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Maple Leafs' Sheldon Keefe delivers harsh verdict on his team's loss to Devils
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3, thanks to Nico Hischier's stellar 3-point performance. Despite the Maple Leafs' solid standing as the third seed in the Atlantic Division with a record of 40-22-9, head coach Sheldon Keefe delivered a critical assessment of his team's performance.
Keefe did not hold back in expressing his dissatisfaction, stating:
"Hated lots about our game tonight & hopefully the players hated it just as much or more."
One of the primary areas of concern highlighted by Keefe was:
"Instead of having a strong (second) period and building on it and continuing to do the things that we had done well, I thought we just overdid it."
Furthermore, Keefe pointed out that the mistakes made during the game were not confined to inexperienced players but also involved veteran leaders.
"It was immature from our most experienced players and our leaders, and then our players who are immature — our inexperienced guys — made lots of mistakes," Keefe added.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander reflect on Maple Leafs' loss
The New Jersey Devils dominated the Maple Leafs with a 6-3 victory. Nico Hischier returned with a goal and two assists, while Jake Allen made 42 saves. Despite the Maple Leafs initially outshooting the Devils, they fell behind due to the latter's effective capitalization on mistakes.
New Jersey interim coach Travis Green said:
“Our goalie played phenomenal in the first. The speed and the skill of their team … took us a little while to catch up.”
Jack Hughes had a great game, scoring twice, including an empty-net goal. Timo Meier chipped in with a goal and an assist, while Luke Hughes and Max Willman also got on the scoresheet. Jesper Bratt and Curtis Lazar were pivotal with their assists.
On the Maple Leafs' end, Auston Matthews continued his impressive season with his 59th goal. William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi also found the back of the net for Toronto.
Matthews criticized Maple Leafs' play as a whole and said:
“I don’t think that’s stuff you want to see in your game at this point in the year. We’ve got to make sure we’re dialed in for a full 60 minutes.”
Meanwhile, Nylander said:
“It is rattling. We’re capable of a lot better.”
Even with key players out due to injuries, Toronto still managed to score early in the second period. But then the Devils quickly fired back and kept their lead. Jack Hughes' breakaway goal in the final minutes sealed the deal for New Jersey.
In their next game, the Leafs will play the Washington Capitals.
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