It wasn’t glamorous, but the New Jersey Devils emerged from their first lengthy road trip of the season, ending it on a modestly high note after a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. This secured a winning record (3-2-0).
Despite two frustratingly discouraging losses where they were collectively outscored by the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames 9-2, the Devils defeated three formidable opponents in the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, all of whom currently are (or were at the time on game day) in playoff positions.
Yes, the Devils still have a lot of ground to make up after their 0-4-2 start, but there are some encouraging takeaways from these last five games the team can build upon, one being their readiness on committing to Mackenzie Blackwood as their starting netminder moving forward.
The 22-year-old second-year pro was in net for all five of the Devil’s wins this season. This after stabilizing his game following his own rough start. To date, Blackwood is 5-3-3 with a 2.92 GAA and .896 SV%. Those numbers aren’t admirable by any means, but certainly stand out on a team with the third-worst goals against average in the league (3.63) and second-worst save percentage (.878).
Blackwood’s turnaround began when he got his (and the team’s) first win of the season on October 17 versus the New York Rangers. Over his last eight starts since then, he’s gone 5-2-1 (including one shutout), brandishes a 2.37 GAA and .918 SV%.
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On this road trip alone, Blackwood went 3-1-0. Despite surrendering a total of eight goals against the Hurricanes and Flames, he made out with a 2.50 GAA and .922 SV% over that stretch.
For reference, the league averages for goals against and save percentages currently are 2.86 and .909, respectively.
In Blackwood’s last three starts, he faced 102 shots (34/game) and surrendered seven goals—five against Calgary—which equates to a .931 SV%. Since getting his first win of the season, Blackwood has played in five contests where he’s faced a minimum of 31 shots, over which he went 3-1-1, maintained a 2.40 GAA and .926 SV%. For reference, the current league average for shots against per game is 31.5.
This seems like a bevy of random statistics at first glance, but take a look at two notable details. Since his first win of the season, Blackwood has maintained above-league-average numbers in goals against and save percentage, which is a strong testament to his play when you consider he’s on a team that currently brandishes (from a statistical perspective) some of the worst goaltending in the league.
The second is that since getting his first win, Blackwood’s play has been exemplary when the Devils need it most. While not every outcome has been pretty, his ability to stand strong between the pipes at optimal moments is starting to reflect in his and the team’s overall record.
It’s worth reiterating, the New Jersey Devils still have a lot of ground to make up if they want any attempt at a turnaround to be taken seriously. Their season hasn’t even reached the quarter-mark, but the Devils still have plenty of time to rebound from their abysmal start.
To do this, New Jersey must utilize their players who give them the best chance to win every night. In regards to their current goaltending situation, all signs currently point to Mackenzie Blackwood. Time will tell if he can maintain the workload that comes with being a starting goaltender, but his play in recent weeks has been a very encouraging sign of his capabilities.