But after posting uncharacteristically poor numbers for an unusually long period of time, Schneider has kicked off the new year in such a way that gives New Jersey reason to hope for a playoff push down the stretch.
It's only been two games, but the Devils could not have asked for a better performance out of Schneider:
Date
Opponent
Result
Shots Against
Save %
Jan. 2
Bruins
W 3-0
22
1.000
Jan. 3
Hurricanes
W 3-1
30
.967
The back-to-back wins were the first recorded by Schneider since early November, a month in which he posted an .893 save percentage, a number that dropped to .887 in December.
The Devils sit six points back of a wild-card spot, and recognize Schneider must be at the top of his game in order to remain competitive.
Ben Lovejoy calls Cory Schneider "our superstar." "He is our best player."
Schneider's season save percentage sits at .908, well down from his career average of .923. A few more strong performances will help balance that out even further, and give the Devils a fighting chance moving forward.
With all due respect to Carter Hart and Connor Ingram, who, remember, are children playing in a world juniors tournament the north takes a little bit too seriously, they've been hilariously bad for Canada over the past week and change.
We've looked at Hart's and Ingram's individual numbers. It's when you look at them combined - Canada's goaltending numbers overall - that you realize how bad they've been.
The pair has allowed 11 goals in five games. On the surface, based on simple arithmetic, not bad. But those 11 goals have come on 87 shots. That's an .873 save percentage. Only Latvia's goaltending has been worse. (Latvia!)
And yet, Canada's 4-1 and will play for a spot in the finals Wednesday. Ingram will be in goal, and he must be better.
Yes, the reality is the country's teenagers are really good, always have the puck, and can get by with below-replacement goaltending, but Canada's issues in the crease - never more apparent than this year - are hurting the team at the world juniors.
Math don't lie
From 2002 through 2011, Canada's kids won five golds and five silvers. Dominant. And that's not really surprising, based on the talent Hockey Canada's had to work with over the years - talent that includes some of the best in the NHL, and boasts Olympic gold medals and a World Cup title. You can call them "best-on-best" tournaments if you like, but it's Canada vs. the world - and Canada's coming out on top.
But back to the kids. Fact is, Canada's been winning in spite of its goaltending for a while. In 2009, the last of Canada's five gold-medal finishes in a row, starter Dustin Tokarski had a .906 save percentage - fourth among starters. Tokarski, in other words, has Cody Hodgson, John Tavares, and Jordan Eberle - the tourney's top three scorers - to thank for his hardware.
The medals have dried up, though. Canada has one gold (2015) and one bronze (2012) to show for its last five world juniors. And while that's going to happen when the country isn't sending its best players (Connor McDavid) to the tournament every year, it means goaltending matters that much more.
The numbers from the crease, though, over the past 10 years - and especially the last five - are for the most part downright unCanadian:
Year
SV%
Rank
2017
.8736
9th
2016
.8595
9th
2015
.9375
1st (Gold)
2014
.8857
6th
2013
.8956
6th
2012
.9312
2nd (Bronze)
2011
.9010
8th (Silver)
2010
.9058
4th (Silver)
2009
.9149
2nd (Gold)
2008
.9497
1st (Gold)
Even the strong numbers, most recently from 2015 and 2012, are deceiving.
In 2015, it was the dynamic duo of Zachary Fucale and Eric Comrie in the crease. Fucale never posted a save percentage higher than .907 in junior, and is now in the ECHL. Comrie can't crack .910 in the AHL.
In 2012, Mark Visentin and Scott Wedgewood split the duties. Vistentin got into one NHL game and is in the ECHL today, while Wedgewood has played five games outside of the AHL (four in the NHL and one in the ECHL) in the past four years.
Visentin and Olivier Roy were on duty in 2011, when Russia stunned Canada in the gold-medal game 5-3 after being down 3-0. Visentin stopped 22-of-27 shots in the final. Roy plays in Austria.
Make Canadian goalies great again
While goaltenders certainly - and rightfully - take a lot longer to marinate, you have to go back a ways to find a Canadian world juniors goaltender who is now a legitimate No. 1, or has spent time as one in the NHL:
Jake Allen (2010)
Martin Jones (2010)
Jonathan Bernier (2008)
Steve Mason (2008)
Carey Price (2007)
Devan Dubnyk (2006)
Marc-Andre Fleury (2003, 2004)
Roberto Luongo (1999)
That's not bad, from 2003 through 2008. Even through 2010. Especially considering, again, what an inexact science finding a good goalie is. But you'd think Canada would be better.
Hilariously enough, Dubnyk didn't see any world juniors ice in 2006. He was Justin Pogge's backup, as Pogge finished with a .952 save percentage and a gold medal. Pogge's a .900 goaltender in the KHL today, while Dubnyk is a Vezina Trophy contender. Goalies are the weirdest.
Mason's the last Canadian to be named best goalie at a world juniors tournament, in 2008. On that year's team were: Drew Doughty, Luke Schenn, P.K. Subban, Claude Giroux, Brad Marchand, Wayne Simmonds, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, and Kyle Turris.
Going back all the way to 1999, we're not looking at an overly impressive number of Canadian goalies who have gone on to big things in the NHL. Hell, Dubnyk backed up Pogge.
Yes, the ones who made it big have very much made it big. Price and Luongo are Hall of Famers, Fleury's got rings, and Allen and Jones have proven themselves. But based on the talent Canada produces on defense and up front, its goalies have been left behind.
Goalies matter more than ever
It's getting harder and harder to score. The players - even the teenagers at the world juniors - are bigger, stronger, and faster. Think about it: McDavid, Patrik Laine, and Auston Matthews are all eligible to play in this year's tournament. Goalies are already of utmost importance, and are only going to become more important. Canada needs to make better ones.
The Maple Leaf remains the world's utmost hockey power. The 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the World Cup proved that. No age restrictions, and Canada will destroy all comers. But there's a reason why the under-20 squads have fewer medals to show for their annual year-end tournament, and it leads back to the crease.
When it comes to goalies, the world's not only caught up, it's surpassed Canada. See you at the summit.
With all due respect to Carter Hart and Connor Ingram, who, remember, are children playing in a world juniors tournament the north takes a little bit too seriously, they've been hilariously bad for Canada over the past week and change.
We've looked at Hart's and Ingram's individual numbers. It's when you look at them combined - Canada's goaltending numbers overall - that you realize how bad they've been.
The pair has allowed 11 goals in five games. On the surface, based on simple arithmetic, not bad. But those 11 goals have come on 87 shots. That's an .873 save percentage. Only Latvia's goaltending has been worse. (Latvia!)
And yet, Canada's 4-1 and will play for a spot in the finals Wednesday. Ingram will be in goal, and he must be better.
Yes, the reality is the country's teenagers are really good, always have the puck, and can get by with below-replacement goaltending, but Canada's issues in the crease - never more apparent than this year - are hurting the team at the world juniors.
Math don't lie
From 2002 through 2011, Canada's kids won five golds and five silvers. Dominant. And that's not really surprising, based on the talent Hockey Canada's had to work with over the years - talent that includes some of the best in the NHL, and boasts Olympic gold medals and a World Cup title. You can call them "best-on-best" tournaments if you like, but it's Canada vs. the world - and Canada's coming out on top.
But back to the kids. Fact is, Canada's been winning in spite of its goaltending for a while. In 2009, the last of Canada's five gold-medal finishes in a row, starter Dustin Tokarski had a .906 save percentage - fourth among starters. Tokarski, in other words, has Cody Hodgson, John Tavares, and Jordan Eberle - the tourney's top three scorers - to thank for his hardware.
The medals have dried up, though. Canada has one gold (2015) and one bronze (2012) to show for its last five world juniors. And while that's going to happen when the country isn't sending its best players (Connor McDavid) to the tournament every year, it means goaltending matters that much more.
The numbers from the crease, though, over the past 10 years - and especially the last five - are for the most part downright unCanadian:
Year
SV%
Rank
2017
.8736
9th
2016
.8595
9th
2015
.9375
1st (Gold)
2014
.8857
6th
2013
.8956
6th
2012
.9312
2nd (Bronze)
2011
.9010
8th (Silver)
2010
.9058
4th (Silver)
2009
.9149
2nd (Gold)
2008
.9497
1st (Gold)
Even the strong numbers, most recently from 2015 and 2012, are deceiving.
In 2015, it was the dynamic duo of Zachary Fucale and Eric Comrie in the crease. Fucale never posted a save percentage higher than .907 in junior, and is now in the ECHL. Comrie can't crack .910 in the AHL.
In 2012, Mark Visentin and Scott Wedgewood split the duties. Vistentin got into one NHL game and is in the ECHL today, while Wedgewood has played five games outside of the AHL (four in the NHL and one in the ECHL) in the past four years.
Visentin and Olivier Roy were on duty in 2011, when Russia stunned Canada in the gold-medal game 5-3 after being down 3-0. Visentin stopped 22-of-27 shots in the final. Roy plays in Austria.
Make Canadian goalies great again
While goaltenders certainly - and rightfully - take a lot longer to marinate, you have to go back a ways to find a Canadian world juniors goaltender who is now a legitimate No. 1, or has spent time as one in the NHL:
Jake Allen (2010)
Martin Jones (2010)
Jonathan Bernier (2008)
Steve Mason (2008)
Carey Price (2007)
Devan Dubnyk (2006)
Marc-Andre Fleury (2003, 2004)
Roberto Luongo (1999)
That's not bad, from 2003 through 2008. Even through 2010. Especially considering, again, what an inexact science finding a good goalie is. But you'd think Canada would be better.
Hilariously enough, Dubnyk didn't see any world juniors ice in 2006. He was Justin Pogge's backup, as Pogge finished with a .952 save percentage and a gold medal. Pogge's a .900 goaltender in the KHL today, while Dubnyk is a Vezina Trophy contender. Goalies are the weirdest.
Mason's the last Canadian to be named best goalie at a world juniors tournament, in 2008. On that year's team were: Drew Doughty, Luke Schenn, P.K. Subban, Claude Giroux, Brad Marchand, Wayne Simmonds, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, and Kyle Turris.
Going back all the way to 1999, we're not looking at an overly impressive number of Canadian goalies who have gone on to big things in the NHL. Hell, Dubnyk backed up Pogge.
Yes, the ones who made it big have very much made it big. Price and Luongo are Hall of Famers, Fleury's got rings, and Allen and Jones have proven themselves. But based on the talent Canada produces on defense and up front, its goalies have been left behind.
Goalies matter more than ever
It's getting harder and harder to score. The players - even the teenagers at the world juniors - are bigger, stronger, and faster. Think about it: McDavid, Patrik Laine, and Auston Matthews are all eligible to play in this year's tournament. Goalies are already of utmost importance, and are only going to become more important. Canada needs to make better ones.
The Maple Leaf remains the world's utmost hockey power. The 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the World Cup proved that. No age restrictions, and Canada will destroy all comers. But there's a reason why the under-20 squads have fewer medals to show for their annual year-end tournament, and it leads back to the crease.
When it comes to goalies, the world's not only caught up, it's surpassed Canada. See you at the summit.
The 23-year-old forward was claimed off waivers by the Vancouver Canucks from the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, marking his third NHL club since Dec. 2, with an AHL stint thrown in for good measure.
He was waived by the Devils a day after being claimed because another team - presumably Vancouver - had also put in a claim. In order to be assigned to New Jersey's AHL club, he had to once again be exposed, giving the Canucks another chance to scoop him up.
Boucher, a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2011, has recorded 12 goals and 18 assists in 85 NHL games.
Ten years ago Wednesday, Patrik Stefan made NHL infamy.
The former Dallas Stars and Atlanta Thrashers forward was a first overall pick of the now-Winnipeg Jets in 1999, but he'll forever be more widely remembered for an on-ice blunder that both cost his team a sure goal and led to an opposing one.
In the waning moments of regulation with the Stars leading the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Jan. 4, 2007, Stefan had a golden opportunity to seal the victory with an empty-netter ... when this happened:
The Stars ended up winning in a shootout, but let's be honest, no one remembers that.
Thanks to a largely forgettable career and Stefan's status as one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history, the misplay will continue serving as a microcosm of his pro-hockey tenure, although multiple concussions and a slew of other injuries undoubtedly impacted his ability to perform at a high level.
Stefan was out of the NHL after that 2006-07 season, playing three games in the Swiss league in 2007-08 before hanging up his skates.
“I enjoyed the career I had,” Stefan said. “I had almost 500 (NHL) games. It wasn’t the career I wanted to (have), but I got to play in the NHL. I think people forget it’s really hard to make it to the NHL, and it’s even harder to stay there.”
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.
Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Wednesday, Jan. 4 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Triple Threat
LW Matthew Tkachuk (26K), C Mikael Backlund (40K), RW Michael Frolik (36K), Flames (vs. Avalanche): Calgary has gone 6-4-0 in its past 10 games, and Colorado enters with four straight losses and just one win in its past 10 games. Calgary's second line has a Corsi For percentage of 57.74, while Colorado ranks third-last in the league at 46.44 as a team.
LW Michael Raffl (26K), C Claude Giroux (62K), RW Jakub Voracek (72K), Flyers (vs. Rangers): The Rangers are coming off a Tuesday loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and they're likely to switch to backup Antti Raanta in net after G Henrik Lundqvist's poor performance in the first half of the back-to-back. The Flyers have lost four in a row, but they rank seventh with 3.15 goals per home game.
LW Jussi Jokinen (45K), C Nick Bjugstad (35K), RW Reilly Smith (44K), Panthers (vs. Jets): The Jets are also on the second half of a back-to-back. They scored six goals in Tuesday's win but still allowed four. The second line has only recently been assembled, but the three ranked second, sixth and eighth in Panthers scoring last season while mostly playing together.
Bargain Plays
C Devin Shore (25K), Stars (vs. Canadiens): Shore plays on the fourth line at 5v5, but he centers the Stars' second power-play unit, while being flanked by Ws Jiri Hudler and Patrick Eaves. The Canadiens' penalty kill ranks just 19th in the league, and they've provided the fifth-most power-play opportunities. They could take more penalties on the second half of a back-to-back.
D T.J. Brodie (26K), Flames (vs. Avalanche): Brodie picked up two goals and five assists in December, his most productive month of the season to date. He hasn't registered a shot on goal in four consecutive games, but he topped 23 minutes of ice time in three of the four. He works on the top power-play unit for the Flames and faces an Avalanche team with the 25th-ranked penalty kill.
RW Mikko Rantanen (27K), Avalanche (at Flames): Rantanen cooled off in December after notching 10 points in November, but he scored in his first January game, while tallying three SOG against the Vancouver Canucks. He remains on the right side of his team's top line, playing with LW Gabriel Landeskog and C Nathan MacKinnon.
Top Fades
D Dustin Byfuglien (46K), Jets (at Panthers): Byfuglien scored on his lone shot on goal Tuesday, snapping a six-game goal-less streak. He has played six back-to-backs this season and picked up just two assists in the second halves.
C Rickard Rakell (42K), Ducks (vs. Red Wings): The Ducks have shaken up their forward lines with Rakell and RW Corey Perry now skating with C Antoine Vermette. While Rakell scored seven goals in December and has 16 on the season, he relied heavily on the playmaking abilities of C Ryan Getzlaf. Vermette is a pass-first center, but he's far from Getzlaf's caliber.
RW Shane Doan (40K), Coyotes (at Canucks): Doan should be a minimum-salary player, but his name value is keeping him more expensive. He picked up an assist on New Year's Eve, but he doesn't have a shot on goal in consecutive games and has just two points dating back to Dec. 10. He has played just 13 minutes in each of his past two games. Wednesday's good matchup isn't enough.
Contrarian Options
LW Sven Baertschi (40K), Canucks (vs. Coyotes): Baertschi plays on just the third line at 5v5, but he operates the point on the top power-play unit. The Coyotes have the second-worst penalty kill in the league, having allowed 33 goals on 130 power-play opportunities.
C Markus Granlund (41K), Canucks (vs. Coyotes): Granlund doesn't have a point in his past five games, but he continues to receive quality opportunities. He's on the second line at 5v5 and on the second power-play unit, and he has played more than 18 minutes in three of his past five games. Wednesday's matchup against the Coyotes' porous defense will provide a boost.
D Keith Yandle (42K), Panthers (vs. Jets): Yandle recorded just one goal and six assists in December, and he hasn't scored in five straight games. He does have assists in each of his past three, with his two most recent coming on the power play. The Jets' penalty kill ranks 28th in the NHL, and they allow the second most opportunities.
The veteran forward is in the final year of his contract with the last-place club, and, in advance of Wednesday's return to his long-time hockey home of Calgary, Iginla admitted he'd be open to waiving his no-movement clause in order to join a team with postseason aspirations.
"Yeah, I’d consider it," he said Tueday, per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun. "I’d love to be in the playoffs and have that chance."
A chance at winning the Stanley Cup before he retires is what Iginla is referring to, of course. It's a goal he hasn't been as close to reaching since a 2004 final appearance with the Flames, and one he'd love to add to his Hall of Fame resume.
"That’s still the dream, and I think it’s still possible," he added "I would love to. I tell you, I’d really appreciate it. I realize over all the years how many good things have to come together and how fortunate all the people that win it are.
"So yeah, I’d love to do that. I still think it’s possible. All I can do is just keep playing and you keep trying to get better."
Iginla has managed only five goals and four assists in 37 games this season, and hasn't appeared in a playoff game since signing with the Avalanche in 2014.
Winners of 16 straight following a 3-1 win Tuesday over Edmonton, John Tortorella's team continued to pile up goals and hold the opposition at bay in a way that leaves no doubt in regards to how good this team really is.
Since the win streak began Nov. 29, Columbus has scored 62 goals, second only to Pittsburgh (67). At the other end of the ice, the Blue Jackets have allowed only 27 goals against in the 16 games, five fewer than any team.
That amounts to a goal differential of 35, meaning an average of 2.2 goals per game over the course of the streak.
A big part of that has been the play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who's started 14 of the 16 games and held down the fort with sparkling numbers.
Bobrovsky stretched win streak to 14 games w/ .941 SV% and 1.64 GAA. It's tied for 2nd-longest win streak in #NHL history (6th time). #CBJ
In short, everything is clicking in Columbus these days, and the first-place Blue Jackets can tie an NHL record with their 17th win in a row Thursday against Washington.
