New Jersey Devils appear to be dealing with yet another injury; this time a goalie goes down

The New Jersey Devils played Jacob Markstrom in their first two games of the season. His results were mixed, to say the least, but he came out of it 1-1-0. Getting two points when starting the season against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning is no easy task. These are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Devils wanted more from their starting goalie. On Monday, they went with the veteran backup Jake Allen. He was very good last season, and he deserves to start at least one game a week. This might be a 50-50 split considering the age of both goalies. 

Allen looked incredible to start the game. He stopped all 16 first-period shots, and he only allowed one goal in the second period. After two periods, he had 23 saves on 24 shots. It was a really good performance to start. 

Then, the third period started. Allen was not in net. Markstrom had come in to relieve Allen in the third period. The question was… why?

Jake Allen left in the middle of the New Jersey Devils game despite dominating

The fact that Allen was not on the bench for the third period tells you the most likely outcome is that he got injured in the second period. It’s the news Devils fans definitely don’t want to hear. The team is already dealing with injuries to Johnny Kovacevic, Stefan Noesen, Seamus Casey, Evgenii Dadonov, and Zack MacEwen. Now, they are losing one of their two veteran goalies.

We don’t know what the injury is, and we probably won’t get clarity until after the game. The MSG broadcast mentioned that Allen was dealing with “cramping,” which is surprising given that it kept him out for the game.

Maybe the Devils are playing it safe because they don’t play again until Thursday’s home opener, so playing Markstrom on Monday doesn’t hurt. He did end up finishing the win, but he also seemed to feel pain after falling awkwardly on the Blue Jackets' second goal.

Until we hear confirmation from head coach Sheldon Keefe or someone on the Devils staff, we’re all going to be worried. Luckily for the Devils, they still have Nico Daws with the Utica Comets, giving them someone with ample NHL experience if Allen is indeed injured.