The Columbus game was the last straw. There are far too many flaws in the New Jersey Devils defense. It’s time. Alain Nasreddine has got to go.
No, it is not true. AC/DC did not come out of retirement tonight, even though if you watched the New Jersey Devils game against the Blue Jackets and listened to the non-stop cannon blasts, you would be forgiven for thinking that was the case. We have Alain Nasreddine to thank for that.
Against Columbus, the New Jersey Devils defense was truly feeble. And futile, pathetic, and a mere shell of its’ former self. And I only watched the first two periods and saw the first four goals. I literally couldn’t take it anymore. I switched to “The Seventies” on CNN. That’s saying a lot.
It’s time for someone to be held accountable for this travesty. That person is Alain Nasreddine. Alain Nasreddine has got to go. Right now.
There were so many defensive breakdowns against Columbus, I had to turn the game off.
There are so many issues on the blue line, it’s hard to describe them all. But here are a few.
Personnel. Mirco Mueller and Steven Santini are WAAAAAAAAAAY better right now than Ben Lovejoy and Damon Severson. And, their ceilings are higher. I can only assume that Nasreddine is the main person making the ridiculous evaluation that Lovejoy and Severson should be playing. That alone, in my view, is grounds for dismissal.
Pinching. Three of the first four goals I saw the Devils give up (remember, I did not see any more) were on odd-man rushes. Lovejoy on the first, Vatanen on another and Severson on the last goal of the second period. Horrible decision making on each play. Players taking chances for no valid reason with no understanding of the risk/reward analysis on each play. To me, part of that is coaching.
Situational Awareness. Ben Lovejoy (on the pinch) and Damon Severson (leaving the slot when Moore was behind the net) both made incredibly bad choices leaving Artemi Panarin free to make a play against the Devils. Remember, that Artemi Panarin had five primary assists in the previous game against the Devils. That’s right, five assists. He is the Blue Jackets most dangerous player. Simply horrific defending to leave him in space. Players need to be more conservative when the best player on the opposition squad is on the ice. And more mindful of that player. Those were unforgivable breakdowns.
Physicality. I’m sorry, but Damon Severson is one of the softest defensemen I have ever seen. Nasreddine choosing to constantly play him is befuddling. When Severson is on the ice, you might as well install water, electricity and sewer service in the slot, because opposing forwards are permitted to camp out in front of the net. Maybe one day these forwards will have enough time to build a campfire and decide to toast Seversons, oops, I mean marshmellows. In terms of better options, as we know, Steven Santini can actually hit and be physical. And Mueller is a big body with a stronger on ice presence. That type of mentality and presence is desperately and woefully missing from New Jersey’s defensive corps.
Clearing The Puck. The Devils blew so many chances to clear the puck while on the PK in the first period it was maddening. Over and over and over, opportunities to ice the puck were stopped at the blue line. While this was not all on the defensemen, I can only assume Nasreddine has the primary responsibility for coaching the penalty kill. Fundamentally, the clears were awful. He has to bear some responsibility for that as well.
Next: Devils Goaltending Situation Is In Shambles
Goodbye. It’s obvious to me. The defense is poorly organized, incorrectly evaluated and improperly executed. Alain Nasreddine has to go. Hopefully the Devils can find a new defensive coach to instill a bit more grit and heart into the group. Heck, even Ken Daneyko would be able to do that!