It's becoming abundantly clear that the New Jersey Devils have wasted a tremendous season by Cory Schneider.
NHL scores 2015: Schneider blanks Penguins, Blackhawks continue surge
Neither Cory Schneider or Chicago show any signs of slowing down.
Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports
That was never more apparent than on Tuesday, when Schneider helped the Devils take advantage of a wounded Penguins team in a 2-0 shutout win. That was his fifth shutout of the season, good enough for seventh best in the NHL.
And that's just where his stats start to impress. He ranks fourth in goals against average (2.16) and second in save percentage (.929) while shouldering one of the heaviest workloads in the NHL. Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby might surpass him in minutes and starts, but only Holtby's numbers stack up with Schneider's. And Schneider is playing on a significantly worse team.
Schneider has been everything the Devils wanted him to be when they traded a first round pick to Vancouver for him two years ago. He’s a workhorse of the highest caliber, capable of keeping the Devils competitive in games they have no right to be in. It’s sort of a shame that his season will go unnoticed, buried beneath the narratives of goalies on teams more fortunate than his.
Scores
New Jersey Devils 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Ottawa Senators 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT)
Buffalo Sabres 2, Boston Bruins 1 (SO)
3 things we learned
1. Chicago is surging without Patrick Kane.
Losing the NHL's leading points man (at the time) was, while certainly not a death blow, at the very least a significant loss for the Blackhawks a few weeks ago. No one expected them to go on a run immediately afterwards, but that's exactly what they've done. After a big win against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, Chicago is 7-1-1 since losing Kane. It's just more proof of how loaded the Blackhawks are: in Kane's absence, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Corey Crawford have all stepped up their games. Meanwhile...
2. The Isles are stumbling.
For whatever reason, Long Island's crew is struggling to keep pace atop the Eastern Conference. Their loss in Chicago on Tuesday means they've gone 1-4-1 over their last six games, including the last four, their longest such streak of the season. Coincidentally, Nick Leddy has been absent for that same stretch. But is their recent run of form really due to one lost defensemen, or is it a sign that the team is regressing after a tremendous two-thirds of the season?
3. Andrew Hammond is unstoppable right now.
The upstart Ottawa Senators netminder keeps winning at a remarkable rate. The 27-year-old rookie made 35 saves in the Senators' overtime win in Carolina, extending his record to 11-0-1. That mark ties Hall of Famer Frank Brimsek's record of starting his career with 12 consecutive games with less than three goals allowed. It's an impressive feat, made even more so by the fact Ottawa is just four points out of the Wild Card race.
Impact Moment
Kyle Turris can dance, and he tangoed his way to a pretty game-winner in overtime for Ottawa.
Stat of the Night
Blake Wheeler killing it this month. In 6.5 March games: 5 goals, 10 pts, 2 game-winners. Literally carrying the Jets through playoff drive.
— Mike Halford (@HalfordPHT) March 18, 2015 Post to Post
- The Sabres and Bruins couldn't stop running into teammates.
- San Jose's night in Winnipeg was embarrassing.
- Finally, Seth Jones broke up a breakaway chance with his head!
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