Do you trust Keefe as a coach in the playoffs?

[ShaneFalco]

2020 - lost to Columbus
2021 - lost to Montreal after blowing a 3-1 series lead
2022 - lost to Tampa after blowing a 3-2 series lead

I don't hate him, but he's been far from awesome in the postseason. He's done nothing but lose

And can't adapt
Too many men on the ice penalties
Weird time outs or none at all

 

[Clark4Ever]

Maybe I'm just a Keefe apologist but when I look at all three of these series I just look at a few things:

Columbus series was all on bad goaltending IMO

Montreal series was all on the Matthews/Marner/Hyman line, only 2 goals between them the entire series sunk us.

The Tampa series is another one, I don't know what I would have changed other than an extra save from Campbell and the officiating not being total trash. All the big guns came through IMO.

I do 100% agree though that it's a results based business but I haven't left any series thinking Keefe was the reason we lost. Game 5 vs the Jackets is probably his biggest coaching blunder in that stretch, but that entire series was dumb considering the pandemic etc.

We'll have to wait and see again I guess.

We had complete control of the series against Montreal going into game 5 and Keefe decided to get cute and change up the defence pairings for no reason by inserting Sandin, who was exploited badly in the OT loss which turned the tide against us. He also refused to split up Matthews and Marner despite their ineffectiveness throughout the series.

In my opinion, Keefe was primary responsible for our most humiliating playoff defeat in recent memory,

 

[notbias]

Nope

Leafs were the favourites with home ice advantage in all 3 series to boot.

You just argued in another thread that home ice advantage is not really an advantage...

 

[X66]

We had complete control of the series against Montreal going into game 5 and Keefe decided to get cute and change up the defence pairings for no reason by inserting Sandin, who was exploited badly in the OT loss which turned the tide against us. He also refused to split up Matthews and Marner despite their ineffectiveness throughout the series.

In my opinion, Keefe was primary responsible for our most humiliating playoff defeat in recent memory,

Say what you will, but game 5,6 and 7 the trio of Matthews, Marner and Hyman scored 1 goal.

 

[Pebble live]

You just argued in another thread that home ice advantage is not really an advantage...

probably because it doesn't appear to be one for this team.

With regards to the theme of this thread.

Keefe has been experimenting for too long now. Watching the Bruins roll out the same lines all game really drives that point home.

Why the leafs are experimenting with lines with 4 f***ing games left in the season has to be questioned by management. If you have this many players struggling to "get going" or can't be motivated (Nylander) then ship the players out.

Again watching that Bruins team last night, none of their star players have trouble with motivation. The time for excuses and experimenting is over. This has to be it for Keefe and Dubas if they have a poor showing in the 1st round again.

 

[Maple Leaf]

You have to go get the best coach
Keefe?

 

[Suntouchable13]

I think dubie and keefe will not be with the leafs next year is my forecast

As much as I really don't like Dubie, I want to see an exciting playoff run that will probably save his job. Hasn't happened since I was like 17 in 2002. I would even take winning against TB then taking the Bruins to 7 and just falling short. Give me something to cheer about at least. This is unacceptable. Some people that are almost turning 40, haven't had a series to celebrate since they were in their teens. I'd love to see Dubie and Keefe gone, but I want to see a series win or 2 a lot more.

 

[Zybalto]

2020 - lost to Columbus
2021 - lost to Montreal after blowing a 3-1 series lead
2022 - lost to Tampa after blowing a 3-2 series lead

I don't hate him, but he's been far from awesome in the postseason. He's done nothing but lose

In elimination games:

Leafs outplay the other team overall.
Leafs top 6 outplay the other team.
Leafs bottom 6 get outplayed and give up a game winning goal.
Leafs goalies crap the bed including a big softie at some point during the game.

Now that the Leafs remade their anti-clutch goaltending and replaced almost the entire bottom 6 outside of Kampf, let's see how they fare.

Vasy looks more and more human as the team around him ages and the Leafs know they can get to him as they did sporadically last year.

Its all about whether or not Samsonov can make a big save when it counts and give us the first great goalie performance in a big playoff game since Belfour.

...I'll say it again, it's universally agreed the Leafs havnt had a big game playoff performance since Belfour.

 

[IPS]

If we get good goaltending in a big game here = Keefe is a hero.

If we get the usual softies + sub .900 again = it's Keefes fault.

We are are living the "show me a great coach and I'll show you a great goalie" reality.

The real question is whether or not Samsonov is finally that playoff goalie we have been looking for.

I swear the core of this team can do no wrong in your eyes.

 

[Mess]

And it wasn’t like he did everything right and the Leafs just lost to a better team. He made questionable decisions and failed to prepare the team properly for an elimination game.

Like a poster said earlier, Leaf’s will have to win in spite of him, not because of him.

Agreed

Keefe thinks his best coaching strategy is to tap Marner and Matthews on the shoulder and tells them to get out there.

Keefe's playoff record is 8 wins and 11 losses in 19 games = .421 winning %

 

[Enniskillen]

He’s about 2 weeks away from being fired. He’s absolutely clueless with line management and any in game adjustments.

Spot on. He is a great AHL coach but not a good NHL one. A perfect coach for rebuilding team or mediocre ones like Arizona.

 

[egd27]

Say what you will, but game 5,6 and 7 the trio of Matthews, Marner and Hyman scored 1 goal.

Right.....and who kept sending the same line over the boards when they weren't having success. Keefe even laid into them during that awful speech saying they were "being dominated."

 

[egd27]

You have to go get the best coach
Keefe?

Exactly.

After the 2nd Bruins series, everyone knew it was just a matter of time until Babcock was fired. (Turned out to be about 5 months.)

Instead of using that time to look at, and speak with other candidates, the rookie GM appoints his OHL coach to his first NHL position to learn on the job.

 

[PromisedLand]

Maybe I'm just a Keefe apologist but when I look at all three of these series I just look at a few things:

Columbus series was all on bad goaltending IMO

Montreal series was all on the Matthews/Marner/Hyman line, only 2 goals between them the entire series sunk us.

The Tampa series is another one, I don't know what I would have changed other than an extra save from Campbell and the officiating not being total trash. All the big guns came through IMO.

I do 100% agree though that it's a results based business but I haven't left any series thinking Keefe was the reason we lost. Game 5 vs the Jackets is probably his biggest coaching blunder in that stretch, but that entire series was dumb considering the pandemic etc.

We'll have to wait and see again I guess.

WRONG

Vs Columbus Leafs had good goaltending. Leafs got shutout twice (almost 3 time) in that 5 game series because Keefe did not how to adjust to Tort's system

Vs Habs Keefe got outaocahced by a nobody and then when Ducharm was away due to covid; Keefe still got outcoached by freakin Shea Weber

Vs Bolts Keefe was absolutely schooled by Cooper

 

[X66]

WRONG

Vs Columbus Leafs had good goaltending. Leafs got shutout twice (almost 3 time) in that 5 game series because Keefe did not how to adjust to Tort's system

Vs Habs Keefe got outaocahced by a nobody and then when Ducharm was away due to covid; Keefe still got outcoached by freakin Shea Weber

Vs Bolts Keefe was absolutely schooled by Cooper

Look at the stink bombs Andersen gave up at key moments in that series…

Yes we should have beat the Habs, but Keefe isn’t the reason Matthews/Marner/Hyman combined for 2 goals all series…

What did Cooper do to out coach him? Go down 3-2 in game 6 and pray for a fabricated 5 on 3 pp??

I’m not saying Keefe is the best coach in the world, but he’s literally the best coach we’ve had in ages, these losses ain’t as much on him as it is on the players.

 

[Amadeus]

I just hate that it had to be right at the end of the PK. Our boys didn't deserve to lose the game, but then again, Boston didn't either. They're just really well built and fundamentally strong.

 

[PromisedLand]

Look at the stink bombs Andersen gave up at key moments in that series…

Yes we should have beat the Habs, but Keefe isn’t the reason Matthews/Marner/Hyman combined for 2 goals all series…

What did Cooper do to out coach him? Go down 3-2 in game 6 and pray for a fabricated 5 on 3 pp??

I’m not saying Keefe is the best coach in the world, but he’s literally the best coach we’ve had in ages, these losses ain’t as much on him as it is on the players.

look below about the game log from that CBJ series; its amazing the audacity to excuse keefe and offense to jsut blame the goalie. I wont even go into other series because it seems you will do everything to excuse dubas/keefe no matter what....

 

[colchar]

Keefe actually just coached one hell of a game…

Oh well then that settles it and totally makes up for the first round exits!

 

[Eye Test]

Nope

 

[nuck]

He had some learning to do but IMO is getting better. A hot goalie in either of the last two series final games and this would be a much different discussion. The goalies haven't been clutch for sure.

As I mentioned in another thread the Leaf's pp tanks pretty much every playoff and the clubs that go on to the final at least match their regular season performance. That is on him but is obviously solvable in the same way other clubs are solving the Leafs pp every playoff. Its go time for him to prove he is learning and improving as he should be. Hopefully O'Rielly is the wild card that they need to be less predictable this year. I don't trust him in that the failure to win a round is not a confidence builder but I strongly believe he will take Tampa out in less than 7 this year. After that we'll see.

 

[ULF_55]

Only have his track record in NHL Playoffs go to by.

No one has any evidence he can lead his team to victory in the NHL post-season.

He has been given:
2019-2020
2020-2021
2021-2022

There are no stats, real or imagined that shows he can win in the NHL post-season.

Leafs have 3 pick this year's draft, and one of them due to trading a young NHL calibre developing defender. So if you disregard trading that young defender for the Bruins 1st. rounder this year, they have 5th. and a 6th. pick this year.

They are as close to all in as you can get, and it still comes down to Keefe.

I'm okay with the outcome of this year's playoffs it really can't get any worse.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

What's Mike Keenan doing these days?

 

[X66]

look below about the game log from that CBJ series; its amazing the audacity to excuse keefe and offense to jsut blame the goalie. I wont even go into other series because it seems you will do everything to excuse dubas/keefe no matter what....

View attachment 683460

I don't think you remember, but both Columbus goalies literally had 2 of the better goaltending series in recent memory at the time.

While our goalie was letting in goals like this during key moments...



Game winner^



Another Andersen back-breaker on-route to the comeback



Another back breaker

Obviously we all would have loved to score more goals that series, but those goalies did something Andersen couldn't, steal games.

That Blue Jacket team also went on to essentially have 5 one goal games against the Bolts the next round, one big difference is that Vash is Vash.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I don't think you remember, but both Columbus goalies literally had 2 of the better goaltending series in recent memory at the time.

While our goalie was letting in goals like this during key moments...



Game winner^



Another Andersen back-breaker on-route to the comeback



Another back breaker

Obviously we all would have loved to score more goals that series, but those goalies did something Andersen couldn't, steal games.

 

[All Mod Cons]

It's all on the players. Coaching and management share no responsibility.