Goalie Controversy Brewing? Devils Should Consider Starting Allen vs. Rival Rangers

Is there a goaltending controversy brewing within the New Jersey Devils? Perhaps, there’s one starting to form enough that the Devils should consider starting Jake Allen vs. the rival New York Rangers on Monday night.

Put some emphasis on the word “brewing.” 27 games into the regular season, the Devils have relied on goaltender Jacob Markstrom far more than they have Allen. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has established the 34-year-old Swedish netminder as New Jersey’s starting goaltender.

Yet, it’s fair to question whether he’s been giving the Devils the quality starts that translate to their best chances of consummating wins.

Saturday night’s season finale vs. the Washington Capitals didn’t go the way anyone on the Devils wanted. New Jersey got off to a slow start and as a result forked over their seventh lead to begin a game in a row, a habit, general manager Tom Fitzgerald sought to crack this summer when he made over the roster.

Devils Postgame: Old Habit Creeping In? Devils Slow Start, Penalties Spell Loss to Capitals

Keefe recognized following the 6-5 regulation loss that had it not been for Allen, the Devils would have surrendered far more than the lone goal to Andrew Mangiapane in the opening frame.

“We would have given up six goals in the first period were it not for [Allen],” Keefe explained to New Jersey Hockey Now.

Certainly, Jake Allen wasn’t perfect. He committed a turnover behind his own net that resulted in Pierre-Luc Dubois filling an empty net, giving the Capitals a two-goal lead late in the third period. The veteran goaltender took full responsibility for the play—and loss as an extension—explaining the puck slowed up on him quicker than he expected and Aliakesi Protas beat him to the rubber.

Yet, that’s not why the Devils lost. Instead, it was the plethora of penalties and goals they allowed the Capitals to score on their power play that ultimately spelled their loss.

So, Allen gives up six goals against the Capitals, and we’re vouching for him to start vs. the Blueshirts?

Yes, that’s what’s happening.

Ask Allen, and he’ll tell you there’s no controversy. He believes Markstrom is the Devils’ No.1 goaltender.

“That’s my job, you know? [Markstrom] is the guy,” Allen explained to New Jersey Hockey Now. “I’m just supposed to play when I’m supposed to play.”

The Devils were uncharacteristically bad when they hosted the Capitals on Saturday night. A peek behind the curtain at the numbers for Allen vs. Markstrom suggest the former has been stronger than the latter so far this season.

The gap in starts between Markstrom and Allen is widening. After Saturday, Allen has started in nine games, versus Markstrom’s 18. The raw stats don’t look drastically different, as Allen has accrued a 2.70 GAA and .903 SV%. Markstrom similarly has a 2.62 GAA and .902 SV%.

Thus far, each goaltender has seen roughly the same amount of shots per game, Allen seeing an average of 27.4 as opposed to Markstrom’s 26.5.

Yet, there is one glaring difference.

Allen has looked stronger in his starts as opposed to Markstrom of late.

In the Devils’ 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, the Devils got off to another slow start. They, again, forked over a 1-0 lead which then became a 2-0 lead for Detroit before Nico Hischier and Timo Meier evened the score.

The difference?

The two goals Markstrom gave up on Friday were familiar. He has the ability to make otherworldly saves. Yet, he also has the tendency to allow very savable goals by him in crucial moments of the game.

By no means is this a Markstrom obituary. He’s a proven NHL starting goaltender who has been a Vezina candidate before, and that player very much remains.

But zooming the lens in a little further on this season, there’s precedent to starting Allen over Markstrom on Monday at Madison Square Garden.

For starers, Allen ranks 18th in the NHL with 4.2 saves above expected this season. Markstrom, however, is 58th overall -3.5 saves above expected.

Further, Fitzgerald’s motivation to acquire Markstrom was his high-danger save ability. That hasn’t quite been his strong suit this season, ranking below the 50th percentile with an .806 HDSV%, just below the .807 league average.

Allen, however, ranks in the 87th percentile, having accrued a .853 HDSV%, per NHL Edge.

In all likelihood, Markstrom will start against the Devils’ rival in enemy territory Monday night. However, Keefe should consider Allen against the Rangers, who has proven to be stronger in the Devils’ crease. And if this trend continues, there’s certainly a case to see Allen usurp starting duties.

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