Devils’ Sheldon Keefe has no interest in obsessing over loss to Avs: ‘Trash can unopened’

DENVER — Sheldon Keefe won’t be watching this one again.Neither will his coaches. The analytics report won’t get much attention, either.“It’s going to go immediately to the trash can unopened,” the Devils coach said.That was Keefe’s response to Wednesday’s 5–2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, a night when the Devils spent too much time chasing the game before it finally got away from them.Their four-game winning streak is over. So is their run of outshooting every opponent through the season’s first 12 games.FOLLOW ANTHONY CORONA ON X: DEVILS REPORTER AND ‘SPEAKING OF THE DEVILS’ HOSTSUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL NOW: IT’S FREE!Colorado doubled them up 44–22 and scored four times in the third period. New Jersey fell to 8–5-0.It wasn’t good. But after the way the Devils had been playing, Keefe wasn’t about to treat one ugly night as proof that everything had fallen apart.“The team has played so well that I believe they’ve earned the right to push past this one,” he said.The schedule caught up to themThe Devils went from a 5-1 win in Dallas to the second half of a back-to-back in Colorado against a rested Avalanche team.That was always going to be a difficult assignment.Connor Brown’s shorthanded goal gave New Jersey the 1-0 lead, and the Devils were still tied 1–1 after two periods. Goalie Jake Allen was a major reason they had a chance. Colorado put 21 shots on net in the second period alone. “They did to us tonight what we’ve been doing to teams,” Brown said. “Keeping speed, keeping momentum, outskating teams. They outskated us tonight.”By the third, Colorado had worn them down.“Our team played really hard tonight and gave us everything they had,” Keefe said. “Clearly, we didn’t have enough tonight.”Devils moneyline is listed at -103 on Kalshi for Friday’s game versus the Golden Knights. Also, make sure to visit our guide to the best sportsbook promos to shop for competitive odds.Power play needed to change the gameThe Devils went 0-for-3 on the power play, including a brief five-on-three late in the second period when the game was tied at 1.A goal could have given the Devils a lead heading into the third instead of asking Allen to keep holding everything together.This was the kind of night when special teams needed to provide a lift.Keefe pointed to the process and the unit’s underlying numbers, but acknowledged the part that matters most.“It’s right at the top of the league in most statistical categories, but no results, and we need results,” he said.The Devils have too much talent for the power play to keep going empty. The Devils have converted on 17.5% of their power plays, ranking 23rd in the NHL.Keefe put Anthony Mantha and Dougie Hamilton out during the abbreviated five-on-three. When I asked about the change, he said fatigue and the limited time remaining drove the decision.“We thought we needed some shooters out there,” he said.Whether that combination gets another look remains to be seen.Jake Allen gave them a chanceThe final score doesn’t tell the story of Allen’s night.For two periods, he kept the Devils within reach while Colorado piled up shots and offensive-zone time.He acknowledged he should have stopped the second goal. “I thought Jake was great for us,” Brown said. “He gave us a chance going into that third.”Allen wasn’t interested in letting the loss swallow the progress that came before it.“You can’t beat yourself up over a loss, especially after how well we’ve been playing,” he said.Connor Brown supplies a positiveBrown scored both Devils goals, adding a late one after Colorado had taken control.Before the game, Keefe again emphasized how important Brown’s return has been, both on the ice and as another voice in the room.Cody Glass sees it every day.“He’s one of those guys who’s constantly working hard, no matter if he’s on the first line or the fourth line,” Glass said. “He can play any role you want to throw at him.”The goals were a deserved reward on an otherwise frustrating night.Vegas becomes the responseMORE BY ANTHONY CORONAConnor Hellebuyck delivers in Devils debut as New Jersey makes a statement in DallasOct. 28, 2026, 11:49 a.m.Connor Hellebuyck brings a buzz to Devils ... but when will he debut?Oct. 27, 2026, 11:23 a.m.A win on Friday against the Golden Knights would give the Devils four points from this three-game trip. That would still be a good result against difficult competition.The important part now is making Colorado a one-off.“There’s an energy in our room right now that, to be honest, I probably haven’t seen since I’ve been here with the Devils,” Allen said.Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.