Devils Again Run Into Blackwood Backup Curse
Since his call-up in the middle of the 2018-19 season, Mackenzie Blackwood has registered a 51-44-15 career record minding the Devils’ net.
That might not seem all that impressive, until you’re informed that in the games Blackwood was not the goalie of record in that time frame, the Devils have posted an incredibly gruesome 26-52-12 mark.
Whether or not you believe there is something mystical in the air that puts some sort of hex on Blackwood’s backup, the search for a credible side man for the Devils’ second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft will have to continue after New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff announced on Friday that Jonathan Bernier would return to the team’s injured reserve unit. Ruff expressed concern that Bernier’s injury, in the hip area, could be a “long-term” situation, since it has been recurring since the preseason.
The Devils as an organization have always looked to be diligent in not overloading Blackwood, who had difficulties fighting off a COVID-19 infection last season and then injured a heel that necessitated surgery in the offseason. His recovery blended into training camp, limiting him to just one preseason outing. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald therefore was on the lookout for a “1-A” type goaltender to split the duties more equitably.
Bernier, a well-regarded free agent pickup (2 years, $8.25 million) this offseason with 355 NHL starts under his belt, seemed like a solid fit for that role. He is a respectable 4-4-1 in his eight starts and two mop-up appearances, including a 33-save heist in a 4-2 Devils victory in Pittsburgh on October 30. However, he has gone 1-4-1 with substandard base stats of a 3.46 goals against average and an .890 save percentage since the Penguins game. It is fair to question whether he was fighting through pain in that stretch.
At least Bernier made it into the regular season, which is more than can be said for Corey Crawford, who was signed in free agency prior to last season. The Cup-winning veteran had second thoughts in training camp and, after days filled with mystery, opted to retire, reportedly due to concussion concerns.
The Devils then won just 5 of the 21 games started by a trio of Blackwood’s understudies, who combined failed to reach a .900 save percentage, the NHL version of the Mendoza line. Hard to believe, but that was a slight improvement on the team’s 2019-20 performance, where Corey Schneider and Louis Domingue went 6-14-4 in a season where Blackwood was a true .500 goalie (22-14-8).
To be fair, Schneider’s decline from an All-Star caliber goalie to a minor leaguer began before Blackwood arrived on the scene. In fact, it was the failures of both Schneider, who was in the midst of a 21-game winless streak, and 2017-18 savior Keith Kinkaid that necessitated the call-up.
Now it’s Akira Schmid’s turn to break the curse. The 21-year old rookie who was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 Draft from Switzerland, was a whopping 8-0-2 with a 1.60 GAA and a .944 save percentage at AHL Utica. Schmid had been sharing the net there with Nico Daws, who made his NHL debut earlier this season when both Blackwood and Bernier were out but was injured in a game against Rochester on Wednesday.
Schmid will be backing up Blackwood in Friday’s home tilt versus Nashville, but he could get the nod on the back end of the back-to-back Saturday at the Islanders. Blackwood was also in net for Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over Philadelphia that broke the Devils’ four-game winless streak, so Ruff might not want him to go three times in four nights.
Overall, outside of a few select games, the Devils have not gotten the goaltending they’ve needed this season. According to NaturalStatTrick.com, they have allowed the ninth-fewest high-danger scoring chances in the league but have the second-worst save percentage on those chances. In the goals saved above average metric, Bernier’s 0.14 leads the team—and he’s 28th among the 52 NHL goalies with at least 300 minutes on ice. Blackwood’s minus-1.97 ranks 39th.
Ruff has a host of problems to navigate as the Devils attempt to stay relevant in the playoff picture into the New Year. He had every reason to hope that the issue of Blackwood’s backup was crossed off his list. Fate had other ideas.