With the New Jersey Devils pushing to solidify/improve their position in the division to qualify for the playoffs, the team may need to play Jacob Markstrom more often to give them their best chance.
After the New Jersey Devils previous game in Seattle this past Monday, Jacob Markstrom was named the first star and rightfully so. He was spectacular, stopping 22 of 24 shots, with a number of them being save of the year candidate and caliber stops. The Devils needed to lean on their starting goalie quite a bit in order to break the four game losing streak that they were on. And yet, with the way the season has gone lately, I don’t think it is outlandish or hyperbole to say that the Devils may need to lean on him even more in the second half of 2024-25.
IF we look at the team’s first 41 games, Markstrom started 28 times, while Jake Allen was in net for 13 contests. If we extrapolate upon those numbers, Markstrom would finish the season with 56 starts, and Allen with 26. Pretty typical numbers in today’s NHL, and Markstrom is already moving in that direction, with the last two Devils games being starts 29 and 30 for him. Nothing that we didn’t expect from a player who was recently named the NHL’s third star of the month. So what’s the problem here? Why is this even a topic of discussion?
Well, i’s not so much Markstrom that merits this course of discussion, but rather the rest of the Devils goaltending. Jake Allen was a good acquisition for the Devils last season; this season there’s something that just isn’t right. Allen will start games off red hot, making highlight saves just as Markstrom has been doing. Eventually, however, a puck makes its way behind Jake and at that point, the wheels fall off the bus. Allen’s confidence after letting in a goal seems to be nonexistent; we’ve seen a slew of weak goals go in after he’s beaten the first time, and it has cost the Devils multiple times. Allen is winless in his last five contests, going back to November and you could argue he really only looked good in his most recent appearance against Los Angeles. Maybe that’s a sign that things will turn around and start moving in a better direction, and to give him credit, he still has a positive goals saved above expected on the season. In watching the games though I’m worried about Allen giving the Devils a chance to win, even just as a backup.
Beyond him, the options aren’t much better. The Utica Comets aren’t the mess they were earlier this season, but the goaltending is still struggling. Nico Daws sits at a .892, while Isaac Poulter is at a .885; both numbers are inferior to Allen’s .901 and at a lower level of play as well. While the numbers could partly be a product of a sub-par Utica team, neither goalie is making a case for NHL minutes anytime soon. It’s not to say Daws will never be back in the NHL or that Poulter will never be an NHL player, but Allen isn’t going to be displaced by players who aren’t an upgrade.
That leads us back to the man in the title, Jacob Markstrom. He may not be at the top of the stats page, however he is tied for second in the league in wins, is ninth in goals saved above expected and his .911 is tied for 15th in save percentage for all goalies with 10 or more games played. Markstrom is giving the Devils the goaltending they need to be relevant this season, and again, some of his most recent saves only further prove that point. Allen will still get some starts, but the Devils might need to play Markstrom in both halves of some back to backs for example to ensure that they get the performances they need to help them win as many games as possible. The Devils can’t afford to have any more stretches of games like the four prior to Seattle; playing Jacob Markstrom a few extra games could be one preventative step to a losing streak like that happening again.
The first goal for 2024-25 is to get back to the playoffs and Markstrom has helped to solidify the team’s position to this point. Now, they need to rely on him a bit more and have his strong play continue for them to ensure they meet and exceed that goal.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of the Devils leaning more on Markstrom in the second half of the season; do you think it’s a good idea? Did the Seattle game make you feel differently? Do you think we only see Allen as part of back to back matchups? Are you concerned as I am about Allen as the second in line in goal with his seemingly broken confidence? Would you prefer one of the Utica goalies up as a backup? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!