Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins which dropped the team’s record to 5-3-2.
On the team’s performance:
I thought the guys worked hard. I really liked how we came back in the game. We had chances to really bury them in that second period — some point-blank opportunities, and we failed to convert on those.
You want to get two points anytime you come into a building, but it is a tough game here tonight. To come away with one and a chance to get a second in shootout… We’ll take it.
On the explanation for the lack of call on Brad Marchand’s trip that injured Timothy Liljegren:
I got nothing. They didn’t see the stick go between his legs for the can opener to make him go feet-first into the boards in the most dangerous area of the ice. He didn’t see it.
On Timothy Liljegren’s status:
It looks like he’ll miss significant time. We are not going to know for sure until we get him home and get a picture, but it is not short-term at this point with the way it looks.
On Ilya Samsonov’s performance:
I thought he was great. It is a shame he has to face a shootout there to end it. But I thought he was real strong tonight and should feel real good about his game.
On demoting Tyler Bertuzzi to the fourth line:
He just needs to simplify his game. Today, we had a very simple plan. He failed to execute that, so other guys had to take his place.
On the performance of the Matthews-Marner line:
They had their best game tonight against a real tough opponent. I know [Boston] is missing people and all of that, but there are still a lot of tough matchups out there for them tonight. I don’t know if Lindholm left the ice tonight. Certainly, he played a ton against those guys.
They did a great job. It was a really encouraging sign. Two huge goals at a key moment. They bring us back. That is really good. I would expect that they don’t look back from here.
On the penalty kill stepping up in the third and in OT:
Lots of positives. Third period, game is on the line, and we came up with a big kill. We had a sense that we were probably going to have to kill one in the third period at some point. That is the way it worked out.
In the overtime, it gives us another chance to take a crack at it with what was left on the clock to try to win it and then a chance in the shootout. That is all you can really ask for from them.
