Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
Sheldon Keefe, Toronto Maple Leafs practice
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After Friday’s practice, Sheldon Keefe discussed Calle Jarnkrok’s status after leaving practice injured, Bobby McMann going onto the IR, the power play’s recent struggles, and the rematch against Winnipeg before the bye week.

Practice Lines – Jan. 26

What is the concern level with Calle Jarnkrok leaving practice?

Keefe: He got hit by a puck, so there is concern there for sure. We won’t know the extent until we give it a chance to settle down a little bit and get it looked at.

How would you describe what Jarnkrok has meant to the team this season?

Keefe: I wouldn’t say just this season but last season as well. This season is just a continuation of what we came to know last season.

He is very consistent in who he is in terms of his details. You can play him anywhere in any position. He can help on the power play and penalty kill.

A very important player for us. He is a guy who doesn’t get much attention, but inside our room, I think he has a great deal of respect that he has earned over how he plays the game.

Is Bobby McMann’s absence tied to Tyler Bertuzzi returning?

Keefe: McMann, as we have talked about in the last couple of weeks with the back-to-backs, has been dealing with something that has been lingering. We hoped it was going to improve over time, but it has lingered enough that it was determined that extending his break would be helpful for him. He will be going on the IR and won’t be available for us tomorrow.

We figured that by adding a few extra days to his break — yesterday, today, and tomorrow — off of the ice, we are hopeful that he will be past this when we come back.

Ilya Samsonov was someone many on the outside were writing off, and even internally, you mentioned there were questions. Has he built the trust back up? Is it still in the process of rebuilding?

Keefe: The trust is there, sure. If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t put him back in. Certainly, the trust is there, but like any other player, it is about consistency. He can’t prove his consistency until we consistently put him out there.

That is really it. He has to keep stacking up good days. That is what today is for him, and that is what yesterday — in terms of a recovery day — is for. He has a chance to get back in the net and compete against a good team on the road tomorrow.

Just keep stacking up these good days.

William Nylander stayed out late after practice to work on a few extra things. What is your sense of his mindset right now as the offense hasn’t been at the same level as earlier in the year?

Keefe: Willy is a competitor. He set a high standard for himself early in the season. I think he has full expectations that was the player that he is and is what he is capable of doing. When it is not going that way, he is going to continue to work at it and not just be content. We really like that about Will.

The other night, in the second half of the game, he was really starting to come alive. His feet were really moving. That is what you need to see — guys wanting to work their way out of their situation. That is what I see from John (Tavares) pretty consistently, and Willy is just the same.

How do you help the power play work its way through its current funk? You mentioned the other night that a good practice didn’t necessarily translate in the game.

Keefe: You stay with it. How long you stay with it is a question you have daily. We have one game remaining before the break. It is a good opportunity for our guys to respond.

That said, I do think the power play in the third period — when we had our chances — was far better than it was earlier in the game. We leave on somewhat of a positive in terms of at least generating some chances and looks. We could’ve scored, which would’ve changed a lot.

Staying with it is part of it, but as I say, it is also pushing the group and looking at it strategically and tactically. Guy Boucher runs the power play; he talks to the guys and he is working at it.

They have had a recipe and a plan that has worked quite well throughout the season — even at times when we haven’t scored — in terms of our chances, activity at the net, and being inside. We have been at the top of the league in that area, really, all season long.

It is just a matter of sticking with it. As the players individually play better, it is amazing how the power play starts to work. That is all part of it.

Have you considered moving personnel around on the units?

Keefe: We have these conversations all the time. You want to stick with it and trust the guys who have had a great deal of success — and not just this season. If you look at the offense those guys have generated, even when the puck hasn’t gone in, we lead the NHL in a lot of categories when it comes to the power play.

When the puck is not going in, you start to question things and look at things. We have one more game before the break. It is a good opportunity for our guys to step up in a big moment.

We have discussed some other options, but trusting the group and giving them a chance to work themselves through it is important, especially with a break looming. If we don’t get the response we are looking for, maybe we can start looking at other things.

When you see from afar what the Jets are doing this season and then get an opportunity to see it up close, what do you notice that makes the best defensive team in the league?

Keefe: Just their commitment to it. With the consistency within their game, they are content just to make it hard on you. They will take the offense that comes as a result of that.

Offensively, they are not taking the same types of chances that they may have in the past. Their games are going to be really tight, and they don’t need a lot of offense, but they seem to be getting no shortage of offense. It is coming through their commitment to defense.

It is no secret that it is a recipe for success. They are certainly displaying that.

How important is it to enter the break on a high note?

Keefe: I think it is important. You want to leave feeling good about your game. Everyone is excited about the break. It is always very welcome on the calendar no matter what you are going through as a team. It is a long season. You want to get some time away. You always want to leave feeling good.

Most importantly for us, we are going to go on the road to play a very good team in a tough building on a Saturday night. It is not technically the first half of the season over, but you kind of look at it that way with the break looming.

We want to put forth a good effort against a good team, leave feeling good, say goodbye to each other for a short while, and come back refreshed after that. Certainly, coming off of a good effort on the road would help a great deal.

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