New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom was pointing the finger at himself following one of the worst losses for any NHL team this season.
“That’s embarrassing. That’s all I can say,” Markstrom said after a 9-0 defeat to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. “From my part, nine goals, that’s a joke.”
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe left his top goaltender in for the entire game as slumping New Jersey lost badly despite outshooting its rival 44-24.
But Keefe said he wasn’t keeping in Markstrom to send a message to his goalie, who gave up goals on the first two shots he faced and then a third on the fifth shot. The coach was disappointed with his entire team.
“My thought process on it is I didn’t like the quality of chance we had given up (as the Islanders went up 3-0 in the first period,” Keefe said after the team’s sixth loss in eight games. “Marky has been playing quite well for us and I thought deserved the opportunity to stay in.”
As the game got out of hand, Keefe saw no need to use Jake Allen with another game coming up Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We want to apologize to the Devils fans,” Markstrom said. “I’ve got to be better and stop more pucks. We put up 40-plus shots and they put up what, 20, (and) scored nine. I’m embarrassed for myself and towards my teammates and the team and the fans. It’s not good enough. I’ve got to be better.”
The Devils have been shut out in five games this season and have the Eastern Conference’s worst goal differential (minus-19).
“Giving up nine, that’s flat out embarrassing,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “We’ve got to rinse this as quick as possible and I’m in charge of that. I’m expecting myself to have a big response game the next game and I’m expecting my team to have the same thing.”
