Without Cory Schneider, New Jersey Devils Goaltending Situation Is In Shambles

Ray Shero and his scouting organization have done a great job with the team. However, there are now serious issues with the club’s goaltending situation. This could derail the club’s playoff hopes.

I hate writing this.  Ray Shero has really done a good job evaluating players, shedding the team of salary and veterans and reshaping the look of the roster.  However, with Cory Schneider out, it exposes a serious weakness.  New Jersey’s performance between the pipes is getting progressively worse. Ottawa was bad, but last night against Calgary it was indisputable that the club’s goaltending situation was quickly approaching DEFCON 5 status. Sound the alarms! Man the battlestations!

A lot of this, unfortunately, is a direct result of recent personnel decisions which have not really worked out.

What is the crisis, you ask? Is it really that bad?  Well, I hate to tell you, but it is. The fact Keith Kinkaid showed Johnny Hockey a bigger five-hole than Billy The Bow Legged Donkey on that second goal last night was a major issue.  Number one’s lateral movement on the third goal, where he was moving post-to-post at  rate of speed more or less equivalent to that Space Shuttle travelling to the launch pad was another point of concern. And, once Kinkaid finally got over, watching him hug that near post more or less with the same sort of enthusiasm exhibited when Nancy Pelosi hugs Mitch McConnell at a State Funeral didn’t have great optics either.

The Devils’ goaltending situation is not the greatest right now.

After Cory Schneider, it is becoming inherently obvious that the Devils’ goaltending situation is truly awful. What are the main contributing factors?  How did we get here?  Here are a few of the missteps.

The MacKenzie Blackwood Mistake

I know, he’s only 21 and goalies develop slowly. I hope that is the case. But, second round draft picks should not be demoted to the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder during the season. Blackwood’s save percentage at Albany is .879. That’s under the goaltender’s version of the Mendoza line. Thus far, the former Barrie Colt star is a big disappointment. Drafting him in the second round was almost as big of a mistake as someone I know accidentally entering my home phone number on a 1:30AM pizza order last night. But, that’s another story!

Wedgewall

Okay, we all know Scott Wedgewood is not exactly succeeding in Arizona. But he was very good during his short stint in New Jersey. Although I would not have total confidence in Wedgy at this particular point based on his performance in the desert since the trade, I do wish the Devils had the option of throwing him in this weekend to see what he could do. While it was super considerate of Shero to give him an opportunity by trading his rights for essentially nothing (a 7th round pick) the Devils sure could use a guy like Wedgewood right about now.

Your Neighborhood Bar & Grill

Ken Appleby has not been great in Binghamton. But the team stinks. In a really small sample size at the NHL level, he looked terrific. Appleby was generally positioned well, squared up to shooters, was tight in the butterfly letting virtually nothing get through him and he showed poise and confidence.  A save percentage of .945 ain’t bad either. You have to ask, all of that does not deserve a shot when the current NHL goalie’s performance level is sinking faster than the RMS Lusitania?  That’s silly. Appleby belongs in Newark right now. Another example of pretty poor player selection at times (note to self, write article about Micro Mueller sitting last night).

Something Is Lacking

Look, I can’t sit here and write that Eddie Lack is excessively bad. He’s okay, a career NHL .500 backstop with an equally okay .909 save percentage. Not good, not bad. But I just don’t see him as a playoff goalie or someone you win with. To me, he’s the type of guy who is well suited for a role as a backup goalie for a club like the Atlanta Thrashers, California Golden Seals or Indianapolis Racers. I hope I’m wrong, but, to me, he’s a journeyman.

Blockaid

Last but not least, consider the case of one Keith Kinkaid. Let me first say, I like him. He seems like a great guy. Good teammate, never complains. That being said, to me, he’s having a horrid season. Sub .900 save percentage.  Looks like he is fighting the puck and he’s kicking out a bevy of BJR’s (Big Juicy Rebounds). More bad starts than Jake Arrieta, which generally results in a deep hole for the Devils to try and climb out of in the first few minutes of the first period. It’s just not happening for Kinkaid this year.

Next: Keith Kinkaid can not be trusted

Conclusion

It’s now the time for the Devils’ organization to realize 2017-18 is a step back for the career backup.  They need to throw someone else in there to give them a shot. The Metropolitan Division is way too good to accept a goaltender who is contributing to unnecessary losses.

Will we see improvement this weekend? Let’s hope so, the Devils really need the points. Columbus and Boston are not exactly the easiest matchups for a goaltender. It could get ugly.