Each week, the NHL announces its “three stars of the week.” The stars named for the week ending March 13 included first star Vladimir Tarasenko, right wing from the St. Louis Blues, Vincent Trocheck, center from the Florida Panthers and goaltender Keith Kinkaid of the New Jersey Devils.
Kinkaid had a week worthy of the honor. He went 2-0-0, had a 0.48 goals against average and a .981 save percentage. One of the games, at San Jose, resulted in his second career shutout. He had a shutout streak of 98 minutes, 31 seconds that lasted through the second period of the Devils’ game in Los Angeles on Saturday.
In the San Jose game he made 30 saves and then another 22 in the LA game.
Kinkaid, a 26-year-old native of Farmingville, New York who grew up an Islanders fan, but idolized the great Martin Brodeur, had a rough outing versus the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, March 6. After that 6-1 loss, in which many of his teammates have said he put too much pressure on himself, he spoke with former Devils goaltending coach Jacques Caron. Caron served as a mentor for Marty Brodeur and helped Kinkaid through the rough patch. He has been mostly brilliant since taking over the number one position for the Devils when Cory Schneider went down with a knee injury at Dallas on March 4.
According to a press release on the Devils website, Kinkaid’s career numbers include a 13-11-5 record in 37 appearances (7-6-1 this season). He owns a 2.44 goals against average and a .911 save percentage this season as well with two shutouts.
Congratulations to Keith Kinkaid on this honor!