Goaltending plays a significant role in a team';s success over an 82-game
season. The New Jersey Devils had their fair share of ups and downs in between
the pipes in 2017-18. Their team save percentage (SV%) at five-on-five varied
from .930% through the season';s first month to a league-worst .894% from Jan.
1 to Feb. 13. They will need more consistent performances from Keith
Kinkaid and must have a healthy Cory Schneider for a consecutive playoff berth
 in 2018-19.Schneider Looking to Get Back on Track

Schneider had a strong start to 2017-18. He had a .923 SV% at all strengths and
 a .932 SV% at five-on-five in his first 28 games played. He compiled a 17-6-4
record during that span and helped the Devils climb into one of the top spots
in the Metropolitan Division.

There was a notable downturn in Schneider';s play after the turn of the
calendar, though. He had a .863 SV%, including a .915 SV% at five-on-five, over
 his last 12 appearances. The Devils were 0-10-2 in those contests and didn';t
get a victory in a game started by Schneider until their playoff series against
 the Tampa Bay Lightning.New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider is looking to
bounce back from a second straight disappointing season (Photo by Eric
Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Schneider won';t admit it, but injuries could have played a part in his
second-half struggles. He missed a month-plus with a groin injury and was still
 out of form when he returned at the beginning of March. He also had offseason
surgery to repair torn cartilage around his hip, an injury that first flared up
 in 2016-17. Schneider hopes the procedure will get him back to playing at a
high level.

"In consultation with trainers and doctors, and just some of the other issues I
 had going on in that area, we felt by fixing this, it could hopefully, make me
 feel better, and give me more mobility that I kind of forgot I';d had over the
 last year or two," Schneider told Chris Ryan of NJ Advance Media. "But sort of
 settle everything else down and kind of put everything else in equilibrium in
terms of how things are feeling. The doctor went in, did a great job and he was
 pretty happy with it, saying that it was a pretty good idea to get it done. He
 was pretty excited about how I should feel coming off of it."Devils Need
Consistency from Kinkaid

As strong as Schneider was to the start year, Kinkaid topped it in his final 20
 games. He posted a .932 SV%, which was fourth-best among goalies with a
minimum of 500 minutes played. He also had a .938 SV% at five-on-five, which
was sixth-best among goalies who logged 500 minutes or more. Kinkaid finished
that stretch with a 15-3-1 record. Without that performance, the Devils
would';ve likely missed the playoffs.

While Kinkaid was fantastic for the Devils down the stretch, his season didn';t
 come without its struggles. He finished his first 21 games played with a .891
SV% and a .893 five-on-five SV%. Those numbers don';t usually give you an
11-7-2 record, but the Devils managed to get by with their offense.Keith
Kinkaid needs to find more consistency in 2018-19. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)

Kinkaid will be called upon early with Schneider expected to miss the start of
2018-19 due to his surgery. He can';t afford to start with a .891 SV% because
it could put an end to the Devils'; playoff hopes in the first part of the
season, especially in a division as competitive as the Metropolitan.

The main issue for Kinkaid is finding consistency. He';s not as bad as his
first 21 games, nor is he as good as his final 20 games. He has a .912 SV% for
his career, which is .001 below where he finished for the season. The Devils
will take that, but it has to be less of a rollercoaster than it was in
2017-18.Related: Keys to Devils'; 2018-19 SuccessSchneider';s Health Key for
Devils'; Long-Term Success

If the Devils want to make a deep postseason run, they will need a healthy
Schneider. Kinkaid got them to the playoffs but had just a .804 SV% in two
starts. Meanwhile, Schneider appeared in four games and posted a .950 SV%. The
Devils fell in five games to the Lightning, but Schneider gave them a fighting
chance in each of his appearances.

The Devils don';t need Schneider to post a .920 SV% or above over a full slate
of starts. They also can';t afford for him to finish with an SV% below .910 for
 a third straight season. New Jersey was fortunate Kinkaid played his best
hockey when they needed it most. They might not be as lucky next time around
and is why they need Schneider healthy. If he can give the Devils an SV%
between .915-920, they should be in good shape.A healthy Cory Schneider is a
must have for the 2018-19 New Jersey Devils. (Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports)

Great goaltending can mask a team';s flaws just as much as poor goaltending can
 drag down a team';s strengths. The Devils don';t want to be in the latter in
2018-19. They can only benefit from Schneider returning healthy and performing
close to his first half of 2017-18. If Kinkaid can give them consistent league
 average numbers as Schneider';s backup, it';ll be a big boost to their
postseason chances.*    *    *Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick

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