Earlier this week, in the wake of a hugely disappointing, losing effort against the lowly Arizona Coyotes, the Toronto Maple Leafs met with the media. And in his media availability, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe expressed frustration with his top players.
“Our best people have not found a rhythm,” Keefe said after Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Coyotes. “The difference between us and Arizona is that we have elite players. And our elite players didn’t play like elite players.”
-
Ep 76: Oilers, Flames, Winter Classic Jersey, Avs, and More
by Full Press Coverage on November 23, 2023 at 6:42 am
Jim and Chris are back for another edition of Full Press Hockey Weekly to […]
That was a pretty straightforward and fair assessment by Keefe. After all, Toronto’s top line of superstar center Auston Matthews, star winger Mitch Marner and winger Michael Bunting were largely ineffective: Neither Matthews nor Bunting registered a point against the Coyotes, and the team didn’t have a shot on net in any of their first four power plays. It’s not wrong for Keefe to point out his team’s deficiencies, but after his words Monday night, Keefe felt the need to clear the air and make clear his intentions.
“I used some of the wrong words to try to describe…that the difference in the game, I find, is just we weren’t able to produce,” Keefe told reporters Wednesday. “Whether it’s power play or five-on-five, that’s really the difference with all the puck time we had. By no means was I meaning anything beyond that, which is what I wanted (Leafs players) to be sure of. As it turned out, they didn’t know what I was talking about, which is a good thing. But at the same time, it was important that they know where I was coming from.”
Around Full Press Hockey
NHL: Preseason Takeaways: New-Look Jets Have Much to Prove
NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils
NHL: NHL Training Camp Preview: Can Sharks, Blues Return To Cup Contender Status?
NFL: Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year
Full Press Bets: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored
PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau
Some observers may have seen that as a backtracking maneuver by Keefe, but really, it was about trying to get out in front of the story before it mushroomed into a Toronto-specialty overreaction. Keefe wasn’t about to let the “coach-can’t-work-with-his-top-players” narrative take over, so he made a point to specify he wasn’t pointing out specific players. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Long gone are the days NHL coaches could go bananas on their top contributors and still expect to work with them and have their total buy-in and trust. And Keefe knows that.
Indeed, when you look at Keefe’s career trajectory, you’re seeing a guy who is very adept when it comes to being a proactive force, and a confident asset-builder who isn’t interested in standing on a player’s neck just to underscore his own competitiveness. Remember, Keefe has an American Hockey League Calder Cup championship to his credit. You don’t stumble into a championship at any elite hockey level, and Keefe has proven he can give a team enough structure and sense of self-worth to propel them to glory.
While it’s true an NHL coach can’t alienate his players, it’s also true the opposite end of that spectrum is a country club environment that also is incredibly damaging. Keefe is well-aware of the coaching balance that’s necessary in today’s game, and if the frustrations of one game’s effort leads to words that can be hyper-focused upon by media and fans, it’s on the person who said those words to circle back and pour cold water on what otherwise would become giant embers of fire.
Keefe realized he wasn’t general enough in his dismay with the Leafs after Monday’s loss. But you can’t fault the man for stamping out a potential problem before it turns into a genuine problem. Toronto is the hockey fishbowl market of all hockey fishbowl markets, and by deflecting blame from his elite talents, Keefe was doing whatever he could to keep the Leafs’ keel as even as possible.
-
Ep 76: Oilers, Flames, Winter Classic Jersey, Avs, and More
by Full Press Coverage on November 23, 2023 at 6:42 am
Jim and Chris are back for another edition of Full Press Hockey Weekly to […]
-
Ep 75: Hockey After Dark
by Full Press Coverage on November 15, 2023 at 3:12 am
Jim and Chris are back for the first edition of Full Press Hockey After […]
-
Ep 74: Drama In Ottawa, McAvoy Suspended, NHL Rumors, and More!
by Full Press Coverage on November 2, 2023 at 1:27 pm
In a jam-packed episode, Jim and Chris discuss the drama in Ottawa with […]
-
Off to Motown: Patrick Kane Signs with Detroit Red Wings
by Full Press Coverage on November 28, 2023 at 7:07 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey […]
-
What's on Russ's Mind: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
by Full Press Coverage on November 23, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Russ Cohen of Full Press Hockey, […]
-
Off To Alberta To Check On The Edmonton Oilers
by Full Press Coverage on November 19, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back once again joined by Avry Lewis-McDougall of the […]
-
Ep 87: Captain Brad Marchand, New Season Expectations, Bruins Hockey Is Back
by Full Press Coverage on October 11, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Ian and Chris return for the start of the Bruins season as they talk Brad […]
-
Ep 86: David Krejci Announces Retirement
by Full Press Coverage on August 14, 2023 at 10:28 pm
Ian and Chris react to David Krejci's retirement. Learn more about your ad […]
-
S5Ep13 - Patrick Kane Signs with Detroit Red Wings
by Jim Biringer on November 28, 2023 at 5:21 pm
Jim Biringer is back for the fifth season of the Final Word on Hockey in a […]
-
S5Ep12 - Time For William Nylander To Get Paid
by Jim Biringer on November 19, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Jim Biringer is back for the fifth season of the Final Word on Hockey […]
-
Avalanche at Ducks - Canucks at Flames - Capitals at Golden Knights
by Broken Controller Media on December 2, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Hunter Logan Previews Avalanche at Ducks, Canucks at Flames, Capitals at […]
-
Sabres at Hurricanes - Red Wings at Canadiens - Kraken at Senators
by Broken Controller Media on December 2, 2023 at 4:10 pm
Hunter Logan Previews Sabres at Hurricanes, Red Wings at Canadiens, Kraken […]
-
Lightning at Stars - Blackhawks at Jets - Rangers at Predators - Islanders at Panthers
by Broken Controller Media on December 2, 2023 at 4:05 pm
Hunter Logan Previews Lightning at Stars, Blackhawks at Jets, Rangers at […]
-
Episode #147: Sloppy October Is Over?
by Full Press Coverage on November 2, 2023 at 8:37 pm
On this edition of The Calder Farmstead, Sean and Sarah finish out the […]
-
Episode #146: Spooky Luck
by Full Press Coverage on October 27, 2023 at 4:09 pm
On this episode of The Calder Farmstead, Mr. Anderson (Sean) and Tina […]
-
Renegades Of Puck Ep 828
by Charlie Saunier on December 1, 2023 at 6:59 pm
Ep 828 The Renegades Of Puck Recap 6-1 L Vs Wild Preview Rangers & […]
-
Full Press Islanders - 12-1 - Take the 2 points and run
by Full Press Coverage on December 1, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Last night wasn't pretty but they found a way to win and that's what […]
-
Full Press Hurricanes - 12-1 - Carolina Falls 5-4 in Overtime Against the Islanders.
by Full Press Coverage on December 1, 2023 at 4:30 pm
The Hurricanes thoroughly outshot the New York Islanders 43-16, but the […]
-
Leafs Digest - 12-1 - MASSIVE Trade Incoming? - Trade Reports INTENSIFYING
by BCM on December 1, 2023 at 4:00 pm
Nick Gosse and Darius Domingues break down recent reports highlighting […]
-
Full Press Kraken - 12-1 - Shootout loss, Maple Leafs, Marner
by Full Press Coverage on December 1, 2023 at 2:40 pm
Recapping the shootout loss to Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. […]
-
Full Press Wild - 12-1 - Recapping a dominating Wild win over the predators.
by Full Press Coverage on December 1, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Win, Nashville, domination, Connor Dewar. Learn more about your ad […]
-
11/28 - MNF Reaction, State Of The NFL
by Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 3:49 am
Ian and John react to Monday Night Football and discuss more of the state […]
-
11/27 - Thanksgiving Recap; Jalen Hurts, NFL News and Notes
by Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 10:43 pm
Ian and John recap Thanksgiving weekend, discuss Jalen Hurts' moment, and […]
-
11/24 - Thanksgiving Recap, Jets/Dolphins, Week 12 Picks
by Full Press Coverage on November 24, 2023 at 3:47 pm
Ian and John react to all of the action on Thanksgiving Day and look ahead […]
-
11/23 - Thanksgiving Day Preview, Tom Brady, Top 5 NFL Teams
by Full Press Coverage on November 23, 2023 at 3:11 pm
Ian and John discuss the Thanksgiving Day slate of games in the NFL, Tom […]
-
Ep 193: Ayako Hamada
by Full Press Coverage on December 2, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Ayako Hamada has had a wide and varied career through AAA, SHIMMER, TNA, […]
-
Ep. 262 - The In Season Tournament is Going Better Than Anyone Expected
by Full Press Coverage on December 1, 2023 at 12:56 am
Jet and Sap share their thoughts now that group play is over with in the […]
-
Ep 198: Week 13 vs Chiefs
by Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 8:20 pm
In this episode, co-hosts Kyle Senra and Jesse Hall are joined by Braden […]
-
Ep 316: Week 13 Fantasy Football Preview
by Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 4:08 am
In this episode, Kyle Serna and Brad Harvin provide a survival guide for […]
-
11/28 - MNF Reaction, State Of The NFL
by Full Press Coverage on November 30, 2023 at 3:49 am
Ian and John react to Monday Night Football and discuss more of the state […]
-
Ep 180: Hall of Fame Class Of 2024 Semifinalists Discussion
by Full Press Coverage on November 28, 2023 at 7:02 pm
Ira and Clark dissect the 2024 Hall of Fame class semifinalists. Learn […]
-
Ep 197: Recapping Weeks 11 & 12
by Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 11:26 pm
This episode is a double-dip in a good way. Kyle Senra and Jesse Hall […]
-
11/27 - Thanksgiving Recap; Jalen Hurts, NFL News and Notes
by Full Press Coverage on November 27, 2023 at 10:43 pm
Ian and John recap Thanksgiving weekend, discuss Jalen Hurts' moment, and […]