The New Jersey Devils will roll with Jake Allen on Tuesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, and the move has been controversial.
The biggest controversy about the reason to start Allen is clear: it denies Connor Hellebuyck a chance to play against his old hockey team in his first game back in Winnipeg since the Jets traded him to New Jersey.
New Jersey’s general manager Sunny Mehta’s excuse on the matter was even more questionable.
Why is that?
Per NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest, Allen’s numbers against Winnipeg haven’t been good. Van Diest wrote, “Allen, 36, is 9-11-3 with a 3.18 GAA and .884 save percentage in 24 games against Winnipeg. The 11 regulation losses are the most he’s had against any NHL team.”
While the Jets haven’t been very good in 2026-27, they have been heating up over their last three games. They have outscored opponents 15-9, a run that started late in the third period in their epic comeback win against the Montreal Canadiens.
Not only has Allen posted questionable numbers against Winnipeg, but he is also facing a team that has recently shown it can score four goals in under three minutes.
Sure, it is technically a mystery how Hellebuyck would fare against the Jets, since he has never played them. But no other goaltender in the NHL knows the Jets better than Hellebuyck. Knowing this, paired with Allen’s below-average history against Winnipeg, makes Tuesday’s decision even more mind-boggling.
Devils’ Goaltending Decision Raises Questions Ahead Of Jets Game
Allen’s performances against the Jets don’t even factor into the way both he and Hellebuyck have played this season. Allen is going into Tuesday with an .881 save percentage, a .320 GAA, zero shutouts, and a .444 quality starts percentage.
Starting him against Winnipeg would have made more sense if the Jets were still struggling to score goals. That was the case during their nine-game losing streak when opponents outscored them 37-16. But this team is heating up now.
Meanwhile, Hellebuyck hasn’t lost in a Devils uniform. His 5-0-0 record alone would have raised the stakes. Hellebuyck also recorded his first shutout as a Devil on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Through his first five games, Hellebuyck has posted a 1.96 GAA and a .913 save percentage.
Hellebuyck Playing Against A Hot Jets Team Would Have Been Must-See Hockey
The Devils are firmly entrenched in a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division. The Jets are looking to climb their way back into the hunt. Still, the circumstances surrounding this game would have made for an even higher-stakes storyline.
Hellebuyck would have carried a 5-0-0 record since the trade into Winnipeg before facing his old team. The Jets, who struggled through the back half of October, were heating up just in time to have faced Hellebuyck.
Instead, fans will watch Jake Allen take his sub-.500 career record against the Jets into Winnipeg. Regardless of what happens on Tuesday night, this is a game both fan bases will remember as what could have been between New Jersey and Winnipeg.
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