- The Matchup: New Jersey Devils @ San Jose Sharks
- The Time: 10:00pm EST
- The Broadcast: MSGSN, Devils Hockey Radio
Last Devils Game
Late Tuesday night (or early, depending on your location) the Devils lost by a score of 8-4 in Colorado. No, your eyes did not deceive you. Yes, the Devils let up as many goals against as games they had
previously won in a row during their now over, 8 game win streak.
I have mixed feelings about this game. On one hand, let’s face it. The Devils were never finishing the season with a record of 81-1. The win streak was ending at some point. The best teams lose games. The best teams face adversity over a full 82 game season. One loss is not that big of a deal. All of these things are true.
At the same time, it’s also true that Markstrom, in his limited time this season, has been absolutely dreadful. Not ok. Not average. Dreadful. On one hand, there’s a lot of season left. On the other hand, the Devils can’t afford to throw away games if Markstrom continues to struggle this much.
How bad are we talking about? Through 4 games he currently has a 5.13 GAA and a .830 SV %. Again, that’s a small sample size, but those are horrible, horrible numbers. He has not finished any game so far with a GAA under 3 or a SV% above .900. Maybe he will figure it out and the team needs to play better in front of him too.
However, taking his poor play and his self inflicted wounds (his 2nd delay of game penalty in 4 games), and adding it all up, equals a player that needs to get it together soon. There is time, yes. But the man has not played 1 solid period of hockey this season yet, and not only is it becoming a cause for serious concern, but he seems to be playing worse rather than improving. He is a liability at the moment and that needs to be addressed, one way or the other.
Last Sharks Game
The Sharks also lost on Tuesday night, by a score of 4-3, at home against Los Angeles. Their game tonight against the Devils is the 2nd in a 4 game home stand for them. The San Jose Sharks have some young talent, to be sure. However, they are simply not that good of a team, yet. Of course, this is the NHL and yes, any team can beat any team on any night and all that cliche, etc. stuff. However, with the loss on Tuesday, the Sharks sit at 2-6-2, with both of their wins coming in OT. They will win some more games this season, and they (like any team) should not be taken lightly. But there is long way to go before this team turns into a consistent winner.
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
As of this writing, the Devils did not appear to have practice yesterday. As a result, I am not sure which goalie will be starting tonight. The argument could be made that since Markstrom played on Tuesday that Allen will start tonight. The argument could also be made that since the Devils had a day of rest between games that Markstrom could play again tonight. I would expect an announcement at some point today, regarding the starting goalie for tonight’s game.
The fact that Brett Pesce is out and will miss significant time is “old news” at this point. He joins the list of injuries along with Cody Glass, Evgenii Dadonov, Johnathan Kovacevic, MacEwen, etc. I would assume Seamus Casey stays in the lineup for Pesce, but considering Halonen came out of the lineup for Lammikko, who knows. As with every other NHL team dealing with injuries, the Devils will need to find a way to continue on, with or without Pesce (and everyone else currently out of the lineup).
Grimace’s Prediction and 2025-2026 Record Tracker
Fear not my friends, Grimace is back with a brand new invention another prediction for tonight. He feels bad that he was wrong with his last prediction, so he wants to make it up to the Devils Nation. Grimace believes the Devils will defeat the Sharks tonight. He asked me to tell all of you that his prediction is assuming Allen starts tonight. He feels the Devils can win even if Markstrom plays, but, if Markstrom plays and they lose, he wants an asterisk next to the loss.
Grimace’s 2025-2026 Season Prediction record currently stands at 5-1-0.
Your Take
I want the Devils to win every game. I think I speak for everyone on here when I say that. I’m also realistic and know that the Devils, like any team, are going to lose a decent amount of games this season. I’m ok with that. If the team plays well and loses, so be it. What I never like to see and what I don’t want to see tonight, is a team that loses from self inflicted wounds. They let up 6 more goals after the first 2 against Colorado, but make no mistake, the early PP goal against and the horrible 2nd goal against, dug a hole and set the tone early. Win or lose, just don’t beat yourself tonight Devils. Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below and thanks for reading!
