The New Jersey Devils. with the exception of Mike Rupp,simply didn't show up to play and it showed with a loss to the lowly Atlanta Thrashers by a score of 4-0.
Scott Clemmensen allowed three goals in two periods and was yanked in favor of Kevin Weekes,who played the third period.
The Devils are off tonight before spending the weekend in California against the Kings and Ducks.
Let's hope they give a better effort than in this one!.
Hell Raisers
1) Brent Sutter sums it up very succinctly-“I feel bad for anybody who had to come and watch that.”
Not very often that I say that a coach says things that a blogger would write,but then again this is Brent Sutter....
2) More Sutter from Fire and Ice.
"Nothing can happen correctly on the ice unless you are focused off the ice. Mentally you need to be where you need to be, as far as preparing the right way. Looking at the things a hockey team needs to do to be successful, we've gotten away from that the 12 days outside of a one day (a 4-1 win over Montreal on Jan. 2). Some things have crept in. The players know what it is and it will get resolved. They're going to have to really dig in to resolve it.
"It's just what happens when you have success. You forget what we did as a hockey team. You start looking for other ways. You start getting away from the things you need to do as an individual and as a team. Indvidually if you're not doing the right things then the team isn't going to be doing the right things. That's just the way it is. It goes hand in hand."
3) It is so refreshing to have a coach that seems to care enough to show some emotion and even more that he is so honest about things. The performance last night was not about W/L,it was about effort and I did not see a lot of that,with one exception....
4) Mike Rupp was all over the ice hitting Thrashers and kicking Eric Boulton's ass twice in the game.Rupp apparently learned from Sutter's handling of him a few weeks back and has ramped up the effort....
5) This game showed one glaring Devils weakness again,the lack of speed in the Devil defensemen.Colin White returned in the game after missing some time,but the Devils lack speed other than Paul Martin and maybe Johnny Oduya (when he feels like it) and it was there last night...
Bullpen Notes
Congratulations to Zach Parise for being named to his first All-Star game.I thought Patrik Elias could have been named to the team as well,but Parise is very deserving of the honor.Parise leads the team in goals and is tied with Elias for total points on the team
The Lowell Devils also had just one player in the AHL All-Star game as
goaltender Jeff Frazee was selected.Frazee was not even supposed to be at Lowell this season,but was promoted after Scott Clemmensen was needed in New Jersey.
Chris Wells announced,to no ones great surprise,that he will be entering the NFL draft in April.Wells was expected to announce shortly.Boom Herron and Brandon Saine look to be the top contenders to take Wells place in the backfield.
Until tomorrow,when we look at the Pirates a bit and catch up on the signing front
Photo Credits
Rupp:AP Photo
Frazee:Lowell Devils
No comments:
Post a Comment