Sheldon Keefe breaks his silence on time spent with the Leafs prior to tonight's game

Sheldon Keefe is set to face his former team the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as head coach of the Devils, and he broke his silence on his time in Toronto.

The Toronto Maple Leafs did not get the start they wanted, falling by a shutout on opening night to the Montreal Canadiens. That said, there is little time to dwell on this defeat with the team set to take to the ice for a back-to-back game against the New Jersey Devils. This will give them an opportunity to not only secure their first win of the season but also to face a rather familiar face behind the opposing bench.

In one of those storylines that makes the matchup just that little bit more interesting, the Devils' head coach is no other than Sheldon Keefe, the former bench boss of the Maple Leafs. Keefe spent upwards of four seasons with the Leafs, with a pretty great regular season record of 212-97-40, but his time was overshadowed by poor post-season performances with a 16-21 playoff record and only one series win, getting him let go from the team. He's now at the helm of a hot-starting Devils team looking to leave his stamp with a new franchise.

Since the split from Toronto, Keefe has restarted his career with New Jersey, and his reunion with his old club will surely perk up some eyebrows. Asked about facing his old team, Keefe did nothing to suggest he was in for any extra emotions, instead choosing to focus on the game at hand. Speaking to NHL.com, he looked back at Toronto fondly, realizing it was a great experience for him, but ultimately his priority remains with his current team's success.

Difficult as he might try to downplay it, the underpinning narrative of this matchup is hard to ignore. For Keefe, facing the team that launched his NHL coaching career certainly brings an air of unfinished business, while for the Leafs, defeating their old coach could provide a much-needed morale boost after the disappointment of opening night. The stakes are ratcheted up, even if neither side will admit it outright.

With the Devils sitting at a perfect 2-0 mark, both Sheldon Keefe and the Maple Leafs will have a little extra motivation once the puck drops. If the regular season matchup isn't enough, this game means more than just another regular season contest, it's a chance for both sides to make an early statement in what promises to be a highly competitive season.

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