The New Jersey Devils finally got a big win on Monday night after a couple of losses in a row over the weekend.
They played well in this 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jack Hughes got going offensively again and the points were there for him to prove it.
It was great to see the team get back on the scoresheet on the power play as that had been holding them back for a little bit.
However, that is far from their biggest problem this season. For the most part, they have had terrible goaltending.
The New Jersey Devils have not gotten good goaltending in 2023-24
Vitek Vanecek, Akira Schmid, and Nico Daws have simply not been good enough. Vanecek was good in their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night but they couldn't score a goal.
Daws was decent in this game against the Kraken but the Devils played very well in front of him. When he was needed the most, however, he was able to make the big save.
Daws was named to be the second star of the game. However, the story of the game came out when Jack Hughes was named the number-one star of the game.
Hughes, as every Devils first star of the game does after a win, talked with MSG's Erika Wachter after the game. He made a comment that will surprise some people.
"When we get the saves, it's much easier to win" - Hughes said after Daws put on a good performance in the win.
This isn't necessarily Jack calling anyone out. It is him saying to all of the goalies that they need to be better. He isn't wrong.
Hughes has consistently been honest when giving interviews to the media. He knows that if the goalies play better, the Devils can be one of the best teams in the NHL.
We saw in 2022-23 how good this team can be with decent goaltending. They were one of the best teams in the league all year long. Now, with the backward step taken by the goalies, the team hasn't been as dominant.
Now that Hughes is healthy again and he made these comments, everyone will find a way to be better around him.