Thu 18 Oct 2007
Are you buckled in tight? Are you sure? Like I said after the last game, I have a feeling that there really won’t be any easy games this season. That’s not to say the Devils won’t have a good season, I am just saying that there are going to be a lot of tight games.
The Devils did get some breaks in this game, mainly due to the lack of anger management on the part of the Penguins but that happens to the best of us sometimes. I have to say that the gods smiled upon Marty and made sure the Penguins had too many men on the ice during a ridiculous 2 on none play that made it seem like the Lowell Devils were out on the ice. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a crowd in Pittsburgh get so angry but it was the right call. There were some calls that I thought were questionable but you have to take what you can get because you know there will be calls made against the Devils that will be questionable.
It is starting to become extremely clear that Sutter hockey is completely different game. These aren’t the Devils I grew up with but that is not really a bad thing. This team has really started to look like more of a run and gun type of team and not the systematic defensive team from the past, at least in the last two games anyway. After the first few games I was worried that this team was relying too much on the Parise/Zajac line but with Elias scoring 2 against the Thrashers and Madden and Pando having an extremely good night last night that worry is gone. I just hope that Sutter decides to continue to keep the Madden and Pandolfo team together.
I do still have some worries with Marty as he looks continues to have issues stopping the puck. It’s early and maybe Marty needs to get some of the off-season rust off but the bottom line is that he won his second in a row and that’s all that matters, I just wish the Defense would help him out a little bit more. Larry?? Can we get on that???
Now it’s on to Filthadelpia who seems to be living up to that name this season. This is a game where I wish we had a healthy Cam Janssen because you know that the Flyers will come out hitting.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:07 am
worst officiated game ever
October 18th, 2007 at 10:28 am
It has become apparent, Sutter will fiddle with the lines from period to period. The Parise at center experiment looks great. In one game at center Zack had three points. That would be one more point then Greedy Gomez has all season. Zubrus is a beast on the boards and looks more comfortable on the wing. Elias looks like the pre-lock out Elias and Zajac looks like the second coming of Speeza. Asham and Clarkson bothlooks like players. WOW!! Of course, the D could use some help.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Larry Robinson can help to a certain extent, but the defense as we know it is extremely flawed. We have a bunch of guys who have offensive instincts, but don’t have the skill to use it to their full extent. Our banger VV is a one-man army, but there currently are any more (healthy) bangers like him, so he tried to do too much and gets himself out of position. Paul Martin is our best (healthy)defensive d-man but he’s still undecided if he wants to join the play or stay back. What we need is a strong defensive d-man, and I quite frankly don’t think Markov is that. Once we get rid of Matvichuk maybe Lou can bring someone else in. Rachunek on most nights seems to be invisible except the times when he’s at the point on the PP. Mottau moves up here and there, but seems quite, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Oduya will never be more than a 7th defenseman who can fill in for injuries. I didn’t realize how much we’d miss Whitey, and how exposed our defense it without him.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:38 am
is it just me, or has zach come from scroign machine, to play maker…maybe he just hasn’t found the net yet. it seems to me he’s not shooting much. but look at it this way, if marty clears up whatever is bugging him and is marty again, the defense gets a wee bit better, maybe mediocre, or a little above average, and the offense stays the same. HELLO? can you say, beast of the east?
October 18th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Who knew Madden had it in him?
October 18th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
What a joke of a game that was. You should thank Lou for blowing Stephen Walkom in the luxury box before the game.
TSN showed a great shot of them laughing it up while the refs raped the city of Pittsburgh.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
The officiating was terrible last night, I’m not denying that for a second.
Devils fans know what it’s like to have a lot of calls not go their way, but such is life. I don’t know what was in the ref’s water, because something was a bit fishy last night.
Alas, the game is over. I’m sure Pittsburgh will easily get their revenge against us. I mean, uh, you guys do have a ridiculous offense. It’s, well, kinda scary.
October 18th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
hey Marty Brodeur’s sister-in-law, have another doughnut, ya fat big, have another doughnut!!!
October 18th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
maybe the refs are finally getting back at crosby for all his whining?
October 18th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Marty looked ok last night. Just ok.
Our D was absent as they’ve been all season. Someone needs to step up and take over as the go to D guy. The door is open and no one is taking charge. Motteu doesn’t look too bad. Andy Greene plays well. KR is quites, VV does his thing, PM and JO are ok. Unless something changes, we’re not going to amount to anything this year without a solid D.
I love the O we have going now. I still think Clarkson would be better suited with Zack and Zubrus, and put Asham with Mad and Pando, but that’s just me.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
I think we look ok for a work still-in-progress. At times we look fantastic other times, we can’t find our ass with a map and flashlight. Oduya, however, seems to be in bad spots all the time.
As far as the Pens, bad luck with the umps, it happens. Also, it suprizes me everytime I see it, the constant whine coming out of Crosby. And he’s the captain. Seems poor form to me. But he is only 20…