It wasn’t a linear path to success for Jacob Markstrom, who struggled to find his footing with the New Jersey Devils. Despite a shaky start, he’s rebounded very nicely to now become the sixth-best goalie in the league with plus-11.8 goals saved above expected (GSAx – via MoneyPuck).
His .914 save percentage (SV%) is ninth among 50 eligible goalies (min. 10 games played) and his 2.11 goals-against average (GAA) ranks second. He’s come up with some huge saves in key moments, most recently against the Carolina Hurricanes where he stopped 3.99 goals above expected, one of the best single-game marks for an NHL goalie this season.
In his last ten games, he’s 9-0-1 with a .933 SV% and 1.39 GAA. Timo Meier spoke to The Hockey Writers (THW) about Markstrom’s recent surge, “He’s been making key saves for us all season so far…Those saves at special times could help you a lot. We love playing in front of him. He’s playing unbelievable hockey right now, and it’s awesome.”
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Earlier in the season, Markstrom told THW that his comfort level with the defense, in Keefe’s system, had been growing with each passing game. Based on the numbers, it’s hard to imagine he’s not fully comfortable now.
MARKY R🚫BBERY! pic.twitter.com/IAaWpda2tA
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 22, 2024
With how dominant the Devils’ defense has been this season, it’s sometimes hard for a goalie to stay locked in. Head coach Sheldon Keefe added, “You know, from a goalie’s perspective, I mean (as a team) keeping chances down are important, but keeping shots down is not ideal for a goalie. It doesn’t (give) you a lot of work, you don’t get a lot of those free and easy touches to get comfortable and confident in the game, and it starts to mess with your save percentage…all these things are challenging for a goaltender. But he’s dialed in. When we (made) some mistakes…he had to track the puck. He had to be good for us. I feel like it’s come for him.”
In this ten-game surge from Markstrom, the Devils have given up just 20.9 shots per game. Despite that, he’s still had to face 55 high-danger shots against, but he’s given up just four goals (via Natural Stat Trick). That’s a high-danger save percentage (HDSV%) of .927 – for contrast, the average goalie is around .800. In fact, for the whole season, Markstrom’s .881 HDSV% is tied for first among eligible goalies, alongside Joseph Woll of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After Markstrom’s home win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday (Dec. 27), Luke Hughes added, “He’s been great for us. He’s very easy to play with and an awesome guy.”
Team captain Nico Hischier said, “He’s made some unbelievable saves. He’s been so good for us the whole year and he proved it again tonight…especially Grade A chances, Marky saved our asses tonight.”
It may have taken a little to settle in, but the numbers (and comments) show that Markstrom has been the number one goalie that Devils fans were dying for in seasons past.
