On Thursday, Jan. 23 during a 5-1 win over the Bruins, Devils’ starting netminder Jacob Markstrom left the game at 3:09 of the second period when Justin Brazeau lost his balance and fell into him to cause an injury. After struggling to leave the ice, he was replaced by backup Jake Allen, who made 16 saves in relief to earn the victory.

Following the game, Markstrom was in good spirits despite the injury that occurred. Yesterday, an MRI revealed that he suffered an MCL sprain and is expected to miss four to six weeks. In addition to being out for at least a month, he also won’t be available to play in the 4 Nations Face-Off which takes place between Feb. 12-20. Originally, he was selected by Sweden on their official roster where he was slated to be the number one goalie. Instead, they’ll likely turn to the Wild’s Filip Gustavsson. Sweden also is expected to be without Senators’ starter Linus Ullmark.

Markstrom’s Big Season Proves Fitzgerald Right

When Devils team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald decided to acquire Markstrom from the Flames in exchange for Kevin Bahl and a top 10 lottery protected 2025 first round pick on Jun. 18, 2024, it was with one thing in mind. The Devils’ biggest downfall in 2023-24 was inconsistent goaltending.

With both Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid underperforming, they failed to make the postseason. By the trade deadline last year, Vanecek was dealt to the Sharks for Kaapo Kahkonen. Fitzgerald also acquired veteran Jake Allen from the Canadiens for a 2025 conditional third round pick. Both trades occured on Mar. 8. He wasn’t done making changes to the roster.

After dealing for Markstrom, Fitzgerald packaged Schmid and Alexander Holtz to the Golden Knights in exchange for Paul Cotter and a 2025 third round pick on Jun. 29. In what’s been a successful season at this point with the Devils sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points, Cotter’s been a solid contributor on an improved roster looking to contend this postseason.

The biggest reason for their success has been the outstanding play of Markstrom. After an up and down first two months, he earned the NHL’s third star of December thanks to posting an 8-1-1 record with a 1.30 goals-against-average (GAA), .937 save percentage, and two shutouts. Prior to the injury he suffered on Thursday night, he’d done his part in January by posting a 2-2-3 record with a 2.39 GAA and .910 save percentage. In most of his starts, with the Devils struggling more defensively, Markstrom’s made plenty of big saves to keep them ahead of opponents. There have been some highlight reel stops with a lunging glove save denying Brayden Point of a goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the Lightning on Jan. 11.

A former finalist for the Vezina, Markstrom’s made a strong case to be considered as one of the league’s best goalies this season. He ranks amongst the league leaders in games played (36), wins (21), GAA (2.20), and shutouts (3). With reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck having another dominant year, Markstrom and surprising contender Logan Thompson are right behind.

Devils Turn to Allen

Without Markstrom, the Devils will turn to Allen. A former starter with the Blues and Canadiens, the 34-year-old brings plenty of experience to the net. Having recently won career game number 200, Allen’s 6-8-1 with a 2.66 GAA and .901 save percentage in 15 appearances.

His best season came with the when he won a career best 33 games and posted a 2.42 GAA, .915 save percentage, and four shutouts for the Blues in 2016-17. Now a backup, Allen will need to provide steady play to keep the Devils in a strong playoff position. They trail the Hurricanes by three points for second place in the division and remain seven up on the Blue Jackets and eight clear of the Rangers for third.

Poetically, Allen makes the start with the Devils visiting Bell Centre for a big game against the Canadiens on Hockey Night In Canada. With the team on the road for four of its next five, they’ll need Allen to be on top of his game.

Poulter Gets Call from Utica

Isaac Poulter got the call from Utica on Friday. In 19 games with Utica, he’s 8-7-3 with a 2.90 GAA and .897 save percentage. His eight victories lead the Comets. With former backup Nico Daws struggling, Poulter is the best option available for the Devils to be the backup.

With the Devils not having any back-to-backs, coach Sheldon Keefe will lean heavily on Allen over the next stretch. Starting tonight, they have seven games before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Aside from a home match against the Golden Knights on Feb. 6, the other six are against teams with worse records. That includes a pair at the Canadiens, a home and home with the Flyers, and visits at the Sabres and Penguins.

From that standpoint, the schedule is reasonable. They should be able to hang in there without Markstrom. It’ll be up to a roster led by the trio of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt to maintain their place in the standings.