Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
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After practice on Monday, head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed the final preparations for the first-round matchup against Tampa Bay.

Practice Lines – April 17

What do you like about the Morgan Rielly and Luke Schenn pairing? It’s the classic combination of a big, defensive-minded player paired with an offensive defenseman.

Keefe: Mo has done well with those kinds of guys in the past. Mo is going to move around. He will play through the lineup. Obviously, Schenn’s presence is important for us to have with his experience, his size, and the competitiveness that he brings to the backend.

We think it gives us some good options given that we moved a lot of the other defensemen around. Luke is a unique guy to our defense group both in his experience and his age on the right side there. Also, there is the type of game that he plays. We think it is an important element to have.

Last year, you were asked about pressure and having to get past the first round. Does the pressure get any more intense as you sit here a year later still trying to end this first-round drought?

Keefe: We have had lots of practice here just in getting ourselves prepared and focused on what matters. That is really it — the things that we can control that are right in front of us.

The pressure is a privilege. There are a lot of teams that are not playing hockey at this time of year that have no pressure. They have no privilege or opportunity to compete in the playoffs with the type of team that we have.

We are excited to get going.

You have done well enough in previous series to be in a position to win. Does the addition of the new players add confidence this year?

Keefe: No doubt. We feel great about our team. We know what the challenge is ahead. We know what the opponent we have to get through brings. We are respectful of all of that, but we believe in our team.

We have put in a lot of good work to get ready. The team is excited to compete.

Tampa is sub .500 since February. What kind of opponent are you expecting? What do you make of how they finished the season?

Keefe: I am expecting an opponent more like we saw in the playoffs last year — more like you are used to seeing and what you have seen from them at different times throughout the season when they were at their best, were elite, and looked like the team that you are accustomed to seeing.

With the experience that they have, we would expect nothing but their absolute best. We are going to bring our best as well. As I said, we look forward to competing.

What has allowed Jake McCabe to come right in and make such an impact on your blue line?

Keefe: He has fit in really well. With the group that we have, he has played mostly with Brodie. That helps any defenseman. He has moved around and done well there, too.

He is good at a lot of things. He skates well. He moves the puck well. He has good offensive instincts, good defensive instincts, and he competes. He is not afraid of anything. He stands his ground, whether it is to block a shot, protect his net, or protect his teammates.

There are lots of reasons for a guy like that to just be confident, go out with some swagger, and compete. I think he is excited to play at the most exciting time of year.

How much can you as a coach rely on some of the players that have been brought in who have the championship experience?

Keefe: Lots, but we have lots of guys that have lots of different experiences. We had Jake Muzzin in the past who had won championships. We leaned on him, but we are still relying on others.

Our guys have been through a lot together. As much as the guys we have brought in are adding to the group, the group itself is better, older, and more experienced. All of that adds up to a group that is ready to get going and excited to compete.

He is a very complete defenseman. You are going out to try to fill the spot that is left there in Jake Muzzin’s absence. McCabe has done a terrific job. We were identifying him as an important guy to come in here and fill that void. He has done a tremendous job of it.

Tampa Bay is known for liking to mix it up physically. It seems to be part of their DNA. What sort of growth have you seen in your team in terms of dealing with that?

Keefe: That stuff doesn’t bother us. Our guys are going to stand their ground. Most important to me is that it doesn’t affect our play. You don’t shy away. You don’t get on your heels.

We are a team that is going to play on its toes and has a lot of confidence in itself. It is important that you keep the focus on what is happening between the whistles. All of the other stuff is not going to faze our group.

As a coach, what have you learned from your past playoff experiences that you maybe wish you knew a few years ago?

Keefe: You are always growing. The most important thing is that I think I have grown with the group. While we have added guys, you know the group well. You know their strengths. You know where they need to be protected and helped along. You know where to push and all of those kinds of things.

I think that is really what it is about for me: Collectively, as a group, we have grown together.

At this time of year, how helpful is it to have Jason Spezza behind the scenes helping as well as your assistants and your video guys?

Keefe: Always, but at this time of year, you are organizing so much. You are going through so much information. It is so important as coaches that we filter it down, have something that the players are able to consume and process, and still be able to play free and fast.

They do a lot of the work for sure to help make my job easier.

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