Eklund: What’s the Buzz? Source: “Ruff on extremely thin ice”…. Should he be?

Injuries and goaltending can ruin any team's season in the cap era. Devils have suffered from both. They still have a good chance at making the playoffs and once they get in, can be as dangerous as any team.

Should have promoted Brunette and moved Ruff to an off ice role after last season. Might as well stick it out for this year with Ruff as who are you going to bring in now? Chief?

Should have promoted Brunette and moved Ruff to an off ice role after last season. Might as well stick it out for this year with Ruff as who are you going to bring in now? Chief?
- Crushers68

Get him a goalie

- eichiefs9

LOL > meant Berube

They are a few points out despite getting terrible goaltending, losing key forwards for various stretches, and now losing their #1 d-man for the season. But sure, blame Ruff.

The guy I would fire is Don Granato in Buffalo. I know he's a favourite coach in hockeybuzz circles. But that's a team regressing when they should be improving. Several of their young players don't seem to be developing well under his leadership. A smart GM would keep Ruff and fire Granato.

Retread coach on the hot seat? Say it ain't so!

Gotta say I don't think Lindy Ruff is the problem. But I don't think he's the solution. I watched the Devil's when they played the Ducks and I gotta say they look very one dimensional. That speed the Devil's have is a great weapon, but when it's not working the Devil's look very average. The Ducks have alot of speed in their defense core and nutrilized the Devil's advantage. This looks alot like the Vancouver Canucks from 3 or 4 years ago. Lots of speed and skill but when that's not working then things get bad. And it's easy to blame Goaltending. Vaneck looked very average. But he wasn't getting much help.

So back to Lindy Ruff. Is it his fault that the Devil's only know how to play one way? I'd say a little. It's a Coaches job to prepare his team for every situation. But it can't help that the entire Analitics department the Devil's use is riding him about playing thier style of play. I really doubt Lindy Ruff has full control of what happens on the ice. And even if he does have full control he would probably be fired if he didn't appease the Devil's Analitics department. So hard to fix things if you have a back seat driver in the front office questioning everything you do. But still you need a coach that will do what's right for this Devil's team, no matter what the Graph charts say. And Ruff just can't or won't do what's needed to fix this team. More defense, more puck control, better teamwork, Ect. Otherwise this Devil's team is just gonna have to live and die with speed.

Gotta say I don't think Lindy Ruff is the problem. But I don't think he's the solution. I watched the Devil's when they played the Ducks and I gotta say they look very one dimensional. That speed the Devil's have is a great weapon, but when it's not working the Devil's look very average. The Ducks have alot of speed in their defense core and nutrilized the Devil's advantage. This looks alot like the Vancouver Canucks from 3 or 4 years ago. Lots of speed and skill but when that's not working then things get bad. And it's easy to blame Goaltending. Vaneck looked very average. But he wasn't getting much help.

So back to Lindy Ruff. Is it his fault that the Devil's only know how to play one way? I'd say a little. It's a Coaches job to prepare his team for every situation. But it can't help that the entire Analitics department the Devil's use is riding him about playing thier style of play. I really doubt Lindy Ruff has full control of what happens on the ice. And even if he does have full control he would probably be fired if he didn't appease the Devil's Analitics department. So hard to fix things if you have a back seat driver in the front office questioning everything you do. But still you need a coach that will do what's right for this Devil's team, no matter what the Graph charts say. And Ruff just can't or won't do what's needed to fix this team. More defense, more puck control, better teamwork, Ect. Otherwise this Devil's team is just gonna have to live and die with speed.
- Eman87654

What is Ruff supposed to do when his defense is:

Hamilton - out for year
Hughes - rookie
Nemec - rookie
John Marino - now leads the D in ice-time with Hamilton gone
Rounding out the group is Siegenthaler, Kevin Bahl, Colin Miller, Brendan Smith (when he isn't playing forward)

That's brutal without Hamilton. Even with Hamilton its mediocre. If you are getting Vezina goaltending then you can contend. But they are getting below-average goaltending. So you can replace Ruff, but at some point you need to upgrade the defense. If anyone bothers to do a tiny bit of analysis, one might point out that losing Severson and Graves to replace with full-time Kevin Bahl and Colin Miller has hurt the team more than a casual fan can appreciate. But at least that gave them the cap space for Timo Meier! Hmm, maybe the GM is the problem here...

What is Ruff supposed to do when his defense is:

Hamilton - out for year
Hughes - rookie
Nemec - rookie
John Marino - now leads the D in ice-time with Hamilton gone
Rounding out the group is Siegenthaler, Kevin Bahl, Colin Miller, Brendan Smith (when he isn't playing forward)

That's brutal without Hamilton. Even with Hamilton its mediocre. If you are getting Vezina goaltending then you can contend. But they are getting below-average goaltending. So you can replace Ruff, but at some point you need to upgrade the defense. If anyone bothers to do a tiny bit of analysis, one might point out that losing Severson and Graves to replace with full-time Kevin Bahl and Colin Miller has hurt the team more than a casual fan can appreciate. But at least that gave them the cap space for Timo Meier! Hmm, maybe the GM is the problem here...
- Cooleus

Exactly!

What is Ruff supposed to do when his defense is:

Hamilton - out for year
Hughes - rookie
Nemec - rookie
John Marino - now leads the D in ice-time with Hamilton gone
Rounding out the group is Siegenthaler, Kevin Bahl, Colin Miller, Brendan Smith (when he isn't playing forward)

That's brutal without Hamilton. Even with Hamilton its mediocre. If you are getting Vezina goaltending then you can contend. But they are getting below-average goaltending. So you can replace Ruff, but at some point you need to upgrade the defense. If anyone bothers to do a tiny bit of analysis, one might point out that losing Severson and Graves to replace with full-time Kevin Bahl and Colin Miller has hurt the team more than a casual fan can appreciate. But at least that gave them the cap space for Timo Meier! Hmm, maybe the GM is the problem here...
- Cooleus

Yeah. I get what your saying. But hear me out. Okay.(Ahem) "lifes not fair. And hockey is alot like life". So now that we establish the unfairness of life, don't you think that Lindy Ruff should have at least a little bit of a plan. I mean I don't know if you know this. But those old Devil's teams that won 2 Stanley Cups didn't win with offense or talent. They won with Defense, Goaltending, and teamwork. And also some dirty play of Scott Steven's. But that's another thing. And if Lindy Ruff can't find a way, then he should move on.

Everyone complained about Severson but the problem was he was too high in the line up. He was much better as a second or even third pairing. Unfortunately he and Graves wanted bigger deals than we could pay and that was a major loss. Signing them long term would stunt Hughes and Nemec (who looks good).

Add in injuries, bad turnovers and horrendous goaltending and you have the current Devils.

Ruff has no control over contracts but he does have control (limited) of the other two.

NJ cheats too much for break away leading to turnovers and countless odd man rushes again subpar goaltending. Ruff needs to play to the strength (speed) but not cheat as much in with high risk / high reward play. That is on him

Also Dave Rogalski (goalie coach)must be fired Immediately. Since he came in every goalie regressed. That is on Ruff as well


Keep Ruff (for now). Fire Rogalski If Ruff does not tweak the system and/or we do not see improvement he must be gone in the offseason.

Everyone complained about Severson but the problem was he was too high in the line up. He was much better as a second or even third pairing. Unfortunately he and Graves wanted bigger deals than we could pay and that was a major loss. Signing them long term would stunt Hughes and Nemec (who looks good).

Add in injuries, bad turnovers and horrendous goaltending and you have the current Devils.

Ruff has no control over contracts but he does have control (limited) of the other two.

NJ cheats too much for break away leading to turnovers and countless odd man rushes again subpar goaltending. Ruff needs to play to the strength (speed) but not cheat as much in with high risk / high reward play. That is on him

Also Dave Rogalski (goalie coach)must be fired Immediately. Since he came in every goalie regressed. That is on Ruff as well


Keep Ruff (for now). Fire Rogalski If Ruff does not tweak the system and/or we do not see improvement he must be gone in the offseason.
- Devils622

Yeah. Speeds a great weapon in hockey, buts it's not unbeatable. And it's been a long while since a Goalie has succeeded in New Jersey. Not since Corey Schneider has there been a good goalie. Wedgewood, Blackwood, Vaneck, have all struggled in this jersey system.

Yeah. I get what your saying. But hear me out. Okay.(Ahem) "lifes not fair. And hockey is alot like life". So now that we establish the unfairness of life, don't you think that Lindy Ruff should have at least a little bit of a plan. I mean I don't know if you know this. But those old Devil's teams that won 2 Stanley Cups didn't win with offense or talent. They won with Defense, Goaltending, and teamwork. And also some dirty play of Scott Steven's. But that's another thing. And if Lindy Ruff can't find a way, then he should move on.
- Eman87654

Listen. I really don't care about this topic. I don't like NJ. I don't care what happens to Ruff. Just saying its very simplistic to blame Ruff when this is the lineup his GM has given him. Could he make some minor adjustments? Of course - every coach can. But was he the one who said let's get rid of Severson and Graves so that we can sign Meier and then force me to play Kevin Bahl more? No. Did he say let's blow our cap space on Meier instead of bringing in a better goaltender? No.

Your reference to the Devils Cup teams is totally irrelevant. If Ruff had Brodeur in net and a defense led by Stevens and Niedermayer then NJ would be leading the NHL. That's exactly my point. He's been provided with brutal goaltenders and a medicore defense that just lost Hamilton for the year. Instead of firing him, maybe just set more realistic expectations.

Yeah. I get what your saying. But hear me out. Okay.(Ahem) "lifes not fair. And hockey is alot like life". So now that we establish the unfairness of life, don't you think that Lindy Ruff should have at least a little bit of a plan. I mean I don't know if you know this. But those old Devil's teams that won 2 Stanley Cups didn't win with offense or talent. They won with Defense, Goaltending, and teamwork. And also some dirty play of Scott Steven's. But that's another thing. And if Lindy Ruff can't find a way, then he should move on.
- Eman87654

3 Cups, but who's counting

If I were NJ I would pitch a trade with the Leafs for Keefe! Ruff for Keefe, straight up.

Yeah. I get what your saying. But hear me out. Okay.(Ahem) "lifes not fair. And hockey is alot like life". So now that we establish the unfairness of life, don't you think that Lindy Ruff should have at least a little bit of a plan. I mean I don't know if you know this. But those old Devil's teams that won 2 Stanley Cups didn't win with offense or talent. They won with Defense, Goaltending, and teamwork. And also some dirty play of Scott Steven's. But that's another thing. And if Lindy Ruff can't find a way, then he should move on.
- Eman87654

I don't get a lot around here lately but you're losing me by responding to a post saying that the Devils aren't winning because they don't have any D or goaltending by saying Ruff should have a plan like those old Devil's teams that were loaded with D and goaltendng.

Changing coaches doesn’t address the underlying issues that a team has. The bump you sometimes get is just a regression to the mean. Simply, an extreme random event is followed by a less extreme random event.

THose Devils teams won the stanley cup because they had the best goalie on the planet. As well as 2 or 3 Hall of fame defenseman .

Burnette ran the offense and PP . which are both good .....

How many times have we given up a goal because 2 D men take the same man leaving someone totally open ??? There is a system problem here. With our players this does not work..Need to simplify and zone coverage on the D .

GET NJD A GOALIE !!!!!!

If firing Ruff will bring Dougie Hamilton back early or help Vanecek raise his .883 Sv % then fire Ruff. If firing Ruff will make 3rd pairing defenders successful playing 1st and 2nd pairing minutes, then fire Ruff.

The problem in NJ is at the back end and in the front office that put this roster together, not on the bench.

Burnette ran the offense and PP . which are both good .....

How many times have we given up a goal because 2 D men take the same man leaving someone totally open ??? There is a system problem here. With our players this does not work..Need to simplify and zone coverage on the D .

GET NJD A GOALIE !!!!!!
- thechezman[/quote]



MAF is money. He still has it. Last outing he was the #1 star in the OT win over the mighty Bruins. He’d probably waive his NMC to go to a speedy skilled team like NJ. The Devils get a money goalie and it’s a brilliant PR move. Brodeur is #1 all time and after a few wins MAF will be #2. Problem solved. Do it.

Losing brunette is just as tough as not having the luxury of severson on a third pair… teams have figured out the D pinched constantly and are firing off for odd man rushes…
Teams also know they can push the devils around as evident by the ducks this past week..
Fitzy better hurry soon to either pull the trigger on a goalie or some size in the top 6 before the season is lost.

if he stays and they do NOT make the playoffs, do you fire him then???? I believe they will....SO why wait.... The team needs a kick in the ass.....