Today Sheldon Keefe decided to send a message to his team by scratching an unexpected player.
Keefe Sends A Message With A Surprising Scratch
During his media availability today, Sheldon Keefe announced a surprising lineup change. Forward David Kampf will be up in the press box as a healthy scratch. When Keefe was asked why the decision was made, he referenced Kampf's defensive play and wanted to send a message that defense is important for everyone.
Sheldon Keefe says there is going to be «less tolerance» for defensive mistakes going forward and cites David Kampf as a scratch as an example of that tonight. Pontus Holmberg will draw in.
Young forward Pontus Holmberg will get his 9th appearance of the season for the Maple Leafs. He will look to bring some energy and defensive effort to the Maple Leafs' bottom six in place of David Kampf. It will be interesting to see if this move is the shot in the arm that the Maple Leafs need going forward.