While the New Jersey Devils likely aren’t going to make the playoffs this year, the staff will try hard to defend themselves and show they weren’t the reason. Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens does not help prove their case whatsoever. The game looked like it was out of reach early, with a 3-0 lead by the Canadiens with goals from Jayden Struble, Ivan Demidov, and Lane Hudson. However, thanks to Dawson Mercer’s goal and Jack Hughes shorthanded goal in the 2nd period, the Devils cut it to a one-goal game. Late in the 3rd, with Allen pulled for the extra attacker, Timo Meier tied the game up, and the game went to overtime.
Despite both teams getting massive chances in overtime, and Jakub Dobes almost putting the puck in his own net on a pass, neither team scored, and the game went to a shootout. In the shootout, while Cole Caufield and Ivan Demidov put the Habs up early, Jesper Bratt, and Jack Hughes tied up the shootout, and after Nick Suzuki missed his chance for the game winning shootout goal, the Devils had a chance to go up 3-2 in the shootout, and this is where Sheldon Keefe had a number of good shooters to choose from.
Keefe then, for whatever reason, chooses Lenni Hameenaho, who has never attempted a shootout chance before, and he gets stopped by Dobes. After another save by Jake Allen on Juraj Slafkovsky, Keefe then sends up Cody Glass, who also got stopped by Dobes, and then Oliver Kapanen scored the game-winning goal on Jake Allen, winning the game for the Canadiens, a 4-3 final.
After the game, one must question, “Why did Keefe choose Lenni Hameenaho over seemingly better options?”
Simon Nemec, who has been the overtime king this season, already scored a shootout goal against the Capitals in December to win that game. Timo Meier, who also has had a good history of scoring in the shootout, didn’t get a chance in this shootout either, and he tied the game and was one of the hottest players of the Devils in March.
Even Dougie Hamilton, who may not have the best track record in the shootout, would’ve been a much better option than Lenni Hameenaho. Now, granted, this game didn’t mean anything at this point, since the Devils cost themselves a playoff spot with all those losses in December, and as hot as they’ve been in March, everyone else around them has been winning. For Keefe to prove himself that he is our coach for the future, though, this isn’t a good look, and he should know who's a good shooter on this team, because if this is how he utilizes good future talent, a new GM could make, he could find himself back out trying to find a new team to coach.