3 Thoughts: Devils Disappoint Goalie, Again; Goal Overturned Controversy; Depth Issue

The New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings were the loan game on the schedule to ring in 2025. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t love the way his team sent out 2024 on New Year’s Eve, and were hoping for a better start to the New Year.

RELATED: Sheldon Keefe Rips Devils’ Effort vs. Ducks, ‘It Was Disgraceful’

Similarly to Tuesday night’s game, however, the only thing to like about New Jersey’s game against the Kings was their goaltender and the first period.

From thereafter, it was all Kings who went on to record a 3-0 shutout over the Devils

Devils Recap

Both teams were seemingly feeling each other out in the first period. Although the opening frame went scoreless, the Devils eventually took control and out-shot their opponent 14-9 through the first 20 minutes.

There was much less room on the ice for each team to start the second period. However, it was the Kings who struck first when Andre Lee snuck behind the Devils’ defense and scored on a breakaway for his first NHL goal. The Devils believed they tied the game after Timo Meier collected a rebound in the slot and buried it. However, a successful coaches challenge by the Kings determined goaltender interference on Stefan Noesen, and Los Angeles maintained their 1-0 lead.

The Kings doubled their lead in the third period when Quinton Byfield skated through the Devils’ slot all alone, received a pass from the far wall, and scored through Jake Allen‘s five-hole. The Devils pulled their goaltender with just under five minutes remaining in the final frame, and Adrian Kempe hit the empty net to give the Kings a three-goal lead.

Allen made 21 saves on 23 shots, and stopped all three chances on the Kings’ power play. Darcy Kuemper registered a shutout, marking the sixth time the Devils have gone scoreless this season.

3 Thoughts

Jake Allen Deserved a Win

It was another night where the Devils’ goaltender deserved to win, but the team in front of the blue paint disappointed.

After registering 14 shots in the first period on Kuemper, the second and third periods weren’t nearly as good.

Allen stopped all 14 shots in the opening frame. The Devils limited the Kings to just four shots in the second period. However, a turnover at the offensive zone blueline led to a breakaway goal at the other end of the ice.

And in the third period, it was a bad shift change that allowed Byfield to skate through the Devils’ slot uncovered to double the LA’s lead.

Allen couldn’t do much about some failed coverages by New Jersey’s defense. The Devils’ goaltender made 1.83 saves above expected and certainly was deserving of a win on Wednesday.

What is Goaltender Interference?

It’s the million-dollar question that escapes nearly everyone in hockey.

What is goaltender interference?

Is it when a player is in the blue paint and the puck crosses the goal line? How about when a player is pushed into the goaltender amid a shot? Is it fair to call it when the goaltender initiates the contact?

Simply, no one is 100% certain on what this call is.

On Wednesday, the Devils were victims of a coaches challenge by Kings head coach Jim Hiller. Noesen w stood atop Darcy Kuemper’s crease and battled for position with Vladislav Gavrikov.

Noesen’s skates were in the paint, no doubt, and Gabrikov lightly backed the Devils forward into the paint as Kuemper moved up in his crease and initiated contact.

The Devils didn’t score on the initial shot that simultaneously saw the incidental, yet minor, contact between Noesen and Kuemper. Instead, Meier collected the rebound and scored on the secondary chance.

According to the NHLs Situation Room, “Video review determined that New Jersey’s Stefan Noesen impaired Darcy Kuemper’s ability to play his position in the crease prior to Timo Meier’s goal. According to Rule 69.3, ‘If an attacking player initiates contact with a goalkeeper, incidental or otherwise, while the goalkeeper is in his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.’”

Depth Scoring Remains an Issue

Look if the Devils aren’t going to get goals from their top guys, then they need to get them from somewhere.

The Devils were shut out for the sixth time this season. Earlier in December, general manager Tom Fitzgerald explained there’s a reason why New Jersey has suffered so many shutouts despite their overall success.

Depth scoring was one of those reasons, if not the main reason.

Even on the disallowed goal, it came from within the top-six. Paul Cotter score his first goal in 19 games over the weekend. However, the Devils haven’t received much offense from him, Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, and the rest of the bottom-six in quite some time.

Something’s gotta give from the depth on offense.

Quick Shifts

• The Devils’ power play went 0/6 for the night.
• Jack and Luke Hughes each were -3.
• Jesper Bratt led the Devils with five shots on goal.
• Nico Hischier won 18 of 28 faceoffs in the dot (64.3%).

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