An Apology to Tom Fitzgerald & Lindy Ruff and a Gift of New Expectations

John Fischer was wrong about the New Jersey Devils. He was disappointed with the team's performance and the performance of the general manager Tom Fitzgerald and head coach Lindy Ruff. He is now satisfied with their performance. John Fischer is not satisfied that the organization is wasting the best years of Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier.

The New Jersey Devils are one of the best teams in the NHL. Lindy Ruff and Tom Fitzgerald made good decisions this season. The team is one the top 5-on-5 teams. They have had a slump recently, but they are still one on the league's best team. They are good in most situations. Their team has won 30 games out of 30. There are some things to improve, especially on their penalty kill. But they have a lot of good things going for them. It was deserved that Ruff was fired. He was wrong. His team won. On Wednesday they broke their slump.

Last season the New Jersey Devils finished 6th in the Metropolitan and did not make the playoffs. This season they are expected to improve. The team was beset by bad goaltending, injuries, bad. goaltenders, a terrible power play, and questionable coaching and management. The 2022-23 season prediction is the same as last season's.

The New Jersey Devils won their first game since a five-game losing streak. They are still in first place in the Metropolitan Division. Their playoff odds are in 90%. They have an eight-point lead on the Islanders and Capitals. The next few opponents are Boston twice (tonight and after Christmas), Pittsburgh, Carolina and Detroit. They could slip back into a losing. streak after January 7. If they don't make the playoffs, the fans will be disappointed. Tom Fitzgerald and Lindy Ruff should be worried. It's not a team on a knife’s edge. This is a teams that just needs to take care of business.