This is a new era of Devils hockey, and that’s thanks to head coach Sheldon Keefe.
On May 23, 2024, general manager Tom Fitzgerald secured the former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach as the 21st head coach for the Devils franchise.
There were rumblings and hopes that Keefe would bring a new spark to this young Devils team, and he did just that.
After finishing the 2023-2024 season without a playoff berth and finishing in a demoralizing 23rd place, Keefe’s addition was necessary.
The New Jersey Devils currently hold a record of 26-15-4 coming into the second half of the season. Although they struggled as of late, particularly on the six-game road trip, Keefe does not appear to be deterred.
Keefe has been what this Devils group has been missing. Since Keefe’s hiring, the Devils are second in the Metropolitan division and sixth in the league.
Another area of struggle for the Devils last season was winning games at home. Now? The Devils ride a six-game winning streak in their den.
Part of the reason for Keefe’s success with the team is his belief in the players’ ability to execute to their full potential.
In their recent overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Keefe sent out four forwards on the power play, substituting Dougie Hamilton for Stefan Noesen. Hamilton was defended well by the blue line, and Keefe knew he needed to shake things up. So, he sent someone with a strong net-front presence, and he was not disappointed. Noesen scored his first career overtime winner, executing on the man advantage flawlessly.
“It felt like there would be opportunities for the puck to get inside there, and felt like [Noesen] is the guy,” Keefe said post-game on Jan. 11. “That’s what he does so well and better than most in the league.”
Another big reason Keefe could send four forwards out? Jack Hughes.
Jack Hughes has massively developed as a player, largely due to head coach Sheldon Keefe. Hughes started off his career with tremendous skill and swift movements. A shifty player from the start, Hughes dominated the ice offensively, making silky plays in the offensive zone and finding the back of the net with ease.
Keefe saw his potential and decided he could do one better. Jack Hughes is now an all-around star. Hughes has become a reliable offensive-defensive player, making big plays on the back-check and bailing out his teammates in desperate situations. Hughes now not only leads the top power-play unit, which sits third in the league at 28.3%, but is in regular rotation for the penalty kill, which remains in the top ten. The evolution of his play has largely contributed to the success of the Devils team.
Keefe spoke about the importance of building up the team and strong two-way players.
“It’s the little battles that happen inside the structure, that happen all over the ice that are so important,” Keefe said at practice. “The wall play, the execution in those combative situations when you’re under pressure [is] something we’ve worked on since day one of training camp.”
The development of the individual players is mainly due to the accountability that Keefe has instilled in the team.
Following the tough stretch of losses after the Christmas break, Keefe let his team know that they need to be performing better, with the standards expected of them.
After a frustrating loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Keefe stated the Devils’ second and third periods were “two of the worst periods of the season.” Despite the losses, the morale of the Devils group is reportedly high, with intense practices and necessary accountability checks after a tough stretch of games.
Belief from the top down has been what this Devils team has been missing.
Recognizing that teams go through bad stretches during great seasons, Keefe has confidence in the group moving forward.
“We’re off to a pretty good start, finding ways to get two points against Tampa, but we know we’ll be put to the test this entire week,” Keefe said.
Sheldon Keefe will look to lead his Devils group on a winning streak as they prepare to take on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, Jan. 14, followed by Keefe’s return home to Toronto on Jan. 16 as the Devils face off against the Maple Leafs.
