Todd Cordell: Sharks 3, Devils 0: five takeaways from the shutout loss

Todd Cordell: Sharks 3, Devils 0: five takeaways from the shutout loss
- Todd.Cordell

All Bettmans fault

The one day you guys lay an egg is vs. Jones who i'm up against this week...
thanks.

Mueller needs to GO. Just stick with Moore and Prout/Lovejoy as the 3rd pair and be done with it. Mueller looked OK in preseason against preseason competition. And all these penalties.. is it mostly the kids taking them? We're so all about go go go that these guys don't have time to think about not doing something stupid with the penalties.
with that said, I think calling the game even tighter than it was before is an atrocity. I don't care if a guy's jersey gets tugged. I don't care if a stick is in the mid-section. FIGHT THROUGH the holds and hooks. Unless the player is being dragged down to the ice I really don't care if a stick stops him from getting a shot off. Interference calls? Keep your head up and maybe you'll avoid the player on his way to interfere with you.
bah, I shouldn't get this annoyed over something that has zero to do with my personal life. It's just a shame to watch what our sport has become. Enjoy your "speed and scoring" all you want. The cost/benefit ratio isn't working out for me.

Not that I am happy for the loss, but I am happy that it came now before a week off. They wont be skating around sucking each others Richards over all the goals they scored. They will be worked hard and hopefully be pissed off enough to fix some things.

Mueller needs to GO. Just stick with Moore and Prout/Lovejoy as the 3rd pair and be done with it. Mueller looked OK in preseason against preseason competition. And all these penalties.. is it mostly the kids taking them? We're so all about go go go that these guys don't have time to think about not doing something stupid with the penalties.
with that said, I think calling the game even tighter than it was before is an atrocity. I don't care if a guy's jersey gets tugged. I don't care if a stick is in the mid-section. FIGHT THROUGH the holds and hooks. Unless the player is being dragged down to the ice I really don't care if a stick stops him from getting a shot off. Interference calls? Keep your head up and maybe you'll avoid the player on his way to interfere with you.
bah, I shouldn't get this annoyed over something that has zero to do with my personal life. It's just a shame to watch what our sport has become. Enjoy your "speed and scoring" all you want. The cost/benefit ratio isn't working out for me.
- MartysBetter88

Totally agree. There is way too much perversion of the game with this weak call nonsense.

I will say it right now, I LOVE hockey, but if I feel that the games are no longer won or lost on merit and play, but on who comes out on top of a bunch of weak calls aimed to add excitement, I will be finding something else to do with my time pretty quick, and that sucks to say.

Todd Cordell: Sharks 3, Devils 0: five takeaways from the shutout loss
- Todd.Cordell

This is more like it

DOOMED

All Bettmans fault



- Iggysbff

His 31 bosses told him to do this dumb dumb

His 31 bosses told him to do this dumb dumb
- shvingter88

Bettman doesn’t make the rules. And he is not the boss. As you already mentioned he has 31 bosses he answers too. So how is it his fault?

Dumb dumb.

Bettman doesn’t make the rules. And he is not the boss. As you already mentioned he has 31 bosses he answers too. So how is it his fault?

Dumb dumb.
- ghostofRC

I don't know I'm asking you

While I agree the penalties have been a bit much, I think the ultimate goal is to open up the game...as in the tighter calling of penalties will eventually lead to players hooking, holding, and slashing less to avoid penalties that in the past they would just get away with. If that ultimately happens, I think it will be good for the game, but no doubt this initial "transition" period where the refs are calling everything tighter and the players are still playing like they always have resulting in a ton of penalties has been annoying.

In addition to it being a transition for the players, same with the refs, feeling out the "new standards" for penalties. It's annoying right now but if it ultimately frees up skill players to make skill plays and leads to more 5v5 goals I think it will be worth the awkward transitional period.

Manny silvers great post!..agree 😆. .we're seeing a much more skill and speed game happening Once again the evaluation of the game we all love!..and the devils 😈. .are in the right direction! Imho

This is more like it

DOOMED
- shvingter88

Outshot, piss poor defensive play and shut out. Now we’re in familiar territory gentlemen.

Outshot, piss poor defensive play and shut out. Now we’re in familiar territory gentlemen.
- smellmyfinger

They'll figure it out. .their's a good gm in place a good coach and the forward talent is now a skating group that can score! ..ya their's a few pieces needed! But most if not all nhl rosters are in need..if cory can play with confidence and keep them in most games they'll be fine!..at the end of it (season)all they'll be right there imo😊

While I agree the penalties have been a bit much, I think the ultimate goal is to open up the game...as in the tighter calling of penalties will eventually lead to players hooking, holding, and slashing less to avoid penalties that in the past they would just get away with. If that ultimately happens, I think it will be good for the game, but no doubt this initial "transition" period where the refs are calling everything tighter and the players are still playing like they always have resulting in a ton of penalties has been annoying.

In addition to it being a transition for the players, same with the refs, feeling out the "new standards" for penalties. It's annoying right now but if it ultimately frees up skill players to make skill plays and leads to more 5v5 goals I think it will be worth the awkward transitional period.
- MannySilvers

There's plenty of skilled players making skilled plays 5v5. I enjoy watching a guy fight through a little hold or hook and still make a great play. To me that's part of fighting through defense. I don't mind a little interference because guys should always have their heads up.. again, part of defense. Obviously blatant chops and holds and interference infractions can still be called, but I have no problem with how the game was called even 10 years ago. It's silly now. ANDDD last night I saw some skates over the lines on faceoffs.. NO PENALTY or even tossing the guy. I don't get it. I'm shamelessly going to sound like a 5y/o and say it's STUPID.

There's plenty of skilled players making skilled plays 5v5. I enjoy watching a guy fight through a little hold or hook and still make a great play. To me that's part of fighting through defense. I don't mind a little interference because guys should always have their heads up.. again, part of defense. Obviously blatant chops and holds and interference infractions can still be called, but I have no problem with how the game was called even 10 years ago. It's silly now. ANDDD last night I saw some skates over the lines on faceoffs.. NO PENALTY or even tossing the guy. I don't get it. I'm shamelessly going to sound like a 5y/o and say it's STUPID.

- MartysBetter88

I know tons of hockey fans will disagree with me but I feel like if a player is playing defense on an opposing player with the puck, their job is to try to knock/take away the puck from that player, get a body on that player, or block a passing lane. If they can't do any of those things, I don't think they should just be able to hook/hold/slash them, even if it's not super blatant, to slow them down without getting a penalty. IMO what allowing those types of plays to go un-called really does is level the playing field between very skilled players and less skilled players. If McDavid is skating towards you and your only ability to stop him is to hook or slash him, sucks to suck either be better or get a penalty.

Again, right now when there are a ton of penalties every game, I agree it's annoying, but if long term it leads to players committing significantly less of these types of "minor" infractions that slow skill players down and level the playing field, I think it will be a great thing for the sport.

Games are far more exciting with all these penalties. Reminds me more of watching NFL than soccer.... and for the last five years (other than this year), it's been the more entertaining of the two.

NJ's special teams last year was pretty good. If NJ establishes a better PK, it's to the team's massive benefit to play high event hockey.

I also agree with the slashing calls. If someone has body position on you, only the puck and the bottom foot of the stick should be in play.

alright, fair enough.

Power plays also are fun because they build drama, on both sides. When the Devils were killing off that last minute penalty against the Lightning I was pacing around the room. Sure, there is a point where it's excessive and so far this season I think they're right on that line, but in general I don't think special teams hockey is unexciting. Think of the 3 on 5 goal, the PK shift against the Sharks where the Devils were pressuring in the Sharks' zone, these are memorable moments in a game more-so than the average few minutes of 5 on 5.

hockey > football > basketball > baseball .. and I love Nascar, but I don't expect many others to agree lol.

Games are far more exciting with all these penalties. Reminds me more of watching NFL than soccer.... and for the last five years (other than this year), it's been the more entertaining of the two.

NJ's special teams last year was pretty good. If NJ establishes a better PK, it's to the team's massive benefit to play high event hockey.

I also agree with the slashing calls. If someone has body position on you, only the puck and the bottom foot of the stick should be in play.
- archromat

The NFL? Where there's only 10-15 minutes of actual playing time? Sooooo exciting.

Power plays also are fun because they build drama, on both sides. When the Devils were killing off that last minute penalty against the Lightning I was pacing around the room. Sure, there is a point where it's excessive and so far this season I think they're right on that line, but in general I don't think special teams hockey is unexciting. Think of the 3 on 5 goal, the PK shift against the Sharks where the Devils were pressuring in the Sharks' zone, these are memorable moments in a game more-so than the average few minutes of 5 on 5.
- MannySilvers

Special teams is exciting for sure. Same with a police shootout in front of your house. But not all excitement is good. I still think it won't be much fun if there is a weak call that leads to a tough loss in an important game. Maybe I get too emotionally invested but that would make me pretty, lets say, disappointed. Something about watching our players get punched in the face and speared in the groin in plain view of the refs resulting no calls, tells me the Devils get the short end of the stick in a world of 'high volume PP PK excitement'.

With Zajac and Boyle healthy our PK would be good, if we can get the PP firing on point relating to the talent (we actually have PP talent!) so it may even benefit us more, but I still do not like it and don't see being an advocate of it.

If its really player safety, fine then call it when our no name guys get exposed to potential injury. But for them to do it, to make things more exciting, to me is too much a manipulation of the game that leaves it too open to people other than the ones playing the game to influence the outcomes.

I just can see them out playing say the Pens in a good game, and are up one or two goals. Someone will sneeze in the general direction of Crosby in the winding minute and followed by an 'exciting' 5 on 3 for nothing and cost us a game. The Devils are not a popular enough team for the league to care about being fair with.

I bet that checking from behind penalty on Bernier in 2012 made for a exciting and dynamic hockey game for the Kings fans.

Brian Boyle cleared for full practice and will practice with the team today

Definitely outplayed but they did have their chances, Jones was pretty solid in net for SJ.