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Hockeytown0001

New Jersey's situation about to explode

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Guest Stolberg

they broke up their defensive core. They got rid of mottau,martin, and oduya last year. you saw more goals going in the day oduya left. Even more boring to watch now that they cant even score.

martin signing with the pens doesn't necessarily mean the devils "got rid" of him

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the kovy signing was an owner-driven stunt to sell season tickets. the devils are now reaping what they sowed.

Even so, their stands look completely empty most nights.

Speaking of empty seats, American Airlines Center's lower bowl was 75% completely empty last night against Anaheim. Wonder why nobody dogs them about it.

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Zing!

Sadly, during that game, the "Let's Go Pens!" chants were louder than any subsequent chants for the Devils. <_<

How close are you to where the Devils play? Why is it that even when they were Cup contenders, they struggled with attendance? I thought hockey was pretty popular around there.

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How close are you to where the Devils play? Why is it that even when they were Cup contenders, they struggled with attendance? I thought hockey was pretty popular around there.

A lot of people in north Jersey are Rangers fans too so the fanbase is a little split.

I live 10 minutes or less away from the Rock. It's a nice arena, but it's in Newark which is not so nice. There is a subway train (the PATH) which runs from 33rd St in NYC right next to the Garden and goes to Newark a few blocks from the Prudential Center. It takes about an hour or maybe a little less. Its much closer than that time would suggest though. The owners hoped that being near the PATH would get more people from Manhattan out to Devils games. You have to consider that most people who make a lot of money and pay a lot of money for sports tickets work in Manhattan and either don't want to go to NJ, or if they live there have a difficult time getting to the arena for a 7-730 weeknight game. Traffic around there weeknights is usually terrible. For most people its just easier to go to the Garden and the Rangers are an original six team.

Edited by kook_10

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Guest LarryMurphySpecial

Maybe McLean told Kovy he couldn't wait at the opponent's blue line for a pass, a la Jagr, and had to actually come back into the Devils zone for the breakout.

Kovalchuk is no Zetterberg, but he is no slouch in the defensive zone.

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How close are you to where the Devils play? Why is it that even when they were Cup contenders, they struggled with attendance? I thought hockey was pretty popular around there.

I can hop on the train here where I work and I can be at the Rock in about 35 minutes or so. Hockey's popular enough when it comes to the Rangers, but not the Devils. Most people I meet who claim to be Devils fans (including my brother-in-law) seem to know absolutely nothing about the team, be it their record, players, etc. I can spout off more information than they can and I certainly don't religiously follow the Devils. At the game I was at, the upper bowl seemed to be pretty decently populated. But the lower bowl where I was at? Wow...there was just...no one.

Keep in mind, it was Columbus Day and a 4pm game time, but still. Attendance for the game was reported at 12,880, but that really seems a bit high from what it looked like there (and the only more sparsely-attended game this season was against Colorado with a count of 12,221).

It's a shame too, because it's a fantastic new arena and if tickets were a little bit cheaper, I'd go a lot more often.

Kovalchuk is no Zetterberg, but he is no slouch in the defensive zone.

Well, I know a big part of this has to do with Kovalchuk having played for Atlanta, but he is a career -78.

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He never made sense to begin with in NJ. I see this team all the time and even last year he never REALLY looked comfortable and certainly didn't assert himself in the playoffs. Lou got all google-eyed that a big name star would come to Newark he lost his mind on this one.

Remember in Bull Durham where Crash Davis told Nuke on the bus "You don't need a Blaupunkt, what you need is a curveball". Well the Devils didn't need a Blaupunkt head case winger who eats through coaches like a giant termite, what they need is a clever playmaking pivot to serve up Parise and or Zajac. A good offensive threat on the blueline would have helped too AND not eaten up 100 million large.

I mean not dressing a full roster was embarrassing. I went to opening night against Dallas and they didn't look all that good in losing in OT and then I went on Monday afternoon vs. the Crosby's and the Devils dressed 15 skaters. It's just defeatist to go out there with so few guys.

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Guest Hatethedrake!

Most people tend to think Lou Lam was forced by ownership to sign Kovalchuk. I don't buy that. Ever since the Salary Cap came, Lou Lam has failed miserably. Holland adapted very well and one could argue he has actually been a BETTER GM since the Cap was implemented. Holland and Lamoriello have generally been regarded as the NHL's 2 best GM's over the past 10-12 years. To me, one went one way and the other went into the toilet. Good thing we have Kenny. :thumbup:

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Ilya Kovalchuk did not appreciate recent comments from former Thrashers teammate Bobby Holik and insisted the two never talked about being late for team meetings in Atlanta.

The outspoken Holik told Hockey Night in Canada Radio that when Kovalchuk was 10 minutes late for a Devils team meeting on Saturday in New Jersey, it was “not unusual for Ilya.” Holik said he had to speak with Kovalchuk about being late for Thrashers team meetings.

“No. Not true,” Kovalchuk said today.

Holik, who was captain in Atlanta, did say Kovalchuk is a “very nice guy. Everyone likes him.”

But he ripped the Devils for acquiring and then re-signing the high-scoring winger.

“It’s still something that doesn’t make sense,” Holik said. “The trade at the deadline didn’t make sense, the Devils signing him didn’t make sense. If you want to talk about the team first and everybody plays for the team, why do you sign (a) player who’s not exactly known for that?

“If I want to take my team to the next level, that’s not the player I’m going to go after.”

Kovalchuk seemed surprised.

“Bobby Holik said that? Good,” he said. “That’s his opinion.”

Devils players maintain the Kovalchuk issue wasn’t a distraction and hasn’t resurfaced.

“We didn’t have too much time for a reaction. It happened and we had back-to-back games we had to play,” Martin Brodeur said. “For us it wasn’t a big deal.”

Travis Zajac said: “I don’t think it was a distraction. As players we come to the rink and you have to get ready for the game. It wasn’t a distraction to me. You want Kovy in the lineup every game. He’s a dangerous player. It changes the dynamic of the team, but it shouldn’t be a distraction."

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He already has a reputation (be it undeserved or not, considering he was in Atlanta) for being a coach-killer and now he's being called out by a former teammate and captain for not being a team player?

Wow. Keeps getting more and more intriguing.

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