Mackenzie Blackwood and Ondrej Palat will each be out long term for the New Jersey Devils.
Blackwood, a goalie, will be out 3-6 weeks with an MCL sprain. He was injured in the second period after allowing two goals on 18 shots at the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 3. Vitek Vanecek made 18 saves in relief in a 4-3 win.
Vanecek will make his second straight start when the Devils host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday (7 pm ET; MSGSN, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW). Akira Schmidtrecalled from Utica of the American Hockey League on Saturday, is expected to be the backup.
Goalie Jonathan Bernier (hip) hasn’t played this season and remains on injured reserve.
“Bernier continues to progress but he’s not ready to play right now, so right now our second goalie would be Akira Schmid,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.
Blackwood played 25 games (24 starts) last season because of a recurring left heel injury. He is 4-2-0 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in seven games this season. Vanecek, acquired in a trade with the Washington Capitals on July 8, is 5-1-0 with a 2.21 GAA and .908 save percentage in seven games (five starts).
New Jersey (9-3-0) has won six straight games for the first time since March 27-April 7, 2012.
Palat, a forward, will be out 8-10 weeks. He had groin surgery Nov. 1 and was said to be out indefinitely. He has missed the past six games and has three goals in six games this season.
“He’s 8-to-10 weeks but I think if you saw him in the gym, he would argue with that statement and look at me like I’m crazy but that’s where he’s at,” Ruff said. “So let’s hope that he can put that through fruition.”
Palat is in the first season of a five-year, $30 million contract ($6 million average annual value) he signed July 14 after playing his first 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He has 426 points (146 goals, 280 assists) in 634 games and helped the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, and reach the Cup Final last season.
“Here’s a guy who’s won a couple of Stanley Cups and almost won a third and although he’s been out for a little period of time, he was within days, back in the gym, saying to everyone else that when I get back here I’ll m going to be ready and be ready to make a difference and, in the meantime, other players have stepped in and he’s there by their side,” Ruff said. “I’m pretty sure he’s giving tips and lending advice to forward (Fabian) Zetterlund and defenseman (Kevin) Bahl.”
NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
.