Sheldon Keefe’s Odd Quote Points a Finger at His Coaching Ability – The Hockey Writers –

It’s not clear what Sheldon Keefe was trying to say when he said it, or if his comments came out as he intended them to, but the coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up a sound bite that could come back to bite him. Speaking with the media after the series ended and the Maple Leafs’ Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins, he noted, “When teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves.” Using games three and four of their series with the Bruins as examples, he noted that Toronto beat themselves. He then added it was part of the Bruins’ game plan.

Keefe was asked what the biggest challenge generating offense was during the series and he responded the Bruins are a very structured team that defends their net as well as any team in the NHL. He added, “They were content to do that.” Right after that, he said the words that have gone viral on social media. He essentially suggested either the Leafs aren’t good enough not to get in their own way, or he’s not a good enough coach to ensure the Maple Leafs don’t shoot themselves in the foot.

Keefe seemed to admit that teams who play Toronto know that his team will make the kinds of mistakes that will cost them a win. He framed it as though it happens so often that it’s part of the opposition’s defensive strategy when they play against Toronto. As a result, teams like Boston simply play a structured defensive game, get out of the way, and let Toronto collapse.

Was Keefe Really Saying the Leafs Are a Team That Beats Themselves?

The quote is extremely strange and may be an all-time headscratcher. It’s not clear if he’s hinting that he’s at his boiling point with a team that can’t figure it out or if he’s saying he can’t figure out as a coach how to teach sound hockey systems that don’t cripple his roster. If one were to examine a possible intent behind the quote, he could be giving credit to Boston and other teams who play a dry style of hockey and wear down some of the NHL’s most elite forwards. That said, it sounds more like he’s suggesting the Maple Leafs are the kind of club that makes too many mistakes, every team knows it, and that’s often why the Leafs lose.