A team beset by injuries had both William Nylander and Auston Matthews provide goals, but their lackluster defensive play and inattentive attention to detail, combined with some shoddy goaltending from Joseph Woll, brought the team to an early defeat.
The Leafs got things started and took a 3-2 lead at one point, but they were unable to outscore their opponent. Before New Jersey extended their lead, a razor-sharp Jake Allen kept them at three.
Toronto first appeared to be quite dangerous. Within the opening minute, goalie Jake Allen turned away an A+ opportunity that William Nylander set up for John Tavares, setting the tone for an aggressive, fast-paced game. Shortly after, Tyler Bertuzzi scored on Allen by breaking in alone after Max Domi uncorked a fantastic stretch pass for him. Bertuzzi used a cunning move to get underneath the defenders at the offensive blue line.
Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils which dropped the team’s record to 40-22-9.
Sheldon Keefe On where the game went off the rails after a strong first period:
Instead of having a strong period, building on it, and continuing to do the things we did well, I thought we just overdid it. It was just really immature all the way through our game. I thought it was immature from our most experienced players and our leaders.
Our players who are immature — who are inexperienced guys — made lots of mistakes today. In the first period, Bobby McMann gives up a 2-on-1 and doesn’t do his job there. On another, Holmberg and Knies get caught on one goal. And our fourth line with Kampfer out there.
Our third and fourth lines gave up goals in the second period. Top and bottom, in the second period, it is not good enough. You are playing against a team that is among the most dangerous teams in the NHL offensively. They want to play the game like that in terms of countering and getting behind you.
Jack Hughes got two breakaways. You are not winning the game if that is going to be the case.
I hated lots about our game tonight. Hopefully, the players hate it just as much or more than I do.
On whether this is viewed as a one-off:
It has happened a lot for our group over the years, and I am talking about the experienced people. That came back tonight.
The game invited it, right? There are 25 shots. Everyone is feeling great. You have lots of puck touches. You think it is going to happen again if you stick with it.
I don’t know if anyone has ever gotten 75 shots in a game before, but I don’t think it happens. Usually, things adjust and the opposition pushes back. The game kind of tidies up a little bit.
I just thought we got incredibly sloppy and careless. That is disappointing.
It hasn’t been us (lately). We haven’t played that way for quite some time. I thought our guys got a little too excited and carried away. We will tighten it back up really quickly.
On what he is looking for from his leadership group in a game like this:
They have to be the example. John Tavares has been the example for us. He has been outstanding for us for a long time. He himself got carried away tonight. That is our captain. If that is going to happen, the rest of our bench is just making it up as we go.
When you do that, you open up the door for the opposition to have a good night. They did that.
The last goal at the end of the third period is indicative of our second and third periods.
On Joseph Woll’s performance:
You can’t let in the first shot of the game. That is two in a row now. But the chances we gave up tonight were egregious. There are lots of issues in front of him.