way of true finishing is foolhardy. To reiterate, I do think this team is back in the playoffs next season (I never expected them to make it this season, and I still don't), but I can't call them SC contenders until some of the younger Devils step up to do what some of the older guys can no longer to be expected to. Edited March 20, 2011 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) I agree with a lot of your post DP26. There's reasons to be optimistic next year, starting with Kovalchuk's all-around improvement this season and Parise's return. This team should be back in the playoffs next year. Having said that, you can't win unless you score goals, and there's one massive issue with this team that can't be ignored anymore: this team flat-out cannot score goals. I know we all feel a certain attachment to the Eliases and Zajacs, and I do think this team does try hard most of the time when they're on the same page as their coach, but there's a reason why no one outside of Kovy is going to reach the 20-goal mark. Yes, Parise coming back next season will help a lot, and guys like Zajac will post better numbers due to Parise's presence, no question, but there's been a mistaken belief that this team boasts more firepower than it really does. I can see us all making this mistake again, listing the same names before the start of the '11-'12 season. Let's face it, apart from the 6-0-1 burst that started this surge, when the team scored 28 goals, this team has pretty much struggled to average 2 GPG the rest of the season. This can't continue. The stifling defense the Devils played over the last 18 games or so covered up some ills, but with Brodeur and Hedberg growing another year older next season, is it realistic to expect the Devils to continue to hold the opposition to 2 goals or less nearly every game? I think a lot of this upcoming season will hinge on Josefson's and Tedenby's offensive contributions, because to count on guys like Elias to provide much in the way of true finishing is foolhardy. To reiterate, I do think this team is back in the playoffs next season (I never expected them to make it this season, and I still don't), but I can't call them SC contenders until some of the younger Devils step up to do what some of the older guys can no longer to be expected to. Parise coming back is a huge boost. I think people underestimate how huge it is. A: Parise scores lots of goals. That one's obvious, I don't think I need to elaborate on that. B: Parise draws lots of penalties. Zach is probably the best at drawing penalties on the team. That will add a few extra goals. C: Parise drives the play, which will help his teammates score more goals than if they weren't playing with him. I wouldn't be surprised if Parise's total contribution to the offense is worth 25 or 30 actual goals. Booting Rolston off the team would help immensely as well, he sucks up all the good ice time and doesn't do enough with it. There's a few too many passengers or complementary pieces around the team for it to be a top offense, but hopefully some of those younger pieces emerge into legitimate scoring threats. I think we can also expect a few more goals from peripheral players. Edited March 20, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) Of course Parise will help Tri...I said as much. And a guy like him helps in a lot of different ways...goes without saying. But this team is going to score roughly 170 goals on the season, which is beyond awful. Even a guy like Zach can only do so much. Like we both say, younger guys are going to have to step next year for this to be a respectable (all I'm asking for), middle/upper middle of the road offense. And oh yeah, agree on Rolston...worst thing anyone can do is expect his "rebirth" to last into next season. Edited March 20, 2011 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Well a main part of the reason they can't score goals is the power play, it's been a total joke since the middle of last year. You improve THAT to at least middle of the road (something Oates was supposed to do) and it would help, along with a returning Parise. It would help adding a RW that could score though, Zubrus and Clarkson are complementary players and Palmeri, well he should have 5-10 more goals than he does but he has some of the most annoying blown chances. And of course the ever-elusive puck-moving D would help both the power play and the offense as a whole, even with all our improvements on the blueline we still don't have anyone that can move the puck unless Taormina gets a bionic leg next year and isn't a fluke. At least this team should have a 'normal' offseason, the biggest question being again the coach but what else is new? Barring the Parise negotiations taking a turn for the worse when Andy Greene's your key UFA and he's replaceable well there shouldn't be the mass chaos that existed this offseason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Of course Parise will help Tri...I said as much. And a guy like him helps in a lot of different ways...goes without saying. But this team is going to score roughly 170 goals on the season, which is beyond awful. Even a guy like Zach can only do so much. Like we both say, younger guys are going to have to step next year for this to be a respectable (all I'm asking for), middle/upper middle of the road offense. the percentages are going to go up. that's one thing that i can guarantee. clarkson's on ice shooting percentage this year is 4%. you will say, oh yeah, well clarkson has poor shot selection, and he doesn't help his teammates and blah blah blah, and you might be right, but his on-ice shooting was over 10% the last two seasons. that doesn't mean he will shoot 10% while on ice again, but it does suggest that there's no reason to think he isn't an average NHLer (~8%) in that regard. And oh yeah, agree on Rolston...worst thing anyone can do is expect his "rebirth" to last into next season. i hope he's gone before next season. he doesn't help the power play, he barely helps at even strength, and he doesn't help enough for what his role is. Well a main part of the reason they can't score goals is the power play, it's been a total joke since the middle of last year. You improve THAT to at least middle of the road (something Oates was supposed to do) and it would help, along with a returning Parise. It would help adding a RW that could score though, Zubrus and Clarkson are complementary players and Palmeri, well he should have 5-10 more goals than he does but he has some of the most annoying blown chances. palmieri is shooting 10.8%, there's no way that we should expect him to have 5 or 10 more goals. he gets excellent chances, but so does a lot of the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucifersDog Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Great original post and follow on posts We should expect improvement re: scoring from our youth and Parise will help others to get into position to score plus what he can score himself. I am proud of the second half effort Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 One thing that kills us with power play is trying to set up Rolston and Kovalchuk on the point, the entire time. Its obvious who the shooters are, and the other teams are getting in the lanes. Drop Kovy down low every other shift -- hopefully next year Taormina and Urbom can run the PP well enough. The draft this year is vital as well. For years everyone claimed its tough to draft well when your always picking in the 20's, well this is our chance to really help ourselves. Grabbing a blue chipper would be huge for the future, even with the success of some of the current younger players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 (edited) One thing that kills us with power play is trying to set up Rolston and Kovalchuk on the point, the entire time. Its obvious who the shooters are, and the other teams are getting in the lanes. Drop Kovy down low every other shift -- hopefully next year Taormina and Urbom can run the PP well enough. I'm fine with Kovalchuk up top, but running the power play through him and Rolston is a disaster. Urbom, though, will almost certainly not be a power play guy in the future for this team, either next year or ever. Edited March 20, 2011 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 I'm fine with Kovalchuk up top, but running the power play through him and Rolston is a disaster. Urbom, though, will almost certainly not be a power play guy in the future for this team, either next year or ever. Really? I thought he had a big shot and could play the puck a little bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.