Pucks and Pitchforks
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New Jersey Devils Grades For Terrible Month Of November

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 13: New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid (1) watches as the puck does not cross the goal line during the second period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 13, 2018 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 13: New Jersey Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid (1) watches as the puck does not cross the goal line during the second period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 13, 2018 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Will Butcher: D

Here’s another player that I have no idea what is wrong. Well, I have a theory, but we will get to that in a second.

Will Butcher had a great game against the Pittsburgh Penguins (are you catching the theme here?), but the rest of the month he scored one point. It might be fine for most defensemen to get three points in a given month, but Butcher is different. He’s had 69.9% of his starts in the offensive zone. When you consider the faceoffs he takes during icings, that means John Hynes rarely, if ever, puts him on the ice with his back against the wall. To be given that advantage and only score three points in a month is not good at all.

Butcher is atrocious on the ice, which is why he doesn’t get a failing grade. However, there is one reason why he came close; the Devils power play. It was anemic in November. They couldn’t get set. There were games where the Devils scored more penalty killing goals than power play goals. Heck, there were games where the opposing team scored more goals on the Devils power play. Butcher’s play is unacceptable. He needs to be better, and soon.

Part of me believes that Butcher is hurt. He just looks like a different player. It looks different than a sophomore slump. Butcher left a game in October with a shoulder injury. It looked like he was going to be out for a while, but didn’t miss a game. Maybe he should have waited to get healthy.

Cory Schneider: D

The New Jersey Devils goaltender was a bad position throughout the month. Yes, the defense needs to help them out, but eventually this duo needs to make a save.

Cory Schneider was the worse of the two, but maybe that’s because he’s working his way back from injury. He started his first game of the season on November 1st, so he’s had a full month to try and be a competent goalie. He is nowhere near competent.

Schneider has given up 19 goals in five starts. He has yet to win a game in the regular season since 2017. His save percentage is .864. It’s .001 percentage points away from the worst goalie save percentage of all qualified starters. The worst in the league. This is a player that was towards the top of that chart in the middle of last season. How has he just forgotten how to goalie?

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