Yahoo Sports Everything You Need To Know About The Devils' Current Goaltending Situation
Isaac Poulter left Utica, New York, around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday and arrived at his destination in New Jersey around 7:00 p.m. By Friday morning, he was on the ice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House with veteran goaltender Jake Allen, preparing for the New Jersey Devils' 11:00 a.m. practice.
A call-up from the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) was required as Jacob Markstrom sustained an MCL sprain and will miss four to six weeks.
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"It is kind of what I expected," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Markstrom's injury. "Maybe a little bit worse in terms of the timeline, but it is what it is. You got to take these things as they come. It is a reality of the league. Pretty much every team deals with it in some form or another."
Poulter has been one of the most important players on the Comets roster, winning four of his last five starts, including his last three.
The 23-year-old carefully packed his hockey bag for the Devils' upcoming two-game road trip against the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers while Allen fielded questions from the media.
"Status quo for me," Allen said. "Nothing changes. We wish (Markstrom) a speedy recovery. He was in good spirits today. But it is a good opportunity for myself to get back in there. I haven't played a ton recently, but get back in there and get into a groove again, it is exciting. I have held every position in this league, so this is nothing new for me, but it is a fun opportunity."
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Of course, Allen will take on most of the workload while his goaltending partner recovers. Regarding New Jersey's backup, Keefe provided some clarity before the team departed for Montreal.
"I think you will see (Nico) Daws come up," he said. "We want to be patient and allow him some time. He will play for Utica this weekend, and then we will look to bring him up here. …You will see Daws here, and he will get some opportunity."
The Comets will play a back-to-back, home-and-home against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25.
The Comets recalled goaltender Jeremy Brodeur from the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL in a corresponding move.
New Jersey will play Montreal on Jan. 25 and Philadelphia on Jan. 27 before returning home to host Philadelphia on Jan. 29. It is worth noting that after the Comets' back-to-back set this weekend, their next game is also scheduled for Jan. 29. Hence, it is likely a Poulter-Daws swap will be made before the Devils next home game.
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