Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 2-1 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks which improved the team’s record to 19-10-7.
On the team’s performance:
I thought we played a good game and deserved more offense than we got. I liked that we stayed with it. We didn’t make too many mistakes, push it, or open it up to the point where we gave them a chance to build their lead.
We get rewarded in the end with the two points that you come for.
On Auston Matthews hitting the 30-goal mark through 35 games played:
He has found another level in the last month or so. Tonight, I don’t know how many he could’ve had. I think he finished with 13 shots and 20 attempts. He was bound to get one. Obviously, it was a big one for us.
He has been great for us. We have been playing a much better team game of late. We really like to see that. That is important, but within the team game, we need difference-makers to step up and do their thing. Certainly, Auston has done that.
On whether it started to feel ridiculous when it was 1-0 Anaheim with nearly 50 shots on goal for the Leafs:
You get these nights sometimes, right? Early in the game, when they pulled that one off the goal line, you kind of think it might be one of those nights. That is the way it turned out.
Now, there are some things that I’d like to see us do a little bit better. I thought we could’ve done more to make it uncomfortable for him. That is what we were talking about. I don’t think we were able to get to him off the puck with traffic and things like that nearly enough.
If we get that number of shots and that number of quality, clean looks at the goaltender, normally, with our calibre of shooters, those find ways to go in. But you need to find ways to win these games and certainly get points. In the overtime, it is a bit of a coin toss from there, but you have to get points in these games and find a way.
Again, it is another game without giving up a five-on-five goal. That is three in a row now. It has been a good response from our group in the last week.
On whether the energy ever started to sag when the goals weren’t coming:
I didn’t sense our energy sagging. There was a little bit of frustration I could see in our guys in that second period — late in the second period, especially.
We talked a lot about there being no use in that. There was a lot of game to play and we were one shot away. We were going to get more looks. Stay with it.
It took a lot longer than we would like, but I was thrilled to see the guys get rewarded.
On the Bobby McMann hit leading to his ejection:
There is no intent there. Bobby is just finishing his check. It is a quick play. Their guy is dumping the puck in and kind of turns at the same time. It makes it a little bit harder for him.
Regardless, we need Bobby to keep playing hard and doing his job there. He has been really good for us.
