Confirmed with Link: Sheldon Keefe extended 2 years

[The Iceman]

Best winning percentage for a Leafs coach in history.

Whooops.

How about this

All time regular season highest coaching winning percentage minimum 100 games coached Keefe is #2 just ahead of some dude named Scotty Bowman

 

[ottomaddox]

If only TOR had won that series against MTL.

Things would be so much different...

 

[Gary Nylund]

How about this

All time regular season highest coaching winning percentage minimum 100 games coached Keefe is #2 just ahead of some dude named Scotty Bowman

Does this factor in the fact that in Bowman's era, only 2 points were awarded per game whereas today, it's often 3? I'm guessing that it isn't and this fact skews all comparisons of this sort.

 

[Gary Nylund]

When it comes to coaching the team to have an advantage in shots, scoring chances, etc.., Keefe has been great, just need the players to perform especially our goaltending in the playoffs (like we've been facing really). The weird subjective opinions that he's been outcoached are kinda nutty but go along with the old narrative "show me a good coach and Ill show you a good goalie". I highly doubt Torts or Ducharme was happy his team got badly outplayed compared to their regular season play and saved by goaltending differentials

Not true at all IMO, our goaltending has been excellent in the past two playoffs.

Our problem has been that we can't score. We generate chances but we hit the post, miss the net or hit the goalie in the chest. The stats show high danger chances are in our favour etc. but it's not opposing goaltending that's killed us, it's that we've choked away a zillion scoring chances.

Our PP was the joke of the league, if the coach isn't to blame for that then who?

Not saying he's all bad, but this narrative is that everything was awesome and goaltending is why we always lose is total BS. JMHO.

 

[Bomber0104]

How about this

All time regular season highest coaching winning percentage minimum 100 games coached Keefe is #2 just ahead of some dude named Scotty Bowman

And yet he's one more failed season away from being turfed.

We have reporters openly asking him if he's wary of being fired.

But yeah, shoe-in Hall of Famer for sure

 

[egd27]

His interview was coaching the Marlies to the Calder Cup.

Ok......and the reason for not interviewing anyone else? I may be mistaken but I believe Quenville was available at that time. Surely he would at least rate an interview.

But no, the rookie GM just went ahead and brought in his rookie coach buddy. Even if Keefe was the right choice, any competent manager interviews a few people before filling a key organizational position.

 

[DarkKnight]

I’m still frustrated by the loss as much as anyone, but get real man. Calling it dropping a deuce is a huge exaggeration. They needed to convert, and yeah they failed, but they outshot Montreal 11-1 in that overtime and clearly were the better team. Doesn’t mean f*** all in the end, I get that, but let’s not make it out as something worse than it was.

Game 6 Montreal was one of the lowest points, you get real. Go watch it again and get back to me. The way they came out in that game was embarrassing, and they deserved to lose in OT, which they did. Man, how anyone can actually challenge that game is astounding. Oh they showed up late, big deal. Obviously Keefe didn’t give that speech pre game.

 

[egd27]

How about this

All time regular season highest coaching winning percentage minimum 100 games coached Keefe is #2 just ahead of some dude named Scotty Bowman

I realize intent often gets misunderstood here at Club HF. Did you mean to draw a comparison between Sheldon Keefe and Scotty Bowman ?

 

[Welsh Maple Leaf]

And yet he's one more failed season away from being turfed.

We have reporters openly asking him if he's wary of being fired.

But yeah, shoe-in Hall of Famer for sure

Don’t think anyone’s asking him if he’s getting fired now pal.

Don’t let his great record get in the way of you throwing your toys out of the pram though.

 

[Byron Bitz]

How about this

All time regular season highest coaching winning percentage minimum 100 games coached Keefe is #2 just ahead of some dude named Scotty Bowman

Ya no one disagrees that the leafs have been a great regular season team the last 5 years

 

[Bomber0104]

Don’t think anyone’s asking him if he’s getting fired now pal.

Don’t let his great record get in the way of you throwing your toys out of the pram though.

Wow, truth hurts I guess.

And what great record?

He has the same record as Babcock did in the playoffs (coming off a last place finish) despite the Leafs playing way, way weaker teams and being way, way further down the development path as a team.

And it's that reason he'll be fired along with Dubas if it happens again.

Tick tock.

 

[ToneDog]

Ok......and the reason for not interviewing anyone else? I may be mistaken but I believe Quenville was available at that time. Surely he would at least rate an interview.

But no, the rookie GM just went ahead and brought in his rookie coach buddy. Even if Keefe was the right choice, any competent manager interviews a few people before filling a key organizational position.

Worst case, make him the interim head coach like the Habs did with Decharme.

 

[ToneDog]

I realize intent often gets misunderstood here at Club HF. Did you mean to draw a comparison between Sheldon Keefe and Scotty Bowman ?

Next it will be Dubas and Toe Blake.

 

[Jmo89]

What has he done to deserve an extension? Why is he being “rewarded” for being out coached two years in a row? Let him sit on the hot seat, it’s about time, but of course Dubas doesn’t roll that way.

I think that's one of Dubas' fatal flaws, he makes guys too comfortable. Let's avoid a distraction and give him a nice severance if things go south again, instead of leaving him on the hot seat. I'm not sure if Keefe is a bad coach but he's an inexperienced one that has been outcoached two years in a row, and is coming off a 3-1 series lead choke.

Neither Keefe nor the players have done anything to deserve "no distractions." This nice guy, buddy buddy stuff started with Dubas as soon as he took over and it's not working.

 

[Zybalto]

Not true at all IMO, our goaltending has been excellent in the past two playoffs.

Our problem has been that we can't score. We generate chances but we hit the post, miss the net or hit the goalie in the chest. The stats show high danger chances are in our favour etc. but it's not opposing goaltending that's killed us, it's that we've choked away a zillion scoring chances.

Our PP was the joke of the league, if the coach isn't to blame for that then who?

Not saying he's all bad, but this narrative is that everything was awesome and goaltending is why we always lose is total BS. JMHO.

Everything wasnt awesome of course (it never is) and our 16th ranked PP was a bizarre mix of best in the league for the first couple of months and then bottom 5 the rest of the way. It's why Malhotra (the guy in charge of the PP) was pulled from his duties there.

The Leafs also still scored a pretty average amount of goals for teams in the first round and gave up the 3rd fewest amount of goals. Usually that would be enough but you are right in that it's a mix of players not finishing at opportune times, players making stupid giveaways at the wrong times and our goalie not making the big saves when he needed to. The problem is that the emphasis on the players finishing has been WAAAAAY overstated when compared to the other two things. When I look at coaching, I look at run of play, shot differential and scoring chance differential. Did the coach put the players in a system that they could succeed in? Looking at every series in the entire playoffs, the Leafs/Habs series was one of the most lopsided series in this regard. The system was great, the players didnt take advantage of their advantage to the extent they could have, especially the goaltender.


Speaking of "high danger chances", Campbell's high danger save% in the series was .773 in 400+ minutes and .682 the final 3 games.

73 goalies played 400+ minutes this year and that overall HD save% would have slotted in at 68th in the league and the .682 would have been dead last.

It was different for Andersen's playoffs last year where 3 of the 5 goals he gave up in the two elimination games were "low danger chances". Straight up softies. If the team is going to make a difference in the playoffs, our goalies need to make big saves but also save the gimmies. I didnt see the opposition goaltending making many errors.

I mean, Toronto was just as dominant against the Habs as Tampa. Nylander was better than and outproduced Kucherov. Matthews/Marner were better than and outproduced Stamkos/Point. 2-0, 1-0, 1-0 to close out the final 3 rounds? How do they score 4 goals and win 3 series and we score 6 goals and lose 3 games. Who won the Conn Smyth?

Combine all those things....the finishing, the goaltending, the brutal giveaways in important moments and then combine them with the worst injuries of any team in the playoffs and you get left with the 7 game loss. Coaching was one of the bright spots. I mean, it was still a 7 game series for a reason.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Ya no one disagrees that the leafs have been a great regular season team the last 5 years

Our only top 5 finish was tied for 5th last season which has an asterix next to it. I think maybe the fact that we've sucked for so long has people thinking that good, is in fact great.

We've established ourselves as a good, not great regular season team that slots in to the 6-10 range overall.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Not true at all IMO, our goaltending has been excellent in the past two playoffs.

Our problem has been that we can't score. We generate chances but we hit the post, miss the net or hit the goalie in the chest. The stats show high danger chances are in our favour etc. but it's not opposing goaltending that's killed us, it's that we've choked away a zillion scoring chances.

Our PP was the joke of the league, if the coach isn't to blame for that then who?

Not saying he's all bad, but this narrative is that everything was awesome and goaltending is why we always lose is total BS. JMHO.

We should probably go out and get the best goalie, f*** off the 3 x 11mil forwards. Save loads of money. And win the cup.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Everything wasnt awesome of course (it never is) and our 16th ranked PP was a bizarre mix of best in the league for the first couple of months and then bottom 5 the rest of the way. It's why Malhotra (the guy in charge of the PP) was pulled from his duties there.

The Leafs also still scored a pretty average amount of goals for teams in the first round and gave up the 3rd fewest amount of goals. Usually that would be enough but you are right in that it's a mix of players not finishing at opportune times, players making stupid giveaways at the wrong times and our goalie not making the big saves when he needed to. The problem is that the emphasis on the players finishing has been WAAAAAY overstated when compared to the other two things. When I look at coaching, I look at run of play, shot differential and scoring chance differential. Did the coach put the players in a system that they could succeed in? Looking at every series in the entire playoffs, the Leafs/Habs series was one of the most lopsided series in this regard. The system was great, the players didnt take advantage of their advantage to the extent they could have, especially the goaltender.


Speaking of "high danger chances", Campbell's high danger save% in the series was .773 in 400+ minutes and .682 the final 3 games.

73 goalies played 400+ minutes this year and that overall HD save% would have slotted in at 68th in the league and the .682 would have been dead last.

It was different for Andersen's playoffs last year where 3 of the 5 goals he gave up in the two elimination games were "low danger chances". Straight up softies. If the team is going to make a difference in the playoffs, our goalies need to make big saves but also save the gimmies. I didnt see the opposition goaltending making many errors.

I mean, Toronto was just as dominant against the Habs as Tampa. Nylander was better than and outproduced Kucherov. Matthews/Marner were better than and outproduced Stamkos/Point. 2-0, 1-0, 1-0 to close out the final 3 rounds? How do they score 4 goals and win 3 series and we score 6 goals and lose 3 games. Who won the Conn Smyth?

Combine all those things....the finishing, the goaltending, the brutal giveaways in important moments and then combine them with the worst injuries of any team in the playoffs and you get left with the 7 game loss. Coaching was one of the bright spots. I mean, it was still a 7 game series for a reason.

The PP was historically bad and was bad for many months leading up to the playoffs. That alone is a huge problem and is enough for me to say that calling coaching a bright spot is insane. How can a team with so much talent be so damn bad on the PP for so long? How is it possible that a "bright spot" coach can't do anything about this?

As far as high danger chances blah blah blah, I have little faith in those stats. I've explained why that is, don't have the energy to get into it all over again right now and you obviously disagree and that's fine.

 

[93LEAFS]

Don't really get the deal, not like the Leafs would get out-bid if he did great this year. But, again, with the Leafs bankrole its not like they'd have a problem firing the whole regime if they miss the playoffs or even go out in round 1.

 

[ToneDog]

Coaching was one of the bright spots. I mean, it was still a 7 game series for a reason.

At the same time I am seeing numerous people in this thread saying Keefe was outcoached. The result of the series makes me believe they are correct.

 

[4thline]

Haven't read the entire thread, but has it been touched on that this vote of confidence could be seen as a shot across the cores' bow?

 

[Joey Hoser]

At the same time I am seeing numerous people in this thread saying Keefe was outcoached. The result of the series makes me believe they are correct.

Did something about his coaching prevent Marner or Matthews from scoring 1 more goal in any of 3 games that would have won the series?

 

[ToneDog]

Did something about his coaching prevent Marner or Matthews from scoring 1 more goal in any of 3 games that would have won the series?

Can't blame him for the players not producing but standing pat and watching them continue to not produce is on him. Numerous other reasons have been posted as to why they thought he was outcoached.

 

[The CyNick]

Guy was badly outcoached in back to back series and gets an extension. Crazy.

 

[Buds17]

.....

My initial post was referring to the Leafs having a successful regular season but a not-so-successful playoffs, and also coaching/management contracts being easier to move on from in comparison to player contracts. I put the '?' because my post had nothing to do with Marner and the exhibition game; so I suppose the poster might have quoted me by mistake.