Ex-Leafs Coach Sheldon Keefe Offers Up His Typical Excuses After Blowout Loss to Lightning

On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs dominated the Lightning up and down the ice, but then fell flat on their faces on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Conversely, the Lightning traveled to New Jersey for a date with the Devils, shelling the home team 8-5 in their own building.

Sheldon Keefe, who signed a multi-year contract to coach the Devils this summer, was noticeably frustrated with how his well-rested team performed against a Tampa team who had played the night before and dealt with travel. Following the loss, Keefe offered up a list of excuses similar to what Leafs Nation would have been used to hearing during his time in Toronto. Among the issues he pointed out were the team energy, a sloppy breakout, and he even blamed his goaltender, Jake Allen.

By the end of Keefe's tenure in Toronto, fans were fed up with the excuses, the passing of the buck and the poor game planning. As far as his start to his Devils tenure goes, he's not off to a bad start by any stretch of the imagination at 5-3-1 through his team's first 9 games. However, when you consider that they're 3-3-1 since returning from Europe, it tells a more concerning story.

As a head coach, Keefe needs to find ways to motivate his team and instill confidence in them. Call me crazy, but I don't think blaming your goalie for allowing 8 goals in a sloppy effort from the entire team will breed much confidence.