After a terrific 2022-23 season, the New Jersey Devils struggled mightily last year due to their goaltending. Jacob Markstrom is changing that narrative.
Just look at what the Devils goaltending did last season:
- Vitek Vanecek: 17-9-0-3 with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage
- Nico Daws: 9-11 with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage
- Akira Schmid: 5-9-0-1 with a 3.15 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage
- Jake Allen: 6-6-0-1 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage
- Kaapo Kahkonen: 1-4 with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .923 save percentage and one shutout
In looking at the above, it is clear that the Devils got a lot of inconsistent goaltending and went through way too many goaltenders. When you put those two things together, you have a position that needs to be fixed.
As such, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald went ahead and addressed that issue last June by trading a 2025 first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl to the Calgary Flames for goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Based on everything that has happened to this point, it is apparent that the Devils won the deal.
The Devils have been one of the best teams in the league this season. As of this writing (Wednesday night, January 15), the Devils are second in the Metropolitan Division, second in the Eastern Conference, and seventh in the league with a record of 26-15-5 for 57 points.
Yes, a lot of people will point to the play of guys like Jack Hughes (52 points), Jesper Bratt (51 points), and Nico Hischier (37 points) as a reason why the Devils have been so good this season. While these people certainly would not be wrong, they should also point to Markstrom’s play between the pipes as perhaps the main reason why the Devils have been one of the league’s best clubs.
Markstrom, 34, has been one of the league’s most consistent goaltenders this season. As of this writing (Wednesday night, January 15), Markstrom is 21-0-8-4 with a 2.15 goals-against average, a .913 save percentage, and three shutouts.
There are several reasons why Markstrom has had a lot of success between the pipes this season. For starters, he has been consistent.
A good example of Markstrom’s consistency is what he did in his last four starts against the Seattle Kraken, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. Let’s take a look at his numbers in those four games:
- January 6 vs. the Kraken: Stopped 22 of 24 shots and got the win (.917 save percentage)
- January 9 vs. the Rangers: Stopped 29 of 32 shots in an overtime loss (.906 save percentage)
- January 11 vs. the Lightning: Stopped 23 of 25 shots and got the win (.920 save percentage)
- January 14 vs. the Panthers: Stopped 27 of 28 shots in a shootout loss (.964 save percentage)
When a team has a goaltender who can consistently stop 90 percent of the shots he faces on a nightly basis, they are going to win a lot more than they lose. The Devils have that in Markstrom.
Another reason why Markstrom is having a great season is because he is finding ways to come up with big saves when his team needs them the most. A good example of this was in his team’s 3-2 overtime win over the Lightning.
In that game, Markstrom had several game-saving stops. After the game, Devils forward Stefan Noesen told reporter James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now that Markstrom has bailed them out many times throughout the season.
“I mean, yeah, we don’t want him to keep making those,” Stefan Noesen started. “Well, we do, but we don’t. Yeah, it’s a hell of a job. You know, he’s been, he’s been locked in pretty good here for the last little bit. We’re just gonna try to maybe not make him make those highlight real saves. He’s gonna have top 10 [saves] all year long here.”
Lastly, Markstrom is a good goaltender in general. He is usually in a good position to not only make the first save, but also make second and third saves while also being a goaltender who can control his rebounds, never give up on pucks, and do everything he can to keep his team in hockey games.
With Markstrom between the pipes, there is no doubt that the Devils will have a chance to make a lot of noise come the Stanley Cup playoffs in three months.
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