What has happened to Cory Schneider?
It was another rough performance last night for the Devils’ starting goalie. Schneider allowed five goals on 32 shots in a 5-1 loss to Nashville. His save percentage is now .904 for the season, better than only two regular starters in the entire league, Kari Lehtonen (.894) and Petr Mrazek (.899).
The season actually started as expected for Schneider, whose career save percentage of .923 is second to only Tuukka Rask’s .924 among active goalies with at least 100 starts. In October, Schneider finished with a .941 save percentage, right up there with the league leaders.
But right from the start of November, things started to go south. He finished the month with an .893 save rate. So far in December, it’s at .881.
“My reads and my instincts that I feel are right haven’t been right on some shots,” Schneider told reporters after last night’s loss, per NorthJersey.com.
With seven straight losses, the Devils, who started so surprisingly well, have seen their record fall to 12-13-7. And stuck in the Metropolitan Division, they sit 10 points back of a playoff spot.
“We know what our identity needs to be to sustain success. We’ve won a few games, 5-4, 4-3, chasing teams down from behind, but that’s not the recipe we want to live by every game,” Schneider said earlier this month, per NJ.com. “We know, I know, I have to tighten things up. I have to make one more save a game.”
The Devils host Philadelphia tomorrow.