When Jacob Markstrom arrived in New Jersey in June 2024, the Devils fans were elated to be able to call the star goalie their own. And the Swedish star didn’t let them down. In the subsequent months, Markstrom proved to be a goalie on whom the Devils could depend. However, while the latest clash with the Boston Bruins proved to be a disaster for Jacob, the fans aren’t losing their minds.

The Bruins’ Justin Brazeau crashed into the Devils’ goalie in the first period of the game on January 22, sending the latter flying into the net. Jacob was seen to be clearly in pain and after some difficulty, was able to skate off the court by himself. However, New Jersey has two matches on the road in the coming days, and Jacob’s absence could be a pivotal point for the team looking to retain its third spot in the Metropolitan division. But knowing how tough Markstrom is, fans aren’t all that worried.

Jacob Markstrom will have to watch the action from the sidelines for some time

The official New Jersey Devils account took to X on January 24 to update the fans on the goalie’s MCL sprain situation. “Goaltender Jacob Markstrom underwent imaging on Thursday, which indicated an MCL sprain. He will be out approximately four to six weeks,” reads the post, before noting that he could still be available for the Four Nations tournament in February. The social media update also highlighted that Jacob is looking to bounce back from his misfortune soon, “He will begin a rehab program under the guidance of the Devils’ athlete care staff.”

After Markstrom carried himself off, Jake Allen was called in to hold the fort against the visitors at the Prudential Center on Wednesday. With Allen protecting the goal, the Devils managed to defeat the Bruins 5-1 to end their 4-match losing streak. Naturally, the replacement goalie was happy with the unexpected opportunity that came his way.

“Status quo for me. 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,” Jake said in the post-match interview.

The Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe also said that such injuries are part and parcel of the game, and need to be handled head-on. “It is kind of what I expected. 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,” Keefe said about Jacob’s injury. The fans, who are all too familiar with such situations, also seem to share the HC’s unfazed mentality.

The New Jersey Devils fans aren’t about to lose their minds just yet

For athletes in all sports, an MCL sprain is nothing to berserk over. And one fan didn’t forget to remind everyone of that. “Encouraging update. Could have been much worse,” commented the fan under the Devils’ X post, underscoring that these things come and go, and aren’t worth much of a headache. Maybe this fan’s talking about how Markstrom has to take time off due to an injury and not because of getting suspended like Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers star has been facing a lot of flak from the fans because of his actions against the Canucks last Sunday. Thankfully, the Devils goalie isn’t in the same league.

Another fan-run page is instead thankful that the Four Nations will be beneficial for a change, cutting short Markstrom’s absence from the ice rink. “That’s not as bad as a tear and folks forget the #nhl is shut down for 2 weeks for that stupid   – so technically he’s missing 4 weeks,” the comment read, while other fans are looking for blood for the fate that has befallen their goalie. “time to go after the bruins guy,” one fan calls to take up arms. Just a joke, we hope!

But as they say, one person’s good luck could be another person’s nightmare. While one fan is looking at the Four Nations break as a great opportunity for Jacob to get back to full strength, another fan is heartbroken because of the very same thing. “I bought tickets to see marky in the 4 nations faceoff… And season over :(,” the fan is justifiably feeling the blues. But could this be the opportunity for New Jersey to test out the waters with their next possible goalie? One fan put forth the thought in the comments section, “hopefully poulter can come in and play a few and do ok.”

What do you reckon? Who do you suspect will be guarding the goalpost for the Devils against the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers in the next four days? Tell us below!