Todd Cordell: Game 81: New York Islanders @ New Jersey Devils

Devs might want to dress a goon. Isles will have Gallant, Martin, Carkner & Johnson dressed tonight

Devs might want to dress a goon. Isles will have Gallant, Martin, Carkner & Johnson dressed tonight
- Vukota

Jansen has been converted to sniper

Jansen has been converted to sniper
- blizzzard

What happened to him? Minors?

Another silver lining

What happened to him? Minors?
- Vukota

Yup

maybe we can lose and improve our draft pick oh wait

maybe we can lose and improve our draft pick oh wait
- MrToast

RYAN O'REILLY PLEASE COME TO NJ

Well looky here:

There's speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs might try to lure Peter DeBoer to serve as their head coach.
DeBoer's contract with the New Jersey Devils expires this summer. He's coached David Clarkson in the OHL and NHL, so he might be able to help him rebound after a rough first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Source: New Jersey Online

Martin Brodeur: From winning to whining

Martin Brodeur: From winning to whining
- Twist

meh.
I like this quote:
“The situation I’m going to get myself in is something I’m going to be okay with. So if you see me here next year, it’s because I’m okay to be sharing the net or doing whatever I’m told,” Brodeur said earlier this week.

If that's true, I'd take him as a backup to start 20 games or less. "Sharing the net" is not an option. It's just not. If he's comfortable with that, and can do it without the drama, I'd be more than happy to have him back. I'd like to think he's still an important presence for the team.

I know we all have better things to do than read a wall of txt, but a Devils fan wrote this to support letting PDB go. I'm especially curious to what you think, Todd. You're the most pro-PDB fan I've seen.. you with all your little statistics and numbers.


Sure is alot of support around here for a coach with a losing record (42 wins in 115 games) over the last two seasons. Hes not our only problem... BUT
Spent most of the season playing Marty and Schneider 50/50 when Schneider has had much better stats all season. After the disastrous outdoor game Marty admitted that he gave PDB permission to let Schneider play the last period.... what in the actual (frank)....

Horrible, horrible job with the defense. Letting Salvador, Harrold, Volchenkov play regular minutes even when they have performed poorly, while benching Merrill, Gelinas and Larsson.

Larrson. I mean, I don't even need to elaborate this for anybody whose watched games the whole season, but I will. Showed amazing chemistry with Gelinas early on, got hurt and didn't get to play for another 6 months, 5 of which he spent in Albany healthy. Larsson even admitted that "he doesn't know what coach wants from him" when he got benched for a few games and that "he just tells me to get better, but doesn't say better at what". That's pretty damning if I ever heard.

Loki. After playing for the canes on a bottom 6 line hes produced more in a dozen games there then he ever did here in 40 games and doing better then Ruutu. Hes also playing their 2nd PP unit. His words " the coaching staff here actually trusts me to make plays and gives you confidence". Remember, this is a coaching staff that includes MacLean, and Dave Lewis both who were pretty terrible coaches around the league. Tallinder also had words about PDB and actually demanded a trade. Lemaire used him as a top 4 D man and when he was healthy was good for us before PDB. Even in 2012 he played well.

Sure, hes found that Zajac+Jagr+physical body=good, but then when that line goes cold he still sticks with them. Hes basically found that sticking two good players on a line works. Not exactly rocket science that your top C and top RW are gonna produce on the top line.

Rookies up front. Again, much like the defense veteran guys are allowed to routinely do (frank) all up front or hamper the team. How long was Ryder playing 1st PP and 3rd/2nd line RW while not scoring? It was 27 games. There isn't a chance in hell a young player like Boucher or Loki or Brunner is allowed to go 27 games without producing and not see the press box, let alone get 20-18 mins of ice time a night. Gionta is useless, and routinely any line hes on gets hemmed into our own zone. When Brunner was going through a slump he got told to "look at Stephen Gionta as an example". Why the (frank) would you want that? You have Elias and Jagr on the team as star scoring wingers, and you want another player to emulate soft, turnover, offensively clueless Gionta? I would need atleast three hands If I had to count how many times we have been down in the third or tied with less than two minutes to go and Gionta-Carter-Bernier hop over while Henrique, Elias and Jagr sit on the bench without getting another shift. Where is Matteau at? He was good enough to play 20 games last season, is producing in the AHL and playing well in Albany's top 6 yet he doesn't get one call up or look all season? That just makes no (frank)ing sense. Hell, even Tedenby played early on. (even then I know he sucks, but why would you put a player like him in a checking role? Atleast could have used him top 6 for a bit instead. He is producing in the minors right now).

Speaking of the 4th line, they have been together all season long. They are a combined -31 while only combining for 30 points. they average about 12 minutes a night, which is way too much for a 4th line. Bernier has played with Elias on the 2nd line and been unproductive, Carter can hit and fights a few times a season. Gionta is the weak link, and even if he does see some PK time we have better options with Elias, Zajac, Henrique, Ruutu, Josefson, Zubrus and Clowe.

Josefson. Finally getting a chance to play now with injuries and trading away Loki from the centre position. Already hes had a good impact, playing really well on the PK, scoring a goal, and playing a good responsible game. Already better then Carter, and Gionta. Hes even scored in the SO. Took PDB almost 70 games to give him a look and ice time.

The SO. I mean, it sucks and PDB isn't the one shooting out there. But at the same time nobody has said they have been practicing it this year. Doesn't sound like they are doing much, despite being the worst SO ever. Our shooting percentage is actually higher during the game than it is in the SO. Would be nice to hear TG report that they worked on it for once. I know the Penguins do a SO at the end of each practice and they have been one of the best since it's started.

Gelinas. Our PP is in the top 5 when hes on the point back there. Routinely he gets no PP time when hes playing in favor of Harrold or Brunner. For a team that needs to score goals, there is no reason Gelinas shouldn't play PP every game. I already touched up on how good Larsson and Gelinas pairing worked for us, so I wont mention it here again. Gelinas actually has the highest Goals per PPTOI in the whole NHL. Yet hes not out there every game. No, if he played 82 games and PP all 82 games it would probably regress, but that is still very impressive and desperately needed.

Lastly something you might not think is important as I do... Salvador. Salvador might just be the worst captain in the whole league, and PDB picked him. All you have to do is look at our record with him, and our record without him. It's night and day. He is the single biggest detriment to this team. Sal was coming off the cup run where he did well, but nobody saw that coming because frankly, Sal for his majority of time with the Devils has sucked. Now his regression is worse then expected, and his C makes him impervious to seeing the press box.

omg i'm not in college anymore stop with the textbooks

Well looky here:

There's speculation that the Toronto Maple Leafs might try to lure Peter DeBoer to serve as their head coach.
DeBoer's contract with the New Jersey Devils expires this summer. He's coached David Clarkson in the OHL and NHL, so he might be able to help him rebound after a rough first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Source: New Jersey Online
- FAZOOL

Silver lining?

I know we all have better things to do than read a wall of txt, but a Devils fan wrote this to support letting PDB go. I'm especially curious to what you think, Todd. You're the most pro-PDB fan I've seen.. you with all your little statistics and numbers.


Sure is alot of support around here for a coach with a losing record (42 wins in 115 games) over the last two seasons. Hes not our only problem... BUT
Spent most of the season playing Marty and Schneider 50/50 when Schneider has had much better stats all season. After the disastrous outdoor game Marty admitted that he gave PDB permission to let Schneider play the last period.... what in the actual (frank)....

Horrible, horrible job with the defense. Letting Salvador, Harrold, Volchenkov play regular minutes even when they have performed poorly, while benching Merrill, Gelinas and Larsson.

Larrson. I mean, I don't even need to elaborate this for anybody whose watched games the whole season, but I will.
- MartysBetter88

That's as far as I got.

My major problem with DeBoner & Brodeur is wrapped up in the bolded text.

A) Who's the coach? Then sack up and act like a coach. Players shouldn't dictate lineups.
B) Marty ruined a lot of fans perceptions of him this season with his crying via the media

omg i'm not in college anymore stop with the textbooks
- MrToast

- MartysBetter88

According to TG devils are going to try to bring zidlicky back and will have to make a decision on fayne

Also brodeur playing tonight

I thought he would play the finale so let's see if tonight is his last game as a devil[/img]

According to TG devils are going to try to bring zidlicky back and will have to make a decision on fayne

Also brodeur playing tonight

I thought he would play the finale so let's see if tonight is his last game as a devil
- dmarsden2988[/img]

I got no problem with that. If Zids didnt take 5,000 minors per year and lead the team in PIM without a fight, he'd be golden.

Bring back Fayne, that's fine too. But hopefully they won't bring back Salvador & Volchenkov.

Can't believe they wasted a compliace buyout on a $2M Hedberg contract. It may not have even been that much.

Not sure why we wouldn't bring back Fayne. He is 26 or 27 and is steady. Zid is 37, and while he has been great for us, he is taking a spot away a younger player. If they don't resign Fayne, Larsson better be on the top pairing with Greene consistently.

Can't believe they wasted a compliace buyout on a $2M Hedberg contract.
- FLdevilsFAN

One of the many dumb decisions by management in the past few seasons.

Omg, Chico is retiring! Finally!

Omg, Chico is retiring! Finally!
- Twist

Is that why Dano has been in the booth lately; getting practice to take over?

Is that why Dano has been in the booth lately; getting practice to take over?
- FAZOOL

Yes