Sheldon Keefe spent the previous four-plus seasons training the Toronto Maple Leafs in an try to lead the group to its first Stanley Cup identify since 1967.
In a while after Toronto fell within the first spherical of the playoffs remaining spring, he used to be unemployed. About 3 weeks later, the New Jersey Devils employed him in hopes that he may just assist them rebound from a irritating season.
To this point, Keefe is off to a excellent get started together with his new group. The Devils will attempt to make it 3 instantly victories Thursday night time once they host the Maple Leafs of their first sport on house ice in Newark, N.J.
Keefe posted a 212-97-40 document with Toronto after taking on for Mike Babcock 24 video games into the 2019-20 season. The Maple Leafs handiest complex previous the primary spherical in 2022-23, and Keefe used to be fired in a while after the group’s Sport 7 loss to the Boston Bruins in Would possibly.
“I do not even know,” Keefe mentioned on Toronto’s The FAN Hockey Display Tuesday in an try to downplay dealing with the Maple Leafs. “The Leafs are coming in, and it is a nice probability. Let’s get proper at it right here.”
The Devils are in the hunt for their first 3-0-0 get started since successful their first 4 video games of the 2018-19 season and are coming off a couple of cast performances towards the Buffalo Sabres remaining weekend in Prague. New Jersey trailed for roughly 4 mins all over the second one length of Saturday’s 3-1 win when it used to be the house group, and gained a objective in each video games from new addition Paul Cotter whilst goalies Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen blended to make 47 saves.
“Everyone knows, to get that win could be large,” New Jersey captain Nico Hischier mentioned about Keefe dealing with the Maple Leafs for the primary time. “Everyone has this little further motivation in themselves, needless to say, house opener, we all know he used to be training that group for some time so, we unquestionably will have to be pumped up for that sport.”
Toronto heads into the stumble upon towards its former trainer after a irritating 1-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night time. The sport used to be the Leafs’ first below new trainer Craig Berube.
The Maple Leafs have been not able to get the win regardless of taking 48 pictures on objective towards goalie Sam Montembeault. The trio of latest captain Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Taveres blended for 16 pictures on objective in a sport through which the Maple Leafs had 25 pictures blocked through the Canadiens.
“We did sufficient to attain and put ourselves in a greater place, however the puck did not cross in,” Matthews mentioned. “There have been a large number of excellent issues we will be able to remove from the sport. It is Sport 1. You’ll love to get off to a miraculous get started and win the primary sport, however there have been issues we will be able to construct on.”
But even so the lack to attain, the Maple Leafs are coping with some uncertainty in objective.
Joseph Woll used to be not able to start out because of a lower-body damage after complaining of tightness in observe on Tuesday. Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves, and Dennis Hildeby may just make his NHL debut Thursday after being referred to as up on an emergency foundation to switch Woll.
–Box Stage Media
