Taking Lazy To A New Level
The Devils are not going to make the playoffs because they are a lazy team. Even if they get a few wins in a row, it’s not enough to offset the institutional laziness that has become acceptable on the ice. Exhibit A: Ilya Kovulchuk does not skate hard to the end boards with four minutes [...]
Devils’ End
It’s just about four weeks since the Devils’ season ended and I’m finally rational enough to write rationally about it. I think this was the most uneventful, non-season in the decade I’ve been a season ticket holder, and therein lies the problem. Lou signed Ilya Kovalchuk, but Lemaire couldn’t figure out how and when to [...]
Just When It Can Get No Worse
It gets worse. I love Chico’s comment: “This team might not be together next year.” Of course they won’t be together next year, because short playoff runs are depressing. Colin White: miss your guy, then reach instead of skating. And his guy was Carcillo. Kind of sums it up. Mike Mottau: Three words: “Where’s my [...]
Pathetic Devils Effort
Why are Colin White and Mike Mottau together? On the winning goal, Colin White (a) followed his guy behind the net (b) reached, leaned and otherwise made lazy swipes at the puck and (c) left Mottau to remember to cover the weak side (oops). These two don’t belong on the ice at all, let alone [...]
Heartless and Winless
The Devils have become impossible to watch. Guys standing around, falling down, or making passes that are blind, ill-timed, or just flat-out stupid is not competitive hockey. It’s not even good hockey. It’s disheartening. If I were GM and coach for a day: Langenbrunner loses the “C”. Where is the leadership on this team? Where [...]
How To Beat The Devils
The Devils have gone from mildly upsetting to tragic. It’s Shakespeare on ice without the clever anachronistic puns. It hurts to watch, like the guy who wipes out on the ski jump slope during the intro to “Wide World of Sports” for those of you alive in the 1970s. Here is the young person’s guide [...]
Pain and No Gain
I haven’t written about the Devils since mid-November because frankly, there wasn’t much to write about through the end of 2009. They were playing well, scoring goals, coming up big on defense, and Niclas Bergfors was making a bid for the Calder Trophy. A short stint as the best team in the NHL, a nice [...]
Everybody Skates New Jersey Weekend
This weekend is a big one for USA hockey: it’s the annual Hockey Across America when USA Hockey stimulates interest in the sport, from youth to professional levels. With the Vancouver Olympics a mere two weeks away, there’s palpable excitement about hockey around the world. Next week also brings the beginning of February, the start [...]
The Kids Are Alright (I Think…I Hope)
It’s been progressively harder to get ready for Devils hockey each year. Training camp became a mystery to be revealed by proper beat writers, rather than open to the public as it was at South Mountain Arena. While other teams play exhibition games daily, the Devils haven’t played in a week. At least tonight’s game [...]
Gulitti’s White Indictment
Tom Gulitti covers the Devils for the Bergen Record, and in addition to fulfilling the dual roles of a beat writer and blogger, he brings a lot of hockey sense to the net, electronic or nylon. He’s a great read; he listens (reads) his comment threads; and he (I think) genuinely cares about the team. [...]