Lindy Ruff Under Fire For Blaming The Media For Recent Struggles
New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff raised eyebrows and is under fire after he pointed the finger at the media for the team's recent struggles.
Lindy Ruff Under Scrutiny For Blaming The Media For Recent Struggles
Lindy Ruff wasn't shy when he revealed who is responsible for his team's downfall. Here's what he had to say to reporters during his press conference following the latest 5-1 loss to the New York Rangers.
«You guys are creating excess pressure,» the bench boss continued. «Us, as a staff, we'll go through that power play. We changed things up. We met with individual groups tonight versus, usually, you meet with all 10 or 11 of your power-play guys. We'll go through the whole thing again and just try to keep getting better.»
The Devils currently have the 15th-ranked power play in the NHL, converting 22% of the time this season. However, in their last 14 games, they've scored in only two of 46 opportunities, the worst rate in the league during that span.
The absence of star defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who typically leads the power play, has been a significant factor. Rookies Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec have filled in, but the team has struggled to find success.
«They've probably done a better than expected job for me - both those kids - and they're going to continue to grow. There's a lot of stuff you like about their game. But with young defensemen, there are going to be mistakes and poor decisions at times. But you have to just live with that and grow through it.»
Despite their struggles, the Devils remain in the playoff hunt, sitting sixth in the Metropolitan Division, five points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Amid trade rumors for goaltending reinforcements like Jacob Markstrom and Juuse Saros, improving the power play remains a priority. Ruff's explanation aside, the team knows they need to focus on fixing their on-ice performance.
Do you think the Devils will make the playoffs?
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23 FEVRIER | 259 ANSWERS Lindy Ruff Under Fire For Blaming The Media For Recent Struggles Do you think the Devils will make the playoffs? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 42.9 % |
| No | 148 | 57.1 % |
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