New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s November 7 game against the New York Islanders.
Among the topics addressed by New Jersey’s coach was the importance of keeping the team’s focus on the matchup against the Islanders.
Keefe also praised Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier for their defensive contributions.
Additionally, the Devils head coach admitted that his team lost focus during its last game, which made them vulnerable.
Below is the full transcript of the most notable moments from Keefe’s pregame press conference.
Sheldon Keefe Says the Devils’ Focus Has to Be on Their Game vs. Islanders
Question: Obviously, I know you don’t ever like to look to the past, but the last couple of games here have been really difficult for you.
But I was talking to the guys, and they say we’re just a completely different team in our mentality about how to handle things in, you know, a place like this. What do you kind of see from your group here that’s so different?
Answer: Well, just, you know, the way that we’ve played and the way the guys have talked to each other, the energy of our group. So, like, that’s our focus. We really liked our game the other night, so we’ve got to get back on track there.
This morning is all about our team. We know this is a divisional game against a rival of ours, but the focus has to be on our game. When we play well, as we’ve shown, we can be a lot to handle. So we just want to get back to that, knowing that, you know, it’s a good team on the other side that’s going to play hard.
Q: There have been times when you have, you know, actually mentioned the way guys are talking to each other. What does that mean? Like, what are you saying there? Is it on the bench, in the room?
A: Yeah, all of it, all of it. And it’s, you know, it’s out of the game and things that are happening in the game, but it’s also the banter, it’s the energy. Yeah, guys are on the same page, I guess, is what I would say.
Keefe Praises Luke Hughes, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier’s Defensive Work
Q: Okay, so Luke Hughes has been talking about, you know, how he feels he’s getting more chemistry with Nico (Hischier), with Timo (Meier), how he feels like their game has really come along, especially the last couple games, even though they had a shutdown charge in the middle of the day. What are you seeing out of the trio of them?
A: Yeah, I think they’ve been good. They’ve got the tough matchups for the most part, and they get a lot of their D-zone starts, too. So those are harder for them, but they’ve done a good job. And, you know, we can get more production at five-on-five from all three of those guys, for sure. But, you know, they’re a big reason why our team has played well defensively and given us an opportunity.
Q: And how difficult is it, just from a mentality standpoint, for players? Obviously, they want to get out there, play offense, and put the puck in the back of the net. For them to know night in, night out that against the best teams, their line, you know, does more of the defensive work. How difficult is that for them mentally?
A: Yeah, it is. It’s a challenge. It becomes more of a challenge, really, though, when you guys start asking them questions, you know, or fans start wondering or asking questions because you expect production. It’s about serving the team.
The team is winning games. We’re doing just fine, you know. I’ve talked to some of our guys about that. You can tell they want to score; they’re squeezing a little bit. The team’s rolling just fine, and I appreciate that every one of our guys is serving a purpose to help that happen.
Goals are going to come. Production is going to come and go for different people, and for those guys, their time will come as well. But they’re doing a lot for our team, night in and night out, that helps us win games, which really is what we’re all judged on.
We can have the best stats possible and all that kind of stuff, but if you don’t win, nobody cares. So I think our priorities are in the right place.
Keefe Says Devils Lost Focus in Their Last Game and Became Vulnerable
Question: Broadly speaking, do you think that’s a challenge for coaches in general when trying to implement certain systems, with guys maybe more focused on personal stats versus team wins and playing winning hockey?
A: It’s a great challenge. As I said, a lot of these players have the ability to score. They’re used to scoring. They either have been paid or will be paid based on how much they score. That’s just kind of the reality of the league.
But there are also players who come from winning teams who get paid because they win, contribute, and play well. And winning matters the most. So it’s just a matter of priorities, and I think our group’s had it in the right place.
That’s sort of what I talked about the other night. All of a sudden, you’re in such control of the game, whether it’s 1-0 in the first period but outshooting the opposition pretty significantly, or you’re up 4-1 late in the second or throughout the third, and you’re feeling like, okay, this is the night now. Maybe I can have my night.
And then you start to slip a little bit in the structure. That’s where, as I said, we kind of made our own bed the other night. I feel like we lose focus, and that’s what happens. We become vulnerable.
So it’s a challenge, yeah. All these guys have their own sort of burden to score, and that’s what happens when you have a lot of depth and a lot of skill, a lot of guys who are used to scoring.
As a coach, I have to manage that. But as I said, that’s where the energy and camaraderie of the team, the cohesiveness, the buy-in, are just so vital.
Because then you don’t care about those things as much when your teammates are acknowledging it, coaches are acknowledging it, and they’re celebrating the things that you’re doing that are helping the team win.
And that’s, like I said, what we’re ultimately judged on. So, you know, as we go through it, no matter what the stats look like, I couldn’t even tell you how many goals any of our guys have. It’s just not something that I worry about.
It’s about our team game and how the individual is performing. And I just know that at the end of the season, everybody’s stats are going to look pretty much the way they should.
Sheldon Keefe Sends Strong Message Before Devils vs. Islanders