Sachem East alum Keith Kinkaid made his first career NHL start in goal for the New Jersey Devils earlier this week.
He had to face NHL studs Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in a shootout and lost to the Blackhawks in overtime, but played a strong game and drew praise from the opposing team.
“Early on, he was playing pretty well,” Toews said of Kinkaid to NHL.com. “We threw some shots at him, and I think, if anything, we built his confidence up a little bit throughout the game. Nowadays, even backups are strong, and you have to make their job as tough as you can.”
“They are top guys in the NHL,” said Kinkaid on NHL.com. “Obviously I was a little too far out on the Toews one, I wanted to get the leg out, and then Kane has a great set of hands. You never know what he is going to do.”
Added Kinkaid: “You want to get the win for the team, so it’s a little tough. I hate the shootout anyway, so they are big points, and we are fortunate to get one.”
Kinkaid has played in parts of four games with the Devils in his career, including three this season. He made his NHL debut during the 2012-2013 season.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro