Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens which improved the team’s record to 44-23-9.
On the team turning it around with four goals in eight minutes after a slow start:
I just thought we started playing with a lot more pace and simplicity to our game. When we do that, we are a lot to deal with.
That segment of time was enough for us to win the game tonight.
On the new line combinations:
I thought they worked well. It is good to see each of them get on the board. That was good.
Our game didn’t have much flow to it tonight at all or for any of the lines. Montreal played us well tonight. They played us hard and put pressure on our defense. It was a real struggle to get out of our zone in periods one and three.
We didn’t have a lot of flow to our game there. When we did have flow in the second period, there was a lot to like.
I thought we defended well once we got the lead. We gave up two, but the two goals came 10 seconds into the one penalty kill and one bad shift in the second period. In the third period, there was maybe a little too much time on our half of the ice, but we didn’t give them very much at all. We liked that.
We get out of here with a pretty clean win.
On the main goals for the final few games of the regular season:
Get through them. Get through them with good habits and good detail while trying to stay healthy. That is really it. Stay on top of the habits that allow us to keep going.
We have a chance here to really narrow our focus on what we are playing for now, which is to get ourselves ready. That is it. We want to do it with good habits and feel good about our game.
We just want to get through these and be ready to go.
On whether Timothy Liljegren and Calle Jarnkrok are going to return before the end of the regular season:
It is a possibility. It is not ruled out. There is a chance. It would probably just be those last two games. That would be in consideration. It is a possibility.
On Ilya Samsonov’s play in the first and third periods:
I thought he was solid. I didn’t think we gave up very much at all tonight. The quality of chances was pretty low, generally speaking. The guys did a pretty good job in front of him that way.
He kept them at two when they got some momentum going. I didn’t think we gave up a ton after, but he still has to do his job and make sure nothing gets by him. I thought he did that well for us.
On Mitch Marner’s first game back:
It was great having him back. There were a few really high-end plays out there that only Mitch can make. It was good to see him.
The way the game went was good, too. We didn’t have to tax him too badly. We were able to ease him in and re-introduce him to the group. To have a day where he gets through the game is really his main priority — to get through it healthy and feeling good.
He’ll just continue to build up his game from here.
On Ryan Reaves’ fight and the reaction on the bench:
It gives the group a boost. The guys have fun with it, especially with what was happening in the game at that time. The guys responded well.
Reavo has been a great contributor to our team in so many ways. That is, of course, one way in which he contributes, and it is the hardest job in our league. He does it very well.
He is playing well with good energy, too. The guys were probably more excited about the breakaway he had in the third period.
It was good for Reavo to step up tonight.
REAVES vs PEZZETTA courtesy of Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. #LeafsForever @Bonsie1951 @Jim_Ralph @LeafsJelly
4/6/2024 pic.twitter.com/TqsciQxfwv
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) April 7, 2024
