Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe discusses blueprint for the season
The new bench boss of the New Jersey Devils Sheldon Keefe believes the team has what it takes to get back to their winning ways and will compete hard.
The New Jersey Devils were expected to be one of the top teams in the NHL last season, but unfortunately, the team failed to make the playoffs. The team fired legendary head coach Lindy Ruff and replaced him midway through the season with Travis Green. Green only played out the rest of the season before he was signed this summer by the Ottawa Senators to be their coach next season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up dismissing their coach Sheldon Keefe after the team failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs yet again, losing to the Boston Bruins. The Devils ended up seeking out Keefe to be their new coach, and he happily agreed.
Sheldon Keefe left Toronto as the 5th winningest coach in franchise history with a 212-97-40 record and will now have the tough task of getting the Devils back on track and into the playoffs.
«With the players, there's a real culture and expectation of winning here. They're very disappointed with what happened in the past. All through the organization everyone feels that way," Keefe said. "There's been an absolute full commitment on all levels by everyone I've interacted with to get it right and get back on track right away. But the belief has never wavered within the organization. I think there's tremendous belief there.»
«There are a lot of elite teams in the NHL at generating and producing offence, the New Jersey Devils certainly are one. We'll continue to lean in on that. That's a big part of who we are,» he said. «The foundation of any successful team is the ability to defend its net and keep pucks out of its net ultimately. That will be a major priority and focus for us. It's got to be a big part of our identity. It's got to be difficult to get to our net and get to our goaltenders. We have a lot of belief in our goaltenders.»
«There are a lot of elite teams in the NHL at generating and producing offence, the New Jersey Devils certainly are one. We'll continue to lean in on that. That's a big part of who we are,» he said. «The foundation of any successful team is the ability to defend its net and keep pucks out of its net ultimately. That will be a major priority and focus for us. It's got to be a big part of our identity. It's got to be difficult to get to our net and get to our goaltenders. We have a lot of belief in our goaltenders.»
The good news is that Sheldon Keefe joined the Devils back in May, so he had all summer to prep his strategies and get ready as best as he could for the new season. The Devils definitely have the skill on their roster, but all they need is someone who can adequately guide them. Hopefully, Keefe is the answer.
Source: Hockey Feed
Sheldon Keefe lays out game plan for Devils
| POLL | ||
Will Sheldon Keefe guide the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs next season? | ||
| Yes | 40 | 67.8 % |
| No | 19 | 32.2 % |
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