Sheldon Keefe addressed the media after the Maple Leafs’ 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the ECQF playoff series.
On Auston Matthews’ status after leaving the game:
It is all related to the illness he has been dealing with. He has been giving us everything that he has. Ultimately, the doctors pulled him.
On the reasons behind starting the first and second periods with a lack of energy:
Hard to say. It is hard to pinpoint that. I am not sure if I would say it is a lack of energy. It is similar to how we came out in Game 3. We looked a little tight. In terms of why, it is hard to pinpoint.
It is a low-event hockey game both ways, so that is part of it.
On the sniping between Nylander, Marner, and Matthews on the bench in the second period, and if frustration is creeping in:
I don’t sense any frustration. Guys are pushing one another. Guys are competitive. Guys want to win. It is all part of it.
On whether the effort level was good enough:
Nothing wrong with our effort level tonight. Guys are competing. It is physical hockey. Guys are trying. It is a good team over there that is limiting us. You can question a lot of things, but you can’t question the effort.
On whether there is a consideration toward changing strategy to create a more high-event game:
That is not a very good recipe. It is a recipe we went with at times through the regular season. It didn’t work out for us.
We have done a really good job defensively in this series of limiting the chances against — particularly the rush chances. Tonight, you see what happens. We made a mistake toward the end of the second period. Pastrnak got in alone on us. We have done a tremendous job against Patrnak in the series. That is an example of losing your structure and them getting behind you. It is tough.
To answer your question, we could look to open it up our way, but there is no chance they are going to open it up the other way. You are fighting uphill.
We just have to stay with it. We have to do better on special teams. The power play has to come through for us. We got scored on off of a breakout turnover. The middle of the ice was wide open as a result. There was a power-play goal against and a loss of structure. We let their two best players behind us. Those are little things there.
We didn’t give up a lot of scoring chances again tonight. They got three. It is on the quality of the chance.
On the reason for switching Ilya Samsonov out for Joseph Woll in the third period:
The reason for it is that we are trying to change things and get Joe involved. That is really it. You are trying to change some momentum.
As for going forward, we have some time to talk it through.
On how the team can liven up offensively after just seven goals in four games:
Tonight, this game, offensively, would be our worst. In the other three, I think we’ve done a good job of generating enough chances to win and score more than we have, certainly. Today, both on the power play and at five-on-five, it wasn’t nearly good enough.
There are things we have to look at there. We have to get Willy going and involved in the series. We have to hope that these couple of days are going to help Auston come back and be himself. As a group, we have to find ways to break free.
In the meantime, if we are not going to be able to score at a high rate, we have to minimize the types of mistakes that we have made that have ended up in our net.
