Devils Postgame
Overtime Bites Devils, Again; Keefe Winless Against Maple Leafs in 2024-25
Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils are swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024-25, losing 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.

In the last meeting of the season between the New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs, it was the first time head coach Sheldon Keefe would return to Toronto since last season.
The Devils couldn’t get the job done in their first two meetings with Toronto. As a result, Keefe was still seeking his first win against his former club. New Jersey remained short one of their top scorers. Stefan Noesen did not travel and remained in New Jersey with an illness.
The Devils recalled reinforcements Thursday morning.
SOURCE: Devils Expected to Recall Leading AHL Scorer
Following puck drop, some fans didn’t even make it to their seats from the pre-game concessions before the Devils got on the board. Johnathan Kovacevic intercepted a failed clearing attempt by the Maple Leafs at their blueline. The 6-foot-5, 220-lb defenseman lobbed the puck through the slot, where it landed on the stick of Jack Hughes. Hughes faked left, and backhanded the puck on the backhand, right side and in to give the Devils an early 1-0 lead.
The second period started similarly to the first period. However, it was in reverse. The Maple Leafs opened the middle frame controlling the puck, outshooting the Devils 5-1 in the opening six minutes.
And although New Jersey registered a shot on goal, it was too low of quality to even be considered a scoring chance. On Toronto’s sixth shot of the period, William Nylander finished a one-time sequence to tie the game at one goal apiece.
Moments later, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was whistled for a tripping call on Devils captain Nico Hischier. New Jersey went to their second power play of the evening, and made Toronto pay. On the man advantage, the Devils controlled the puck in Toronto’s end of the ice. The puck landed on Hischier’s stick after an offensive zone cycle, the Devils captain found ice to gain ground, and ripped a wrist-shot past Joseph Woll to regain the lead, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead. Hischier’s 21st goal of the season was also his seventh power play goal of the year, which matches his career-high in 2022-23.
The third period centered around the special teams on both ends of the ice.
Auston Matthews drew a tripping penalty on Jonas Siegenthaler seven minutes and change into the third period. The Maple Leafs captain followed that with his 16th goal of the season, tying the game at two.
The Devils soon after received a power play of their own, and Hischier scored his second power play goal of the night, setting a new career-high in power play goals in a season by registering his eighth.
For the third time in regulation, however, the Devils surrendered their lead when Matthews scored his second goal of the game, this time at even strength.
The Devils required overtime for the fourth straight game.
As quickly as the extra frame started, it was over just as fast. At 1:10 of overtime, a poor line change left Nylander all alone at the Devils’ blueline. Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner recognized the Devils miscue, fired the puck up-ice, and led Nylander for a breakaway. The Swedish forward bested Jacob Markstrom for the second time Thursday night, and the Maple Leafs’ first lead of the game was the overtime winning goal.
The Devils have dropped three of their last four contests in overtime.
Markstrom made 37 saves on 41 shots against the Maple Leafs. Toronto outshot the Devils 41-24 in 60-plus minutes. Jack Hughes collected three points (1g, 2a).
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