HC Sheldon Keefe makes feelings known after Nico Hischier-less NJ Devils' 4-2 loss to Flyers

NJ Devils coach Sheldon Keefe reflected on the team's 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.

The Devils were without captain Nico Hischier, who returned to New Jersey for evaluation after suffering an undisclosed injury during Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Canadiens.

Keefe pointed out that their special teams struggled against the Flyers, emphasizing that their four-minute power play was particularly ineffective and detrimental to their performance.

"Didn't hate our start at all. the power play killed us, four-minute power play was our worst of the season, and it sucked the life out of our game," he said.

He also praised Jake Allen, who stepped in for the injured Jacob Markstrom, stating that he provided the team with a chance to make a comeback. Allen made 22 saves.

"Yeah, Jake gave us a chance to come back in the game, but too little too late for the rest of our group."

When discussing the team's execution without Hischier, Keefee expressed disappointment over their inability to effectively break out of their zone.

"Couldn't get it on the breakout. So that was a challenge. Execution was off and then didn't adjust to put it in behind and go work to get it. Nothing to do with Nico the puck wouldn't even touch his stick on any of those breakouts, since our regular guys couldn't get us through," he added.

The Devils coach credited the Flyers for their strong defensive play, noting they outperformed the Devils in all aspects of the game.

How Philadelphia Flyers downed NJ Devils

On Monday, the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the NJ Devils at Wells Fargo Arena.

Bobby Brink opened the scoring for the Flyers after giving them a 1-0 lead on the power play at 11:04 of the first period. Less than 30 seconds later, the Flyers increased their advantage to 2-0, thanks to Joel Farabee's strike.

Garnet Hathaway scored early in the second period, giving the home team a 3-0 lead. With less than two minutes remaining in the second period, Dougie Hamilton scored for the NJ Devils, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

In the final period, Timo Meier scored to bring the New Jersey Devils within one goal. However, a late strike from Scott Laughton in the empty net sealed a 4-2 victory for the Flyers.

Laughton, Travis Konecny and Rasmus Ristolainen accumulated two points in the game while goaltender Samuel Ersson made 29 saves. Both teams meet again for a rematch on Wednesday.