GDT: Devils - Thrashers 12/15

:devils vs :thrashers

(14-12-4) (12-16-4)

Continental Airlines Arena

7:30PM

Devils Game Notes (http://www.newjerseydevils.com/2005/html/theteam/previews/gp12152005.php)

Please Lord, no more Langdon.

Please Lord, no more Langdon.

If anything, today would be the day we should use him. With all the "goon tactics" Hartley has resorted to this season, it would be nice to have someone on the bench ready to bash some skulls in case things get too dicey.

Atlanta kinda scares me... but the again every team scares me now!

Atlanta 5-2

Atlanta kinda scares me... but the again every team scares me now!

Atlanta 5-2


way to be optomistic

The defense is in a groove. The offense has issues

1-0 Devils....Kozlov in the SO

I wonder how much Kovalchuk is going to try and burn Brodeur for that rip that Brodeur did onto him.

i just hope brodeur wont have a nite "off"

Brown & Rasmussen scratched

These teams records aren't that different with us having 2 games in hand. Hope we can solve Garnett. Kovalchuk & Holik, should be a good one.

booing Holik... interesting

nice too see parise playing

this powerplay is painful to watch lately.

PP looks awful

do the devils like to watch the puck just bounce off them? they just can't control anything.

what is that? the guy bumps into mcgillis and the devs get a penalty. horrible.

PK looks better

with the new rule the offensive players are treated like goalies used to be treated in terms of interference and hooking.

madden cannot handle the puck

gionta is the man 1-0 gomez scores

whoa hossa had brodeur beat, devils get lucky, ends up hitting the post.

lol parise might be done tonight

lol parise might be done tonight

what happened?

what happened?

nothing, just saying because he plays so little anyhow. he plays very little after half the game.

i think parise just got a penalty

nothing, just saying because he plays so little anyhow. he plays very little after half the game.

oh you had me worried for a sec there!

how many times is mogilny just going to lose the puck.

and i didn't know you were allowed to check goalies. holik shoves brodeur into the net.

this team is flat, and atlanta is skating all over the devils. 1-1 atlanta on the deflection.

Dammit 1-1

f you bobby seriously.....glad to see colin step up to him there.
Maybe this is where the goalie interference stops. When is it going to be enough? When Broduer really gets hurt? :dunno:

2-1 white passes it right to kovalchuck for a one timer. thats right colin white with a beautiful backhander right to kovalchuk. this team is bad.

really bad

2-2 mogilny on another lucky bounce.

lucky or not, we have a tied game.

lucky or not this team still needs a major overhaul if they keep playing like they did the first 50 minutes of the game.

****!!!!! brodeur is down. doesnt look good.

penalty shot?! mcgillis barely touched him.

this is ridiculous.

hossa was already going down. unreal.

what a save! brodeur's back!

**** this new NHL. Y is that a P shot? He feel on his own. What F ing bull*** F that mother fer Bettman and his pus rules :madfire:

give the refs this game.

ugh....i tune into the radio just time to hear atlanta win the game.....it's nice to keep on getting points, but losing not getting the W in 3 of 4 OT games sucks......

This game is just pathertic now. They should put dresses on and start skating. Good lord there more contact in golf. For 20 yrs I loved hockey, Bettman destroyed it.

Marty back as the best in the business. Unfortunately, the team isn't very good.

This game is just pathertic now. They should put dresses on and start skating. Good lord there more contact in golf. For 20 yrs I loved hockey, Bettman destroyed it.

the only hitting thats not a penalty in today's nhl is when a forward bashes a goalie.

the only hitting thats not a penalty in today's nhl is when a forward bashes a goalie.

True and how sad this game has become.

It seems like Marty takes at least one or two good hits a game. Devs have to start making teams pay for that. One way or another.

It seems like Marty takes at least one or two good hits a game. Devs have to start make teams pay for that. One way or another.
well when hossa recklessly runs into brodeur and mcgillis gives him a little love tap afterwards and gets 2 minutes for roughing and hossa is rewarded a penalty shot, i could see why they'd be hesitant. the refs need to take the tampons, that were lodged into them by bettman, out and allow some hitting.

Things you'll never see again, heart. Teammates sticking up for each other.


http://rapidshare.de/files/7327100/Donald_Brashear_vs._Rob_Ray__Rd.1___3-5-2004_.wmv.html

well when hossa recklessly runs into brodeur and mcgillis gives him a little love tap afterwards and gets 2 minutes for roughing and hossa is rewarded a penalty shot, i could see why they'd be hesitant. the refs need to take the tampons, that were lodged into them by bettman, out and allow some hitting.

Yeah, that was quite possibly the most unfounded penalty I have ever seen. If they were calling penalties like this in the 04 playoffs, Philly would have amassed 1000+ PIM's per game!

why don't the defenseman lay people out in the closing seconds of OT, additional penalties aren't going to matter at that point, Devs have now lost late in OT twice this week.

why don't the defenseman lay people out in the closing seconds of OT, additional penalties aren't going to matter at that point, Devs have now lost late in OT twice this week.

the devils lost the game way before ot, brodeur just delayed the loss.

that really has nothing at all to do with my point

Can you fault Brodeur on any of those goals? One was a beautiful tip after his team left him high and dry, the second was a beautiful assist by Colin White, and the third was a beautiful PP where he was helpless with 6 seconds left. He stops a PS in OT after getting hammered, that call on McGillis to give ATL a PP was horse ****, and throughout regulation he kept it from being a blow out. [/rant] Oh well, Atlanta played well, I just don't approve of their steam roll the goalie tactic.

WHAT A HORRIBLE CALL ON MCGILLIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I understand the complaints about contact with goalies. I think the NHL is going to have to adjust the rules in the off season to require players to avoid contact when driving to the net.

Hey at least New Jersey's starting goalie is still healthy. Atlanta has lost four keepers (Nurminen, Lehtonen, Dunham, Shields) to injury and our start is a guy who was going to share a job in the AHL.

If it is any consolation this was hands down the best game Atlanta has played all year long. I'm not sure why but the guys seem to get up for the Devils the last couple of seasons.

Your power play is shockingly stale at the moment. I'm surprised given the passing talents of Gomez, Mogilny, and Gionta.

I understand the complaints about contact with goalies. I think the NHL is going to have to adjust the rules in the off season to require players to avoid contact when driving to the net.



but isn't it already in the books that you're not supposed to hit goalies in the crease??? am I missing something? I don't understand what's stopping them from calling it right now.

I understand the complaints about contact with goalies. I think the NHL is going to have to adjust the rules in the off season to require players to avoid contact when driving to the net.

Hey at least New Jersey's starting goalie is still healthy. Atlanta has lost four keepers (Nurminen, Lehtonen, Dunham, Shields) to injury and our start is a guy who was going to share a job in the AHL.

If it is any consolation this was hands down the best game Atlanta has played all year long. I'm not sure why but the guys seem to get up for the Devils the last couple of seasons.

Your power play is shockingly stale at the moment. I'm surprised given the passing talents of Gomez, Mogilny, and Gionta.


Yeah, well, it's miracle that Marty isn't injured, it's getting to a point beyond ridiculous. I would have liked to have seen a shootout and see Hossa get robbed on another 1 on 1 :p:

I would have liked to have seen a shootout and see Hossa get robbed on another 1 on 1 :p:
Wouldn't have been too much to ask for. Hossa has terrific skills, but going one-on-one with the goalie is something he's not good at. Between in-game breakaways and shootouts, I've been surprised at how bad he is scoring in this situation. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see him not score on his penalty shot tonight.

I was at the game tonight.. And i got to meet Patrik Elias. He looked good, but when I asked him when he was coming back. He just looked at me and said he had no idea.

that isnt a good sign. He could have lied to me and said, "soon!" or a few weeks.


Dont expect him back anytime soon.


as for the game, after seeing this devils team live i have 2 major observations.

1. Their defense sucks. Big news huh! Well, their biggest problem is that players like McGillis, Matvichuk, and especially Paul Martin dont have much hockey sense. These are not smart players. Malkahov suprised me on how smart he is.

2. The Devils are small, too small. They get pushed around all the time. Most of there offense problems steem from being pushed of the puck by bigger forwards, and or defenseman. Holik had his way tonight, and so did Hossa.

Parise, Brylin, Gomez, Gionta, Madden. To many guys under 5'11. One of them should go for a bigger, stronger forward.

as for the game, after seeing this devils team live i have 2 major observations.

1. Their defense sucks. Big news huh! Well, their biggest problem is that players like McGillis, Matvichuk, and especially Paul Martin dont have much hockey sense. These are not smart players. Malkahov suprised me on how smart he is.

2. The Devils are small, too small. They get pushed around all the time. Most of there offense problems steem from being pushed of the puck by bigger forwards, and or defenseman. Holik had his way tonight, and so did Hossa.

Parise, Brylin, Gomez, Gionta, Madden. To many guys under 5'11. One of them should go for a bigger, stronger forward.

I was at the game as well and it was pretty surreal how the Thrashers towered over the Devils. I've had my problems with Kozlov, but I think he's essential because he's one of the few Devils who can't be steamrolled over. I'm beginning to agree with people who think Parise should be sent down, he gets tossed around like a ragdoll at times. The rest can handle themselves, but Colin White is the only intimidating physical presence on the entire team.

Was Marshall injured? He's one of the one forward with some physical presence and his absence is noticable. I did think Langenbrunner-Brylin-Almo line looked quite promising. I don't know who else would work on the Madden-Pando line though...

Parise, Brylin, Gomez, Gionta, Madden. To many guys under 5'11. One of them should go for a bigger, stronger forward.


I don't think Gomez, Parise, and Gionta are going anywhere. Gomez is 50/50 though.

The reason we're losing is quite simple; our Power Play is more of a Powerless Play. Awful...just awful!!! If the Devils were to score at least 1 PP goal in each of the last 5 games, they would have won three of those games based on momentum swings alone. Right now, its dismal & they need to make some moves at this point. There is no chemistry at all on this team, except for the Kozlov, Gionta & Gomez line. (And that is even a stretch when you look at some of the other lines on the better teams around the league.)

And I agree, the NHL I loved is now a Euro hockey league & based on the calls I saw tonight, this is going to be a long year. I’m almost to the point of not watching anymore. I can honestly say I'd rather watch a River Rats game over a Devils game. They'll still lose, but at least I'll see some sort of passion in their play & dare I say...even a fight or two!

Overall, this team needs to be dismantled. I'd get rid of all the "add-on" players the Devs have brought in over the past few years, (Langs included) & get some prospects & picks for next year’s draft. Then, bring up the worthwhile kids from Albany & get back to the basics.

If we're gonna lose, I'd rather see our prospects playing & getting ice time to develop for the future than a bunch of players who are overpaid & underachieving.

God…we’ve turned into the Rangers of old. :cry:

And I agree, the NHL I loved is now a Euro hockey league & based on the calls I saw tonight, this is going to be a long year. I’m almost to the point of not watching anymore. I can honestly say I'd rather watch a River Rats game over a Devils game. They'll still lose, but at least I'll see some sort of passion in their play & dare I say...even a fight or two!

Overall, this team needs to be dismantled. I'd get rid of all the "add-on" players the Devs have brought in over the past few years, (Langs included) & get some prospects & picks for next year’s draft. Then, bring up the worthwhile kids from Albany & get back to the basics.

If we're gonna lose, I'd rather see our prospects playing & getting ice time to develop for the future than a bunch of players who are overpaid & underachieving.

The Devil's didn't lose due to lack of effort. I think players like Madden, Pandolfo, Brylin and Langenbrunner are skating their a** off. I'm not thrilled about their salaries, but Malakhov and Mogilny both played quite well tonight.

I think the team is struggling for two reasons. The first problem is with a year off and new rules, elite players are dominating right now and unfortunately we lost Nieds and Elias. The team will improve as a unit as the year goes by, missing an entire season is unprecedented in pro sports.

Secondly, the Devils currently lack the cheap homegrown talent that has always been it's biggest strength. Over the years, the Devils have traded prospects and picks at the deadline and we can't complain too much about that, because it helped this team win three cups. But that combined with some draft busts or disappointments, the talent is a little thin right now. Teams like Buffalo and Phoenix have a lot of inexpensive young players hitting their prime (25-28 years old). The Devils have Gomez, White and Gionta. That's it.

I don't want a massive firesale. I went to a couple of River Rat games last year and I can safely say I prefer NHL level play. I think tanking a season is bad for a team's psyche and a FU to the fans. Lou will make some moves, he always does, but it seems like we are a year or two away from getting an impact player out of our prospect pool.

I understand the complaints about contact with goalies. I think the NHL is going to have to adjust the rules in the off season to require players to avoid contact when driving to the net.

Hey at least New Jersey's starting goalie is still healthy. Atlanta has lost four keepers (Nurminen, Lehtonen, Dunham, Shields) to injury and our start is a guy who was going to share a job in the AHL.

If it is any consolation this was hands down the best game Atlanta has played all year long. I'm not sure why but the guys seem to get up for the Devils the last couple of seasons.

Your power play is shockingly stale at the moment. I'm surprised given the passing talents of Gomez, Mogilny, and Gionta.


I agree with all you said. We know, our PP is horrid.

Listen everyone, we all need to take a breath eh? This is not our season. There is simply FAR too much that has happened this season which has drastically effected this team.

Tired of repeating myself, but Scotty not returning was a surprise, even to other players. Nieder happened at the last moment also. Burns for heaven's sake, the NHL!

The NHL rule changes have effected no one more than the Devs I believe. Older experienced players forced to suddenly change styles. Madden is a prime example who is suffering, as of course, Marty.

Younger players on teams are doing better this season as a result.

Although I have developed respect for Larry, even as a coach, he simply was not the right choice for this team. Period. It looked good on paper though....

And an interesting post game quote from Bobby Holik and former Devil from NJ.com:

"Former Devils center Bobby Holik said he is not surprised that the team has yet to see anyone emerge as a leader. Holik said it is a byproduct of the NHL's new salary cap. He suggested few players have been able to settle in because it is known that one or more players will be cut or traded to make room for Patrik Elias when the left winger returns from hepatitis A.

"You're dealing with a completely different environment," Holik said. "The players know someone will be leaving when Patrik comes back. How do you think they feel?"




Anyway, I'll always be a Devil fan. This organization has some serious heart.

CIAO

Ps: Well said "guttersnipe" and "DevilsRepairman"!

The Devil's didn't lose due to lack of effort. I think players like Madden, Pandolfo, Brylin and Langenbrunner are skating their a** off. I'm not thrilled about their salaries, but Malakhov and Mogilny both played quite well tonight.

I think the team is struggling for two reasons. The first problem is with a year off and new rules, elite players are dominating right now and unfortunately we lost Nieds and Elias. The team will improve as a unit as the year goes by, missing an entire season is unprecedented in pro sports.

Secondly, the Devils currently lack the cheap homegrown talent that has always been it's biggest strength. Over the years, the Devils have traded prospects and picks at the deadline and we can't complain too much about that, because it helped this team win three cups. But that combined with some draft busts or disappointments, the talent is a little thin right now. Teams like Buffalo and Phoenix have a lot of inexpensive young players hitting their prime (25-28 years old). The Devils have Gomez, White and Gionta. That's it.

I don't want a massive firesale. I went to a couple of River Rat games last year and I can safely say I prefer NHL level play. I think tanking a season is bad for a team's psyche and a FU to the fans. Lou will make some moves, he always does, but it seems like we are a year or two away from getting an impact player out of our prospect pool.

I have to disagree...I was at the game too and there was no effort in the first two periods, they woke up in the third but 10 shots through 2 periods with all the power plays they had...that was terrible. Other than Brylin and Gionta nobody drives the net on this team. In an age where the refs are clearly favoring forwards attacking the crease...that is inexcusable!

Secondly, other than his lucky bounce goal, Mogilny sucked last night. he gave the puck away and made so many bad passes on the power play I thought he was a penalty killer for the Thrashers!

I agree with all you said. We know, our PP is horrid.

Listen everyone, we all need to take a breath eh? This is not our season. There is simply FAR too much that has happened this season which has drastically effected this team.

Tired of repeating myself, but Scotty not returning was a surprise, even to other players. Nieder happened at the last moment also. Burns for heaven's sake, the NHL!

The NHL rule changes have effected no one more than the Devs I believe. Older experienced players forced to suddenly change styles. Madden is a prime example who is suffering, as of course, Marty.

Younger players on teams are doing better this season as a result.

Although I have developed respect for Larry, even as a coach, he simply was not the right choice for this team. Period. It looked good on paper though....

And an interesting post game quote from Bobby Holik and former Devil from NJ.com:

"Former Devils center Bobby Holik said he is not surprised that the team has yet to see anyone emerge as a leader. Holik said it is a byproduct of the NHL's new salary cap. He suggested few players have been able to settle in because it is known that one or more players will be cut or traded to make room for Patrik Elias when the left winger returns from hepatitis A.

"You're dealing with a completely different environment," Holik said. "The players know someone will be leaving when Patrik comes back. How do you think they feel?"




Anyway, I'll always be a Devil fan. This organization has some serious heart.

CIAO

Bobby stating the obvious that everyone is thinking in the lockeroom, but no one wants to say.

We are 10-8 in 1-goal games.
10 regulation games (6-4), 8 overtimes(4-4). Devils used to win more of the 1-goal games. Winning more 1-goal games will get them a playoff berth.

I attended the game last night. It was my first Devils game of the year. My family has had season tickets since I was a little kid, and I always attended 15-20 games every year since 1996. Going off to college this year however has changed that. Too bad, after 20 months I missed my team.

It was a great game. The arena wasn't as empty as I expected, given the horrible weather. Brodeur was absolutely phenominal.


But wow... the PP looks even worse in person. I'm not even joking when I say that we produce more scoring chances on the PK than on the PP. The penalty by McGillis (which was all that he could do to prevent Hossa from scoring after the Devils gave up a horrible turnover) that led to the penalty shot and Atlanta PP and goal was a direct result of a crappy powerplay (the turnover).

My observations? Break up Martin and Rafalski. Put Rafalski with White and Martin with Matvichuk. They need some help on the physical side of things, keeping the puck in the zone. Keep the Gomez/Kozlov/Gionta line together, they were excellent.

Play Parise regularly! He looked pretty good for the 2 minutes he was out there. I swear, I think I saw him get about six shifts all night. He did what he was supposed to. Put him on a line with Brylin (who played pretty well) and Langs.

And stop giving Langdon regular shifts Robinson! He wasn't doing squat out there... hell he didn't even hit anyone.

I attended the game last night. It was my first Devils game of the year. My family has had season tickets since I was a little kid, and I always attended 15-20 games every year since 1996. Going off to college this year however has changed that. Too bad, after 20 months I missed my team.

It was a great game. The arena wasn't as empty as I expected, given the horrible weather. Brodeur was absolutely phenominal.


But wow... the PP looks even worse in person. I'm not even joking when I say that we produce more scoring chances on the PK than on the PP. The penalty by McGillis (which was all that he could do to prevent Hossa from scoring after the Devils gave up a horrible turnover) that led to the penalty shot and Atlanta PP and goal was a direct result of a crappy powerplay (the turnover).

My observations? Break up Martin and Rafalski. Put Rafalski with White and Martin with Matvichuk. They need some help on the physical side of things, keeping the puck in the zone. Keep the Gomez/Kozlov/Gionta line together, they were excellent.

Play Parise regularly! He looked pretty good for the 2 minutes he was out there. I swear, I think I saw him get about six shifts all night. He did what he was supposed to. Put him on a line with Brylin (who played pretty well) and Langs.

And stop giving Langdon regular shifts Robinson! He wasn't doing squat out there... hell he didn't even hit anyone.


Absolutely agree with everything