"I'm annoyed. I'm not worried, I'm annoyed to see us playing like this when we're a better team...

"I'm annoyed. I'm not worried, I'm annoyed to see us playing like this when we're a better team than this on the road. At home, we've been fine. It's just our habits on the road. We've got to get that same attitude back on the road that we have at home. We had it before these last nine games, Outside of the Montreal game (a 3-1 win on March 14), which we were pretty darn good in, we've been pretty erratic on the road. It's the specialty teams. You can shake it and bake it all you want. Our specialty teams haven't done the job for us in the last little bit."

Brent Sutter is annoyed at the team's road performances, according to Gulitti. Perhaps Sutter will, you know, do something about it now that this is the second time he brought this up in as many nights.

about 3 years ago John Fischer 3 comments 0 recs |

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Special Teams

The Devils are one of the best 5-on-5 teams in the league, but special teams have been a concern all season and a lack of production on the power play or an inability to keep the puck out of your own net when down a man are problems that simply do not magically disappear once the postseason starts and could potentially keep this team from going very far in the playoffs. So I think Sutter has every right to be annoyed, and should be at least a little bit worried because poor play on special teams could keep the best team the Devils have iced since ’03 from making it past the first round of the playoffs.

To me the more pressing of the two concerns at this point would have to be the penalty kill. It wouldn’t bother me so much that the Devils cannot consistently generate offense on the power play if they could kill off the power plays of their opponents, if that makes any sense. I mean, if the Devils had killed off the three power plays they gave to the Flyers last night, it would have been a completely different hockey game even if the Devils still failed to score an any of the two billion power plays they had last night.

by kellyn on Mar 24, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

True.

Ultimately, as seen in 2002-03, the Devils proven that you can still be successful with an absolutely terrible power play. But having a strong penalty kill is important. Especially in recent seasons, where refs have been calling those little hooks to the hand, holds, and slashes.

Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!

by John Fischer on Mar 24, 2009 6:58 PM EDT reply actions

special teams

Lets not forget Colin White has been out also. He definitely helps killing power plays with his physical play and positioning. As for the power play it was weak against Philly but we were missing mister clutch Patrick Elias..

Donald Vasquez

by don_vas on Mar 24, 2009 10:04 PM EDT reply actions