If there’s one thing head coach Sheldon Keefe was adament about on Tuesday after a 3-0 shutout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, it was his system isn’t the New Jersey Devils‘ issue. Instead, he threw the onus on his star players, and the teams mental toughness.
“I don’t believe it’s a system issue, not even for a second,” Keefe insisted. “I mean, I’ve been coaching for 20 years. I think anybody who’s ever played for me or coached with me on my staff knows how I see the game and what I look for and what I like and our players and our team.”
With two games remaining before the NHL pauses its season for the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Devils had a prime opportunity this week to put themselves in a position to have a fighting chance at the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the NHL season resumed at the end of February.
It’s already off to a horrible start.
Defending home ice on Tuesday, it wasn’t the several posts New Jersey hit that made the difference. According to Keefe, it was the way the team withered against a divisional opponent.
“We can’t find a way to get a quality scoring chance and make good on it,” Keefe said. “You don’t make enough plays, you’re not going to get your offense. So then we’re just hanging around. We had a couple of sequences in the second period, I’d like back, but through two periods, we’re fine. [Jacob] Markstrom made some saves. We just wilt in the third period, we just wilt. That’s really it. That’s just not good enough.”
Keefe didn’t pull punches, clearly frustrated after the loss to Columbus. The Devils head coach firmly believes his team lacks an important element.
Mental toughness.
It’s partially mental toughness. We’re not, we’re not mentally tough enough. Clearly. These are critical moments in our season.
“You gotta find a way to make a play. Get yourself a lead and get going,” Keefe continued to exclim. “Well, okay, you don’t, don’t wilt. You gotta stay with it. It’s you know. You know? Get to overtime, get the extra point. I said it a lot last season, andit’s shown up again. Whether it’s mental toughness and conditioning, physical toughness and conditioning, we’re wilting in these situations. And that’s just… it’s not a good sign.”
No one registered a point on Tuesday.
However, Keefe is looking at the bigger picture. He started by praising the play of his young players who are trying to make a difference.
Lenni Hämeenaho and Simon Nemec were two names Keefe drew as a highlight.
“I can think of a couple of sequences here tonight,” Keefe said. “You know, Nemec one time comes with a bunch of speed. Wheels to the net, gains the middle of the ice, carries the puck trhough the neutral zone, gains the entry, makes a play. We get a good shot. At the start a third period, [Hämeenaho] takes the puck, makes a move, lowers the shoulder, takes it across the crease, attacks the net, gets a scoring chance, draws a penalty. Those are plays we just don’t have enough of those, like our guys are not taking advantage of the puck time that we have individually, collectively.”
Asked if Keefe felt the New Jersey’s stars need to offer more, and the answer was a resounding yes, while recognizing the absences of Luke and Jack Hughes.
“Yeah, I mean, those guys need to make plays,” Keefe asserted. “They’re getting the minutes. They gotta make a difference. And they know this. I’m not saying that they don’t know. They feel it, they know it, but that’s just the reality. That’s where it’s that’s where it’s at. Probably our two best at their positions, our two best offensive play drivers in terms of Luke and Jack are not in so other guys got to find a way. We just need more of it.”
Dougie Hamilton’s 10-game, 12-point streak came to an end two games ago. Otherwise, the Devils’ top guys such as Jesper Bratt (2g, 1a in the last five games), Nico Hischier (3g, 1a in the last five games), and Timo Meier (1g, 1a in the last five games) are targets in Keefe’s crosshairs.
Dawson Mercer as well, with just two points in his last seven games.
The Devils play once more before the Olympic break when the host the New York Islanders on Thursdsy. An Islanders team, by the way, that won in overtime on Tuesday to widen the point gap between them and New Jersey to 10.
It feels like the shutout loss to the Blue Jackets is the nail in the 2025-26 Devils coffin. Another no-show on Thursdsy could very well bury the casket.
