It appears the New Jersey Devils will be without their most valuable player for at least a couple of weeks.
Devils head coach John Hynes told reporters Sunday that star goaltender Cory Schneider has a Grade 1 MCL sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The injury occurred in Friday’s loss to the Dallas Stars, when Schneider slammed his right leg into the post while trying to make a save.
Schneider’s absence comes at a crucial time for the Devils, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.
The team got off to a surprisingly decent start, but has fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and now trail the Detroit Red Wings by six points for the second wild-card spot.
Schneider has put up very strong numbers this year and is currently fourth in the league in goals-against average (2.17) and ninth in save percentage (.923).