Post by flojo888 (Devils GM) on Aug 16, 2011 0:19:28 GMT -5
When the pre-season started, it was clear that the coaching staff wasn't prepared. Out onto the ice went the Devils, without any organization or preparation... out of the first four games, they were 1-3-0 and the statistics showed why:
( G A Sh Hi Ga Ta PIM, +/-)
R Travis Moen 0 0 5 7 3 5 4 -1
R Jiri Novotny 0 0 5 8 3 5 0 -2
R David Clarkson 2 2 14 4 1 0 6 -2
R Martin Havlat 0 0 9 3 6 1 0 -1
C Andrei Loktionov 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 -1
C Joe Colborne 0 0 1 5 5 1 0 -2
C Pierre-Marc Bouchard 2 3 13 0 5 0 0 -2
C Jussi Jokinen 1 2 11 1 1 0 0 -1
L Kristian Huselius 0 1 2 4 2 0 2 -2
L Jochen Hecht 0 0 4 4 3 3 2 -2
L Evgeni Dadonov 0 1 7 4 5 0 0 0
L Rick Nash 2 1 11 10 7 0 0 -2
D Roman Polak 0 0 0 4 2 3 0 -2
D Andy Greene 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 1
D Adam Larsson 0 1 6 7 4 5 2 -5
D Bryce Salvador 0 0 3 7 2 5 2 -2
D Niklas Kronwall 0 1 8 3 4 0 2 -1
D Victor Hedman 1 0 13 10 6 4 2 -3
(GA, A, Sv , PIM)
G Ilya Bryzgalov 14 1 109 0
G Johan Hedberg 0 0 0 0
The team collapsed heavily, scoring only 9 goals in 4 games and allowing 14. Only one player was positive, with only one other at even. It was a tough start, but that was when the coaching staff stepped up. The players were assessed, and put into lines based on their strengths. Brian Gionta was acquired from Montreal in exchange for Roman Polak and Kristian Huselius, and was slotted into the second line.
The second half of the pre-season saw the Devils flip around their fortune with their lineup prepared. They finished 3-1-0 in the second half, and the players piled up much better statistics:
(G A Sh Hi Ga Ta PIM, +/-)
R Jiri Novotny 1 0 4 4 1 1 0 1
R David Clarkson 2 3 8 2 1 2 9 3
R Brian Gionta 2 3 15 3 3 2 0 2
R Martin Havlat 1 3 10 1 2 0 4 -1
C Adam Henrique 0 0 1 1 3 0 8 1
C Joe Colborne 0 2 4 6 5 5 0 3
C Jussi Jokinen 5 2 15 3 2 0 0 2
C Pierre-Marc Bouchard 2 2 8 2 3 0 4 -1
L Travis Moen 0 0 4 1 6 0 5 1
L Evgeni Dadonov 1 1 5 6 4 3 6 3
L Andrei Loktionov 0 3 7 0 3 0 2 3
L Rick Nash 1 6 5 5 8 4 0 -2
D Colin White 0 1 1 10 3 7 5 3
D Andy Greene 1 2 4 1 0 0 0 3
D Niklas Kronwall 0 2 2 9 3 3 2 -2
D Bryce Salvador 1 0 2 9 3 8 0 3
D Adam Larsson 0 1 5 7 3 3 2 1
D Victor Hedman 1 3 6 14 10 5 8 2
(GA, A, Sv , PIM)
G Ilya Bryzgalov 11 0 108 0
G Robin Lehner 0 0 0 0
In a much different 2nd four games, the team outscored their opponents 18-11. That's 4.5 goals a game! The offense was powered by a high-flying Jussi Jokinen, who scored 5 goals in 4 games. The powerplay seemed to be clicking super-efficiently, scoring 5 goals in 14 tries, highlighted by 3 goals in 3 tries in the lone loss, 5-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the top line put together 4 goals and 15 points, they were the only line that was negative (-4 in total) on the score sheets and were arguably out-played by the 7 goal, 15 point second line who finished a combined +7.
The un-sung hero of the team was David Clarkson, who scored two goals and three assists and was +3, leading the depth scoring charge behind the top two lines.
Another nice result was the move from the 0g, 1a, 2 shot Huselius in the first half to the 2g, 3a, 15 shot Gionta in the second. While this may have come from correct lineup, there's no denying that it looks to be a successful trade on this side of the border.
While the 4.5 goals per game pace would be nice to keep up, it's unlikely. Bryzgalov ended with a 0.908 save % and a 2.75 GAA in these last 4 games. While not elite numbers, it should give the Devils offensive weapons a chance to out-score their opponents.
The Devils, once they set their lines properly, have showed what they are capable of. The league should take notice that the depth and excitement in this group is tough to deal with, and that this team will be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season.
( G A Sh Hi Ga Ta PIM, +/-)
R Travis Moen 0 0 5 7 3 5 4 -1
R Jiri Novotny 0 0 5 8 3 5 0 -2
R David Clarkson 2 2 14 4 1 0 6 -2
R Martin Havlat 0 0 9 3 6 1 0 -1
C Andrei Loktionov 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 -1
C Joe Colborne 0 0 1 5 5 1 0 -2
C Pierre-Marc Bouchard 2 3 13 0 5 0 0 -2
C Jussi Jokinen 1 2 11 1 1 0 0 -1
L Kristian Huselius 0 1 2 4 2 0 2 -2
L Jochen Hecht 0 0 4 4 3 3 2 -2
L Evgeni Dadonov 0 1 7 4 5 0 0 0
L Rick Nash 2 1 11 10 7 0 0 -2
D Roman Polak 0 0 0 4 2 3 0 -2
D Andy Greene 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 1
D Adam Larsson 0 1 6 7 4 5 2 -5
D Bryce Salvador 0 0 3 7 2 5 2 -2
D Niklas Kronwall 0 1 8 3 4 0 2 -1
D Victor Hedman 1 0 13 10 6 4 2 -3
(GA, A, Sv , PIM)
G Ilya Bryzgalov 14 1 109 0
G Johan Hedberg 0 0 0 0
The team collapsed heavily, scoring only 9 goals in 4 games and allowing 14. Only one player was positive, with only one other at even. It was a tough start, but that was when the coaching staff stepped up. The players were assessed, and put into lines based on their strengths. Brian Gionta was acquired from Montreal in exchange for Roman Polak and Kristian Huselius, and was slotted into the second line.
The second half of the pre-season saw the Devils flip around their fortune with their lineup prepared. They finished 3-1-0 in the second half, and the players piled up much better statistics:
(G A Sh Hi Ga Ta PIM, +/-)
R Jiri Novotny 1 0 4 4 1 1 0 1
R David Clarkson 2 3 8 2 1 2 9 3
R Brian Gionta 2 3 15 3 3 2 0 2
R Martin Havlat 1 3 10 1 2 0 4 -1
C Adam Henrique 0 0 1 1 3 0 8 1
C Joe Colborne 0 2 4 6 5 5 0 3
C Jussi Jokinen 5 2 15 3 2 0 0 2
C Pierre-Marc Bouchard 2 2 8 2 3 0 4 -1
L Travis Moen 0 0 4 1 6 0 5 1
L Evgeni Dadonov 1 1 5 6 4 3 6 3
L Andrei Loktionov 0 3 7 0 3 0 2 3
L Rick Nash 1 6 5 5 8 4 0 -2
D Colin White 0 1 1 10 3 7 5 3
D Andy Greene 1 2 4 1 0 0 0 3
D Niklas Kronwall 0 2 2 9 3 3 2 -2
D Bryce Salvador 1 0 2 9 3 8 0 3
D Adam Larsson 0 1 5 7 3 3 2 1
D Victor Hedman 1 3 6 14 10 5 8 2
(GA, A, Sv , PIM)
G Ilya Bryzgalov 11 0 108 0
G Robin Lehner 0 0 0 0
In a much different 2nd four games, the team outscored their opponents 18-11. That's 4.5 goals a game! The offense was powered by a high-flying Jussi Jokinen, who scored 5 goals in 4 games. The powerplay seemed to be clicking super-efficiently, scoring 5 goals in 14 tries, highlighted by 3 goals in 3 tries in the lone loss, 5-3 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While the top line put together 4 goals and 15 points, they were the only line that was negative (-4 in total) on the score sheets and were arguably out-played by the 7 goal, 15 point second line who finished a combined +7.
The un-sung hero of the team was David Clarkson, who scored two goals and three assists and was +3, leading the depth scoring charge behind the top two lines.
Another nice result was the move from the 0g, 1a, 2 shot Huselius in the first half to the 2g, 3a, 15 shot Gionta in the second. While this may have come from correct lineup, there's no denying that it looks to be a successful trade on this side of the border.
While the 4.5 goals per game pace would be nice to keep up, it's unlikely. Bryzgalov ended with a 0.908 save % and a 2.75 GAA in these last 4 games. While not elite numbers, it should give the Devils offensive weapons a chance to out-score their opponents.
The Devils, once they set their lines properly, have showed what they are capable of. The league should take notice that the depth and excitement in this group is tough to deal with, and that this team will be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season.