WHY!?!

Remember when the Devils won three out of four games in November against the Caps, Flames, and Flyers? Remember how it seemed like the boys were going to turn things around and start chipping away at a playoff spot?

Since then, the Devils have lost five games in a row and have effectively ended their season. The team’s record stands at 8-19-2 for an embarrassing 18 points. At the 29 game mark last year, the Devils were 20-8-1 for 41 points. One would say that is quite the drop off. With 53 games left, the Devils would have to go 38-15 to reach 94 points which is a reasonable estimate for the Devils to have a shot at the 7-8 spots in the post season. Does anyone think the boys can really turn this train wreck around that fast and accomplish this?

This season, there have been many fingers pointed. Fans and analysts have been trying to figure out what exactly was the issue for the Devils. Was it Ilya Kovalchuk’s inability to score like he did an Atlanta? Was it injuries to practically the whole team? Was it Martin Brodeur being hurt every other day and looking slower than usual when he does play? Is it the lack of a real puck moving defenseman? Is if Henrik Tallinder’s estimated -42 rating at the end of the season? A powerplay that cannot score 90% of the time? Or maybe it is a coach that has recently admitted that his players weren’t ready to play a game? All of those reasons are contributing factors to this disaster of a season.

I am usually on the more positive side of things; but not this time. Things are not going to get better unless the Devils make some moves. Players like Brian Rolston, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner, Jason Arnott, Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg, and Bryce Salvador are all on the wrong side of 34. Lou clearly was “going for it” this year. Cap issues, injuries, bad coaching, and under-performing players have ruined his season.

A move has to be made.

There’s no question about it. Something has to be done. Lou cannot let this team ride out the rest of the season and wait until it is over to make a move.  Jamie Langenbrunner should be the first to be traded. Ever since his temper tantrum over being sat in Carolina last year, his play has disappeared. He does not seem to be very vocal on the ice and he is not leading by example. A captain, he is not. His contract is up at the end of the season and he should not be re-signed considering his age and play. I do think, however, that he will draw interest from other clubs looking for veteran leadership for a team heading into the playoffs. It is better to get something for him instead of letting him walk at the end of the year. The “no trade clause” is also a problem. Who knows if he wants to leave.

John MacLean needs to be fired. Yesterday.

It is commonplace for fans and analysts to blame the coach and call for his job… but this time it is warranted. I am not being led to believe that there is a definite reason why MacLean was passed over so many times for this position in the past few years. It seems as if he is not able to get his players ready for games. The most telling evidence was the starts against Montreal and Detroit at home recently. Both games saw the Devils down 2-0 before the 2 minute mark in the first period. Next, is Mac’s questionable handling of the lineup. When Kovalchuk was paired with Zubrus and Vasyunov, the line was producing some offense including Vasy’s first NHL goal.

The second line was Elias-Arnott-Tedenby. Tedenby scored all of his three goals while he was on this line. As soon as Langenbrunner returned to the lineup, MacLean broke up his two successful lines and the team has lost five games in a row. Alexander Vasyunov has been completely misused on the fourth line. He will not contribute anything offensively if he is paired with Rod Pelley. Mattias Tedenby is the fastest skater on the team and was playing very well with Elias and Arnott and he too has been shoved to the fourth line to play limited minutes. Replacing Tedenby with Langenbrunner on the second line has killed the speed of that unit and limited its creativeness. In Friday’s loss to Ottawa, there’s no secret that the Devils got hosed with Clarkson’s disallowed goal. The MSG+ camera crew got the perfect shot. MacLean shrugged his shoulders and didn’t say a word. If I were behind that bench I would start screaming at the ref. The game would have been tied up! Show your players what kind of fire and desire they should have!!! Instead, he was silent. Brent Sutter would have made the rest of the game horrible on the officiating staff. Pat Burns never would have stood for it. The Devils need someone that is willing to lead by example. With a team that has gone through coaches like pairs of underwear, they need someone to put the fire under their arses.

Those and many other reasons are examples of why MacLean has to go. I personally thought he should have been fired at 11pm following the Detroit game. It will be come evident, especially this Wednesday versus Phoenix, that the fans will disappear soon. They have good reasons.

Lou Lamoriello has today and tomorrow to make something happen before the Devils get spanked by the Coyotes Wednesday in front of what I PROMISE you will be a very, very sparse crowd. Will he make a move? Probably not; and so the season will go on…