New Jersey Devils: Eddie Lack Should Get A Real Shot
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils got a miraculous performance from their third-string goaltender against the league leaders in the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Despite that, Eddie Lack hasn’t really been given a chance.
The New Jersey Devils are about a week away from having the make another hard roster decision within the next week. Once Cory Schneider returns from injury, head coach John Hynes and GM Ray Shero will have to make a final decision on the backup goalie. It will probably remain Keith Kinkaid, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason to remain Schneider’s backup, but is that fair?
Eddie Lack was acquired from the Calgary Flames for Dalton Prout. Since the Devils had no use for Prout with Mirco Mueller returning from injury, it was like getting goalie insurance for free. It turns out they needed it.
At one point, Schneider, Lack and Kinkaid were all hurt at the same time, so goalie depth was imperative. Ken Appleby did everything he could, being the fourth goalie on the depth chart. However, he was never a long-term option as a backup.
Lack, on the other hand, has shown he might be able to make that happen. In three games with the Devils, Lack faced 89 shots and allowed eight goals. For those who hate math, that’s a .910 save percentage. That includes a miraculous performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which he carried the team on his back and stopped 48 shots for a huge win.
More from Pucks and Pitchforks
- Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
- New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
- New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
- New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
- Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?
Kinkaid, on the other hand, has been much more inconsistent, albeit in much more games. Since Cory got hurt, Kinkaid made 10 appearances. In just four of those, he stopped more than 90 percent of shots against him. The Devils expect more of him on a nightly basis.
This should be an opportunity to see what the team got in Lack. Give him tonight’s game against the Minnesota Wild and Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders to prove if he should be the guy to stay.
The Devils are going to have to send either Kinkaid or Lack down to the AHL by this time next week. One of them will likely have to go through waivers. So, who are the Devils willing to lose, in a market where a team would covet a good backup? It’s time to really give Lack a look to see if he can hold down the bench.