Jacob Markstrom has been everything and more for the New Jersey Devils this playoff season. Even though the Devils did not win the first two games in Carolina, Markstrom was on point. There might have been one goal he wanted back in those first two games.
For the most part, he matched Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen save for save, especially in Game 2. And entering the series, you could make the argument that the Devils had the better goaltender in Jacob Markstrom. Despite what some said during the year, Markstrom was a clear-cut number one guy in between the pipes for the Devils.
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And Markstrom and Jake Allen fed off each other nicely in the regular season. Allen did his job well, filling in for Markstrom when he got injured early in January and missed a significant amount of time. Even when Markstrom came back from injury, it took some time for him to find his game. Many questioned if he was playing too much.
But as Sheldon Keefe noted, Markstrom is a player who needs to get his reps and get a feel for the game. Towards the end of the regular season, Markstrom was rounding back into form and the guy who was in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy back in December.
There was a reason Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald traded for Jacob Markstrom in the offseason. He knew he needed a number one goalie who could deliver for his team in the playoffs. Goaltending was a big reason why the Devils lost to Carolina back in 2023. Right now, it is a big reason why the series is 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Sunday afternoon.
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You thought having the final day of the regular season off before the start of the playoffs would hurt Markstrom’s game; think again. He looked refreshed and did not have any wasted motion between the pipes, considering he faced 45 shots in the first game and 28 shots in Game 2. That time off did him well. But the players knew they had to be better in front of him after those two games.
“Yeah, he played well. He’s been playing well for us all season. That’s what he does,” Timo Meier said after Game 1. “We love playing in front of him, and it’s up to us to limit more, or their shots get more in their lanes.”
The Devils have been doing their part to help out their goaltender. That was a big key to the series. They could not just rely on Markstrom to win them a game or two. Giving up 45 shots to Carolina is not an ideal game plan. You can see that New Jersey is committed to blocking more shots and taking away the shooting lanes for Carolina.
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But when Carolina can break those layers, there is Markstrom to save the day for the Devils. As Sheldon Keefe has noted, he gives the Devils every opportunity to compete in every game and in Game 3, he was the difference maker once again.
“Yeah, Marky, he’s unbelievable again. He’s one of the best goalies, in my opinion,” a returning Jonas Siegenthaler said to the media post-game. “He is so quick, and he is kind of like a wizard. He helps us every game, and we are happy to have him in the back of the net.”
Markstrom is the type of goalie who always wears his heart on his sleeve. You would think it could be a detriment, but the players gravitate towards that emotion that he brings to the game.
“He’s the best, such a competitor. And I haven’t met many people like him, and he’s our horse,” Brett Pesce said post-game to the media after Game 2. “Love that guy to death. I love going to battle with him. He’s going to come up big, which he has these past two games.”
Jacob Markstrom has been lights out thus far in the series. He is a big-time performer. With the Devils experiencing scoring woes, we’re seeing that two to three goals will often be the difference in a game. Thus, it will be the play of Markstrom that has to continue for the Devils to extend this series even further.
