Devils Drop Third Straight, Lose 4-2 to Wild

Kovy is the best player on the ice every night……for the other team.

Only 15 more years of horrible turnovers and breakaway goals for the opposition.

I look forward to booing his Merry Christmas message.

At least Albany won.

The powerplay was actually good today, just saying.

Reckless stupid and unlucky : Kovy hits rock bottom.

First off, my bad, I was upset at the loss, and only caught the last 15 mins of the game. Hence why I was disappointed in his play. The biggest thing that bothers me is his lack of effort after he turns the puck over. He doesn’t skate back, he stopped and watched on the four-on-four. I am just not used to all these losses, they’re starting to go to my head.

Anyways thanks for responding to my message and sorry if I made some people upset.

Josh

I have had this thought many times myself over the past two years or so.I think there is a long established belief within the organization that the players could lean on Brodeur because he has bailed out the team for so many years now and on so many occasions. Its kind of like playing a pickup game and having a star on your team; you know that in the end he could pick up the slack if you’re not on the top of your game. However, when you don’t have that star on your team, you feel the need to step up your own game in order to compensate. People will constantly belittle the Devils and particularly Brodeur because he was surrounded by all-star defensemen, but in reality, many people have forgotten just how good Brodeur actually was and how many times he singlehandedly won games for the Devils. Times have changed; this isn’t the same Marty. He’s approaching 40 years old rapidly. It’s time this mindset of leaning on the goaltender to win close games needs to end. Because we no longer have that goalie who can carry the team on his shoulders.

-Horrendous 8 minute stretch really sunk the Devils. Strangely, I thought they were the better team tonight.

-I’m not going to crow too much about a D that allowed fewer than 20 shots; but I feel the second goal against symbolizes all of the frustrations with them. Even though a full pairing was back there against Brodziak after Parise tripped Kovalchuk, Volchenkov got torched and I’m still not sure what Salvador actually did was an example of defense on the rebound. While they allowed few shots in the rest of the game, a disturbing amount of them came from open guys in the slot. When they make a mistake, it’s massive and costly.

-I loved how the Henrique line played; I agree with the Elias had it’s struggles. I still wouldn’t break anything up until both lines struggle to do anything.

-The Carter line was feast or famine. They would either pin the Wild back or look sluggish in their own end. No middle. Odd.

-Tim Sestito’s energy is anything but; we all knew that anyway. Just sayin’.

-While they won, the Wild are overrated like woah and this game showed why. They’re poor on defense; as evidenced by the Devils topping 30 shots for the first time since mid-November. And they weren’t long shots, no, the Devils fired them from everywhere. Mike Lundin and Nick Schultz were particularly awful; and their Koivu line got wrecked in their own end. Josh Harding literally ensured the Devils wouldn’t complete the comeback and only him because the guys in front of them couldn’t do much in the way of defense. When their goaltending stops being hot, they will fall. Mark it down.

This game was the sort of loss you have to lose on the road. If the Devs lost likethis with three quick goals and turnovers at home, the fans would be booing and jeering Kovy and others and Brodeur would be a bit ashamed.

So… I am thankful that did not happen. The NJ Devils fan base, while passionate, is not strong and is too fickle and even mean.

It truly frustrates me when people show that kind boo-bird disrespect for professional athletes – people who are more committed, focused, and self-sacrificing with their time and bodies in their careers compared with almost everyone else in every profession. The level of commitment shown by professional atheltes – especially hockey, which takes massive individual and team work – is simply astounding and the odds are against most of them even rising to the pro level in the first place. Their workload and focus is something like being part of a major rock band: years of practice, sweat, travel, stress, and excitement to create enjoyment for others in order to have them spend disposable income.

Statistically, one is more likely to be in a bad rock band and not be successful, or because life is fleeting, to be a one-hit wonder which doesn’t bear out. In hockey, those are the people you’ve never heard of and now work with their wife’s father at a car dealership in Kenosha.

I could never boo someone who shows so much passion and intensity in the fastest-moving, arguably most dangerous and therefore least forgiving professional sport… where simple, stressful giveaways or bad passes can lose you a game even millions of contract and endorsement dollars.

So, yeah: it’s a good thing this game was on the road. I hate seeing NJ boo-birds boo the team I love. I’m also highly skeptical that booing is a good motivator at this level ofplay.