Sheldon Keefe Blames One Specific Part Of Maple Leafs Game For Loss To Islanders
The Toronto Maple Leafs lost yesterday despite playing a mostly solid game against the Islanders on the road. Sheldon Keefe Blamed the loss on one key part of the team's game.
Keefe Blames Special Teams For Leafs Loss
The veteran head coach pointed to special teams after the game as the key reason why the team fell to the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. The Leafs did give up two powerplay goals in the game as well as the OT winner, meaning the team only gave up one tally at 5 on 5.
"Special teams were rotten tonight — power play, penalty kill, overtime. That costs you games."
Maple Leafs won the 5-on-5 battle 3-1 and still found a way to leave their win streak stranded on Long Island. A 24th-ranked PK hurts:
Maple Leafs won the 5-on-5 battle 3-1 and still found a way to leave their win streak stranded on Long Island. A 24th-ranked PK hurts:
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Notably, the Leafs penalty kill has been rather lacking this season. The team is ranked 24th in the league when it comes to killing off penalties. This is not a recipe for success come playoff time.
Fans Question Keefe's Overtime Lineups
That being said, fans and media members alike have also pointed to Keefe's personnel choices in overtime for at least part of the reason why the team dropped the game. The move that is getting a lot of attention is the fact that he started defenseman Jack McCabe. McCabe proceeded to ice the puck which is a major no-no in overtime when he had Mitch Marner wide open. The Leafs then lost the game off the ensuing defensive zone faceoff.
"The more you practice something - the more you do something, the more likely you are to overthink it."
@RealKyper, @jtbourne & @SamAMcKee share their thoughts on Sheldon Keefe's overtime lineup after another #LeafsForever OT loss.
@RealKyper, @jtbourne & @SamAMcKee share their thoughts on Sheldon Keefe's overtime lineup after another #LeafsForever OT loss.
Both things can be true. The Leafs need to do a better job of killing penalties, and Keefe probably should not be starting Jake McCabe in overtime. However, 3 on 3 overtime does not exist in the playoffs, so Keefe will likely be more focused on cleaning up the penalty kill in the near future.
| POLL | ||
13 JANVIER | 275 ANSWERS Sheldon Keefe Blames One Specific Part Of Maple Leafs Game For Loss To Islanders Do you agree with Keefe's assessment of the Leaf's game? | ||
| Yes | 157 | 57.1 % |
| No | 118 | 42.9 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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