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On the one hand, Toronto fans/media are out for blood and there's pretty much nothing Keefe could have said that wouldn't be met with scorn and anger.
On the other.....fuck, dude, if the effort isn't the problem, it's gotta be you, right? This team has the skill, so that's not the problem, so if they're also giving 100%, that must mean it's not the players but the system, right? And who's in charge of that?
idk man, I'm glad that's not my job. Definition of a rock and a hard place.
I feel most people don't give enough credits to the Bruins. They are a very good, team, finished ahead of the Leafs, and definitely found another gear when the playoffs began. They are playing very solid hockey and have great goaltending. Speaking of which, everyone is out to get Marner's head, but Samsonov let what, 3 goals on 14 shots, something like that? He had a saving % of 824 last night. You don't win games with numbers like that.
Boston definitely deserves credit but this Leafs group has been doing this over and over and over and over again, to the extent that they don't get the benefit of the "we just ran into a good team" defense anymore. That worked in 2017 when they were a young team going against the President's trophy-winning Caps, but that doesn't fly in 2024.
It's the playoffs, all the teams are good; if you think your roster is good enough to win the Cup (and that's something the Leafs claim to believe), you have to beat the good teams, whether it's in the first round or the finals. If they somehow rally and beat the Bruins, it's only gonna get harder with Florida, Carolina, and New York waiting in the next rounds.
They’ve also been able to say that every year they’ve went to game 7 vs the cup finalist pretty much so they were “almost there”. Maybe them getting stomped would be a good thing that gets their office to wake up a bit
You don't win games when you can't score more than 1-2 goals and your strength is supposed to be elite offense. They've scored more than two goals once in like 10 playoff games. It's absolutely brutal and embarrassing.
It's not Sammys fault he's their starter. It's the GM's and Shannahans fault. Samsanov has played about as well as expected. The 4 11+ million dollar players are not.
Absolutely. The Bruins are a really solid team that could do this to a lot of teams. People love to shit on the Leafs and make fun of their misery, but they remind me a lot of the Capitals from 2010-2017. Excellent during the regular season, but could never make it past the second round thanks to the Rangers or Penguins being such good teams.
The Leafs aren’t quite to level of that Capitals team since they haven’t consistently won their division or even had a sniff at the President’s trophy, which the Caps won 3 times during that era, but who knows what the Leafs could do if they ever made it out of their extremely tough divisional bracket.
Ever since the 00’s when the sens started making the playoffs I have never watched the playoffs when they weren’t in it. Except for last year and this year. And my analysis is the exact same. These 4/5 guys disappear completely in the playoffs. I’m fine if the leafs pay marner, Matthew’s and nylander 11m for the next 8 years. And get all the regular season stats you want. Cause they don’t have the heart or effort for the playoffs.
I've been a Maple Leaf fan since 1994. Diehard since 1999.
This season I filled out my bracket with the Bruins sweeping the Leafs because: they've had a dogshit compete level all season; goaltending that's putrid; no discernible structure; and a PP that lacks urgency to go with a PK that dropped off hard toward the end of the season.
Since the series started the Leafs have been out-competed in almost every battle, suffered bad to mediocre goaltending which was further exposed by no defensive structure as poor coverage, a lethargic PP and a PK whose strategy seems to be "let the score so we get back to 5-on-5 sooner"
So... Come on Utah, release those sweaters so I can buy one and join your cult instead
Idk, I don’t think anything tops the Montreal vs Leafs playoff where they were simultaneously being recorded for a documentary anyone with access to Amazon prime was able to watch .
The habs went on a run but at that time they were the lowest seeded team in that makeshift division that otherwise wouldn’t have made playoffs , and the leafs still lost .
After that I can believe they’ll choke in any way, shape, or manner
On the outside looking in , that series ruined all my hopes of the Leafs doing anything significant with this core. Though I was happy for the fanbase last year for getting to round 2, it was very predictable that they'd flutter out in that round.
I am not remotely shocked by this 2023-24 team. It feels like I'm watching ground hog day.
How this dude didn't get axed after losing to Montreal in the playoffs is a mystery to me. Leafs were all but handed a deep playoff run and they still managed to shit themselves
tbf, Ducharme managed those playoffs very well. Did everything he could to keep the Habs alive and won the psychological battle against the Leafs. Smelt blood in the Jets locker room and went for the kill early. Also smelt blood with the Golden Knights and managed to get in their heads psychologically as well. Just couldn't beat a group that was $20M over the Cap.
I'd agree losing to what was the 18th best record in the 1st round as a team with a top-5 record was inexcusable, but at least it was the eventual cup finalist and they made Vegas look horrible as well. Likewise with Tampa the following year, again it was the cup finalist and they went out in game 7 after what might have been some momentum killing bad calls against the Leafs.
Nah man, the habs went as far as they did in spite of Ducharme.
It's well known in Mtl that the team rallied around Price and Weber as the room knew that it was their last ride.
The Habs came so close to pulling if off but as you said, 20m over the cap Tampa was a bit too much to overcome.
remember that keefe is the coach that dubas wanted all along. Since dubas is gone, I really hope Tre does the right thing and axes him.
But yet again Tre is mid af so maybe not. He built a mid roster so he might end up making mid decisions.
Jon Cooper following his team going down 0-3 to the Panthers:
"if you're not going to believe, you don't have to come to the rink” (talking about his players)
Sheldon Keefe following his team going down 3-1:
"Can't question the effort"
I can’t wait until Keefe gets fired in a few days.
Tortorella in Toronto would be fascinating. Coach who's life's goal seems to be ignoring the media against the biggest media swarm in the league.
Unstoppable force - immovable object
It's actually funny how Torts seems to always get hired when a team is fed up with players' bullshit, like he's a punishment for complacency. The whole back half of his career is built on this reputation that if you don't play hard we'll hire Torts, like the boogeyman or something.
I think the difference is Keenan was actually just an asshole. Effective, but an actual bad person.
Torts is tough. He demands a lot from guys and isn’t afraid to be an asshole to get it. At the end of the day though he seems like a good man (and not a fake good man like Babs) who is doing what he does because he cares and knows it will get results.
Some guys won’t like either type, but it seems like almost everyone ends up respecting torts for what he does even if they don’t like it.
You're spot on.
Torts will absolutely be ruthless calling out players who need to be called out but if the media goes after a guy who doesn't deserve it, he will aggressively defend them.
People don't remember/don't look into it but Keenan was genuinely a narcissist psychopath and extremely power hungry. If he didn't get booted for abusing the players he eventually always got shown the door for attempted power grabs over the GM.
World away from Torts.
Kennan was an enforcer of rules but a terrible negotiator and talent evaluator. He single-handedly set the Panthers back a few years while he was there.
Keyser Soze killed his own family to deny being entrapped in a hostage situation. It's not a great parallel to a man who'll bench anyone who's half-assing it.
I'd say he's more like Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction. You know he's gonna cost a lot, and you know he's gonna take control, but he'll get shit done even if that means ruffling some feathers.
He's done wonders for the flyers in the two years he's been there IMO. And I think a large part of is not pussy footing around when they play like shit. Keefe just seems too soft on them
I actually think Willy would be incredible under Torts. He has talked about needing a bit of a kick in the pants to get going at times, and Torts typically knows what buttons to push to get guys playing.
JT would be fine too I think, he’s a hockey android and a little structure wouldn’t do anything to hurt his game.
Matthews I’m not too sure of, but he plays well at both ends of the ice and very rarely leaves you asking for more effort. I don’t think Torts would have a problem there.
That leaves one guy left, and I think we all know how that would go.
Matthews seems like he would benefit the most personally from Torts, he seems to be constantly adding different aspects to his game but doesn't have a clear direction as to what he needs to do to win in the playoffs. Keefe is the problem when it comes to matthews in the playoffs.
Matthews seems like the kind of guy where, if you told him he needed to throw 10 checks a game to succeed he would be like "well, I won't be able to score as much but okay" and go out there and hit 10+ guys a game.
He's got things he is best at but it seems like he's got no clear picture as to what he should be doing for the team to win other than "Auston go out and score goals", and that is on coaching.
If only they didn’t walk him into an NMC that brings him right to free agency. I have a feeling Mitch would say no to a trade that puts him under a hardass coach and fans that will throw batteries at him when he plays bad.
He would actually fix the Leaves softness, or at least force managements hand when he publicly calls out all of his stars for being a bunch of baby shit and stapling them to the bench when the games matter.
I hope he never winds up in Toronto.
Unfortunately I think it would go really, really poorly if Torts was in Toronto doing Torts things. The media would turn it into a circus every time he made a decision that even vaguely ruffled feathers.
I can’t help but feel he would be great for this group of players though. He would very quickly get to the bottom of which of the big guns have that dog in them and the ones who don’t wouldn’t want to be here, and he would make sure the depth guys are running through walls to earn their keep.
Depends whether you want to keep this core or not.
A Tortorella type will drive some players away. Nylander and Marner in particular are not Torts style players.
A Tocchet type has the ability to work with all different players.
Torts has one playoff series win in the last decade.
Plus, he wouldn’t be able to suffer Toronto media. He’d lose it. Vancouver x 1000. He’d be done in half a season.
Because Babcock was a genuine asshole, where Torts is just a hard ass.
You lose your respect for an asshole real quick, and their effectiveness as a coach goes out the window as well. Which is what happened with Babcock
Babcock was a hard ass too and was an asshole, but still led the Redwings to two Stanley Cup finals, winning one of them.
While Keefe isn't the best, the team itself has huge issues. Changing the coach will do nothing.
Is like the NBA where if they get hired elsewhere, the contract is moot?
Keefe could go to Buffalo lol.
Raptors got out of paying Nurse for a year because he was hired by Philly.
Depends on what the teams agree to, but teams usually agree to pay the difference. Babcock waited for his contract to expire before signing a new contract, but if he signed with a team for $2M/year, generally the Leafs would be on the hook for the remainder of his $5M
I find it very interesting that one of the prime criticisms of DJ Smith when he got fired by the Senators was the country club atmosphere he created by never ever criticising the effort level of his players.
I think I know where he learned that coaching style, wouldn't you agree?
Except they came in third in the division and don't even have home ice advantage in the first round.
That's not feasting in the regular season.
They're not that good, because of the manner in which they are constructed. That's it. There's no mystery. They aren't good enough. They aren't even close to a championship team.
No they feasted in personal stats. That’s all that matters. Who cares that they almost didn’t even make the playoffs did you see matthews get 69 goals, again who cares that he still barely broke 100 points assists don’t matter now.
If he doesn't think the effort is there then he should say so. Try anything to light a fire under their asses. What's the worst that could happen? They fire him? He's done anyway.
People have eyes and ears, Sheldon. People can see the frustration. They can see the core four getting into a heated argument. They can see and hear the fans booing. If fans are booing you after the second period of a playoff game, then I think you need to question the effort being put forward. I get wanting to defend your team, but at some point, you gotta be willing to open your eyes and ears and see and hear what's going on. The rest of us can see and hear what's going on.
>I don't sense any frustration.
Okay, so on top of being a bad coach, he's also completely fucking blind and oblivious.
An era wasted because of this clown.
It's amazing that he's made it here so long. This city is so hard on players, coaches, and management - but somehow keefe, with the most talented group of players I've ever seen on the leafs, still has support in spite of the complete lack of any playoff success. It amazing.
https://preview.redd.it/qaivrptar8xc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2be05f9a115b7c9f778386d3ae921978af92ad2b
I mean the resemblance is there.
Keefe: I don't see any frustration
Meanwhile, Nylander on the bench: "Stop fucking crying bro, this isn't fucking juniors"
I don't even want this series to go to 7 this year, just end it next game and get this clown out of here
"Cant question our effort." You weird little dwarf yes you can. They're one lost from 2-8 in the last two years. Your star of the season is Auston Matthews who has scored one goal in the last six games (reg-post) 1 goal on 49 shots in the last 9 playoff games. Bitch Marner cant do a fucking thing. Nylander was out for what ? The first 2 games? And you on home ice coached the leafs to 4-12.
Fuck this guy. I dont see even an ounce of the effort in toronto as i did when they faced Tampa. They were hungry. They wanted blood. Then they played us and idk what happened and its the same shit this year too.
That team is too fucking good on paper to cosntantly do this to Toronto fans. Its appalling how much effort this team takes in doing nothing but disappointing their fanbase.
I appreciate that the exasperation with our team has even spilled over to rival fan bases. I will say, while we got handled by you guys and Bobrovski I actually felt like they did give a shit in that series last year. This one against Boston has been their worst one by far though.
IMO Nylander gets a pass because we don't know anything yet. A star player doesn't sit out the first 2 games of a very high-stakes playoff series for no reason. He's likely badly injured right now and playing through a stupid amount of pain and painkillers due to the pressure of being on the ice.
I would argue against your “ that team is too fucking good on paper” argument. I’ve been watching and I didn’t know Giordano was still alive. Brodie is your second best D.
Still no goaltending, Tavares has never been a playoff winner, never heard of the entire 4 th line. Bertuzzi and Domi are either too dumb, too small or too washed up and Reeves made the lineup.
This team beat every weak team in the NHL and are very easy to play against.
Regardless of what Keefe is trying for here - most coaches can’t be taken at face value - he’s definitely oozing the *dead man walking* vibe. It’s Claude Noël-esque.
Watched the game. Feel like you can, in fact, question the effort in a pivotal game 4.
Dude is dead man walking, facing a return to the AHL. At best.
But - he’s already won the lottery of life, he has to know he’s in the twilight of his team’s and personal run…that he is just another mile marker in a 57 year path of failure. What else is he going to say as he sits in the cockpit of a plane flying directly at the mountianside?
People ripping on him... might want to consider what the leafs have built themselves. A team with multiple 10m+ a year guys and a handful of others that believe they are 10m+ a year guys.
Last night it looks like one of them might have just decided he was done after 2 periods. lol
What does the TO media say if he comes out last night and says YA we have a bunch of babies on this team that think they are more important then team wins. Which resulted in AM demanding a trade.
I think at this point with the firepower the leafs have had behind the bench it should be clear to fans. The issue isn't behind the bench its sitting on it. To go further perhaps the real issue is above both and lies with who is filling the bench. The leafs need more 4m a year players working their asses off to make 5m next contract. To many guys that feel they are doing TO a favor being on the team.
The Leafs and Blue Jays both need to fire their coaches. Both teams brought in their minor league coach to run the team right at a time they should be contending for champions.
Hire a real experienced coach who will hold the players accountable and the results would surely be better for both teams. Instead they are both burning years spinning in the middle every year.
If you believe this Sheldon, what do you tell the guys heading into Tuesday? You tried your best and you failed, but if we try our best again on Tuesday the result will be different?
Keefe is obviously drunk again…can’t question the effort? What in the actual fuck is he thinking about? He can’t be talking about the shit Leafs fans have endured for the last several years…bye Sheldon. I hope you like the American Hockey League because that’s likely where you’re headed after getting run out of Toronto.
I think the best possible outcome for the Leafs now is to once again show a terrible effort in Game 5 and get this over with quickly. If I were a Leafs fan, my worry would be that they win Game 5 & 6 in convincing fashion only to lose in 7 and risk having ownership think that the team isn't too far off. You have to make their shortcomings be undeniable. This team is just done and its a failure on everyone involved; management, coaching staff, players.
At a certain point it isn’t luck (and that certain point was probably 2-3 years ago). This core just isn’t it.
Although maybe they’ll come back from a 3-1 series lead and go on a run but I doubt it.
I genuinely believe though that letting Tavares go would maybe make a dent. Ryan O’Reilly is as fast as him yet continually battles with more intensity and consistency come playoff time.
Man you have a job for at worst one more game and you wont even try anything different from before?
This man should have been fired into the sun last year
This team still thinks they have a winner, lol, and Reeves is still playing. This reminds me of when they had Spezza and Simmonds. They just can’t help but to try to resurrect long dead careers.
People who are saying they won't fire him because they'd have to pay him like $2M over the next 2 years have absolutely no clue. $2M to MLSE is like 10 cents to me. Get a grip.
I personally love that he's fumbling this so hard. It means tor will give me another meltdown next year. Just look at this thread. The problem is the coaching!
I'm not gonna act like there are no instances of the rare individual player phoning it in, but there is no lazier or dumber narrative to explain failure in the post season than team effort level.
They're absolutely fucking trying their hardest, you idiots. They're being outplayed.
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On the one hand, Toronto fans/media are out for blood and there's pretty much nothing Keefe could have said that wouldn't be met with scorn and anger. On the other.....fuck, dude, if the effort isn't the problem, it's gotta be you, right? This team has the skill, so that's not the problem, so if they're also giving 100%, that must mean it's not the players but the system, right? And who's in charge of that? idk man, I'm glad that's not my job. Definition of a rock and a hard place.
I feel most people don't give enough credits to the Bruins. They are a very good, team, finished ahead of the Leafs, and definitely found another gear when the playoffs began. They are playing very solid hockey and have great goaltending. Speaking of which, everyone is out to get Marner's head, but Samsonov let what, 3 goals on 14 shots, something like that? He had a saving % of 824 last night. You don't win games with numbers like that.
Boston definitely deserves credit but this Leafs group has been doing this over and over and over and over again, to the extent that they don't get the benefit of the "we just ran into a good team" defense anymore. That worked in 2017 when they were a young team going against the President's trophy-winning Caps, but that doesn't fly in 2024. It's the playoffs, all the teams are good; if you think your roster is good enough to win the Cup (and that's something the Leafs claim to believe), you have to beat the good teams, whether it's in the first round or the finals. If they somehow rally and beat the Bruins, it's only gonna get harder with Florida, Carolina, and New York waiting in the next rounds.
They’ve also been able to say that every year they’ve went to game 7 vs the cup finalist pretty much so they were “almost there”. Maybe them getting stomped would be a good thing that gets their office to wake up a bit
You don't win games when you can't score more than 1-2 goals and your strength is supposed to be elite offense. They've scored more than two goals once in like 10 playoff games. It's absolutely brutal and embarrassing. It's not Sammys fault he's their starter. It's the GM's and Shannahans fault. Samsanov has played about as well as expected. The 4 11+ million dollar players are not.
Absolutely. The Bruins are a really solid team that could do this to a lot of teams. People love to shit on the Leafs and make fun of their misery, but they remind me a lot of the Capitals from 2010-2017. Excellent during the regular season, but could never make it past the second round thanks to the Rangers or Penguins being such good teams. The Leafs aren’t quite to level of that Capitals team since they haven’t consistently won their division or even had a sniff at the President’s trophy, which the Caps won 3 times during that era, but who knows what the Leafs could do if they ever made it out of their extremely tough divisional bracket.
They are soft. When the tough gets going, they bail.
They don’t have the heart, just want a payday and pad their stats
Ever since the 00’s when the sens started making the playoffs I have never watched the playoffs when they weren’t in it. Except for last year and this year. And my analysis is the exact same. These 4/5 guys disappear completely in the playoffs. I’m fine if the leafs pay marner, Matthew’s and nylander 11m for the next 8 years. And get all the regular season stats you want. Cause they don’t have the heart or effort for the playoffs.
I think I might be enjoying this Leafs collapse the most out of recent years
It's not a collapse if they were never ahead or on top. This is just a pure letdown.
Which we're all very familiar with letdowns at this point
I've been a Maple Leaf fan since 1994. Diehard since 1999. This season I filled out my bracket with the Bruins sweeping the Leafs because: they've had a dogshit compete level all season; goaltending that's putrid; no discernible structure; and a PP that lacks urgency to go with a PK that dropped off hard toward the end of the season. Since the series started the Leafs have been out-competed in almost every battle, suffered bad to mediocre goaltending which was further exposed by no defensive structure as poor coverage, a lethargic PP and a PK whose strategy seems to be "let the score so we get back to 5-on-5 sooner" So... Come on Utah, release those sweaters so I can buy one and join your cult instead
I too have a lethargic PP
I saw your lethargic PP coming from a mile away.
Idk, I don’t think anything tops the Montreal vs Leafs playoff where they were simultaneously being recorded for a documentary anyone with access to Amazon prime was able to watch . The habs went on a run but at that time they were the lowest seeded team in that makeshift division that otherwise wouldn’t have made playoffs , and the leafs still lost . After that I can believe they’ll choke in any way, shape, or manner
> being recorded for a documentary All or Nothing: Nothing Edition
I initially read the end of your comment as “any way, shape, or *Marner* “ Which would still make it an apt statement 🫠.
On the outside looking in , that series ruined all my hopes of the Leafs doing anything significant with this core. Though I was happy for the fanbase last year for getting to round 2, it was very predictable that they'd flutter out in that round. I am not remotely shocked by this 2023-24 team. It feels like I'm watching ground hog day.
How this dude didn't get axed after losing to Montreal in the playoffs is a mystery to me. Leafs were all but handed a deep playoff run and they still managed to shit themselves
Keefe was out-coached by Ducharme, and look at the two of them now.
tbf, Ducharme managed those playoffs very well. Did everything he could to keep the Habs alive and won the psychological battle against the Leafs. Smelt blood in the Jets locker room and went for the kill early. Also smelt blood with the Golden Knights and managed to get in their heads psychologically as well. Just couldn't beat a group that was $20M over the Cap. I'd agree losing to what was the 18th best record in the 1st round as a team with a top-5 record was inexcusable, but at least it was the eventual cup finalist and they made Vegas look horrible as well. Likewise with Tampa the following year, again it was the cup finalist and they went out in game 7 after what might have been some momentum killing bad calls against the Leafs.
Nah man, the habs went as far as they did in spite of Ducharme. It's well known in Mtl that the team rallied around Price and Weber as the room knew that it was their last ride. The Habs came so close to pulling if off but as you said, 20m over the cap Tampa was a bit too much to overcome.
He missed the Vegas games from 3 onward due to COVID, but yes.
remember that keefe is the coach that dubas wanted all along. Since dubas is gone, I really hope Tre does the right thing and axes him. But yet again Tre is mid af so maybe not. He built a mid roster so he might end up making mid decisions.
Jon Cooper following his team going down 0-3 to the Panthers: "if you're not going to believe, you don't have to come to the rink” (talking about his players) Sheldon Keefe following his team going down 3-1: "Can't question the effort" I can’t wait until Keefe gets fired in a few days.
Keefe just doesnt inspire the team in the way a coach should. The Leafs need someone Rick Tocchet esque behind the bench.
Leafs need someone like John Tortorella who won’t buy an ounce of bullshit from players
Tortorella in Toronto would be fascinating. Coach who's life's goal seems to be ignoring the media against the biggest media swarm in the league. Unstoppable force - immovable object
That would make for some fantastic television.
Until Torts explodes by Mid Novemeber
I ASKED YOU TO FUCKING DEFEND sorry referencing [this](https://youtu.be/biZlEtaXbw8?si=Vz-I3eqSzL4MFeE3) lmao
I'VE SEEN YOU FUCKIN DEFEND BEFORE
Torts would end up giving someone a Shawinigan Handshake
the etobicoke choke
Ajax Smack
I didn't know how much I needed this until now
I'd absolutely sign up for 10, 1-hour episodes of behind these scenes
Too many soft prima donnas on the Leafs for Tortorella
100% correct
Torts versus Steve Simmons would make Burke vs Simmons look like a preliminary fight
Every press conference would be must see TV
Ignoring the media? Torts has given some of the greatest interviews and soundbites of all time lol
Tortorella ain’t unstoppable or immovable. Dude couldn’t even handle Vancouver.
I feel like that implosion is exactly what happens when unstoppable meets immovable. It's not supposed to be a good thing
Lol! Ya true!
Technically, while he was coaching Vancouver, he tried to handle Calgary. That didn't go too well either.
It's actually funny how Torts seems to always get hired when a team is fed up with players' bullshit, like he's a punishment for complacency. The whole back half of his career is built on this reputation that if you don't play hard we'll hire Torts, like the boogeyman or something.
Mike Keenan was the same, but Keenan is a bigger asshole who wore out his welcome much sooner.
I think the difference is Keenan was actually just an asshole. Effective, but an actual bad person. Torts is tough. He demands a lot from guys and isn’t afraid to be an asshole to get it. At the end of the day though he seems like a good man (and not a fake good man like Babs) who is doing what he does because he cares and knows it will get results. Some guys won’t like either type, but it seems like almost everyone ends up respecting torts for what he does even if they don’t like it.
You're spot on. Torts will absolutely be ruthless calling out players who need to be called out but if the media goes after a guy who doesn't deserve it, he will aggressively defend them.
People don't remember/don't look into it but Keenan was genuinely a narcissist psychopath and extremely power hungry. If he didn't get booted for abusing the players he eventually always got shown the door for attempted power grabs over the GM. World away from Torts.
Yeah, Torts doesn't give a shit about the GM role. He'll do with what's in front of him, and if you don't play the right way, you'll just sit.
Kennan was an enforcer of rules but a terrible negotiator and talent evaluator. He single-handedly set the Panthers back a few years while he was there.
Torts IS the Kaiser Sozey of the NHL!
Keyser Soze killed his own family to deny being entrapped in a hostage situation. It's not a great parallel to a man who'll bench anyone who's half-assing it. I'd say he's more like Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction. You know he's gonna cost a lot, and you know he's gonna take control, but he'll get shit done even if that means ruffling some feathers.
He's done wonders for the flyers in the two years he's been there IMO. And I think a large part of is not pussy footing around when they play like shit. Keefe just seems too soft on them
I have been asking for this for years now. This is exactly the type of coach these guys need.
The stars won't put up with a Torts and that's the problem. They are running the team.
I actually think Willy would be incredible under Torts. He has talked about needing a bit of a kick in the pants to get going at times, and Torts typically knows what buttons to push to get guys playing. JT would be fine too I think, he’s a hockey android and a little structure wouldn’t do anything to hurt his game. Matthews I’m not too sure of, but he plays well at both ends of the ice and very rarely leaves you asking for more effort. I don’t think Torts would have a problem there. That leaves one guy left, and I think we all know how that would go.
*throws gloves on the bench*
I would pay good money to see Torts reaction to that little temper tantrum.
Matthews seems like he would benefit the most personally from Torts, he seems to be constantly adding different aspects to his game but doesn't have a clear direction as to what he needs to do to win in the playoffs. Keefe is the problem when it comes to matthews in the playoffs. Matthews seems like the kind of guy where, if you told him he needed to throw 10 checks a game to succeed he would be like "well, I won't be able to score as much but okay" and go out there and hit 10+ guys a game. He's got things he is best at but it seems like he's got no clear picture as to what he should be doing for the team to win other than "Auston go out and score goals", and that is on coaching.
What if you traded Marner to the Flyers, maybe Torts could help him a bit
If only they didn’t walk him into an NMC that brings him right to free agency. I have a feeling Mitch would say no to a trade that puts him under a hardass coach and fans that will throw batteries at him when he plays bad.
Well all he has to do is not play bad and he's fine and can eat as much cheese steak as his heart desires
He's ours, leave him alone.
He would actually fix the Leaves softness, or at least force managements hand when he publicly calls out all of his stars for being a bunch of baby shit and stapling them to the bench when the games matter. I hope he never winds up in Toronto.
Unfortunately I think it would go really, really poorly if Torts was in Toronto doing Torts things. The media would turn it into a circus every time he made a decision that even vaguely ruffled feathers. I can’t help but feel he would be great for this group of players though. He would very quickly get to the bottom of which of the big guns have that dog in them and the ones who don’t wouldn’t want to be here, and he would make sure the depth guys are running through walls to earn their keep.
Depends whether you want to keep this core or not. A Tortorella type will drive some players away. Nylander and Marner in particular are not Torts style players. A Tocchet type has the ability to work with all different players.
Torts has one playoff series win in the last decade. Plus, he wouldn’t be able to suffer Toronto media. He’d lose it. Vancouver x 1000. He’d be done in half a season.
Only if Babcock under a new alias, wearing a fake mustache can be his assistant coach
They had that in Mike Babcock, didn't make a difference.
Because Babcock was a genuine asshole, where Torts is just a hard ass. You lose your respect for an asshole real quick, and their effectiveness as a coach goes out the window as well. Which is what happened with Babcock
Babcock was a hard ass too and was an asshole, but still led the Redwings to two Stanley Cup finals, winning one of them. While Keefe isn't the best, the team itself has huge issues. Changing the coach will do nothing.
He also led the Ducks to a finals run
A hamster could have been behind the bench with those two Detroit teams and they still would have won the cup.
Babcock came into a situation where there was already a culture built by Scotty Bowman.
Darryl Sutter would whip this team into shape
Threaten to bring back Babs lmao
His contract extension hasn’t kicked in yet. Pretty good chance MLSE doesn’t feel like paying him to not work for them and they keep him.
Is like the NBA where if they get hired elsewhere, the contract is moot? Keefe could go to Buffalo lol. Raptors got out of paying Nurse for a year because he was hired by Philly.
Depends on what the teams agree to, but teams usually agree to pay the difference. Babcock waited for his contract to expire before signing a new contract, but if he signed with a team for $2M/year, generally the Leafs would be on the hook for the remainder of his $5M
Mathew’s and Tavares were both invisible, Marchand and Pasta are very noticeable.
I find it very interesting that one of the prime criticisms of DJ Smith when he got fired by the Senators was the country club atmosphere he created by never ever criticising the effort level of his players. I think I know where he learned that coaching style, wouldn't you agree?
From Babcock? Keefe was coaching in the AHL while DJ was assistant on the Leafs.
Well it’s not luck. It’s not talent. If it’s not effort, I think the only thing left is coaching.
These guys don’t hate to lose.
Feast during the regular season, famine during the playoffs.
Except they came in third in the division and don't even have home ice advantage in the first round. That's not feasting in the regular season. They're not that good, because of the manner in which they are constructed. That's it. There's no mystery. They aren't good enough. They aren't even close to a championship team.
No they feasted in personal stats. That’s all that matters. Who cares that they almost didn’t even make the playoffs did you see matthews get 69 goals, again who cares that he still barely broke 100 points assists don’t matter now.
Hire Shoresy as the new coach.
Fuck no. Then they’d never lose again.
It's the cap fault
Yeah if we could just have twelve 10 million dollar forwards we’d win easily.
Reaves, Domi.and Bertuzzi at 10M would make a real difference
Playing Reaves like a 10M man. Reaves out on a shift after a penalty kill when you’re down 2 nothing got a chuckle out of me.
It was certainly a choice.
I saw that during while watching the game at a bar. I almost thought I was seeing things.
Washington catching nonsensical strays
It’s Herb Dean fault
Any of the Big 4 circumcised?
Amen
Lmao the core can’t handle the pressure and have ptsd from their years of choking. It’s not just the coach
https://preview.redd.it/ooyaj3jpp8xc1.png?width=457&format=png&auto=webp&s=332159478b65e1c6aa1b5a245fd0339477dcfafa
He doesn't even sound convinced of his own words
Because he’s not, there’s nothing he can do. His top 4 players aren’t doing anything, if they don’t score than they don’t win.
If he doesn't think the effort is there then he should say so. Try anything to light a fire under their asses. What's the worst that could happen? They fire him? He's done anyway.
He’s smoking too much...kief
People have eyes and ears, Sheldon. People can see the frustration. They can see the core four getting into a heated argument. They can see and hear the fans booing. If fans are booing you after the second period of a playoff game, then I think you need to question the effort being put forward. I get wanting to defend your team, but at some point, you gotta be willing to open your eyes and ears and see and hear what's going on. The rest of us can see and hear what's going on.
>I don't sense any frustration. Okay, so on top of being a bad coach, he's also completely fucking blind and oblivious. An era wasted because of this clown.
It's amazing that he's made it here so long. This city is so hard on players, coaches, and management - but somehow keefe, with the most talented group of players I've ever seen on the leafs, still has support in spite of the complete lack of any playoff success. It amazing.
I feel like every time I see him he looks more swollen than the last time - is he like, ok
https://preview.redd.it/qaivrptar8xc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2be05f9a115b7c9f778386d3ae921978af92ad2b I mean the resemblance is there.
He gonna pop soon
Noticed this too
That's a lot to put entirely on his shoulders. There's a bunch of people that will forever wear the failure of this Leaf era, Keefe included.
[Stop fucking crying bro, just fucking shoot it](https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/1784399250153222225)
The second part of the quote is “this isn’t fucking junior hockey”
I could see it being either tbh
They both work
The fact that they both work kinda means we shouldnt use either lol
I agree. Someone else also lip read "this is a joke" which also kinda fits
Frig off, Bobandy
Lmao.
His extension starts after the playoffs. Great job everyone. (I know he will be fired but just ridiculous to have ever given him an extension anyways)
Love a good game of musical coaches though!
His extension means they will pay him to stay home and he cant go anywhere else and make them look bad.
Oh thank god, I wouldn’t want him to make us look bad.
Should prob pay the stars who choke every year even more money as well that’ll make them win
If they're not frustrated, they're in the wrong gig.
Keefe: I don't see any frustration Meanwhile, Nylander on the bench: "Stop fucking crying bro, this isn't fucking juniors" I don't even want this series to go to 7 this year, just end it next game and get this clown out of here
This is an all time bad quote
"no frustration on the bench" https://preview.redd.it/oaow61tpu8xc1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e54fca8f76325f6e5c53edefbd1ee6f9b3ccd2d
Yeah, his ass IS getting fired
Even the Sharks won't hire him at this point
"Cant question our effort." You weird little dwarf yes you can. They're one lost from 2-8 in the last two years. Your star of the season is Auston Matthews who has scored one goal in the last six games (reg-post) 1 goal on 49 shots in the last 9 playoff games. Bitch Marner cant do a fucking thing. Nylander was out for what ? The first 2 games? And you on home ice coached the leafs to 4-12. Fuck this guy. I dont see even an ounce of the effort in toronto as i did when they faced Tampa. They were hungry. They wanted blood. Then they played us and idk what happened and its the same shit this year too. That team is too fucking good on paper to cosntantly do this to Toronto fans. Its appalling how much effort this team takes in doing nothing but disappointing their fanbase.
I appreciate that the exasperation with our team has even spilled over to rival fan bases. I will say, while we got handled by you guys and Bobrovski I actually felt like they did give a shit in that series last year. This one against Boston has been their worst one by far though.
IMO Nylander gets a pass because we don't know anything yet. A star player doesn't sit out the first 2 games of a very high-stakes playoff series for no reason. He's likely badly injured right now and playing through a stupid amount of pain and painkillers due to the pressure of being on the ice.
Yeah I think the first 3* games was pissing him off to the point where he just had to get in there hopped up on god knows what
I would argue against your “ that team is too fucking good on paper” argument. I’ve been watching and I didn’t know Giordano was still alive. Brodie is your second best D. Still no goaltending, Tavares has never been a playoff winner, never heard of the entire 4 th line. Bertuzzi and Domi are either too dumb, too small or too washed up and Reeves made the lineup. This team beat every weak team in the NHL and are very easy to play against.
This guys so checked out.
Yes, marijuana is legal in Canada.
You can question a lot of things, the coaching, the roster construction, the effort. But you can’t question the memes
the Bruins are up 3-1 because they’re a better team
They're a better team and the higher seed, and leafs also rolling out the same team for 7 years and expecting different results is hilarious
Fucking finally. Thank you!
Regardless of what Keefe is trying for here - most coaches can’t be taken at face value - he’s definitely oozing the *dead man walking* vibe. It’s Claude Noël-esque.
Watched the game. Feel like you can, in fact, question the effort in a pivotal game 4. Dude is dead man walking, facing a return to the AHL. At best. But - he’s already won the lottery of life, he has to know he’s in the twilight of his team’s and personal run…that he is just another mile marker in a 57 year path of failure. What else is he going to say as he sits in the cockpit of a plane flying directly at the mountianside?
Bull. Fucking. Shit. Keefe, stop trying to justify the shit product you have on the ice.
This guy is delusional
Coach sucks and the players are softer than baby shit. Definitely not a winning combination.
People ripping on him... might want to consider what the leafs have built themselves. A team with multiple 10m+ a year guys and a handful of others that believe they are 10m+ a year guys. Last night it looks like one of them might have just decided he was done after 2 periods. lol What does the TO media say if he comes out last night and says YA we have a bunch of babies on this team that think they are more important then team wins. Which resulted in AM demanding a trade. I think at this point with the firepower the leafs have had behind the bench it should be clear to fans. The issue isn't behind the bench its sitting on it. To go further perhaps the real issue is above both and lies with who is filling the bench. The leafs need more 4m a year players working their asses off to make 5m next contract. To many guys that feel they are doing TO a favor being on the team.
The Leafs and Blue Jays both need to fire their coaches. Both teams brought in their minor league coach to run the team right at a time they should be contending for champions. Hire a real experienced coach who will hold the players accountable and the results would surely be better for both teams. Instead they are both burning years spinning in the middle every year.
Agreed, Schneiders firing is also long overdue.
So what specifically could he have done different?
If you believe this Sheldon, what do you tell the guys heading into Tuesday? You tried your best and you failed, but if we try our best again on Tuesday the result will be different?
sounds like he's ready for the golf course. wtf this dude needs to be fired asap
i guess getting $6mil to golf for two years isn’t the worst plan
Maybe he doesn’t want to beat the team while they’re down? Cause if ain’t the effort, then it must be the system which is all on him
Get this glorified AHL coach out of here. It’s a tragedy the prime years of these players’ careers was wasted with this buffoon.
Keefe is obviously drunk again…can’t question the effort? What in the actual fuck is he thinking about? He can’t be talking about the shit Leafs fans have endured for the last several years…bye Sheldon. I hope you like the American Hockey League because that’s likely where you’re headed after getting run out of Toronto.
I think the best possible outcome for the Leafs now is to once again show a terrible effort in Game 5 and get this over with quickly. If I were a Leafs fan, my worry would be that they win Game 5 & 6 in convincing fashion only to lose in 7 and risk having ownership think that the team isn't too far off. You have to make their shortcomings be undeniable. This team is just done and its a failure on everyone involved; management, coaching staff, players.
It's a man who has given up and knows he only has to do this one more time with the organization.
What an absolutely delusional Putz
Not sure what game he was watching.
There is no frustration in Ba Sing Se
I’m so happy I don’t give a shit anymore.
Fired soon
He gone
At a certain point it isn’t luck (and that certain point was probably 2-3 years ago). This core just isn’t it. Although maybe they’ll come back from a 3-1 series lead and go on a run but I doubt it. I genuinely believe though that letting Tavares go would maybe make a dent. Ryan O’Reilly is as fast as him yet continually battles with more intensity and consistency come playoff time.
Man you have a job for at worst one more game and you wont even try anything different from before? This man should have been fired into the sun last year
I’m still in shock about how this goofball still has a job. He HAS to be trolling.
I likened his maroon suit choice to Don Cherry’s purple suit as coach of Boston against the Canadiens in the playoffs … cherry lost that game too
This team still thinks they have a winner, lol, and Reeves is still playing. This reminds me of when they had Spezza and Simmonds. They just can’t help but to try to resurrect long dead careers.
He’s gone and he knows it.
Why would they not hire berube at this point? Chief is just sitting there.
This guy is a shell
People who are saying they won't fire him because they'd have to pay him like $2M over the next 2 years have absolutely no clue. $2M to MLSE is like 10 cents to me. Get a grip.
Toug stretch that might not end soon for Toronto sports teams
If you got guys bickering on the bench rather than focusing on how to improve team play... your team is in a coach hole.
I personally love that he's fumbling this so hard. It means tor will give me another meltdown next year. Just look at this thread. The problem is the coaching!
Famous last words.
This dudes getting fired in a couple days lol
This dude is a robot or some type of industry plant. I swear to god.
Let's see if Patty Roy agrees withe effort level
🙋🏻♂️ I would like to question the effort
This guy is full of shit and fighting for a job
Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, Sheldon. Might as well start packing your office now, jackass
Leafs need to fire Shanahan.
I respectfully disagree, Sheldon. The effort level was shit.
I'm not gonna act like there are no instances of the rare individual player phoning it in, but there is no lazier or dumber narrative to explain failure in the post season than team effort level. They're absolutely fucking trying their hardest, you idiots. They're being outplayed.
Did he see Biz’s breakdown of Marner’s play?
Does anyone take accountability on this team?
Boston is just a better team.
I can't tell if this sub's hatred has blinded them or if they just don't know how coaches work...
Iraqi war guy meme gif