"Our power play wasn’t very good tonight. It had a chance to grab a hold of the game for us and failed to do so. Our execution offensively wasn’t nearly good enough. We clearly didn’t make good on our chances. We generated more than enough to score far more than we did. We didn’t execute. We didn’t find ways to make it harder on their goaltender once he got into a groove."
"Obviously, we have been on the road here for a bit, it is our third game, it is a back-to-back, and all of that. It makes me start to wonder about our conditioning and where we are at there. Clearly, we have to find ways to be rising to the occasion at the right times rather than falling flat."
Keefe quotes, post game.
Rising to the occasion.
An interesting choice of words. While watching the team after Matthews scored, I saw confidence, arrogance, influence, all tilting in favor of the Leafs. I did not see desperation, anger, desire. I don't know why?
I saw a team playing a game that screamed 'we'll win, because we're better', not a team that was busting it's butt to win the game. I don't know why.
After Matthews' goal to tie in the 3rd, I saw the Leafs being the better team, but I didn't sense purpose, I sensed their belief in winning because they thought it their due.
I have a strong belief in the talent this team offers. I'm now less confident that that talent can be harnessed. To my eyes, there is something missing. I don't know what it is. This worries me. I don't know how to address the 'need' I feel this team is missing. It's not talent alone.
While people complain about the Foligno trade last year, I think Dubas was hoping to inject the same missing ingredient that I'm trying to express. We need that 'something' that allows us to play with passion and anger. We need someone to move our 'best' beyond what we've seen. This is a talented hockey team. We can do so much more than we've offered.
