Jacob Markstrom went for the goalie goal, but it turned into the ultimate fail
Photo credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images
Jacob Markstrom's goalie-goal gamble blew up fast, yet the New Jersey Devils still beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 and finally stopped the skid.
New Jersey came in needing any kind of win, and you could feel the tension in every safe chip off the glass.
Markstrom was sharp early and stayed busy late, finishing with 25 saves and a .962 night between the pipes.
The Devils didn't score in the first, but they didn't chase the game either, which is a real change for a group that's been bleeding early goals.
Timo Meier opened it at 5:37 of the second, his 16th, off a rush look that actually had layers instead of hope.
Dougie Hamilton followed on the man advantage at 19:44, his 8th, and Markstrom even grabbed the secondary assist, his third of the season.
Then the third period turned into survival hockey, and St. Louis started throwing pucks and bodies, trying to make it ugly.
Here's the clip that sums up the whole weird finish, straight from X.
With the Blues net empty, Markstrom saw daylight and went for the goalie goal, but the clearing attempt got knocked down immediately.
Pavel Buchnevich pounced and buried it at 18:42, his 13th, turning a would-be highlight into instant dread.
Jacob Markstrom steadies New Jersey Devils after mistake
Devils fans have been so on edge lately that even a win still feels like it comes with a stomach drop.
The key is the response, not the blooper, and New Jersey answered it like a team that actually wanted to close.
Nico Hischier iced it at 19:55 with the empty-netter, his 20th, and you could see shoulders finally lower on the bench.
On the scoreboard, it's simple: the Devils move to 29-29-2, the Blues sit 21-29-9, and the standings math gets a tiny bit less grim.
Markstrom's adventure will get replayed all night, but the bigger story is New Jersey finding just enough structure to win the next one too.
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| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 28|82 ANSWERS Jacob Markstrom went for the goalie goal, but it turned into the ultimate fail Should Jacob Markstrom try the goalie goal again this season? | ||
| Yes | 53 | 64.6 % |
| No | 29 | 35.4 % |
| List of polls | ||