New Jersey Devils: 5 Reasons For Optimism For 2019
Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid are Steady Between the Pipes
It was not long ago that when Cory Schneider went down, the Devils’ season went down with him (see: 2015-2016). Keith Kinkaid changed the narrative this season, elevating the Devils to the playoffs with a .932 save percentage down the stretch, while Cory Schneider was battling various injuries. While Kinkaid had a rough go in the playoffs, Schneider stepped up to the tune of a .950 playoff save percentage.
Still, even with Kinkaid’s torrid stretch, the Devils’ produced below-average goaltending over the course of the season, with a .910 save percentage compared to the league-average .912. Kinkaid’s dominant end to the season and Schneider’s otherworldly playoffs hint at improved goaltending in 2018-2019.