Devils 4, Islanders 0: A necessary response

The Devils bounced back in a big way against the Islanders to keep themselves (somewhat) in the hunt for a playoff spot.

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A few notes following New Jersey’s shutout victory over New York:

There’s a first for everything

Do you believe in miracles? You should because we saw the unthinkable on Sunday evening. That is, of course, the Devils recording a shutout win.

Between subpar goaltending, ill-timed defensive lapses, and an inability to score the first goal – let alone prevent one from happening all game – the Devils have not kept a clean sheet all season long. Very rarely have they even come close.

Kaapo Kahkonen pulled off such a feat against the Islanders and was full value for it. He stopped all 36 shots he faced, shaving more than four goals off New York’s expected total – and often making it look effortless.

Kahkonen was excellent in every aspect of the game. He was tracking pucks well and managed to get a limb on everything, even when fighting through traffic. His rebound control was strong as well; Kahkonen ate up several shots where he couldn’t even see the initial save he was making.

He also cut off angles well, moved well on some excellent side-to-side stops, didn’t bite on fakes, and he made key saves in crucial situations.

Whether it was helping the Devils survive a couple early penalty kills, or preventing them from allowing a back-breaking goal while up two players, he gave the Devils every opportunity to get their feet underneath them and find their game. He also allowed the team to gain real separation in a game that was much more competitive than the score suggested.

Kahkonen has now stopped 71 of 76 shots since joining the Devils, which equates to a sparkling .934 save percentage. I thought he was a terrific buy-low addition by Tom Fitzgerald but he has been even better than advertised thus far.

TEAMo Meier stepped up