New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen was the star of the show in Philadelphia yesterday in the Devils’ 4-3 loss to the Flyers.
Allen has solidified his role as the backup goaltender heading into this season. In tandem with Jacob Markstrom, the Devils’ crease is well covered.
There was uncertainty around Allen’s future with the team this offseason. Allen was an unrestricted free agent after playing 31 games for the Devils last season.
On July 1, the first day of free agency, Allen signed a five-year, $9 million contract—a remarkable deal for the Devils. With a tough goaltending market league-wide, the Devils were able to lock in the veteran for what looks like a steal of a contract.
When he signed, Allen spoke with the media and NHL.com, sharing that staying in New Jersey was always his top option.
"I think from the get-go at the end of the season, the ideal world would be to find a way to get something to work with Jersey and it took a little bit of time," Allen said. "Obviously, it's the business. There's no ill will. It's just business and we found a way to make it work. And obviously, for my year-and-a-half, I guess, spent with the Devils, opened my eyes, really, to something that little bit unsure of coming in.”
The goaltender has appeared several times this preseason. He started in net last night against the Flyers and faced plenty of action in front of him.
In the first period, Allen stopped 11 shots and allowed one goal. In the second, he stopped 10 more and held the Flyers to just one in the frame. Midway through the period, he robbed Flyers star Matvei Michkov of a goal with a quick glide from post to post to keep the game tied. In the third period, he stopped 11 of 12 shots. He took the game to overtime, where the Devils eventually fell in a shootout.
The loss didn’t outshine Allen’s performance. Following the game, his teammates had high praise when speaking with the media.
“He’s been outstanding the whole preseason,” Rooney said. “It’s been a pleasure playing in front of him. He’s a goalie that’s been around a long time, so we’re lucky to have him.”
Colliton added, “His presence back there is calming to the group. He made some big saves for us when it got scrambly. He was really good.”
Allen and the Devils will now turn their attention to the regular season, where they’ll look to make a deep playoff run. The team will kick off their season on the road in four days against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Allen seems more than ready. After the game, he spoke about how the workload helped him prepare for opening night:
“It’s always a better thing to have more than less, to be honest," he said. "It’s good for me to get my feet going, get a sweat, get a full game in, and get ready for next week.”