Tag: Sheldon Keefe

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Sheldon Keefe admits he blacked out after winning Game 6.

Although advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs isn’t usually an accomplishment that you would celebrate, for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and for the Maple Leafs organization on Saturday night it was most definitely a cause for celebration.

After years of disappointment the Leafs finally managed to achieve a modicum of playoff success when they dispatched the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that has defined what it is to be a championship level team in the National Hockey League for the past few years, in just 6 games. Not only was it a moment of joy for the organization, but the relief felt by many who had the proverbial Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads must have been truly overhwelming.

On Saturday night, following the conclusion of Game 6, there was perhaps no one individual who exemplified these feelings more than Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe. While speaking to the media, Keefe admitted that he was so filled with emotion that he genuinely blacked out during perhaps the biggest moment of his professional career.

“Jubilation…. I don’t know you black out in those moments,” admitted Keefe following Game 6. “You don’t know what’s going on, you’re just really excited. It’s been a long time coming. A long time coming for a lot of players in our room, a long time coming for myself, and even longer coming for Leafs nation. So it’s a great night.

The joy radiating from Keefe, who again must have had such a giant weight lifted off of his shoulders, was palpable. You can see it for yourself, and hear the man in his own words, in the short clip below.

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Maple Leafs may make lineup switch for Game 6

DraftKings Nation

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on their first of three opportunities to send the Tampa Bay Lightning home for an early summer in last night’s Game 5 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series. Tampa Bay rebounded from an early deficit on the scoreboard with three straight tallies and held on for what would eventually be a 4-2 triumph, sending the series back to Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena for Game 6. 

The Maple Leafs underwent a lineup change with the suspension of feisty forward Michael Bunting for elbowing Tampa’s Erik Cernak in the head midway through Game 1; Bunting was banned for three games, while Cernak has yet to return to action. Bunting was essentially replaced in the lineup by rookie Matthew Knies, who has played very well in his first NHL postseason. 

However, it sounds as though Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe could be considering re-inserting Bunting into the lineup based on comments that he made earlier today.

“He’d bring energy,” Keefe said of Bunting. “In both how he plays and also the fact he hasn’t played. As the series goes on, it weighs on everybody, the grind that it is. So having a guy who hasn’t played (since Game 1) come in can give us a boost.” 

Bunting appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Leafs this season, scoring 23 goals while adding 26 assists. Game 6 between the Lightning and Maple Leafs will be tomorrow night starting at 7:00 PM EST. 

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Sheldon Keefe publicly calls out Pat Maroon

The Tampa Bay Times

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are heading back to Amalie Arena for Game 6 tomorrow night, as the Leafs were unable to deliver the knockout blow to the Bolts in last night’s Game 5 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series. 

And as there has been throughout this series, there was some extreme animosity between the two sides that culminated in a melee on the ice. The latest example started as the seconds ticked down on the second period; Lightning forward Pat Maroon delivered a crushing hit on veteran defenseman Mark Giordano, who was clearly shaken up. Leafs players attempted to get at Maroon to avenge their teammate, and the former was more than willing to stand up for himself. However, the on-ice officials would have none of it. 

By the time it was said and done, Giordano needed assistance back to the dressing room, while Maroon would be assessed a two-minute minor penalty for roughing. Giordano would later return to the game in the third period.

Not surprisingly, one figure who did not like the hit was Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, who was already sour at Maroon for his rough play earlier in the series. 

“In terms of the hit itself, anytime there’s hits in the numbers you’re concerned with it,” Keefe said. “There’s been a few of those from that player in particular in this series. When you see a player smash his head off the glass, that’s a tough look.”

However, the panel on TNT did not agree with Keefe, saying that his crushing check on the half wall was just a good example of tough playoff hockey. 

”I don’t get it, I think it was a bad call,” Colby Armstrong exclaimed. ”What is going on?”

Paul Bissonnette, a noted Leafs fan who had drawn criticism for his openly rooting for the team earlier in the week, agreed with Armstrong.

”I thought it was soft,” he said of Maroon being called. “That’s playoff hockey through and through.”

”The ref’s right there! I don’t get it. It’s driving me nuts,” Armstrong said.

Which side are you on in this argument? 

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Sheldon Keefe reacts to Leafs once again failing in closeout game

Maple Leafs Hot Stove

The Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on their chance to clinch their first postseason series victory since 2004 tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, dropping a 4-2 decision to give the Bolts new life and a renewed sense of swagger as the two teams head back to Amalie Arena for Game 6 on Saturday night. 

Despite taking an early 1-0 lead courtesy of Game 3 overtime hero Morgan Rielly, the Lightning would respond with three straight tallies, including the winner from Nick Paul midway through the third period. Auston Matthews would score late to give Toronto a chance at the tie, but an empty netter from Alex Killorn would seal the win.

The Bolts also got goals from rookie Mikey Eyssimont as well as Anthony Cirelli, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy rebounded from three straight uncharacteristically poor performances by making 28 saves in the win. 

This now marks the 11th straight time since 2013 that the Maple Leafs have failed to advance when a victory would have punched their ticket to the next round. 

Afterward, head coach Sheldon Keefe tipped his hat to the Lightning and their performance with their backs up against the wall while dismissing the thought that perhaps once again the moment was too big for his team. 

“Obviously, we didn’t get the result, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the moment or anything like that,” Keefe said. “It is a good hockey team we are playing against. They played as perfect of a road game as you could probably ask for if you are them.”

“We had some opportunities here tonight,” he continued. “We scored first, so you like that. We had some really good opportunities on our power play in the first period and a chance to take the lead there. We couldn’t convert on those kinds of looks. It was probably the most looks we had on one power play all series. It didn’t go for us. It is a tight hockey game all the way through. We couldn’t get the next one.”

The Lightning, who have been to the Stanley Cup Final the last three straight seasons, have no intention of breaking for an early summer. And Toronto is well aware of that as they head back down south for Game 6. 

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Sheldon Keefe raves over swagger of Matthew Knies

Sportsnet

The Toronto Maple Leafs return home to the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night with a 3-1 series advantage over the rival Tampa Bay Lightning following two consecutive overtime victories. The Leafs trailed in both games at Amalie Arena, only to roar back to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. 

There was also a key lineup change that Toronto made after Michael Bunting was suspended following Tampa’s lopsided Game 1 loss for elbowing Tampa’s Erik Cernak in the head. Forward Matthew Knies, who was playing for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers earlier this month, was inserted into the lineup and had a positive impact. And he’s being rewarded with being kept in the lineup, while Bunting will be watching Game 5 from the press box. 

“Very good hockey player,” raved head coach Sheldon Keefe. “It is really that simple. In addition to the talent, he has confidence and some swagger to him. He just goes out and plays.”

Knies, who only appeared in three regular season NHL games prior to being inserted into the playoffs, is playing with the poise of a veteran who doesn’t wilt under pressure on the big stage.

“Just with the puck, he doesn’t throw it away,” Keefe said. “Sometimes, he is hanging onto it a little bit too long, which is an adjustment for a player to make, but you like that he is skating with it. He plays with his head up. He has created some create scoring opportunities for others because he plays that way.”

“He is not intimidated in any way by the opposition because of the physicality or the pace. It doesn’t affect his game and his mindset. It makes you very comfortable playing him.”

Meanwhile, Knies is enjoying playing with captain John Tavares, who opened his home to him upon his call up to the Leafs, as well as Mitch Marner. 

“Means a lot, obviously two special players who have unreal experience in the League, and they’re terrific complete players. It’s a privilege and pleasure to play with them,” Knies said. 

“The coaching staff and the players here have done a wonderful job of welcoming me and I think just the support around me with the players has been the best so far, it’s made it so easy, the guys in the room,” he continued. “I have to thank them for that and I give a lot of credit to the coaching staff as well.” 

“I came in here to compete and to try and contribute, and I think I’ve done a good job of that, and I just want to continue doing that. I just want to continue to compete and keep winning and go as far as we can.” 

Game 5 between the Leafs and Lightning is tomorrow night from Scotiabank Arena.

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Maple Leafs give update on Matt Murray’s condition

SaltWire

The Toronto Maple Leafs are firmly in control of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, having shocked them in both Games 3 and 4 at Amalie Arena with comeback overtime victories; the latter of which featured a three-goal comeback in the third period. 

Goaltender Ilya Samsonov has rebounded from a poor Game 1 outing, racking up three straight victories and outplaying former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy. And while Joseph Woll has been serving as the backup for far in the postseason, the Leafs are working on getting veteran Matt Murray back into playing shape.

Murray, who hasn’t played since suffering a concussion earlier this month after being accidentally taken down by Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond in a late regular season game, was on the ice at Toronto’s training facility working with the development staff: 

“He is making progress to the point where he is on the ice,” explained head coach Sheldon Keefe. “He has been working mostly in recovery mode on his own. Now, he is starting to take shots from players in more game-like situations. It is steady progress there.”

During the regular season, Murray posted a record of 14-8-2 record with a 3.01 goals against average and .903 save percentage. 

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Verdict on Michael Bunting’s return in limbo per head coach Keefe

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Michael Bunting is eligible to return from his three-game suspension on Thursday and fans still don’t know if he will be slotted back into the lineup for pivotal Game 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning after his three-game suspension is served.

“It’s not as easy or as simple a decision as it may have been earlier in the series,” said Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe about slotting Bunting back in on Tuesday.

“We will take our time and sort through it. We have a group of guys who have played real hard.”

The call will be made by Keefe, who knows Bunting professionally better than anyone else. He has coached him for two years both in Toronto and during their junior days with the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. But based on the head coach’s comments, Bunting may remain out of the lineup until an issue comes up with the current group that has won three consecutive games against the Lightning and could reach the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2004 on Thursday.

I am not debating whether or not Bunting is a good hockey player : he is an affordable 20-goal guy who brings a lot of physicality to the Maple Leafs, an element that was missed in the three games Bunting was banned. But as Mike Stephens of The Hockey News puts it: “it would have almost been preferable from Toronto’s point of view for their winger to have earned a four-game sentence and spared them from the situation they are currently in.”

Because Keefe made it clear : rookie Matthew Knies isn’t going anywhere. And so if Bunting returns, who comes out?
The Maple Leafs return for practice today ahead of Thursday’s Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena and the lineup projection will certainly give us the answer on whether or not Bunting draws back in…

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Sheldon Keefe praises team spirit after epic comeback

Maple Leafs Hot Stove

It seemed as though the Tampa Bay Lightning had the Toronto Maple Leafs dead to rites last night, enjoying a 4-1 lead midway through the third period and on the verge of tying the series up at two games apiece. However, in a game that the Leafs would historically wilt away in, they came through with other plans.

Two goals from Auston Matthews and another from Morgan Rielly tied the score late in the third period, setting the stage for Alex Kerfoot to assume the role of hero with a deflection of a Mark Giordano shot in overtime. The Leafs absolutely stunned the Lightning, and are now one win away from advancing in the postseason for the first time since 2004.

“The message in the third period: Don’t go away,” head coach Sheldon Keefe explained. “Stay with it. You are not necessarily at that point are thinking you are going to come back in the game. You just want to stay there and give yourself a chance to come back in the game versus just going away and moving onto the next one.”

“I just pushed the guys to stay with it, have a positive period, seek to win the period, and once you do that, you start chipping away and you have a chance. Credit to the group — the spirit of the group — for carrying us through to come back in this fashion. It is outstanding to witness and be a part of.”

It really does feel as though this time around will be different fo the Leafs, who have been accustomed to finding ways to lose key playoff games. The addition of 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly has already come through in major ways for the Leafs in these playoffs, as he scored the game-tying goal in Game 3 while also assisting on the subsequent overtime winner.

“Whether it is the guys who have been through it or the guys who have come in to add to the group, collectively, it feels different,” Keefe said. “I think that is why you end up on the right side of these things. Certainly, it feels different. Things tend to go your way when that is the case.”

“But let’s not get carried away. We have a tough task ahead to finish this series off.”

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Maple Leafs announce Game 5 status for Matthew Knies

Yardbarker

The Toronto Maple Leafs return home to the friendly confines of Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night with a 3-1 series advantage over the rival Tampa Bay Lightning following two consecutive overtime victories. The Leafs trailed in both games at Amalie Arena, only to roar back to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. 

There was also a key lineup change that Toronto made after Michael Bunting was suspended following Tampa’s lopsided Game 1 loss for elbowing Tampa’s Erik Cernak in the head. Forward Matthew Knies, who was playing for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers earlier this month, was inserted into the lineup and had a positive impact. 

Bunting is eligible to return on Thursday night for the potential closeout game against the Lightning, and there will be a player who needs to come out of the lineup should he be inserted back into action. However, that player will not be Knies, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. 

“Matthew Knies is certainly not coming out of the lineup,” Keefe said during a Zoom call from Tampa. “He has done a terrific job for us. He is a guy who definitely earned his spot and the opportunity to continue to play for us.”

The most likely candidate to be taken from the lineup should Bunting return include Sam Lafferty or Zach Aston-Reese.

“With Bunting being available, it’s a very good option for us, he’s a good player for us,” Keefe said. “It’s not as easy or as simple a decision as it may have been earlier in the series. “We will take our time and sort through it. We have a group of guys who have played real hard. We have some time today and tomorrow to sort through that and make that decision.”

Game 5 between the Leafs and Lightning is Thursday night; the Leafs can punch their ticket to the second round for the first time since 2004 with a win. 

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Sheldon Keefe hits back at reporters

Salt Wire

The Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves leading their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Tampa Bay Lightning two games to one following their overtime victory on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. And not only did 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly play a major role in the win by netting the game-tying goal late in regulation, but goaltender Ilya Samsonov turned in arguably his finest career postseason performance. 

Samsonov made 36 saves, including shutting down several Grade A scoring chances by Tampa Bay in the third period and in overtime, perhaps none bigger than denying Russian sniper Nikita Kucherov. However, media members were a bit puzzled when Samsonov wasn’t made available to speak to them after the game. 

However, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe wasn’t in the mood to get into why that decision was made, instead offering a sarcastic quip in response. 

“Have you been talking to (Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei) Vasilevskiy in this series?” Keefe replied when asked why Samsonov wasn’t available to talk afterward. 

A reporter then hit back by saying that Toronto media members don’t typically speak to the Maple Leafs opposition, Keefe had this to say: 

“Let’s just let them play goal,” he said. 

Game 4 between the Lightning and Maple Leafs is tonight from Amalie Arena starting at 7:30 PM EST.