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Sheldon Keefe Unlikely to Walk His Comments Back in New Jersey
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe called out his players on Thursday night and unlike in Toronto this he won’t have to walk back his comments.
Unlike in his previous stop with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe does not have to worry about walking back his comments when he is critical of the team, players, or their execution of the game plan.
If you recall, when Keefe was coaching the Maple Leafs, he had to clarify comments about his top players Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares after a loss to the then-Arizona Coyotes. Keefe told the media after the loss, “The difference between us and Arizona is that we have elite players,” he said in the wake of that loss. “And our elite players didn’t play like elite players.”
A few days later, Keefe said, “I used some of the wrong words to try to describe what I was trying to describe, which is that the difference in the game was just, we weren’t able to produce, whether it’s power play or five-on-five. And that’s really the difference, with all the puck time we had. But by no means was I meaning anything beyond that.”
Things Are Slightly Different with the Devils
However, he is not going to have that problem in his new role with the New Jersey Devils. Keefe was trying to keep the top players accountable in Toronto. And we know how things can get taken out of proportion. However, the criticism was fair at the time, and if you look back on it now, Keefe has every right to say what he said and not walk it back.
After losing to the Vegas Golden Knights, Sheldon Keefe channeled his inner Larry Robinson as he let his players know how he felt and what it takes to win in the NHL.
“They have to learn to grow. You have to learn to play in these games. It’s a real team. It’s a real team. It’s a Stanley Cup champion team. And you have to adapt your game. You have to find a way. So you don’t follow the plan, go and execute playing against as good a team as they are, that’s what you get.”
Good teams know what it takes to win in the NHL, especially this time of year. Keefe is not happy that this group that was supposed to get back to the playoffs is still learning how to grow and adapt. The Devils are allowing things to creep into their game from last season and affect the rest of the game.
Good teams do not allow that to happen, as Keefe continued:
We’ve got to grow and adapt. We want to play with these types of teams. Want to play with the best teams and want to play in the playoffs? You have to figure these things out. So it’s not anything to do with caring; it’s about growing and adapting. So that’s really what it’s about for me, especially when you’re missing people.
Will the Devils Step Up After Being Called Out?
So now it is on the players and the top players to execute, even with Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Jacob Markstrom out of the lineup. These comments will not go unheard, nor will Sheldon Keefe have to walk them back.
President and GM Tom Fitzgerald brought Keefe in for a reason. He saw he tried to keep players accountable. He still has some work to do on that, but this is a start. These are the types of comments the top players in New Jersey need to hear.
It went on deaf ears for so many years when Lindy Ruff was there. It is about executing and playing the right way. And Sheldon Keefe was absolutely right in what he said Thursday night.
Next: Insider Talks Goalie Upgrade for Oilers, Vet Open to Joining Team
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