New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Who Were Rolling Before Season Paused
By Mike Luci
Mackenzie Blackwood
GP: 47 Record: 22-14-8 GAA: 2.77 SV%: .915
| Stat | 10/2-12/31 | 1/1-3/11 |
|---|---|---|
| Games Played | 30 | 17 |
| Starts | 27 | 16 |
| Record | 13-10-5 | 9-4-3 |
| GAA | 2.85 | 2.63 |
| SV% | .907 | .926 |
Most (if not all) of New Jersey’s successes this season—especially since January—can be attributed to the unparalleled play of rookie goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. A recent piece projected Blackwood could get 25 wins, of which he was only three shy prior to the season’s hiatus.
Blackwood’s .926 save percentage is ninth-highest among goalies with at least 10 games played since January. At 5v5 over that span, Blackwood’s .933 save percentage is eighth-highest among goalies with at least 500 minutes played. He’s had a save percentage of .920 or better in 10 of the 17 games he’s played in 2020, and went 7-2-1 in his last 10 contests, over which he had back-to-back shutouts and won six consecutive starts.
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Blackwood has truly embraced the starting role in New Jersey, and was even brought up in discussions for a Calder Memorial Trophy nomination prior to the season halting. While his overall stats aren’t much to write home about, the fact Blackwood was able to put up these numbers and what he’s done since January on a grossly underachieving New Jersey Devils team is certainly a testament to the overall quality of the 23-year old’s play, and how high his ceiling could truly be as he continues to mature.