Is Cory Schneider's Rough Start for the Devils Something to Worry About?

NEWARK, N.J. — It took five seasons for Cory Schneider to earn the role of undisputed No. 1 goaltender for an NHL team. He waited patiently through the quagmire in Vancouver and an underserved timeshare in New Jersey before being handed the reins to the Devils this summer.

Schneider signed a seven-year, $42 million contract extension in July, cementing his position as heir apparent to Martin Brodeur.

Yet through six games, Schneider has looked like anything but an elite goaltender.

After allowing four goals on 25 shots in the Devils' 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, Schneider is 3-2-1 with an unimpressive 3.13 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.

None of the goals he allowed Tuesday could be classified as "bad," but he was partially culpable as the Devils squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period and lost in overtime to a division rival.

As a matter of fact, outside of a comically bad goal by Joel Ward and a bad-angle blast by Chris Brown in a game against the Washington Capitals last Thursday, there aren't any goals that can be blamed entirely on Schneider.

That doesn't mean he feels he has been playing his best in 2014-15.

"It's been up and down," Schneider said. "There's been some goals I'd definitely like back, but then at times, I've felt good. Tonight's a game where pretty much the whole game I felt good. We're just finding ways to give up goals. For myself personally, it's been three, four goals a night for a couple games here, for most of the games of the year. 

"Obviously, I'd like to be better and reduce that number. It's hard to say because there are things I like about my game, but pucks are still finding a way in."

Entering this season, the 28-year-old Schneider had the second-best save percentage among regular goaltenders since 2009-10. At .928, only Boston's Tuukka Rask was slightly better over that same time period, according to Hockey-Reference.com.

Right away, it's obvious that Schneider is simply having a rough six games at the start of the season.

A new variable that has entered the equation is the huge contract, although it doesn't start until 2015-16. Schneider is not only now a No. 1 goaltender who doesn't have to fight for starts, but he's replacing a legend.

Schneider says none of that has been a factor.

Goaltender	Contract	Career Sv. Pct*	First Six Games	Season
Cory Schneider	Seven years, $42M	.925	.898	???
Tuukka Rask	Eight years, $56M	.927	.959	.930
Carey Price	Six years, $39M	.916	.932	.905
Corey Crawford	Six years, $36M	.913	.919	.917
Jonathan Quick	10 years, $58M	.916	.907	.902
Roberto Luongo	12 years, $64M	.919	.849	.913

"I don't feel any pressure," Schneider said. "I've always prepared same the way and put the same amount of pressure on myself when I play. This is an opportunity I've been looking forward to. I don't feel any extra pressure."

The one thing that's changed for a goaltender who knows he's taking the crease almost every night is the ever-important routine. Goaltenders are creatures of habit, perhaps more than skaters, so now that Schneider is starting, it's changed how he practices.

A starter will generally do less work on off days than a backup, so Schneider, who alternated starts virtually throughout his entire career, is now counting on coaches to let him know when it's time to come off the ice and save energy for games.

That's perhaps the biggest challenge, learning a new routine after five years of doing things a certain way.

"I'm prepared and trying to stay on top of things and work and get better," Schneider said. "But there are adjustments for me too playing a lot more, knowing when to push it or pull back. There are going to be some things that I need to get used to, not working on my game as much, not practicing as much, trying to feel as sharp as I can when I'm in net most nights.

"I have to listen to what people around me are saying, what my body says."

Schneider might feel a bit better if his teammates weren't having so many breakdowns and taking so many penalties.

Of the 18 goals allowed by Schneider, seven have come while the Devils have been short-handed. The Devils' penalty kill is ranked 27th at a ghastly 72.4 percent. This is a situation in which Schneider has excelled.

Last season, Schneider's .923 four-on-five save percentage was tops among goaltenders to play 200 such minutes. This season, the mark has slipped to .811.

Only the Bruins (32) have had to kill more penalties than the Devils (29) this season.

Inexperience on the blue line and flat-out bad decisions from veterans have also conspired to make Schneider look worse.

Damon Severson is a rookie, and Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas are beginning their second NHL seasons. While Severson (plus-12.64 percent) has been splendid at even strength this year, Merrill (minus-2.95 percent) and Gelinas (minus-8.21 percent) have been getting annihilated in relative Fenwick close.

"We've got a young group on the back end there," Schneider said. "We're trying to sort through it here, but we'll get better. Right now, there's certainly some learning going on between me and the defensemen and just as a unit playing together."

Veterans haven't been immune to gaffes. Marek Zidlicky had what could be considered one of the five worst turnovers in NHL history Tuesday, backhanding a puck into the slot that was intercepted and eventually placed into the net by Rick Nash to make it 3-3.

Zidlicky has solid possession numbers (plus-13.24 percent relative Fenwick close), but 38-year-old Bryce Salvador has a relative Fenwick close of minus-20.73 percent.

Salvador leads the team (and the NHL) with five minutes and 29 seconds of short-handed ice time per game, but has looked a step slow while being on the ice for all seven power-play goals the Devils have allowed this season.

Those mistakes have been endemic through six games, as odd-man rushes and poor coverage have been rampant.

Still, there's something to be said for having a $6 million goaltender capable of pushing across to stop a 25-foot one-timer from Chris Mueller or finding a way to stop Kevin Klein in a one-on-one situation in overtime. 

It's one thing to keep bad goals to a minimum, but elite, No. 1 goaltenders are required to make more of the difficult saves than the average netminder.

History shows Schneider will make more of those stops as the season progresses, but it wouldn't hurt if the Devils cleaned up their game in front of him as well.

Statistics courtesy of NHL.com, Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com and war-on-ice.com. Contract information courtesy of CapGeek.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.