Do you trust Keefe as a coach in the playoffs?

[IPS]

He didn’t give his guys the chance to run over the opposition or play hockey. Just coaching in fear like Cirelli had already been shutting his guys down over a few games in a series. How do we even know if Cirelli is up to the task? Why wasn’t our 6’3” franchise center trusted to turn Cirelli into a veal chop with repeated physical wear and tear, corner battles, full tilt driving to the net, skated into the ground?

Dead bang on. It's the same nonsense that made me shake my head when people said we needed to "avoid" matching Matthews against Philip Danault. Matthews needs to be out there literally bullying these players physically. Granted he was our most physical forward against Tampa last year.

 

[BayStBullies]

I'm glad more people are figuring out what many of us knew from his first season here.

 

[MSZ]

You can put Matthews out there a lot but most of the time in the playoffs he's not dominating play like he should. Draisaitl in period 1 last night looked like prime Crosby against LA. Never seen that gear from Matthews yet.

There are countless of examples of athletes who dominated regular seasons but for whatever reasons, unable to duplicate the same performance in the playoffs/elimination matches. Matthews seems to be one of those guys.

 

[ShaneFalco]

There are countless of examples of athletes who dominated regular seasons but for whatever reasons, unable to duplicate the same performance in the playoffs/elimination matches. Matthews seems to be one of those guys.

The Leafs will have to make a DeRozan decision should they fail again. I don't understand those who say you never trade a player like (insert core player name here)

 

[Stephen]

Dead bang on. It's the same nonsense that made me shake my head when people said we needed to "avoid" matching Matthews against Philip Danault. Matthews needs to be out there literally bullying these players physically. Granted he was our most physical forward against Tampa last year.

I think the bar on Matthews needs to be raised a little every year but people often talk about him like he’s too precious and needs to be put back in the drawer for safe keeping… which seems to be Keefe’s mindset at the difficult moments.

He won a Hart, Lindsay, Rocket. 60 goals and 100 points. That should be the springboard for more regular season dominance and more post season dominance. Not the mountain he already climbed and doesn’t need to prove it anymore so he can focus on the playoffs or two way play. No. True greatness, the kind we want from him integrates those improvements and you don’t sacrifice what you’re already doing well. Of course you can have a down year but that’s not brushed off like no biggie.

I’ll tell you what true greatness looks like for me. It looks boring. Try following Nicklas Lidstrom, Martin Brodeur, Crosby and Ovechkin and they do the same excellent thing every year for 20 years and it’s monotonous, wallpaper level of consistency. You take it for granted, you wish you’d see a new face win it from time to time. And you eye roll every time they grab another Norris, Vezina, Cup etc. you see that with Draisaitl’s boring 100 points every year. That’s what we need from 34.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

I think there's a sense of entitlement from this core that is almost impossible to coach appropriately.

We're at 6 straight playoff losses and other are only 4 people who have been on each of those 6 teams. Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Rielly.

That core didn't work well in the playoffs with a hardass gm and hardass coach. Didn't work with "best friend" gm and hardass coach. And now doesn't work well with a "best friend" gm and a coach that lets the inmates run the asylum.

For god's sakes... our coach called out our core for a horrible performance and had to apologize the next day. Good lord.

They'll throw a tantrum if the coach tries to rein them in and create systems. They get boxed out by good playoff teams with the "let the kids do whatever they want" coach.

This core in general is not respected. Marchand saying the only chirping they give is about video games. Ovechkin calls out their work ethic. And our coach took it as a victory that our players weren't mocked one year in the loser handshake line.

 

[Stephen]

I think there's a sense of entitlement from this core that is almost impossible to coach appropriately.

We're at 6 straight playoff losses and other are only 4 people who have been on each of those 6 teams. Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Rielly.

That core didn't work well in the playoffs with a hardass gm and hardass coach. Didn't work with "best friend" gm and hardass coach. And now doesn't work well with a "best friend" gm and a coach that lets the inmates run the asylum.

For god's sakes... our coach called out our core for a horrible performance and had to apologize the next day. Good lord.

They'll throw a tantrum if the coach tries to rein them in and create systems. They get boxed out by good playoff teams with the "let the kids do whatever they want" coach.

This core in general is not respected. Marchand saying the only chirping they give is about video games. Ovechkin calls out their work ethic. And our coach took it as a victory that our players weren't mocked one year in the loser handshake line.

I don’t disagree with your overall sentiment but looking back on the 6 year wreckage before this season, Matthews, Marner and Nylander were still so very young those first couple of Babcock years. Expected to go deep on a run and lead a team while being Matthew Knies’ age now. The program was way ahead of schedule and now it’s way behind schedule. Sigh.

 

[andora]

The last dozen or so posts are so dead on. If you cant read this and have a come to jesus moment i dont know what to say

Biggest standout.. matthews less icetime then what babcock gave him

H-o-l-y ... %#*×

 

[authentic]

Dead bang on. It's the same nonsense that made me shake my head when people said we needed to "avoid" matching Matthews against Philip Danault. Matthews needs to be out there literally bullying these players physically. Granted he was our most physical forward against Tampa last year.

Also was against Montreal

 

[gtforepro]

I've been avoiding this board since last game, but I have to ask - did anyone else wonder WTF ZAR was doing on the ice for the second shift? Like, why?

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

I have far more faith in Keefe as a HC than I do in Dubas as a GM.

 

[TakeTheBody]

Kerfoot on the second line? In a playoff game? Keefe and I are officially in divorce court.

 

[Al14]

I have far more faith in Keefe as a HC than I do in Dubas as a GM.

Personally, I have no faith in Shanahan on down to Keefe. If Tampa sweeps our Leafs, then MLSE should sweep out the management team too.

There is very little point to paying such high salaries to our core players that can't seem to achieve any playoff success. One or more of them need to be shipped out too. I would get rid of these core players in this order... Taveras, Matthews, Marner, and then Nylander.

Only our Leafs can prove me wrong. Yes, they need to step up and show the NHL that they can and will turn this current team into playoff winners.

JMHO.

 

[Menzinger]

Imo too big of a deal were made of lineup choices game 1 - 10/10 coaches likely go with vets over rookies for game 1.

The biggest critique for Keefe was how rigid/awkward the team looked for the first 5ish minutes of game 1. Coaches responsibility to get them mentally ready for pick drop ect

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Personally, I have no faith in Shanahan on down to Keefe. If Tampa sweeps our Leafs, then MLSE should sweep out the management team too.

There is very little point to paying such high salaries to our core players that can't seem to achieve any playoff success. One or more of them need to be shipped out too. I would get rid of these core players in this order... Taveras, Matthews, Marner, and then Nylander.

Only our Leafs can prove me wrong. Yes, they need to step up and show the NHL that they can and will turn this current team into playoff winners.

JMHO.

I think that’s a little excessive.

I have no issue with the performance of the core forwards—the Leafs woes have always been associated with the D and/or G. Dubas got the Leafs into this mess with the contracts he handed out to players that had little leverage and it’s the reason the organization is forced to rotate cast-offs in net and can’t make a play for an actual top-2 defenseman.


If Game 1 is any indication, Giordano is washed. Doneski. Doesn’t have the legs to defend in the postseason. And let’s face it, Rielly is trash compared to what is expected from him by fans and his contract. Add the fact that the team can’t feel comfortable with the goaltending situation and you have a team that is gripping its sticks too tight when under pressure.

Where I pass fault onto Keefe is that when I watch other teams who are winning postseason games, they’re all relying on one-another. Tic-tac plays in the D zone to slow the play down and move the puck out; strong forechecking in the o-zone, etc. They just generally move the puck amongst teammates better. I hope it was just a Game 1 aberration but the Leafs players seem to want to do more individually than playing as a team.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Marner has to shoot.
He has an NHL shot now

Ahem.

 

[IPS]

Keefe dishing out some big crow tonight.

His line combos worked fantastic.

 

[ruaware41]

Keefe dishing out some big crow tonight.

His line combos worked fantastic.

happy for the win but we’ve won games in the playoffs the last 6 years. are we really going to bump this after every win or loss? crow will be served when they win the series which i believe they will

 

[Gary Nylund]

happy for the win but we’ve won games in the playoffs the last 6 years. are we really going to bump this after every win or loss? crow will be served when they win the series which i believe they will

So much shit has been heaped on Keefe last few days, nothing wrong with someone saying something nice about him after a big win.

And yes, probably every thread will be bumped every day after a win or loss.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Knies > Bunting

And Keefe didn’t know it.

Woll > Murray

And Keefe didn’t know it.


And so on …

And so on …

His line combos worked fantastic.

Against inferior D.

And the puck luck was on out side for game 2.

 

[BraveCanadian]

To me he out-coaches himself. When you have the horses the Leafs have, you let them run. It isn't complicated.

I feel vindicated!

 

[ruaware41]

So much shit has been heaped on Keefe last few days, nothing wrong with someone saying something nice about him after a big win.

And yes, probably every thread will be bumped every day after a win or loss.

that’s fine but the criticism was never based on the idea he will never win a playoff game. I guess honesty matters differently to people

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Rielly with Scheen f*ckin brilliant move Keefer .. best game by Rielly in years .. he played so damn fast .. I don't think Cooper knew Rielly had it in him still .. watch out next game it will be a WAR of WARS .. think out dressing Wayner as Tampa will go ballistic on Rielly and we need more than Schenn alone Keefer .. D and G wins

 

[Gary Nylund]

that’s fine but the criticism was never based on the idea he will never win a playoff game. I guess honesty matters differently to people

Don't really understand this honesty bit, whatever. Keefe has been criticized for many different things, and I've criticized him myself. I'm just saying nothing wrong with saying something nice about him after a big win. He took a lot of crap for his lineup last night but whaddya know, they played great.

 

[Drytoast]

I'm pretty damn positive that Keefe will figure it out and have success in the playoffs. If not with us then with someone else. Beyond that who the hell is out there to replace him with?