PRE-GAME MEDIA AVAIL RECAP
NEWARK, NJ. - With an afternoon game and playing on back-to-back days, the Devils did not hold a morning skate. Head coach Sheldon Keefe met with the media. There are no lineup changes but goalie Jacob Markstrom will be in net.
Here’s what else Keefe had to say…
On avoiding effort without result:
It’s a decision and recognition of what’s required. You just have to do it again. We didn’t change anything. It’s just effort, determination, commitment. That’s what it takes. We talk all the time about consistency. That’s really it. I thought yesterday, we talk about our foundation, it’s competitiveness, physicality, structure and then the consistency piece of it. All of that was on display yesterday so, let’s do it again.
On yesterday being a moment of understanding what it takes:
You hope it is. We won’t know until the puck drops and we get a chance to do it again.
On Dawson Mercer on wing:
I think everybody played better because everybody played harder, regardless of position or where you were in the lineup. You can overanalyze those kinds of things. But the team, every area of our game was better because everyone played harder, better and the structure was better when that’s the case. All the things you want to do as a team kind of snaps into place. I do think Mercer plays better as a winger, but I think he’s done a fine job for us in the middle too. The team took care of each other yesterday, or the individuals took care of the team is the way to put it. The structure is better, penalty kill is better, goaltending is better. That’s the way you’re supposed to play.
On Vancouver and their changes affecting preparation:
It becomes a little more challenging. It’s a team we haven’t seen before and with Quinn Hughes not being there. He played half the game and impacted a lot of things when he was there. You’re not quite sure what you can pull. We’re trying to decipher that a little bit. But the guys that they brought in have a lot of skill and speed and they’ll be coming in with lots of confidence, a new opportunity. They’re young guys. They’ll play significant roles here. That’s what we’ll be combating here today. They’ve also been waiting on us here for two days while we were battling hard and competing yesterday. There are challenges there for us. But there were challenges yesterday and our guys met it head on. That’s what I expect today too.
On White’s improvements:
Hard for me to call them improvements. I just think he’s been very consistent. Defensively, he’s been very sound. He’s got a great stick. Positionally he’s been really good. The more and more he plays, there’s been more confidence and assertiveness. He’s played a very smart game. This is a lesson for any player that comes up and is trying to make a name for himself and play in the league, or if you’re down in the minors and you want to play in this league, if you have a great defensive game and play with intelligence and don’t sabotage the game when you’re out there, you can play in the league. That’s what we’re seeing from him. With that he’s showing more confidence with the puck. He made some great plays yesterday that helped us get some goals and move the puck up the ice. I’ve known White a long time. He’s exceeded our expectations. It’s no the back of what I told him when he first got here, I got him what we needed was someone that could go out and keep the play in front of him, keep the puck from going toward our net or in our net. Leave the game in a good place. He’s done exactly that. There couldn’t be a better example for our people down in the minors and wondering why they’re not here. That’s a big part of it. Then your offense can come. And it has for him. He’s not an offensive defenseman, but he’s making some plays that have come through the confidence that he’s earned because of how he’s taken care of the game when he’s out there.
On Markstrom:
When the players in front of the goaltender play better and with better structure, the game becomes a lot simpler and more predictable for everyone on the ice, including the goaltender. I thought Jake Allen was excellent yesterday but he’s not the story of the game. He just does his job. We need Marky to do his job but we have to make it easy on him. Playing goal for the New Jersey Devils for the last stretch of games has not been an easy task. We’re going to focus on the play in front of him. Marky will be just fine.
