Devils' Jacob Markstrom Posts Abysmal Record in Blowout Loss

The New Jersey Devils suffered one of the worst losses in organizational history during their recent contest against the New York Islanders. The Devils allowed an abysmal nine goals without scoring any, marking the first time in 40 years since the team lost by nine goals or more.

The embarrassing performance falls on the entire Devils team, but one player in particular is facing the brunt of it. Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom stayed in the net for all nine goals scored against the Devils. After the contest, he told reporters how embarrassing the performance was for him and his teammates.

“I mean, that's embarrassing," Markstrom said. "That's all I can say from my part. Nine goals. Yeah, that's a joke … We want to apologize to Devils fans, and I got to be better and stop more pucks.”

It wasn't just an embarrassing performance; it set a new single-game low in one goaltending statistic.

New Low in Goals Saved Above Expected

One of the advanced statistics teams and analysts use to compare and evaluate goaltenders is goals saved above expected (GSAx). Employed across multiple databases and organizations, this statistical model assigns a probability of scoring to each shot on goal. Using that, an expected goal number is generated. That is compared to the actual goals recorded, which show the goals saved above expected.

This statistic has routinely provided insight into the top-performing goalies in the NHL. Last year, for example, MoneyPuck's data on GSAx matches up with how the goaltending shook out in the league. The leader was Winnipeg Jets goalie and Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. Right behind him were two other standouts from last season, Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy and Washington Capitals puck-stopper Logan Thompson.

The Devils received the worst single-game performance of the modern stats era, according to MoneyPuck. Sharing the numbers via social media, MoneyPuck reported that the expected goals-against in the contest between New Jersey and New York was 1.433. With nine actual goals against, that gave Markstrom a new record GSAx of -7.57.

We have a confirmed new worst goalie performance of the modern stats era going back to 2007. https://t.co/dQv1OKwnHP pic.twitter.com/alLuGm2h2U
— MoneyPuck.com (@MoneyPuckdotcom) January 7, 2026

What Should the Devils Do?

The Devils are in a dangerous position. After their recent loss, they sit squarely in the middle of the pack just outside the playoff picture. The Eastern Conference is jam-packed, and the Devils are just three points away from both the final Wild Card position and the last place spot in the conference.

New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstro — Dec 14, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) tends net against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

After the worst goaltending performance of the season, the Devils have to decide what to do. Can they keep this tandem of Markstrom and veteran Jake Allen moving forward or do they need to find outside help?

Markstrom's latest performance indicated change is needed, but the Devils have to take those steps. The goaltending trade market is dead currently, but that doesn't mean that New Jersey must remain idle. If they continue down this path, the Devils will go from on the brink to out of the postseason picture.

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