Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs post game
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs post game
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Sheldon Keefe spoke to the media after his team’s 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken that improved the Leafs’ record to 31-12-3 on the season.


On the team’s performance:

I thought we were elite on special teams. We had a real potential advantage coming into the game today, and it played out that way. The plan put forth by both Spencer and Dean and the execution by the players was at a high level today, especially on the power play. That was fun to watch. That really set us up to win the hockey game. We made good on the chances that we got in and around the net.

There was lots of the game that I didn’t like. I thought Seattle did a good job against us. I liked a lot about the third period, especially the last half of it. We won the game and finished the road trip off the right way. Let’s go home.

On Mitch Marner’s play on the shorthanded goal in the third period:

Yeah, it is special. That is really all you can say about that. To sense or know that he is there but then to still, under that level of pressure, execute a play of that level… that’s special.

On Jack Campbell’s performance:

I thought he was good. Obviously, that second one squeaked by him there. A lot of perimeter shots were coming at him today from the outside. I thought he handled them very well — very calmly. There were some pucks flying around through traffic and stuff, but I thought he tracked it well.

It was a good game for him. Even when I didn’t like parts of our game — I thought we turned the puck over a lot — we defended our slot very well. We didn’t give up very much there.

There were a couple of pucks there in the third period, but there was not much happening in the slot throughout most of the game. I thought the guys did a good job of that. It helps protect the goalies. Jack was solid.

On William Nylander’s turnover before the 1-1 goal:

It is a fluke that it hits the referee, but I think it is an example of what happens when you are exhausted, right? You are not quite thinking right. You can just advance that puck, get out of the zone, and get moving; everyone is exhausted and needs to get off.

That is what happens when teams wear on you. You get the fatigue factor, and you make mistakes like that.