Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs post game
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Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after his team’s 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings that improved the Leafs’ record to 14-6-1 on the season.


On what the team did to break out offensively at 5v5:

I thought we did some good things in terms of how we attacked the net and increased our volume a little bit. Really, I don’t know if it’s just a matter of some of the luck coming back our way. I don’t know that we’ve done anything a whole lot different than what we had been doing in other games. It was certainly nice to see it go in.

On David Kampf’s status after he left the game in the first period with an apparent head injury, and if he saw the hit:

No update other than he was removed. With the nature of the hit, it is precautionary. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow. We will take it from there.

I saw a replay on the bench of it. It looked to me like direct contact with his head, obviously. You hate to see that. I don’t know how much intent was there. It looked pretty accidental to me.

On the team’s play on the road so far (3-0 and 6-2 wins):

Very pleased. We have been playing good hockey here of late, but it’s been a long time… I can’t remember the last time we have blown a game open like that in terms of the goals going in and having a second period like that. It has been a long time — maybe even all season, frankly.

It was nice to have that for our guys. When you’re scoring, the group is feeling good. We have played good hockey on the road here of late, but we haven’t gotten the goals. We have really had to grind it out to the very end. It was nice today to have a good cushion. We will leave here with lots of positivity and the group feeling good.

On whether he could feel the positivity on the bench as the goals were going in:

For sure. Guys get looser. It is just natural. When games like that, sometimes you end up getting a little too loose, and it gets a little sloppy, which I thought it did a little bit towards the end of the second period. But it is great for the team and great for the camaraderie of the group. You have lots of guys scoring on different lines.

Guys were really pushing for one there for Nick Ritchie. I thought Nick had an outstanding game tonight — he did a ton of really good things for us and had some chances. You really want to see one fall for him because he certainly deserves it.

There were a lot of really good things here. On the road, it was really nice to see a lot of the blue and white in the building tonight — lots of noise, lots of Leafs fans. That was terrific to see.

On the satisfaction Jack Campbell must be feeling after a successful return to LA:

There were times in this game — chunks in each period — where LA had really strong pushes and Jack was great for us as he has been all season. It was really good to see that continue from him. I am sure, for him on a personal note, it is nice to do it in this building against this team.

Just in general, this is a team that gave it to us pretty good in our building last time we saw them. It is nice to have the result go the other way.

On Jason Spezza’s contributions on the power play, including his goal tonight:

He knows it is a big part of what he brings to our team. He takes it very seriously and takes ownership of that unit. Coming downhill with that shot is a bit of a signature shot for him. It is nice to see it go in here today.

He and Nick Ritchie were sitting beside each other in the room here tonight after the game. I chatted with them. He was quick to point out the value of the screen by Nick Ritchie there. It was really textbook stuff with how he crossed through the eyes at the right moment for that shot. It was perfectly placed, so if the goalie can’t see it, it is going to go in.

It was a real nice sequence there all the way through right from the faceoff. Ritchie helps us win the draw by stepping in, it goes up and around, Engvall gets through pressure, it comes back around to Spezza, and it is in. A really nice job by that whole unit.