Devils Fans Disappointed in Akira Schmid After NHL Playoffs Game 2 Loss to Hurricanes

Third-string New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid is beginning to look like a third-string goaltender.

Schmid was pulled for the second straight game Friday night as the Carolina Hurricanes dominated in a 6-1 Game 2 win. The Canes lead the second-round series 2-0.

Things fell apart for Schmid and the Devils in the second period. Schmid, who completed their first-round series with a 31-save Game 7 shutout of the New York Rangers on Monday, allowed four goals on 25 shots. The final tally came after he whiffed a poke check on Seth Jarvis. Carolina retained the puck, and Martin Necas scored.

Regular-season Devils starter Vitek Vanecek took the net for the start of the third period.

In Round 1 against the Rangers, Vanecek started the first two games but was replaced by Schmid after a pair of losses in which he allowed nine goals. The Devils recovered and played well in front of Schmid to earn three straight wins, allowing just two goals.

Now, Devils fans are wondering if it is time for another goalie swap to spark a similar recovery.

Devils fans could not put all the blame on Schmid. The Hurricanes steamrolled the Devils. New Jersey struggled on everything from zone entries to getting back fast enough to prevent odd-man rushes and was unable to threaten even on a brief two-man advantage in the first period.

It was similar to the kind of frustrating domination Devils fans saw by the Rangers in the first two games of the first round.

After two brutal losses in Raleigh, the Devils need a spark as the series swings back to Newark. Given that Schmid was never expected to be the starting goaltender heading into this postseason, it makes sense that the team would go with Vanecek for Game 3.

He also struggled Friday, however. Vanecek allowed two goals in a span of 54 seconds during the third period as the Canes racked up a five-goal lead.

The Devils will have to make a difficult decision for a critical Game 3 before the puck drops Sunday at 3:30 pm ET.