The New Jersey Devils finally got a big win on Wednesday night, beating the Boston Bruins 5-1 at the Prudential Center. It was a cathartic win, putting up five unanswered goals after going down 1-0 in the first period. It should have been all sunshine and fairytales after what's been the toughest stretch of the Devils' season. Unfortunately, it came at a cost.
Jacob Markstrom suffered what, at first, looked like a serious knee injury. Justin Brazeau crashed into the net, and he landed with Markstrom's leg outside the post. This got his leg caught with nowhere to go, and his knee went in the wrong direction.
It looked like the type of injury that would change the Devils' season. If Markstrom is out long-term, it could change the Devils from contender to first-round exit. Even with Jake Allen in net, they should be fine to make the playoffs, but anything beyond that would be hard to fathom.
Luckily, it appears the Devils avoided the worst-possible scenario. A new report from ESPN's Kevin Weekes says that it's most likely a sprain.
**Medical Update 🚨 🚑 **
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) January 23, 2025
I’m told the @NJDevils club feared it would be worse, but hearing it’s a knee sprain, will miss some time, and 4 Nations Faceoff could be in jeopardy for G Markstrom .#NJDevils #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/5tUrsqiF2B
This sounds like great news. This could have been a torn ACL or a broken leg, both of which would have ended his season and possibly trickled into next season. Instead, the Devils will likely get Markstrom back after the 4 Nation’s Tournament.
Of course, knee sprains can vary wildly in severity. Patrik Laine missed multiple months earlier this season with a knee sprain, but that one was very severe. He barely avoided knee surgery. Thatcher Demko suffered a knee sprain last season, and he missed close to three weeks. The hope is the Devils get Markstrom back in less than a month.
Markstrom has been amazing for the Devils this season, and it seems like the Devils offense is back to life. So, hopefully Allen can hold down the fort while Markstrom recovers. The Devils have no back-to-backs until March. Even if Markstrom is out for six weeks, they can survive this.