Things were already shaky in New Jersey, and Sheldon Keefe didn’t do himself any favors last weekend. After a crushing 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators—the Devils’ eighth defeat in their last 13 games—Keefe took the heat up a notch by calling out defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic during his postgame presser. When asked about Kovacevic’s remark on developing a “playoff mentality,” Keefe didn’t mince words. “Kovacevic just needs to play better,” he snapped before walking off.

Kovacevic’s comments had been anything but inflammatory. The 26-year-old defenseman said, “We’re in a fight, and hopefully that gets us in that ‘playoff mentality.’” It was a statement meant to rally the squad, not throw shade. But Keefe wasn’t having it—and that reaction struck a nerve with fans and analysts alike.

Fast forward to Monday, and Kovacevic’s tough night continued. The blueliner took three penalties in the 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver. Sheldon Keefe offered a more tempered take this time, saying, “Kova’s caught in the line of fire because of the question… We need our players to stop talking in generalities and just go out and play.”

But the damage was already done.

Fans fire back at Sheldon Keefe for publicly calling out his player

“Keefe is an idiot. Always has been, always will be,” one fan vented, furious at how the coach aired out his frustration. And many others piled on, pointing out how Kovacevic—a guy known for his calm demeanor and even holding a civil engineering degree—was the last player who deserved to be thrown under the bus. As another supporter put it, “Kovacevic is genuinely one of the nicest players out there… Absolutely the worst guy Keefe could’ve gone after.”

That sentiment echoed across Devils Nation and beyond. What stung the most? This wasn’t just bad optics—it shook the team’s locker room trust. Fans questioned how Sheldon Keefe planned to maintain control of a team that’s already sliding in the standings.

Then came the Toronto crowd. “Yeah… Keefe was holding Toronto back,” one Leafs fan quipped, dripping with sarcasm. A reminder that his past playoff woes in Toronto still follow him—five straight postseason appearances, only one second-round trip.

And it didn’t stop there. One blunt response simply read, “What a classless loser.” Harsh? Maybe. But it captured just how deep this latest comment cut with fans who are already watching a team in freefall.

Some fans brought receipts from Sheldon Keefe’s Maple Leafs days, too. “Balls on that guy. Now he’s a tough guy? What about his Toronto years?” That jab spoke volumes, calling out what many perceive as performative fire rather than earned accountability.

Even Bruce Boudreau chimed in publicly, questioning Keefe’s decision to lash out at a $20 million defenseman. The optics? Bad. The timing? Worse.

Now, with the Devils losing ground in the Metropolitan Division, what once looked like a secure playoff push is starting to wobble. And Keefe’s hard-nosed deflections aren’t helping matters.

The Devils, now clinging to the third spot in their division, desperately need to right the ship. But with Sheldon Keefe seemingly at odds with his own locker room and the fanbase lighting him up at every turn, the focus is no longer just on the ice.

One thing’s clear: the Hudson River rivalry is heating up, but the real drama might just be coming from the Devils’ own bench.