For Devils fans, the future of goaltending looked bleak just a few years ago.
Now, with the new tandem of goaltenders between the pipes, hope has come back.
With the recent injury of starting goaltender Jacob Markström, the focus shifts to backup netminder Jake Allen.
Born on August 7, 1990, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, Allen grew up playing in the junior leagues before being signed to an entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues.
In 2008, Allen was drafted 34th overall in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Blues but only made his debut in 2012 when relieving starting goaltender Brian Elliott in the Western Conference Semi Finals the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Allen recorded his first NHL start in net in 2013, a 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings.
Constantly bouncing around between the AHL and NHL, Allen’s professional career has bounced around.
The toughest stretch for Allen was the 2016-2017 season, where he was pulled four times in six starts. He turned his play around for a more solid showing, recording a .967 save percentage during an early week in February of 2017 and being named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week with his 3-0-0 record.
Allen’s professional dreams came true when he won the Stanley Cup as the backup goaltender with the Blues in 2019.
He returned back to Canada in September 2020 after being traded to the Montreal Canadiens, backing up starting goaltender Carey Price. The team’s playoff berth was largely attributed to Allen’s efforts in net, and he was awarded the Jacques Beauchamp Molson Trophy, given to the player who had a notable role during the regular season.
The Devils acquired Allen on March 8, 2024, and he made his debut on the 14th, tallying 35 saves in a 6-2 victory over the Dallas Stars.
With Markström’s injury, Allen is effectively the starting goaltender for the Devils, going 2-1 in their last three games played, now boasting a .903 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average.
Allen has been remarkably solid in the net, making numerous saves on high-danger chances and bailing out his teammates while they battle through a tough stretch.
With Markström out of the lineup, Allen will get the nod in net for the next several games through the Four Nations break, and likely a few afterwards.
The Devils have been able to rely on Allen, and the 34-year-old goaltender continues to be an excellent addition to the Devils’ backend.
