New Jersey Devils Fall Apart to Hated Rival New York Rangers 4-1
by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 12:01 AM EST
in Devils Game Recaps
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After seeing Marian Gaborik put in a cheap empty net goal to put the New York Rangers up 4-1 over the New Jersey Devils, a metaphorical lightbulb went off in my head. I realized exactly what I just witnessed tonight. It was a summation of nearly everything bad about this season all rolled up into one. Let's break it down in summarizing this game.
Defensive breakdowns have been a real thorn in this Devils side and there was another example of it where it ended up with the puck in the back of the net. Anton Volchenkov mis-times a hit on Derek Stepan and so Stepan had a load of space to get into the Devils' zone. Adam Henrique does a great job forcing him to the outside and keeping him in the corner. Stepan fires a pass to the slot. Now, while Henrique was doing a good thing, Kurtis Foster skated backwards to the top of the crease. Foster does nothing to Stepan's pass - no movement up, no attempt to intercept it, nothing. Foster was in a position to make a play and he didn't. This lack of initiative was compounded by the fact Artem Anisimov got away from a back-checking Zach Parise. Anisimov is able to get the pass and re-direct it past Martin Brodeur on his flank. The shot was the Rangers' tenth in the game and it tied up the game at 1 in the second period.
There were other defensive breakdowns, but the occassional annoyance of sub-optimal goaltending came through. Martin Brodeur got beaten six times tonight; thrice it hit the post, and thrice it went into the net. While Anisimov's goal certainly wasn't his fault; he looked real bad on Marian Gaborik's second goal. The Devils were out of sorts in their own end - what a shock - but Anisimov forced a backhand shot at a sharp angle. Brodeur was in position to stop it. He should have stopped it. He didn't. He only got a piece of it and it just made the puck trickle behind him - right to Gaborik in the crease. One incredibly easy tap-in for Gaborik later and it's 2-1 in the third period. That was bad. It's arguable that he should have done better on Carl Hagelin's goal which really put the nail in the coffin on the game. It was a 2-on-1 situation, Brodeur had Hagelin all the way, and he got beat. Sure, Brodeur stopped a 2-on-1 way early in the game (thanks Volchenkov), but that doesn't excuse what happened. Brodeur will bounce back, in my opinion; I think it's foolish to follow up every non-ideal or poor performance with "Is he done?" or "Shouldn't they have started Johan Hedberg?" Nevertheless, he didn't give the Devils a lot of help.
Oh, I forgot to mention something about Hagelin's goal: IT WAS A SHORTHANDED GOAL. Yes, the Devils are still on their ignoble quest to set records in SHGAs, allowing their tenth of the season tonight. Yes, this means the 2-on-1 that Hagelin scored on was a 2-on-1 during a power play, which could have tied the game up for New Jersey. Someone, possibly Kurtis Foster, decides it's a smart idea to dump the puck in hard with the man advantage. Yes, the Devils have a man advantage and they have no confidence in getting the puck in the Rangers' end, with one of their few healthy regular defensemen in the penalty box, that a Devil thought he had to fire it as hard as he could around the boards. Ilya Kovalchuk - the only man who had a shot at it - tried to stop it with his body, but the puck had too much pace so it squirts past him. Why take that risk? Why not dump it in soft or right at Henrik Lundqvist and force a faceoff (Devils were good at draws tonight, winning 57% of them)? Why does these sorts of brainfarts burn the Devils? While I may not be so sympathetic to Brodeur on the GA when I review it in the summer; I feel that way now. Forget whether he should have stopped the shot; why is this team putting their goaltenders in these kinds of situations at all? Turnovers, bad passes, and bad decisions - all during a situation where the Devils should at least get offensive possession. Once again, the power play was a hindrance as opposed to a benefit. I hate this power play.
By the way, the Gaborik goal to make it 2-1, the Hagelin goal to make it 3-1, and the empty netter to ice it at 4-1 all happened in the third period. That's right, the Devils lost another game entirely in the third period. It wasn't like the Gaborik and Hagelin goals came in close succession either. They were nearly 10 minutes apart; the Devils didn't fold up completely. Yet, they didn't play well either. Still, 10 minutes was plenty of time for the Devils to find an equalizer; but they just couldn't find it tonight.
This falls in line with the lack of finishing, which really stands out in retrospect. In general, the effort wasn't bad at all. 30 shots on net; 12 to start the game; a team Corsi of +4 at evens; and even scoring the first goal. To his credit, Lundqvist played very well tonight and he's reason #1 why the Devils only got 1 goal. When the other team's goaltender is their top player and the main reason why they got a result, then that speaks to how the Devils played.
Yet, he wasn't absolutely perfect; there were plenty of rebounds for the taking. Against a team as decimated on the blueline like the Rangers' were, this could have been a prime situation for the Devils. Yet, they overskate pucks or they get to the spot too late so it's blocked or they miss it or they just get beaten to them. Travis Zajac scored his first of the season a rebound goal; but it was one of the few times a Devil got there. The Devils came close a few times in the second and third period to get that second goal. Kovalchuk found Adam Henrique in a prime spot, but Henrique couldn't elevate the puck and Lundqvist robbed him with his right pad. David Clarkson had a 2-on-1, elected to shoot, beat Lundqvist through the legs - and the puck missed the net. On the very power play that led to the game-killing shortie, Henrique was about to hammer home a long rebound off a Kovalchuk shot, only for the puck to sail across the crease instead of into the net. Bad luck, poor adjustments, sad finishing, whatever you call it, it was there. And if you can't get 2 or more past a goaltender, on most nights, it's going to end in a L regardless of the goaltending or the defensive breakdowns or the overall effort (it wasn't too bad, to be fair) or whatever.
Lastly: the fourth line was horrid. They didn't allow a goal against, so that's a silver lining of sorts.
The most crushing thing of all is that all of this had to happen against the New York Rangers. Our Hated Rivals of all teams. A bad game against, say, St. Louis would be disappointing; but it doesn't carry the same gravitas as a game against a hated rival. A result tonight would have done wonders for the Devils' attempts to claw up the standings both in the division and in the conference. A result tonight would have been huge for their confidence; beating a rival without their top scorer and a big-minute defenseman. A result tonight would have shut up the Rangers fans, who know their team isn't going to win anything of substance so a win like this is basically their championship. That this all happened against the Rangers, in a game that otherwise wasn't terrible, makes this loss induce more anger, sadness, and/or other bad feelings. As it should, that's how losses to rivals feel.
I have literally a few more thoughts on tonight's game after the jump.
The Stats: The NHL.com Game Summary | The NHL.com Event Summary | The NHL.com Play by Play Log | The NHL.com Shot Summary | The Time on Ice Shift Charts | The Time on Ice Head to Head Ice Time Charts | The Time on Ice Corsi Charts
The Highlights: In case you really want to see the game's highlights, then check out this video from NHL.com:
Silver Lining - Defense Version: Despite the miscues, the Devils still only allowed 21 shots on net. I really liked how Adam Larsson played tonight. He didn't have a back-breaking giveaway. He didn't completely blow coverage over and over. He hit a couple of sharp long passes through the neutral zone. He finished a +4 in Corsi and he played quite a bit against Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan. If he plays like this, then I have no problem with him playing 21:30, which is how much he played tonight. It also helped that his partner, Bryce Salvador, has upped his defensive game. He's more cautious in his positioning since he knows he's not all that fast, and he also came out positive in possession while playing 20:55 at even strength (+2 Corsi). For that pairing: good job. Too bad Larsson has to go back to Sweden and grieve until early next week. (Too bad he has to grieve at all, of course. I fully understand and respect the decision. I'm just saying he'll be missed in New Jersey.)
Silver Lining - Forward Version: With Patrik Elias ill, Travis Zajac was moved up to center Petr Sykora and Dainius Zubrus. While I understood the decision, I was concerned since this would only be Zajac's third game this season. He's still very much getting back into form, acclimating himself with his linemates. I shouldn't have been so worried as Zajac had a good game. He scored a goal, of course. He also had 4 shots on net out of 5 attempts, he went 7-for-13 on faceoffs, and he was positive in possession for the night at +1 (Sykora: +5, Zubrus: +3). That's not a bad night out of 19:35 of ice time with 16:45 spent at even strength. Zajac was fine on the penalty kill, though he was out of sorts on the power play - but he's far from the problem about the power play.
The Rise of Carter: I'm scratching my head regarding the Devils' third line did with Ryan Carter back in the middle. They ended up edging their matchups, as evidenced by the Corsi values - Carter: +8, Clarkson: +7, Mattias Tedenby: +7. Yet, they only got a combined 4 shots on net out of a combined 8 attempts on net. Strange. It was good to see that Ryan Carter didn't look too out of place. He shouldn't have looked out of place since he was with Clarkson and Tedenby quite a lot this season; but there weren't too many hiccups. Still, I hope Elias feels better soon since he's got a fourth line to possibly salvage.
Somehow, Someone's Going to Blame Kovalchuk, So Let's Talk About Him: Well, he was a -3 tonight and didn't score any goals. Nevermind that he led the team in shots on net with 6, attempted a total of 8 - including one agonizing block in the third period where he nearly had Lundqvist beaten dead to rights. Nevermind that none of those three goals are in any way his fault. He wasn't in the play Anisimov's and Stepan's rush in the second period. He tried to stop the incredibly stupid hard dump-in, but it didn't work because it was a hard dump-in. Nevermind that third strike against him was the empty net goal, which would be rather petty. Kovalchuk tried to do his best, setting up one of the best Devils' play all night long when he fed Henrique a pass all alone on Lundqvist's flank.
Wait, Who Had an Off Night?: Zach Parise had an off night, if you can believe it. He only generated 2 shots on net out of only 3 attempts. He got beaten by Anisimov, who then scored the Rangers' first goal. That's forgivable in that it was the end of a long (how long? 1:31 long) shift for Parise; he probably just ran out of gas. What is shocking is that after a week of ruining other team's top defensive players, he didn't have much of an answer for Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh. He was held to a -6 in Corsi, the worst on the team tonight; he was a non-factor on the power play (this may be by Adam Oates' wonderfully terrible design); and he wasn't exactly carrying the water on his line like Kovalchuk or Henrique was attempting to do. It was an off night, and he'll bounce back. Plus, he won't get the same criticism Kovalchuk gets from time to time.
Some Questions for Peter DeBoer: I understand he's experienced, but why in the world did you keep a pairing of Kurtis Foster and Anton Volchenkov? Moreover, why did you allow them to get matched against the Anisimov, Stepan, and Gaborik line more often than not? They lost in possession (Volchenkov: -5, Foster: -4) and on the scoreboard. I understand this pairing didn't lose the game for the Devils. I understand the other two pairings were doing their job well overall. Still, why not adjust this pairing in between periods? Why allow John Tortorella to get that match-up? Why not tell Volchenkov to stop playing up so much when he doesn't have the speed and agility to get back?
Alternatively, why start the Devils' miserable and ineffective-at-best fourth line against their fourth line? Yes, there was clearly a pre-planned fight (3 seconds into the game, I might add); but why not exploit that match-up to start instead of wasting everyone's time? Why not make Tortorella pay for his bravado?
A Question for David Clarkson: This team has two hired fists playing incredibly limited minutes on the fourth line. Why are you getting into fights?
A Question for Adam Oates: How do you still have a job?
That pretty much sums up what I have to say about this disappointment of a game. The winning streak is over, and this loss will linger for a few days for the Devils (and Rangers fans will live it until January 31, 2012). Not just by the score but how the game played out. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the Devils can't dwell too much on it as they have a game in two days. It's important that they finish off 2011 strong with 3 home games out of 4. Will the Devils bounce back from this loss? Who do you think did well for the Devils? Who do you think did poorly for the Devils? What aspect from this game did the most damage? What can the Devils fix in advance of their next game against Washington? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this loss in the comments. Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and followed @InLouWeTrust on Twitter. Thank you for reading.
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Usually you’re not this emotional, John, but I have to disagree with your take on the game.
1: Foster does try to stop the pass by Stepan, it just bounces right off the heel of his stick and over to Anisimov. He was in position, he made the right play, but it had a bad result. That happens. It was an extremely low percentage play in general and I don’t think Volchenkov misplayed it.
2: For as ‘bad’ as Volchenkov and Foster were, Taormina and Fayne were good. I don’t like the Taormina-Foster pairing, so it’s nice for all 3 D pairing to have a guy on it who can shoot the puck a little.
3: Brodeur was bad, as usual. If this game doesn’t convince the staff that Brodeur should not be getting the bulk of the starts, nothing will.
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I agree, I don’t know what’s wrong with Brodeur, does he need consecutive starts to get into a groove? no idea
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 8:31 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Foster does try to stop the pass by Stepan, it just bounces right off the heel of his stick and over to Anisimov.
Was just about to say the same thing. I don’t think Foster thought a pass to the well covered middle was coming and he just flubbed it. He made an effort though, so you can’t get too mad at him.
Breathe deeply
I know we all hate losing to the Rangers, but this is an overreaction.
Look, the Devils could have easily won this game if not for some tremendous heroics by Lundqvist. And I don’t mean they could have squeaked out a 2-1 win, I mean they could have and should have won by something along the lines of a 5-1 score. They outshot the Rangers 17-6 by the midway point of the second period, and I thought it was the most dominant half game they’ve played to date this season, and against a quality opponent. The Rangers never got a sniff at sustained pressure until there were 5 min left in the 2nd, and in fact none of their goals came off of sustained pressure and solid puck possession.
Offensively, the Devils played as good a game as they had throughout the short win streak. Zajac has the puck juuuuust roll off his stick on what would have otherwise been a 99% surefire goal, and the line generally did well in terms of possession. Henrique got robbed on the 2-on-1 and again in the final power play (the puck probably just barely grazed the top edge of Lundqvist’s left pad, which have to be about 3 inches longer than the legal limit, and skittered just wide as a result), so that line had its fair share of chances, despite Parise not getting many shots off. Clarkson got a ton of quality shots off thanks to some good work by Tedenby and Clarkson. Taormina let go of a few rocket shots, especially in the closing minutes, Larsson made another beautiful stretch pass to Clarkson (really getting the hang of that, eh?), and Foster did a good job of moving the puck smoothly on the PP, which did get a decent number of shots.
On the goals against:
(1) Volchenkov DID connect on his hit, but his target wasn’t Stepan, who was just able to pick up the loose puck afterwards. Henrique and Parise were both backchecking strong, and I have no problem with his gamble to step up and make the hit – in fact, it’s the most valuable aspect of his game.
(2) Foster was in perfect position to intercept Stepan’s pass out of the corner. The puck literally sat flat until it got to Foster’s stick blade, whereupon it decided to flip up and over. It’s a play that any defenseman would make 99 times out of 100, and the Rangers got an incredibly lucky bounce there.
(3) Gaborik’s first tap-in goal was, simply put, a huge mistake by Brodeur. Yes, the defense allowed a deeper penetration into the zone than the Rangers had had all game, but allowing that puck to squeeze between his arm and his body is inexcusable. That goal, not the shortie, was the critical mistake.
(4) The Devils gave up exactly one shorthanded chance against in this game, and they got scored on. They were pressing hard for a goal late in the game. And Hagelin didn’t even pick the corner, Marty just wasn’t covering the short side properly. That’s just the way it’s been going for the Devils’ PP.
The team played a great game, by and large. Brodeur did not, though, and not just in comparison to his counterpart on the other end of the rink – he made one huge mistake and failed to come up with a big save on any of the other decent chances the Rangers got. Believe me, everyone in both locker rooms know which team was far superior tonight, and the Devils have every reason to remain confident about their play.
by dr(d)evil on Dec 21, 2011 12:44 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
I have my chances report up if you guys want to peruse.
24-16 Devs for the game.
10-4 NJD til the aforementioned midpoint of the game, 9-4 NYR from that point until Gaborik’s 1st goal, 7-0 NJD until Hagelin’s goal, 3-3 from that point on. The last 3 where Hagelin’s goal and 2 EN chances (incl. the goal)
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Thanks. The counts on both sides were really that high? If I’m reading that right, they represent the vast majority of shots on net in this game.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 7:33 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
There were 9 missed nets. But yes, there wasn’t a lot of shots being taken from the outside last night. Both defenses were caving in frequently.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 8:40 AM EST up reply actions
3rd periods & blue line turnovers
The Devils have been outscored 25-42 in third periods this season.
Not good.
Nobody has mentioned the Kovalchuk turnover to Prust at the blue line. Good thing Prust was out of gas on the PK.
A Question for Adam Oates: How do you still have a job?
Compromising photos? Who knows now.
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by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 21, 2011 7:33 AM EST reply actions
Hasn’t the powerplay been good recently? They have put goals in the net, and pretty goals at that. When the power play works it is awesome. plus short handed goals have steadily decreased.
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by joshd12 on Dec 21, 2011 8:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
This was, to me, less a representation of the bad Devils and more a representation of the luck the Rangers have been riding all year.
They were being heavily outplayed, relying on their goaltender to keep them in the game, when a blind centering pass bounces off Foster’s stick and right onto Anisimov’s for an easy goal. Then, after their goaltender keeping them in the game some more, one of their few other shots they’re able to muster rolls up Brodeur’s arm, ticks along the crossbar and drops right in front of Gaborik for an easy tap in.
Other than not burying more of their many chances, and credit to Lundqvist for being a brick wall all night, by my eyes the only really grievous mistake the Devils made last night was giving up the short-handed chance… and even still it was a bit of a softy by Marty, which is doubly hard to accept because it was the back-breaker that essentially ended the game. The defenseman back (Foster?) played the 2-on-1 well, leaving Hagelin with no option but to shoot and he just beat Marty high glove like so many seem to be able to do nowadays.
I don’t know about luck. The Rangers have faced the fewest shots on goal in the league and as a team they have the 2nd or 3rd highest save %.
Our team save % is one of the worst in the game. Marty didn’t keep us in it. It’s not luck, it’s less than average goal tending that cost us the game in my opinion.
I left this game thinking it could have been worse.
Four of their top five goal scorers—Gaborik, Richards, Callahan and Anisimov, are rocking shooting percentages, respectively, 3.8%, 6.6%, 2.8% and 2% higher than their career averages. Only Stepan (-1.8%) is shooting below what is typical.
Both Lundqvist and Biron boast .934% save percentages, .15 and .23, respectively, better than their career averages.
Not sure where you’re getting that they face fewer shots, unless you’re talking at certain strengths, because NHL.com has them 14th in the league with 30.3 SA/G. Contrarily, they’re 26th in the league with 27.4 SF/G.
The recent Fenwick Power Rankings done by Hawerchuk show them to be at the bottom of the league in Fenwick with the score close.
Winning because/in spite of these things point to luck playing a strong factor. Luck that, in my humble opinion, can’t run out soon enough.
Two of their leading scorers from last year are shooting 2% (Dubinsky) and 3.6% (Boyle) this year, a good 7 points below their career marks. Stepan and Anisimov are too young to even know what should be typical of them.
Yes, goaltending’s been good. Biron’s the much bigger concern. There’s no question Lundqvist has the talent to give a poor man’s Thomas impersonation for a whole season.
Hawerchuk’s recent Power Rankings show full season numbers. Last 13 games, Rangers are 52.8% FenwickClose and PDO of 1000. Last 22 games, it’s 50.3% and 101.6. The PDO regression is already happening, but they are improving their Fenwick numbers quickly. They were 42.6% over the first 9 games. So abysmal it’s taking forever to correct itself.
Yes, they’ve rode luck. Yes, they got some bounces last night. Yes, luck will run out. But yes, they can actually improve the other parts of their game to make up for it, and so far they have been.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 10:19 AM EST up reply actions
Perhaps. We’ll see.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Rangers have started out strong and faded down the stretch, though their fade isn’t happening fast enough, much to my chagrin.
Heh. This isn’t quite the same though. They started abysmally. (3-3-3 in first 9, and were awful while doing so). Trust me, the Rangers are in the crosshairs of all the stat heads (I’m not all that confident myself), but there’s enough trending upwards to say they may just be able to sustain this.
They also had half an AHL-defense out there last night. Not necessarily an excuse, as roster depth is as important as anything, but if/when Lundqvist/Biron are going to take a downturn, I’d expect it to be around now when Staal, Sauer, and Eminger are all out. In that respect, they were certainly lucky last night to survive the 30 min onslaught.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
IMO, your team will regress but still will be a playoff team. #6 to #8 EC team
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Dec 21, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
I’d agree, though I think the Wild are bigger targets right now. If/when they fade (which may already be happening), then I think the Rangers will be bigger targets.
It’s difficult for me to remain objective because I hate the Rangers more than just about any other team, so I fully admit my perceptions are biased, but I’m not convinced, for example, that Dubinsky and Boyle picking up their games will make up for potential decreases in the productivity of Gaborik, Richards and Callahan and any regression in goaltending.
Like you say, there’s room for improvement that they can benefit from, PP effectiveness for example, that would go a long way toward evening things out, but my hatred doesn’t allow me to believe that will happen :P
They also pick on the Wild more because the guys at Hockey Wilderness refuse to accept it, whereas there’s enough of us Rangers’ guys who understand it and have put the message out to be worried.
I’m not convinced Boyle ever does, but Dubinsky’s not going to shoot 2% for the season. He’s a streaky enough guy that he can put up 10 goals in 15-20 games once he gets rolling (like he did early last year), so it’s enough to account for when Callahan and especially Richards slow down. In fact, it’s imperative that Dubinsky does it, or he’ll be run out of town.
I know I’m not changing opinions, there’s just a lot that gets lost when looking just at full season numbers, I feel it’s worth it to get the info out there, even in enemy territory.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
Peter DeBoer
When you decided to solve PP and 4th line problems?
Someone needs to figure out why it is that just about every goaltender in the league seems to play like a frontrunner for the Vezina when they play the Devils.
I used to think it was hurried shots, poor shot placement, lack of a body in front…but not so much anymore. Its starting to look like the whole thing is a choreographed ballet and only the opposing tender was at rehersal. I have no other way to explain how the score wasn’t 4-0 at the end of the first. There’s no way Lundie shoud have made two or three of those saves.
Maybe the Devs should just challenge the size of the opposing goalies pads at the opening face-off and eat the 2 min penalty to start the game, just in case that’s one of the reasons why.
I’m not going to lie to you. It felt good and I’m going to do whatever is in my power possible to stay there as long as I can. - Petr Sykora on playing on a line with Elias and Parise.
I used to think like this, but the Devils scored 11 goals in the 2 games before. they are fine.
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 8:27 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Maybe the Devs should just challenge the size of the opposing goalies pads at the opening face-off
You do realize the NHL checks all goalie equipment before the games right?
"I was reloading my weapon"- Artem Anisimov on 24/7
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"The universe is big....." -Ilya Bryzgalov
by RichieToGabbySCORE on Dec 21, 2011 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
The Devils played as well as they could have with this lineup. they again missed two of their top centers and yet dominated the game. How good Larsson Kovalchuk and some others played is unbelievable. the one thing this game showed me is the Devils are definitely a playoff team.
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 8:25 AM EST via Android app reply actions
playoff team?
I don’t see how this is a playoff team. You need solid goal tending to be a playoff team. You also need to score goals. The only teams that have less offense and as many games played are teams below us in the standings.
AND our best players was a -3 last night.
We only scored 6 goals and then 5 goals in the 2 games before this one.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
"I was in the moment, and the moment said smack you." - Bruce Willis
Clearly you guys are upset
But you take this way to far. You lost the game get over it. It’s not the last time the devils will lose to the rangers but devils will win games against the rangers also.
For John Fischer: how is this the rangers championship? A regular season win against a team that might not even make the playoffs. That’s a championship for rangers fans? I look at the team the rangers are playing against and not the rivalry. I felt way better after the rangers beat the penguins because I know the penguins will be playin for something in April.
"I was reloading my weapon"- Artem Anisimov on 24/7
"Your the dirtiest player in the league!"- Scott Hartnell to Matt Cooke
"The universe is big....." -Ilya Bryzgalov
by RichieToGabbySCORE on Dec 21, 2011 9:16 AM EST reply actions
A regular season win against a team that might not even make the playoffs.
You’re only 5 points ahead with two games in hand. Not insurmountable at all, and I don’t know if you’ve looked but the Devils are still 6th in the conference…
You’re in 6th with the 2nd lowest ROW (11)…. Loving those shootouts huh? Too bad they’re not part of the playoffs.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 9:58 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Rags made it into the playoffs last year on the last day with the help of all their shootout wins.
You get 2 points anyway you can.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
Yup but we didn’t think our team was playoff-worthy last year (hell some of us were surprised, seeing as how we had one of the youngest D corps on the ice)
This year the only expectation we have is maybe winning a first rounder. If we don’t oh well, more cap space and better younger players coming next year.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:28 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
BTW, did it hurt comparing the devs to last years rangers? Lol.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:29 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not really. All I’m looking for this year is getting into the tournament.
I’ll take your last season for us this season and be happy with it.
We also have Cap Space and a slew of young defensemen in the pipeline.
We could use a goalie though………
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
I thought you guys had a few good goalie prospects developing? Ive heard you’ve got some nice D building up.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:11 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Prospects are just that. I think Kinkaid is probably the closest. I’m honestly very concerned about the Devils goaltending situation in the upcoming years. Even currently, it’s not great. And neither Brodeur and Hedberg are going to get any better.
Wedgewood made the Canada World Juniors team so that could be a good sign there, too. Unfortunately, the Devils are going to have to make a leap of faith at some point and roll the dice with one of these young guys. Just have to hope they can have a veteran competent enough to keep them afloat if the kid struggles to adjust.
Status quo.
Any cap room next year to sign a vet on a 1year deal as a stopgap?
You never know with rookies though. The year lundqvist was a rookie our starter was friggin Kevin Weekes, if he didn’t get injured lundqvist would’ve seen a lot less time.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
If I was trolling I’d be spelling horribly. I don’t feel ive been terribly “offensive” just voicing alternate opinions.
I also doubt I was gloating, if anything I’ve been somewhat self-deprecating when it fits.
It’s not like I think rangers are #1 overall in EC or something. I am realistic based on stats etc.
Sorry if you’ve been offended due to me being a rangers fan.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
? its pretty clear the Devils heavily outplayed your team, over a playoff series? you’d lose in 5 or 6
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 9:31 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
For those that like that kind of thing:
Corsi Tied: NJD 48.3% (14-15)
Corsi Close: NJD 46.8% (29-33)
Corsi Total: NJD 52.6% (40-36)
That doesn’t read like “heavily outplayed.” Yes, the Devils played an excellent first 30 minutes, and controlled scoring chances for that stretch. Goaltending still matters, and even if you want to call Lundqvist ‘lucky’ or ‘average,’ or whatever else to demean him, he’s a pretty clear advantage at this stage, and certainly enough to overcome that little of a Corsi differential, even in a playoff series.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
yeah im not denying Lundqvist anything, but in another game they probably pot their chances. I think the fact that they were purely dominant and
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 9:57 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
In another game the rangers 3 iron bangers are goals and it’s 7-1.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 9:59 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Or instead of hitting the post, the shot misses entirely.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 10:10 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
That would only happen if Dubinsky was the shooter
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 10:21 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
probably not, since the shots were 30-20. the posts showed just how bad Brodeur played last night
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 10:10 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Rangers are one of the lowest shot taking teams in the league, think we’ve outshot opponents 10 times this season or something.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 10:20 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Or, contrarily, in another game Lundqvist plays closer to his career average of .919 and lets in 3 goals instead of one.
Speculation can go any way one wants to spin it.
That’s exactly what I was saying, thx for helping my point.
Notice the guy above said “they pot their chances”… It goes both ways.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 10:18 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well by statistical probability (let’s say we use goal differential? I think -5 v +25? Or hanks 21-5-5 record vs brodeur?) mine was pretty well grounded.
;)
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:03 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
it’s going to be a sad reckoning for rangers’ fans.
george: i do think it’s possible that travel and injuries contributed to the rangers horrendous start but now without eminger and sauer i think it’s going to be difficult to stay at 50%.
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I’m not disillusioned on the rangers chances/abilities/luck. Just playing sarcastically.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:24 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed. The Sauer loss hurts. Eminger/Woywitka/Stralman are kinda interchangeable to a degree, so I’m not as worried about that loss. They won’t stay at 50% with a Stralman-Bickel-Erixon bottom three unless Erixon grows up in a hurry.
Bigger question than that: How long can Hagelin-Boyle-Mitchell maintain 70% FenTied and 65% FenTotal numbers. It’s 13 games and counting now, and with a sub-40% zonestart to boot.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
That’s one way to spin it, though for a single game those aren’t the stats I’d personally use. It works for you, of course, because it overlooks things like the Devils goal differential the past few games coming into this game or Marty’s record vs. everyone over his career and so makes your point seem more valid.
I was referring more to things like:
Lundqvist’s career S% = .919; S% this season = .934; S% last night = .968.
Statistically, it’s far more probable that 31 shots on a goalie equates to more than 1 goal, even on a guy playing out of his mind like Lundqvist has been so far this season, than it is that 20 shots results in 7 goals.
Well if we’re just going off statistical averages of save% and shot% sure. Unfortunately the original poster of “in another game” was vague in his description of what that game would be based on.
Mind you I feel you may be taking this rather far when we’re talking about, what is essentially, a fantasy replaying of a game that has already happened. To get it 100% realistic you’d need to factor in shots for and against averages as well since the # of shots would surely be different. Along with adjusting each persons shot%, shots taken etc.
See why stats+fantasy don’t work?
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’m not the original poster, but I interpret his meaning to be that if the same game were replayed over dozens of iterations, the Devils had a good chance of scoring more often on their chances.
That’s grounded in logic as we know that more shots leads to more goals. As you say, every game would probably contain immeasurably different variables making the statement unprovable, so it’s purely theoretical.
Regardless, it’s a stance based more in the realm of probability than your counter-example.
In the scenario you describe, yes his was more probable. I was trying to be improbable however to point out that “butterfly effect” if you will.
Enjoyed bantering with you anyway you seem to be like George/rangersmurf, give you kind of guys major props.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As I wrote in this very recap, this Rangers team isn’t going to win anything of substance. Ergo, beating a rival, especially in their own house, is a big win for them. I understand you in particular may not feel that way. The reactions of the Ranger fans inside & outside of the Rock justified my opinion.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 9:48 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
So a group of drunken rangers fans cheering allowed you justify grouping an entire group of people together?
What you believe the Rangers will accomplish is your own opinion. But saying “is a big win for them” is not an opinion your entitled to. Who are you to say what’s a big win for the Rangers and what isn’t? It’s the same as saying hey boston fans you should feel lucky your team beat the Canucks in 7 games because I think the Canucks should have swept you guys. This is the NHL and every team thinks (at least they should) that they could beat any team on any given night.
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by RichieToGabbySCORE on Dec 21, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
Honestly after last nights game I just switched over to some other show. It wasn’t that wonderful of a moment.
I enjoy beating Philly and Wash more than NJ or NYI.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 10:24 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I enjoy watching the Rags lose to Washington in the playoffs on those crazy years they actually make it.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
I enjoy playing NJD in the playoffs, you’ve only won a series once against the rangers.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:25 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Solid point.
We’ve also won 3 Cups since your last one, and been to Game 7 of another.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
Yes you have but the hurricanes won a cup too since then, I’m not envious of them nor am I of nj.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:32 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Then why are you here, instead of Washington’s or Philly’s boards, since you claim to enjoy beating them more?
by Marty 4 Prez on Dec 21, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Because we just played you and you’re a lively bunch?
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:43 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Plus I don’t hate you guys, as opposed to philthy fans.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Well everyone should despise Fair Weather Philly, I’ll give you that.
by Marty 4 Prez on Dec 21, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions
We were riding a 15 game winning streak that year when they beat us in the 2nd round. Thanks for bringing that up.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
Lol figured using them as an example would be a flashback for u guys ;)
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:45 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As I wrote in this very recap, this Rangers team isn’t going to win anything of substance
You’re saying this as if it’s a fact. We can all agree that it’s not. I think that’s the part that’s bothering most of the Rangers fans that have commented on this recap.
The Rangers may win something of substance. It may not be extremely likely, but let’s not dismiss the fact that it is remotely possible. Isn’t that we all watch our teams every night?
(begins slowly clapping)
You guys should listen to this guy and read our recaps. You’re not our “hated” rival and we don’t bash your successes.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 12:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
While I would love to say you are not out hated rival… you are. Maybe it’s just the Rags fans I know personally, but, either way, Rangers games will always garner more visceral reactions on this side of the river.
That said, I agree with dasru’s point. Who knows how far the Rangers will go? I don’t happen to think they’re going far either, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in the playoffs before (’06 Oilers, anyone?).
Status quo.
I’m probably a lot more different than most fans in that I don’t harbor any real ill feelings towards other teams. Granted, I despise losing to the Rangers, but honestly .. I don’t despise it all that much than when the Devils lose to any other teams.
The reason for this is probably because I don’t have to talk to/deal with many Rangers fans in my day to day life (and the ones I do deal with are not snobs).
My in-laws are all Rags fans…I got the one Devils fan in the bunch. My brother-in-law who’s as hardcore for the Rags as I am for the Devils is at least decent about the rivalry…
I was just hoping to get the smug sense of satisfaction at Christmas this year.
by Marty 4 Prez on Dec 21, 2011 1:36 PM EST up reply actions
Apologies for not including the word “likely,” but I’m not seeing this Rangers team going anywhere this season. Just like the last 15 years or so.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 1:00 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Its amazing how every year you people get off to a good start and act like you are Kings of the Mountain.
The February Fade is coming…….it always does.
And if by some chance you don’t fade into 8th or worse like usual and finish 2nd, and we “eek” into 7th, I’ll relish the chance to be the underdog.
The Rangers are supposed to be a top team this year. We are supposed to miss the playoffs. I would say we held out own pretty well last night considering that.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
We’re supposed to be a top team with all our players. We’ve been missing one of our top 2 D all year, and one of our top 4 the majority of the year, and now one of our 3rd pair for 4-6 weeks. Our D is still putting up some high ranking #s (with high sv% sure but this year it’s not carrying us in all our games). Nevermind one of our top 6 forwards having 1 goal this season. When Feb comes hopefully we will be fully healthy, then we’ll see how things go.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:36 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I’m speaking season-wise here. I know u guys were missing key parts last night as well.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 11:38 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Look at Philly and Pitt too.
I am amazed (and frustrated) that all of you keep winning despite all of your injury woes.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
Hate them both. I’ve been amazed by Pitt since Crosby went down the first time (I’m not one of those guys cheering his absence).
Philly I thought was screwed after the offseason. But they surprised me too. Dunno if jagr is back in the lineup but he always scare me, crazy skill. Still hold a bit of a grudge about his “I didn’t try hard during the season so is be better in the playoffs” comment when he was a ranger tho.
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 1:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Addendum
After a poor night’s rest, I’d like add some additional commentary.
1) It wasn’t apparent to me live or in watching that goal against on video that Foster got a piece of Stepan’s pass. If he did get a piece of it off the heel of his stick, then that’s even worse. It means he could have made the interception, an easy play given his position, but didn’t. He misjudged it and it cost the team.
2) I don’t agree that the Devils outplayed or dominated the Rangers. In the first period, certainly. But they faded badly in the final 5-6 minutes of the second period and the third period showed more intensity than the actual numbers. It’s good they finished positive in Corsi and out-shot the Rangers. Yet, the difference in attempts was only 4 at evens (1 in Fenwick). That’s not really consistent with domination.
3) I’m not happy about this loss for the reasons outlined in the recap. I recognize the Devils did some good things, but yet again, the PP was a net negative, the team lost the game in the 3rd, and so forth. All against a hated rival. That translated to how I wrote this recap, as that’s how viewed this game.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 9:46 AM EST via Android app reply actions
I don’t agree that the Devils outplayed or dominated the Rangers
I think you can argue outplayed. Anytime a team controls play like they did for the first 30 min or so, that’s a simple argument. Dominated is kinda funny, especially if you compare this to a couple of the games last year where the Devils actually dominated.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 9:49 AM EST up reply actions
Controlling play for the first 30 just means that. The Devils outplayed them early. Then, they didn’t and it ended up with only a slight edge to NJ. If one recalls the first 30-35 min more than the rest, then I can see that argument made. Not in the context of the game.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 9:58 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
the fact that foster touched it means he was in position and got unlucky, its his fault, but its just an unlucky break
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 10:14 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Let’s not forget that the reason Foster has bounced around and was picked up so cheaply is he is weak defensively. It should come as no surprise that this is starting to show. He is good on the point on the PP but doesn’t offer much else. As for Marty, his play this year has not been good. At some point even DeBoer is going to be forced into accepting that and allowing Moose to hopefully carry this team. On the positive side, the effort was there and we outplayed them most of the game.
PDB had a very bad night. Tortorella owned him when it came to line matchups, even though the Devils had the privilege of last change by virtue of being the home team. Once we reached the middle of the second period (when the chances and shot tallies shifted from all-Devils to something heavily in the Rangers favor) it seemed to me that the Anisimov-Stepan-Gaborik line was often out there when PDB put the third line or fourth line on the ice.
It’s one thing if this happens after an icing. It’s one thing if the Rangers get sustained pressure during the second period and take advantage of the long change to get the group they want out there while play is ongoing. John Tortorella continually got his best line out there against subpar competition, and that can’t happen on home ice. This only directly led to one goal (the first Gaborik tally came against Tedenby-Carter-Clarkson), but it seemed to me that I saw them against Carter’s line or Sestito’s line too often for my liking.
….
As for Oates, the PP isn’t his only responsibility. Supposedly, he’s a resource for our centers and helps them with faceoffs…. and the Devils have been pretty good in that area for most of the last season-plus. It doesn’t excuse the follies with the man advantage, but it isn’t like Oates is a complete black hole behind the bench.
John Tortorella continually got his best line out there against subpar competition, and that can’t happen on home ice.
Gaborik’s line most common opponent last night was Parise’s line. He only got 3 minutes against Carter and 1.7 against Sestito. The difference looks to be that Richards’s drew Larsson, Gaborik’s line drew AV and Foster.
Most opponents put their lesser lines against Stepan’s line, choosing to matchup their best against Richards instead, so that’s not entirely a PDB thing.
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by George E. Ays on Dec 21, 2011 10:30 AM EST up reply actions
I guess all those shifts by that trio against Carter’s line were just etched into our heads simply because of how badly they got owned.
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by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 21, 2011 7:20 PM EST up reply actions
Usually John is the one telling all of us we are overreacting.
I didn’t think we played all that bad. The shorty was a killer, but we had a couple of solid chances at that PP that Queen Henry stoned us on.
If we tie it there, I would have loved our chances in OT/SO.
If we play that way every night, we will be fine. And we shouldn’t gloss over the fact that our 1st Star in the previous game was puking his guts out instead of helping out on the PP.
And our 3rd and 4th lines are a lot better with TZ and Carter as the Centers then with Carter and Sestito. I like the Zajac/Tedenby/Clarkson line a lot.
na-na-na-na HEY! You SUCK!!
Agree on pretty much everything. I know it was a frustrating game, and the final score turned out to be pretty unfortunate, but this game could have easily slid the Devils’ way.
I’d say the only really alarming part of the game was Marty. He has to get better. The second goal is absolutely inexcusable. We need him to find some consistency for the Devils to go anywhere this year.
Status quo.
Bad luck!
This game could of been very different if the puck was bouncing for us. However powerplay needs to be much more effective.
Kovalchuk NEED to shoot more especially on the PP. He also needs to skate faster when the opposite team clear the puck. Devils loose precious seconds when he take is time.
He should also hustle and make second effort more often.He didn’t have a good game.
He seem to be starting to wanna go back to the left wing…Where he belong!!
The succes of the Devils are based on Kovalchuk’s performance. Can he start to play inspired hockey just like Malkin with the Penguins.
Don’t get me wrong I love Kovy but we need more from him!!
He played a monster game. Outside of the terrible play by Brodeur on the second goal (and also Foster’s misplay on the first goal), this game could have been a lot different.
I hate these kind of games. It’s hard to swallow not even getting a point out of this one.
The succes of the Devils are based on Kovalchuk’s performance.
I disagree. The Devils have to be a good team even without Kovy or they’re going nowhere.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Dec 21, 2011 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
No it's all on Kovy
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
"I was in the moment, and the moment said smack you." - Bruce Willis
OR MARTY
KOVY OR MARTY!
ALL THOUGH, Kovy was showing off a bit last night for HBO. He was exciting to watch!
Been nice chatting hope I didn’t ruffle any feathers, look forward to the next game.
Have a good one everybody
by teknics on Dec 21, 2011 1:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
You pointed out that although kovy was a minus 3 last night he couldn’t be blamed for any of the goals against. While I agree with this I would like to know where he was on Anisimov’s goal. Just prior to that goal Parise was a beast on the forecheck, won the puck and got off a spin around shot on Lunquist. The play goes the other way and he is the one that didn’t quite make it to Anisimov in time on the backcheck. Henrique did his job and covered for Volchenkov but where was Kovy? Why is Parise having to come all the way back to pick up the man in the slot after being deep in the Rangers zone? I haven’t watched the video again to see if it shows what happened but I remember wondering last night why it was #9 and not #17 trying to get back on that play.
The devils PP is so bad and I wanted to look more into the numbers. I am looking at the Devils powerplay with a one man advantage scores at a rate of 1 goal for every 15:57. This is the 2nd worst in the league behind the Montreal (16:55). The median rate per goal is 10:41. The bigger problem obvious to everyone is giving up shorthanded goals. The Devils have given up a shorthanded goal at a rate of 20:04 minutes per goal. This is obviously the worst in the league. To move into 2nd to last place (34:24) currently held by Montreal, the Devils would need to not give up a goal for 72 minor penalties holding all else constant. To move to the median rate (84:57), the Devils would need to not give up a goal in over 648 hours of powerplay time holding all else constant. This is equal to around 22% of the Devils remaining time in the regular season, not including overtime. They stink….
Devils defense was not bad..
The Devils defense did not give up very many shots. There comes a time when the goalie needs to make some big saves and Marty did not do it bottom line..
Donald Vasquez
Marty
Thought Marty was once again simply outplayed by Henrik. I believe he is now 5-21 head to head. at least one of the goals was weak. with that recored um maybe start Heberg from now on. 5-21 is hardly a coincidence.
10-21
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 7:17 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
They were really missing Tallinder, Green & Larrson!! Marty kept us in there for a bit though. Couple scrap goal with wide open Rags right next to the net. Foster should have turned to the guy and checked him instead deflected it to him timely.
I really think they could have one if they had a couple D back.
Marty kept us in it? I guess because he didn’t give up more bad goals after the 3 he did give up?
And Kovalchuk speeds away, great moves, busting through, DID YOU SEE THAT?
by KovyisLove on Dec 21, 2011 7:18 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
They played a hard game and the loss just stings more because it came at the hands of the Rangers. Shake it off for Washington on Friday and we’ll see how this team responds after a 4 game winning streak got snapped by their hated rivals.
"Don't mess with the Devil buddy, were number one, we beat anybody! WE'RE THE DEVILS! THE DEVILS!"-David Puddy
Will be there. Kind of wish Moose was starting but I’m hoping to be proved wrong.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” -Aristotle
by Tim G on Dec 20, 2011 9:28 AM EST reply actions
Went to this game as well. And the above is a quote from the preview thread. I really wish they started Hedberg. With hindsight I do not know if that would have made the difference, but I think you need to ride the hot hand in Hedberg when its given to you, and Hedberg has proven that he can raise to the occasion for us this year. I will never forget what Marty has done for this franchise…he IS the Devils in many ways….but we’re reaching a point in the season where we know who the better goalie is and we shouldn’t lose a season because we’re nostalgic about the Brodeur who won us cups in the 90s and early 00s.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
Hot hand? While I don’t think most of them were his fault, Hedberg allowed 7 GA in his last two starts. That ain’t hot.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 10:18 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
…both games in which the Devils won. In fact, Hedberg won his last three games in net despite letting in what, 11 goals? My point is this team plays differently in front of Hedberg. I’ve alluded to as much in prior posts, but I feel as if the team realizes they can’t fall back onto Hedberg if they are playing poorly, and thus they step up in front of him. There’s a misconceived notion that Brodeur is the goalie he was even five years ago, when in reality he is a shell of his former self. All simply my opinion, but the last backup to receive substantial minutes – Scott Clemenson – earned himself a nice fat contract when the Devils were one of the best teams in the league for an extended period of itme under his goaltending.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
..and I wish you could edit your posts on sbnation, but the reason why I even bring up Clemmensen is because the entire team had to step it up a notch to compensate for someone who is in reality a mediocre to above average goaltender.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
Stepping up? Does that mean nearly blowing a 3 goal lead in the third in Tampa; or allowing 2 goals near the end of a first period where they went up 2-0? Does is it include allowing Dallas to score first in the first two periods? Yes, the Devils won those games- because of their offense, not necessarily because the D & Hedberg was amazing.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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by John Fischer on Dec 22, 2011 7:35 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Not sure if this was mentioned in the large amount of comments, but John, your paragraph regarding the short handed goal is way off.
Foster passed to Zubrus, who chipped it ahead into the corner (softly). Stu Bickel is actually the one that shot it around the boards as hard as he could, which lead to the puck getting by Kovalchuk.
Kovalchuk was put in a very odd situation there. He could’ve chosen to let it go, which would have let it go all the way down the ice. Instead, he tried to stop it (which I think is the right play given the circumstances of the game). By doing this, he slowed it up enough for the Rangers to catch up to it and break out a 2 on 1.
I know the goal was frustrating, but it was not Foster’s fault at all.
Fair enough. I got another look at the goal in reviewing all of the SHGA, and it was Bickell clearing the puck. I thought it just sailed around.
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by John Fischer on Dec 21, 2011 10:19 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
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