“We got a lot of respect in that (handshake) line from that team" - Sheldon Keefe....Thoughts on the handshake line.

[TropicOfNoReturn]

An odd one, but people need to stop doing full-blown autopsies trying to parse the words of coaches just trying to pump their team's tires.

Dear god. So it's in bad taste when it's making fun of your team that just lost in the 1st round, again, for the 6th season in a row?

I think we all know Keefe would take this back if he could...regardless, it's hilarious. Aren't we allowed to have a little fun? The leafs are comedy gold that just keeps on giving

 

[mr figgles]

That wasn’t respect, it was sympathy. Tampa’s players felt sorry for doing to Toronto what so many others have done before them.

 

[LevelingSolo]

Keefe is a regular season coach

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Dear god. So it's in bad taste when it's making fun of your team that just lost in the 1st round, again, for the 6th season in a row?

I think we all know Keefe would take this back if he could...regardless, it's hilarious. Aren't we allowed to have a little fun? The leafs are comedy gold that just keeps on giving

Laugh at whatever you want, I’m saying people broadly parsing the words of coaches in the playoffs looking for hidden meaning or insults are wasting their time. This is all standard, transparent, stuff that shouldn’t exorcise anyone one way or another.

 

[Embryo]

View attachment 547782

hahaha very well done, nice work.

 

[trick9]

I feel for the Leafs fans as a Caps fan. You've lost so much that teams are feeling sorry for beating you again. But it gets better. It did for us.

But honestly. Fire that coach and GM immediately.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

he should be fired for thinking like that and being dumb enough to say it

or demote him to being the janitor at the rink he's not cut out to be in competitive sport

 

[serp]

That wasn’t respect, it was sympathy. Tampa’s players felt sorry for doing to Toronto what so many others have done before them.

What you're describing is pity not sympathy.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Of course it's harmless. It's also hilarious.

 

[soothsayer]

When you lack qualifications and experience but need to add lines to your LinkedIn profile.

 

[madmike77]

Keefe needs to go.

 

[Heffyhoof]

The comedy of errors just keeps on giving. I'd feel bad about the barrage of bad news for Leaf fans if the parade wasn't an 8-9 month event every single year.

 

[Gamimenos]

Pulled a Michel Therrien out of this one. Risspec.

 

[SenzZen]

 

[not a troll]

Is that why Matthews and Marner were crying after the game?

 

[Mr Bill Waters]

Is that why Matthews and Marner were crying after the game?

Marner's post game was inspirational. Real Brave Heart movie moment.

 

[Breakers]

This is the weirdest flex I have ever seen
2017 or 2018, yeah then you can say that.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Sheldon Keefe said:



Does this mean that in the past other teams and/or individual players bragged, gloated, and rubbed the loss in Toronto's face during the handshake line?

If so, what teams and/or individual players do you suspect of showing Toronto disrespect?

The hell did those other handshakes lines look like ?

Did the Habs and Jackets laugh at them for losing to them or something ?

I took it to mean that the series was extremely hard fought and emotional for both sides, and many of the players likely took an extra second to be gracious about the outcome. As opposed to being so pumped up that they just wanted to get the handshakes over with so they could go celebrate.

This reminds me a lot of that old story about the Gretzky Oilers seeing what the Potvin Islanders looked like after their series was over. The Lightning aren't the 2020 Blue Jackets or 2021 Habs. They have been here before plenty of times, and they know what it feels like to be on the other end of a stunning first-round exit. They likely have a very different attitude in victory than a scrappy underdog team, and that's likely what Keefe was observing.

 

[Mikeshane]

Not surprising. The Lightning series was played hard but some of Toronto's previous series felt like they had more animosity. This felt more like the Washington series where neither team hated each other.

 

[AvroArrow]

"Why are there so many Leaf threads" "All TSN/Sportsnet talk about is the Leafs" - Some dudes still talking about the Leafs after they've been eliminated

 

[Dirty Dog]

Why would he say this? In what world is this a thing you say out loud? It’s a nothing comment but you know it’s gonna get laughed at

 

[Rogue Leader]

I think that the worst is that Keefe is constantly repeating how "we are in the winning game". Like every year we turn on the game and soon it is GAME OVER .. it pains me when he says we are in the winning game.

 

[theimmortal1]

This has more to do with the Lightning than the Leafs

This Bolts core has won 17 playoff series and 2 cups. They’ve also lost a SCF and multiple heart breaking ECFs.

They know how to act in a handshake line. They know the highs and the lows.

They act like they’ve been there before because they have.

And it’s also a 1st round series win. They aren’t going to get super high due to that. The mission is just beginning.

 

[nturn06]

Sheldon Keefe said:



Does this mean that in the past other teams and/or individual players bragged, gloated, and rubbed the loss in Toronto's face during the handshake line?

If so, what teams and/or individual players do you suspect of showing Toronto disrespect?

This is a clear sign that the Leafs are making progress, please extend Dubas/Keefe... Please.

 

[nturn06]

Is that why Matthews and Marner were crying after the game?

Or maybe they are regretting that they did their "best" to get Babcock fired....

I do believe that, despite his clear weaknesses, with Babcock as a coach, and with a GM who didn't try to make him fail behind him, the Leafs would had won a series or two by now. But we will never know.