Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils: On Severson, Schneider, The 4th Line & More

Impressive win last night, thought they were going to get blown out after Fridays performance + the given situation

Good blog, Todd.

It can't be said enough how good Severson has actually been. He hasn't just been good for a rookie or a young kid, he's been a good top pairing defensman. Who knows where his ceiling is.

And I agree with your bit on Brunner. He seems to be buying into the system and its paying off. Hopefully he can keep this up with some consistency.

When havlat comes back:
Jagr-Zajac-Brunner (Brunner has shown he deserves to be in line up)
Havlat-Elias-Camm
Clowe-Henrique-Ryder
Rutuu-Joefy-Zubs

When havlat comes back:
Jagr-Zajac-Brunner (Brunner has shown he deserves to be in line up)
Havlat-Elias-Camm
Clowe-Henrique-Ryder
Rutuu-Joefy-Zubs
- Ocean24

Brunner's played well, but no way he should be on the top line.

Solid win, Severson has been our best dman kid's a stud. I'm surprised how quickly he's playing so great from what I heard and read on em prior to camp it sounded like he could possibly be the best D prospect we had. Just figured it take him a year or at least half a year in Albany before he even got a look let a lone get one and run with it.

Still though as good as it was to get the points we need to fix this PK and if the forwards do not start to score more 5v5 we will find ourselves on another losing streak sooner rather than later.

Todd,

You need more #Jagrbomb references.

Brunner's played well, but no way he should be on the top line.
- rmdevil313

Yep. Havlat and Brunner should be the 2nd and 3rd line RWs. Let Ryder sit a few out.

JJ's been pretty good. Doesn't possess a lot of offensive talent, but he's defensively responsible, well-positioned, and doesn't get stupid with it.

But man I hope Jersey's defense gets better. Their PK is the epitome of suck right now. And we all know how teams with poor PKs end up at the end of the season (ahem, the Maple Leafs).

Their young guys get points, but they turn the puck over a LOT. It almost seems like our offense comes from our defense, and our defense comes from our offense.

Brunner's played well, but no way he should be on the top line.
- rmdevil313

Yea, no reason to mess with it anyway.

Cammalleri- Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Elias - Havlat
Zubrus - Henrique - Ryder
Josefson - Gionta - Brunner

That's what I predict, if Havlat comes back anyway.

Yea, no reason to mess with it anyway.

Cammalleri- Zajac - Jagr
Clowe - Elias - Havlat
Zubrus - Henrique - Ryder
Josefson - Gionta - Brunner

That's what I predict, if Havlat comes back anyway.
- CaptCrankypants

Wow that is possibly the worst line Henrique could have. Zubs and Ryder !? jesus if anything the kid needs better line mates. I would let Ryder play with Elias and Havlat with Clowe and Henrique.

Wow that is possibly the worst line Henrique could have. Zubs and Ryder !? jesus if anything the kid needs better line mates. I would let Ryder play with Elias and Havlat with Clowe and Henrique.
- blizzzard

Need to put Henrique with either Elias or Jagr. Both of them will be able to set him up and Elias has shown chemistry with him in the past. I really wish PDB would just put em together already.

Need to put Henrique with either Elias or Jagr. Both of them will be able to set him up and Elias has shown chemistry with him in the past. I really wish PDB would just put em together already.
- NickA

I think Henrique and Clowe are good enough together. I also think Havlat is just as talented as Elias and Jagr ( I know that seems crazy ) Jagr is the man but the reason he is so good is because 90% of the players in the league today never played against guys who played that style and the way he plays. He is like a novelty lol I look at it in the same way as ufc fighters do when they fight a machida or silva it's hard for their oppents to bring in guys who are unigue and skilled like them to practice and train against. There is no other player like Jagr in the game to practice against. I also think that although Zubs is useless offensively he is a decent skater ( he might not be the fastest but he skates well ) so this takes a bad skater in Ryder off Henriques line and give them two guys who can skate in Rico and Havlat and the top line has two guys who are decent skaters and one choppy skater in Ryder. I also think Ryder is a shoot first guy more then Havlat is which should benefit him playing with Elias and Havlat should benefit Henrique because he likes to create plays and pass more.

Wow that is possibly the worst line Henrique could have. Zubs and Ryder !? jesus if anything the kid needs better line mates. I would let Ryder play with Elias and Havlat with Clowe and Henrique.
- blizzzard

Those were his line mates yesterday. I don't particularly care for it, but I'm making a prediction, not giving my preferred lineup, and the Newfoundline has been underwhelming together, even though I don't think anyone on that line has played that poorly. Ryder has been unlucky, I think, not bad.

Those were his line mates yesterday. I don't particularly care for it, but I'm making a prediction, not giving my preferred lineup, and the Newfoundline has been underwhelming together, even though I don't think anyone on that line has played that poorly. Ryder has been unlucky, I think, not bad.
- CaptCrankypants

I don't know I just don't think Ryder is that good. To me he is lucky when he does score not unlucky when he doesn't. He is a bad skater, very poor with the puck ( is usually trying to pull it out of his feet ) he just doesn't do it for me and it's not like I expect him to be anything more then a third line scorer I still find him to be underwhelming. It just always seems like he will get good scoring chances ( mostly from Henrique and Clowe ) and just completely whiff on the puck or shoot it right into the opposing players skates. I think recently some of his worst played games have been when he has gotten a point and then it gets forgot about.

I don't know I just don't think Ryder is that good. To me he is lucky when he does score not unlucky when he doesn't. He is a bad skater, very poor with the puck ( is usually trying to pull it out of his feet ) he just doesn't do it for me and it's not like I expect him to be anything more then a third line scorer I still find him to be underwhelming. It just always seems like he will get good scoring chances ( mostly from Henrique and Clowe ) and just completely whiff on the puck or shoot it right into the opposing players skates. I think recently some of his worst played games have been when he has gotten a point and then it gets forgot about.
- blizzzard

I tend to agree with you. He is shooting at around 8% and has just 12 shots on goal this season while averaging 14 minutes of ice time a night. This isn't bad luck, this is a reminder that this is the same player who had one goal over a 30 game span last year. Unless they plan on using one of them on the 4th line, one of Brunner, Ryder or Havlat has to sit once Havlat is healthy. My vote is for Ryder.

The problem with the whole "this guy should get a shot", "this guy should be in the lineup because...", or "this guy should be sat because. .." is that DeBoer apparently uses no logic & has complete disregard for hot streaks, cold streaks, good chemistry, bad chemistry, or any other logical lineup defining statements.

The monster Connor Chatham has 13gp 5G 4A 9PTS +2, 22Pims 1 PPP

The problem with the whole "this guy should get a shot", "this guy should be in the lineup because...", or "this guy should be sat because. .." is that DeBoer apparently uses no logic & has complete disregard for hot streaks, cold streaks, good chemistry, bad chemistry, or any other logical lineup defining statements.
- FLdevilsFAN

Really I think the only plausible explanation to some of the decisions is that there are variables at hand that are not divulged. That is all I can come up with when I analyze some of them. Decisions with Sal particularly but there are several.

Except for the current logjam on D with Severson coming through the way he has, in reality other players have gotten their chance for the most part, they just need to capitalize on them when they get them. Lou and PDB were pretty content it seemed having Larsson play all year with Harrold as a 7th D man. Severson just came along and said, sorry bro, that is not my plan at all, feast your eyes on a few sweet goals from the box Larsson. Which sucks for Larsson, but is really great because, Severson.

I love me some Boucher and can't wait to see him in the lineup, but he was in roughly 25% of games of the regular season games last year. That is enough to prove himself and he wasn't bad but he wasn't spectacular either, so it's not like he has been mishandled in my opinion. JJ has gotten chances, and will continue to, same as Matteau, etc.

We are seeing some real poor PK this year also, which now in retrospect may have played into some of the decisions regarding Volchy last year. Volchy would block shots with his face if he had to.

A lot of fan's ill contentment and blog junkie micromanagement of coaches and GMs decisions come from teams losing and the fans being pissed off. This is a shame when the decisions which are actually damage control moves in attempts of keeping the team from completely getting blown out. I feel that this is what happened a lot last season.

Brunner's played well, but no way he should be on the top line.
- rmdevil313

Disagree. 1) he's a improvement over Zubs, 2) he would bring speed to that line and 3) he's not afraid to shoot, which compliments Jagr and Zajac's passing abilities.

maybe i'm watching different hockey, but Ryder has been better than last year.. has been getting more chances, just also more posts or just missing. I think he's fine. Maybe Brunner can stay with Elias and Havlat? Could offer a different dynamic than "board bruiser" Zubrus.

which then gives us the "problem" of putting Zubrus on the 4th line with Ruutu and Josefson/Gionta/shouldBeGomezButWeDon'tTalkAboutThat

Disagree. 1) he's a improvement over Zubs, 2) he would bring speed to that line and 3) he's not afraid to shoot, which compliments Jagr and Zajac's passing abilities.
- Ocean24

Cammalleri is a better option on that line tho.

Cammalleri is a better option on that line tho.
- MartysBetter88

Yes. I was happy to see him back on the first line last night, and hope they don't f with it. If they have to, I would like to see Henrique centering Cammi and Jagr.

Really I think the only plausible explanation to some of the decisions is that there are variables at hand that are not divulged. That is all I can come up with when I analyze some of them. Decisions with Sal particularly but there are several.

Except for the current logjam on D with Severson coming through the way he has, in reality other players have gotten their chance for the most part, they just need to capitalize on them when they get them. Lou and PDB were pretty content it seemed having Larsson play all year with Harrold as a 7th D man. Severson just came along and said, sorry bro, that is not my plan at all, feast your eyes on a few sweet goals from the box Larsson. Which sucks for Larsson, but is really great because, Severson.

I love me some Boucher and can't wait to see him in the lineup, but he was in roughly 25% of games of the regular season games last year. That is enough to prove himself and he wasn't bad but he wasn't spectacular either, so it's not like he has been mishandled in my opinion. JJ has gotten chances, and will continue to, same as Matteau, etc.

We are seeing some real poor PK this year also, which now in retrospect may have played into some of the decisions regarding Volchy last year. Volchy would block shots with his face if he had to.

A lot of fan's ill contentment and blog junkie micromanagement of coaches and GMs decisions come from teams losing and the fans being pissed off. This is a shame when the decisions which are actually damage control moves in attempts of keeping the team from completely getting blown out. I feel that this is what happened a lot last season.
- TRDevil

I understand where you're coming from, but when Sal (the "Captain" who is applauded for his leadership) takes a minor that puts the opponents on a PP with only a couple mins to go, he should be sat. Zidlicky throws a horrible pass to a Ranger stick that leads to the tying goal? Sit him. To me, those are lineup decisions as much as anything else. Sal on the ice during a face off in your own zone with the game in the line? Gio taking a defensive zone faceoff with the game on the line? Sal & Zids as a pair? Sal getting 20 mins a night? Tootoo?

Either PDB is in control of roster decisions and lineups or he isn't. And if he isn't, then someone (Lou?) is undermining him by giving him a poop hand and he's doomed before the puck was ever dropped, or he makes horrible decisions.

I've always felt salary determined lineups with some of these guys, and that's a horrific notion. The best players should be on the ice, always. If PDB or Lou are letting guys play through laughable "veteran" mistakes then I can't back that.