Jacob Markström Continues to Struggle, Can the Devils Turn to Their Backup to Finish the Season?
Just one season earlier, folks in the Prudential Center remember distinctly what that Devil's team needed. Well, at first, it was a new coach, which they solved easily, but more importantly, it was a goaltender worthy of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Since coming into New Jersey, Jacob Markström has put up solid numbers through the season. Posting a current record of 22-13-5 with a GAA of 2.45 and save percentage of .902, it’s clear this team was looking much like a playoff team. As strong as Markström has been throughout the year, his game has suddenly sunk quite a bit coming off injury.
Returning from a knee injury, the 35-year-old goaltender has gone 1-4-0 in those five games, posting a 4.23 GAA and an .828 save percentage during the stretch. In Markströms' defense though, beyond the blue line this team hasn’t been giving him much help without Jack Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Dougie Hamilton. Without key players, this New Jersey team needs a goalie like Markström at his usual self to steal important games. Fans were hoping Markström would overcome this sudden slump against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which led to a tragic 7-3 loss with a few goals that the New Jersey goaltender would regularly make 99 times out of 100. The Devils goalie may not be 100% after returning from his injury, but with this final month of the regular season, every win is important. New Jersey currently holds a six-point lead against the New York Rangers, who have a game in hand, and it’s important to remember a lead like that can vanish in the blink of an eye. With the remaining weeks, they have to hold their third place Metropolitan position, do the Devils rely on someone else to be in net for a majority of these 14 remaining games?
New Jersey fans may love Markström as their starter, but it’s important they also notice the absolute wall their backup Jake Allen has been as of late. Though he holds a losing 11-13-1 record this season, he holds a 3-2-0 record, with a GAA of 2.22 and a save percentage of .928, in his previous five games. It’s nothing to brag on, but it’s quite impressive for a team not at their best offensively and defensively. With the great pace Allen has been on recently, could the Devils maybe rely on him to finish this season? Fortunately, New Jersey's remaining schedule isn’t quite the hardest compared to a few teams, but a struggling goaltender can affect a team, regardless if it’s against a playoff team or a rebuilding team. Fourteen games remain for this Devils team, the pressure now moves onto Markström, either he finds his game and gifts these fans with a playoff berth or Allen may have no choice but to step in and clean up the 35-year-old's mess.
