New Jersey Devils: 5 Things That Ruined 2019-20 Season

2. The Goalie Situation Fell Apart Immediately

The Devils thought they had the best scenario possible in net. They had the youngster Mackenzie Blackwood who was phenomenal for a stretch in 2019. Cory Schneider looked like he was finally healthy, and he had a stretch where he was dominant. At the end of the season, in the World Championships, and in the preseason Schneider looked like a top-15 goalie in the league. Blackwood looked like he could be the future starter, which was technically true.

These two went into the season with a good rhythm, then the second period of the opening-night lineup happened. Schneider was rolling against the Winnipeg Jets, and the Devils had a 4-0 lead in the second period. Then, Schneider let in a goal at the very end of the second period. That’s okay, it’s still 4-1. In the third period, the Devils let up a goal, and Schneider got injured going side to side. Blackwood had to go into the game cold, and he let in the next two goals within 10 minutes.

Things didn’t get better from there. Blackwood struggled with his automatic starting role. In six games in October, Blackwood had an .871 save percentage. Schneider tried to play through whatever pain he had from opening night, and he wasn’t the same. He had an .847 save percentage in October. He would go from IR to Binghamton back to New Jersey throughout the season, as it became clear he was done. The Devils ended up buying him out at the end of the season, and it was the end of an era. The man who was supposed to take the place of the greatest goalie of all time was now a shell of his former self.