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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe unhappy on the bench
Photo credit: Toronto Star

MAJOR: Sheldon Keefe Ignites Growing Concerns In Toronto By Calling Out His Star Players

Published January 14, 2024 at 6:18 PM
BY SAMER

In his latest interview, Sheldon Keefe was very critical of his star players. He clearly wasn't happy with their performance of late and wasn't shy to call them out in front of the media.

Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe Takes A Major Shot At His Top Players



Last night's game against the Colorado Avalanche wasn't the Leafs finest hour, especially for the Nylander, Tavares, and Bertuzzi line.

Sheldon Keefe didn't mince words during his post-game conference, singling out Nylander for underperforming.


"I just thought putting our best people together and going best on best gabe us a chance to keep the puck away from those guys a little bit more," admitted Keefe. "At the same time trying to get more out of Willy cause Willy on his line was not good."

If Keefe had left it there it would have been enough to make headlines, but the head coach went a step further by highlighting just how poorly he felt Nylander and his line had played.

"That line was not good for us at all tonight, I don't know if they had one good shift that I can remember," said Keefe bluntly. "So I had to get Willy away from that


Keefe's public critique comes amid heightened expectations for Nylander, who has 57 points in 40 games this season but has been silent in the last two after signing his massive extension.


Did Keefe take a subtle shot at his star players here?

Tyler Bertuzzi Enters The Doghouse



Tyler Bertuzzi has officially entered the doghouse after the Toronto Maple Leafs tough loss to the Colorado Avalanche. In a critical third period, Keefe's decision to limit Bertuzzi to just one shift raised eyebrows.

Tyler Bertuzzi had only one shift in the third period for the Leafs tonight.

Three each for John Tavares and Matthew Knies.


Bertuzzi, who took a one-year gamble with the Leafs, saw only 1 minute and 21 seconds of ice time in the final frame. While he has contributed 18 points in 40 games this season, being benched might impact his ability to attract interest from other teams. The reasons behind Keefe's decision remain unclear, leaving fans speculating about Bertuzzi's standing with the coach.


Despite the setback, both Nylander and Bertuzzi aim for redemption in the upcoming back-to-back against the Detroit Red Wings, eager to overcome recent scoring droughts and contribute to the team's success.


As seen on Hockey Feed - "Sheldon Keefe buries William Nylander in post-game scrum."
POLL
January 14   |   515 answers
MAJOR: Sheldon Keefe Ignites Growing Concerns In Toronto By Calling Out His Star Players

Do you think Sheldon Keefe went too far with his comments?

No they deserve to be called out32863.7 %
Yes it's a long season18736.3 %
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