New Jersey Devils' goalie Jacob Markstrom didn't look like himself through his first seven games after returning from a month-long absence due to a lower-body injury. He posted a 1-5-1 record, an under .900 save percentage, and a well above 3.0 goals against average. Even head coach Sheldon Keefe had mentioned at one point that Markstrom wasn't there yet.
The worrisome issue was whether the Swedish netminder would find his game again in time for the playoffs. Fast forward to the present day, and New Jersey's number one puck stopper is starting to play at the form that we saw before his injury.
In his last three starts, Markstrom has posted a 3-0-0 record, a 2.40 GAA, and a .905 save percentage. While he has faced the Chicago Blackhawks and a Kirill Kaprizov-less Minnesota Wild twice in that span, it shouldn't be ignored that he has looked much more like the Vezina-caliber goalie we saw the first 3 months of the season. At different points of those games, the 35-year-old has made key saves to help the Devils finish the month of March as winners of three of their last four. He's given the team something they've been wanting out of him of late, and that is confidence. Saves like the one he made on Saturday have been key in the Devils winning close games of late.
Two words: JACOB MARKSTROM pic.twitter.com/ykuIFxJjpn
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 30, 2025
Another key thing for Markstrom is how much he's looked at in the locker room as a leader. His play and how he leads by example stick out even to the captain of the team, Nico Hischier. Markstrom's competitive personality is a big thing for the locker room, as Johnathan Kovacevic pointed out after the Devils' 5-2 win over the Wild this past Saturday.
"“We all feed off that. He kind of came in and told us, ‘Hey, just so you guys know, you don’t have to take a penalty if I do something, but let's get the boys going!’ He’s awesome. Can’t say enough good things about Marky.”"Johnathan Kovacevic via Amanda Stein
Jacob Markstrom is finding his game post injury at the perfect time
It's those aspects of Markstrom that make him that much more viable than just what he's been doing recently on the ice. Keefe acknowledged recently how much the team responds to Markstrom's performance. When he is on his game, as he's currently showing, the team feeds off that confidence, and it helps them take their games to another level. It's been evident in these past two Wild games that the team is in a playoff-like battle, and they find ways to win. Markstrom has a lot to do with that success.
Markstrom, finding his elite form again, couldn't come at a better time. The Devils are on the verge of reaching the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second time in three years. They will be without the likes of Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and Jonas Siegenthaler. Despite those blows, if Markstrom gets hot in the playoffs, the Devils could surprise a lot of people and perhaps not just be an easy exit as most people believe they will be. There are more games to play, but Jacob Markstrom looks to be back at a top level of play, and that's a major boost for this Devils team.