The New Jersey Devils are set to face the New York Rangers tonight in a crucial Game 7 matchup, and it appears that Akira Schmid may get the nod to start.
Schmid has been fantastic for the Devils in the previous three games, stopping 80 of 82 shots and helping his team secure three consecutive victories.
However, in Game 6 on Saturday, the Rangers were able to solve the problem Schmid presented. They scored five goals on 29 shots before he was ultimately pulled from the game.
Despite this rough outing, Schmid has been a bright spot for the Devils throughout the playoffs. His overall success in this series may lead the team to stick with him in Game 7.
At just 22 years old, Akira Schmid has shown an impressive level of poise and skill in the net, and he will be looking to bounce back after Saturday's disappointment. With the season on the line, the Devils will need Schmid to be at his best if they hope to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
The Rangers, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their Game 6 success and ride that momentum to a series victory. It should be an intense and exciting matchup, with both teams leaving it all on the ice in a winner-take-all scenario.
As the puck drops tonight, all eyes will be on Akira Schmid and his ability to rebound from his last outing. If he can recapture the form he showed in the previous three games, the Devils will have a strong chance of emerging victorious and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Akira Schmid making waves in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils
Akira Schmid is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender for the New Jersey Devils.
He was selected by the Devils in the fifth round of the 2018 NHL entry draft. Prior to joining the Devils, Schmid played most of his youth and junior hockey in the SCL Tigers system in Switzerland. He then moved to North America to play for the Omaha Lancers and Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL for three seasons.
Schmid made his NHL debut on 11 December 2021 against the New York Islanders, becoming the first goaltender to debut in the NHL directly from the USHL.
In the 2022-23 season, he recorded his first career NHL win on 10 November 2022, in a 4-3 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators. He also recorded his first NHL shutout on 25 February 2023, in a 7-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.