Is Sheldon Keefe The Issue?

[mydnyte]

Countless playoff failures, refusing to adjust his lines (when was the last time marner and matthews were split up?). At what point do you stop giving Keefe the benefit of the doubt?


Today's game against the Pens, it's clear the Knies-Matthews-Marner line was not good, when asked post-game Keefe responded with "I thought they were great - no issues with them" - seriously?

Yes, he is.
he decides the lineup
he decides the playstyle
he decides the matchups (i.e. putting out the 4th line immediately after scoring a goal to allow one 30 secs later)

 

[thusk]

I am probably in the minority here but I think Keefe is a good coach. In the last couple of seasons he has the roster playing strong and structured team defense. I wish he could clean up some of the bench management issues to avoid those too many men penalties, but other than that I think coaching is not the problem with this team. Right now the defense corps is absolutely thin, and our goaltending has been way to inconsistent to start the season.

im agree with you, keefe is a better coach than most will be ready to assume here. Leafs fan look to put all blame for leafs failure in playoff on keefe shoulder but at the end i think keefe helped leafs to hide a huge problem in D

Yes he is an issue they wont address. He was an issue all the way back to the start and especially the MTL series.

The best posters here IMHO have been going red in the face about this forever. At this point its safe to say all Leafs fans in denial are starring down a train coming at them in a dark tunnel. That light and horn are indeed headed right at you! Get off the tracks please already.

vs columbus toronto had 1 of 5 worst defender group (without Muzzin injured) if it was not the worst of NHL

vs mtl : toronto totally outplayed montrwal 1st 5 game and outside of game 5 where Campbell just gave away that game with 2 trash goal to make it 3-0... but Muzzin get hurt and Dermott-Holl finish by being leafs 2nd pair. Result came back with a trash D and struggling again.but for sure it was keefe fault if he didn't had anything better than a 7th D at best to cover Muzzin injury

2 year ago, for me me it was easily beet team leafs had under keefe and easily the best series they ever play since 2003.

a year ago, dubas bring in 8 new player at TDL and keefe had like 15-20 game to create chesmitry between everyone. name me one team over the last 20 years who had succes with that much change in their line up as late in regular season.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Yes, Keefe is the issue and needs fired.

This also incidentally reflects poorly on Doobler, who chose Keefe in the first place.

 

[keonsbitterness]

Can't see Tre putting a bigger spotlight on himself by axing Keefe two months into his first season.

 

[SprDaVE]

The rope is ending soon. The only problem is that, it can always get worse. See --> Treliving

 

[m1ker]

It’s clear to me that the organization believes Marner has lost confidence and believe that putting Marner on the third line will add extra pressure from the media. Marner doesn’t take media pressure well. Looking at it from this angle, it does make sense.

However this is happening because the lack of team culture built from the very start.

 

[trellaine201]

I am not blaming Keefe but I have a feeling he is on a short leash. Even though they resigned him.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Leafs have played like crap for the majority of the season. I see Keefe getting fired if we lose to Florida and Seattle this week.

Didn't you offer that same opinion last week, and the week before, and the week before, and....

Hopefully you'll be right sooner rather than later.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Keefe can’t even teach his players that only 5 of them can play at any given time

Kids nowadays with their computers and 'everyone wins' attitude in school, some may not be able to count to five without help.

 

[Sypher04]

I don’t know that Keefe is the problem necessarily but to me he’s proven he’s not the solution. Upgrade the D, if this team doesn’t respond in a big way, change the coaching.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Yes, he is.
he decides the lineup
he decides the playstyle
he decides the matchups (i.e. putting out the 4th line immediately after scoring a goal to allow one 30 secs later)

Against Pitts, he might have been better off putting out the fourth line after the opening goal.

 

[mapleleaf979]

Sheldon loses his mind at Bertuzzi, he has never done that to Marner who plays far too fancy or Matthews who has a terrible compete level, Reilly for pinching 24/7. I wonder how entitled the top players feel, Bertuzzi is the whipping boy this season, Keefe is terrified to call out Marner or Matthews, he tried it once last year and backpedaled immediately. Fire Keefe, ASAP.

 

[TMLisSRYinGerman]

What do you think about a 1st line of: Nylander-Matthews-Marner? If they get 2 Points per night that could be enough with some secondary scoring no? I mean give it a try at least. I'd like to see it for a month.

 

[ToneDog]

Sheldon loses his mind at Bertuzzi, he has never done that to Marner who plays far too fancy or Matthews who has a terrible compete level, Reilly for pinching 24/7. I wonder how entitled the top players feel, Bertuzzi is the whipping boy this season, Keefe is terrified to call out Marner or Matthews, he tried it once last year and backpedaled immediately. Fire Keefe, ASAP.

A manager once told me, you have to know which employees need to be coddled and which need to be yelled at, but he never mentioned doing it in from of millions of people. I am not sure what he was trying to pull but he needs to go.

 

[ER89]

I think the issue is the culture.

Whether that is Keefe Dubas Shanahan i don't know

But it's a fact that we have the p***yest superstars in the league.

Matty for a singular shift realized he was 6'3 215 and nailed that panther.

But beyond that no sticking up, no playing mad no playing with pride.

Like how is it that a mature core four still talks about starting on f***ing time. This isn't the first few seasons where they're young phenoms. Nah they're supposed to be at the peak of their powers.

Ffs that's peewee shit.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

I feel like I am a pretty objective fan of this team. I liked what I saw from Keefe last night, but what irritated me was why just pick on Bertuzzi? Why not also blast Marner? Marner's give aways last night were unforced and egregious.

 

[Budz]

Sheldon loses his mind at Bertuzzi, he has never done that to Marner who plays far too fancy or Matthews who has a terrible compete level, Reilly for pinching 24/7. I wonder how entitled the top players feel, Bertuzzi is the whipping boy this season, Keefe is terrified to call out Marner or Matthews, he tried it once last year and backpedaled immediately. Fire Keefe, ASAP.

It was at JT as well.

 

[ER89]

yall see how hughes plays - man i want that. The passion jack has is insane.

Or f***ing sid still outplaying our stars at age 64 sigh.

And its crazy because when they want all four can change the game individually so i dont get why its not clicking and consistency is still an issue here.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

It was at JT as well.

Okay, my apologies. Thank you for clearing that up. I only watch the highlight packages and Twitter outtakes now because this team frustrates me so much lol.

 

[ACC1224]

I feel like I am a pretty objective fan of this team. I liked what I saw from Keefe last night, but what irritated me was why just pick on Bertuzzi? Why not also blast Marner? Marner's give aways last night were unforced and egregious.

The camera panning to the bench every once in a while is hardly a reflection of how it’s run.
Not a Keefe fan but he looked like he was making a statement to the whole team there, based on something Bertuzzi did. I imagine he was reinforcing something he had said earlier.

I also imagine he has talked to every single player on the team at one point or another.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

I feel like I am a pretty objective fan of this team. I liked what I saw from Keefe last night, but what irritated me was why just pick on Bertuzzi? Why not also blast Marner? Marner's give aways last night were unforced and egregious.

100% this, Keefe doesn't have the balls or the rope to do his job and bench Matthews/Marner when they're out for a leisure skate.

Fair is fair, you wanna make an example out of Bert you can do it with the guys making $10M +

 

[hullsy47]

Countless playoff failures, refusing to adjust his lines (when was the last time marner and matthews were split up?). At what point do you stop giving Keefe the benefit of the doubt?


Today's game against the Pens, it's clear the Knies-Matthews-Marner line was not good, when asked post-game Keefe responded with "I thought they were great - no issues with them" - seriously?

This is being addressed 7 years into the core 4
The coach either can't coach a veteran team or this bunch is just too f***in rich
7 years before you call someone out and it still wasn't marner who looks l8ke he has been playing with mono

 

[Gary Nylund]

I think the issue is the culture.

Whether that is Keefe Dubas Shanahan i don't know

But it's a fact that we have the p***yest superstars in the league.

Matty for a singular shift realized he was 6'3 215 and nailed that panther.

But beyond that no sticking up, no playing mad no playing with pride.

Like how is it that a mature core four still talks about starting on f***ing time. This isn't the first few seasons where they're young phenoms. Nah they're supposed to be at the peak of their powers.

Ffs that's peewee shit.

Great post. This is all spot on, especially the bolded.

Keefe isn't "the issue", it's never just one person. Keefe is part of the problem but the biggest share of the blame goes to M&M. So much cap goes to those two and neither has much (if anything) in the way of character and leadership qualities. As long as this is their team, we're going nowhere. Grab a seat and make yourselves comfortable because it will be years before the next rebuild begins and we can start to once again, hope for a brighter future.

This is being addressed 7 years into the core 4
The coach either can't coach a veteran team or this bunch is just too f***in rich
7 years before you call someone out and it still wasn't marner who looks l8ke he has been playing with mono

Indeed. LOL at all those who we're predicting 120 points for Marner this season and/or the Presidents trophy for the team.

 

[ACC1224]

This is being addressed 7 years into the core 4
The coach either can't coach a veteran team or this bunch is just too f***in rich
7 years before you call someone out and it still wasn't marner who looks l8ke he has been playing with mono

Struggling a bit for sure but you don't think the effort is there?

 

[Gary Nylund]

Struggling a bit for sure but you don't think the effort is there?

When he's playing so poorly, does it matter? He's paid to be better, period.