New Jersey Devils: Keith Kinkaid Will Make Or Break First Round
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils rode a red-hot Keith Kinkaid all the way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His play from here on out will decide how far the team can go.
The New Jersey Devils are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to goaltender Keith Kinkaid. There’s really no denying that fact. Since February 13th, Kinkaid won 16 of a possible 21 games while he was in net. Considering one of those games he came in with a 4-1 deficit, it is probably even better.
In those games, he’s allowed more than three goals just four times, and the team won two of those games and lost another in overtime. Kinkaid is giving the Devils exactly what they need down the stretch.
Now that we’re in the playoffs, can we expect more of the same between the pipes? Well, not everyone is on board. ESPN asked it’s hockey experts which goalie they trust the least. Two of four mentioned Kinkaid.
"I’m iffy on Keith Kinkaid of the New Jersey Devils… He’s a solid backup who might find himself in over his head come playoff time.-Emily Kaplan, ESPN Analyst"
It’s clear that not everyone has the confidence in Kinkaid that Devils fans have right now. That probably has something to do with their lack of watching the Devils over the last few weeks, but it is defensible.
Kinkaid never played a postseason game in the NHL. He hasn’t even been the backup for one. On top of that, he’s already played 41 games this season. There’s an argument that can be made that he could fall off due to the workload.
However, playing Devils advocate, he has this kind of workload in the past. Before locking down his NHL backup spot, he was a workhorse in the minors. He played 40+ games for three straight seasons with the Albany Devils. It’s not like that was that long ago. Maybe he’s one of those players who excels when a team leans on him.
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The issue is how much the Devils will rely on him. Kinkaid made some of the craziest saves we’ve seen all season. However, his high-danger save percentage of 78.6% leaves much to be desired. Obviously, some of that was during his terrible stretch from November to January, but the averages play out in the playoffs.
With how often the Devils defense can break down, Kinkaid will need to stop more than 80% of those chances to have a chance against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This team creates great chances against great defenses. On a team that has John Moore, Damon Severson and Ben Lovejoy, all of which are prone to mistakes, the Lightning will have plenty of opportunities.
Devils fans should still have all the confidence in the world in Kinkaid. Again, the Devils are watching the playoffs from home for the sixth straight season if it wasn’t for Kinkaid. The notion that some national writers are even mentioning Cory Schneider makes no sense. However, if a less than stellar Kinkaid shows up, it’s hard to see the Devils making it very far in the first-round series.