Leafs keep focus on connectivity, not Keefe's job security

TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Maple Leafs players faced questions about the job security of head coach Sheldon Keefe as they got back to work following a four-game winless swing through Las Vegas and California. 
 
"We don't really look at anything in what-ifs or those scenarios," said captain John Tavares when asked if it feels like the coach's job is on the line. "We're all really lucky and think Sheldon's a great coach."
 
"We're out there trying to win games," said alternate captain Morgan Rielly. "That's all we're thinking about."
 
"Keefer's done an unbelievable job," said alternate captain Mitch Marner. "It's been a lot of fun to play for him ... If you look at our numbers, we've really improved on a lot of things and he's done an amazing job here."
 
Keefe guided the Leafs to a franchise-record 115 points last season, but the numbers this year aren't flattering. The Leafs are 4-4-2 despite facing seven opponents who did not make the playoffs last year. 
 
"The points we've been able to accumulate to this point [10] are even more than what I would expect based on how we've played, frankly," the coach admitted, "and that speaks to the ability and talent we have as a group."
 
It also speaks to how poorly they've performed. Most notably, Toronto's usually high-octane attack has produced just 2.7 goals per game, which ranked 27th entering Tuesday's play. Toronto averaged 3.8 goals last season, which was second overall.  
"The area we can improve on the most is how connected we are and how we execute as a group coming out of our zone and getting through the neutral zone and getting on the attack from there," Keefe said. "There are a lot of fundamentals that we are not executing at a high level right now — some of the things that we expect to be really good in. It's as simple as breaking out, being available for one another and being responsible for your touch and your pass. That was really the emphasis of the day: be good in that area and get us on the attack."
 
"We look at the way we're breaking the puck out," Tavares said, "just trying to be more efficient there will open up our speed and our ability to get on the attack and get on the forecheck and that can hopefully connect all three zones together."
 
After cracking the whip early in the year, Keefe has struck a softer tone in recent days. 
 
"It's easy to call plenty of things out within our game," acknowledged alternate captain Auston Matthews, "but the message on Sunday was just pretty clear. No video in the morning, just making sure our mindset was clear going into the game day. We started off really well, but obviously we kind of became a little unhinged as the game went on and that was that. So, his messaging today was not a negative one but not a positive one. More so let's pick each other up here, move forward, move through this adversity while also holding each other accountable."

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Keefe held Marner accountable on Sunday in Anaheim. The all-star winger made a couple of costly turnovers leading directly to goals and missed a shift in the third period. 
 
"It doesn't matter who you are," Marner said. "You got to show that every player is accountable, regardless, and I got no problem with that at all. I got the opportunity to go back out there and finish a couple shifts and almost finished that game in overtime, which obviously you wish you had back. You have to take accountability and you have to put it on yourself."
 
"At that time, I was already looking for a way to get Denis Malgin an extra shift here or there," Keefe explained. "That was an easy way to let Mitch have some time to kind of process things knowing full well that you are going to get him right back to it."
 
Before returning to the game, Marner left the bench during a television timeout and smashed a stick.
 
"Guys have to have outlets and do what they need to do as they are working through things," Keefe said. "You have to have guys ready when the game begins. Mitch was. I have no issues with any of that sort of stuff."
 
"I'm a passionate player," Marner said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself and I wasn't happy with that second turnover especially."
 
What went wrong? 
 
"I should have read the play a little bit," he explained. "Seeing three guys on their team coming up with me, if I get that low it's 3-on-2 or 4-on-2 going to their net. It's about reading the play a little better. I'm not going [to] change my game. I just have to make sure I'm more locked in and dialed on those situations."
 
Asked if he was trying too hard with the team struggling, Marner cut off the reporter. 
 
"No, I'm not trying too hard," he stressed, "sometimes bounces go the wrong way."
 
Considering how much pressure he puts on himself, it will be important for Marner to tune out the chatter among the restless fan base. He deleted "poisonous" social media from his phone a couple years ago. 
 
"I don't watch any of you guys on TV, I'm not going to lie," he said with a smile. "None of us, really, kind of read it. I'm sure my father does, but he knows not to tell me about anything because I don't care to hear it and I just hang up."

 
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There was a bigger-than-usual turnout from media at practice. There always tends to be extra reporters on site after a long trip, but the four-game skid created even more interest. 
 
"It feels like the world is crashing down on you," Matthews had said on Sunday when asked to reflect on last year's slow start. "It's easy to kind of look on the outside and read all the stuff that's being written but, in the end, it doesn't matter. What matters is our belief in our group and inside the room to obviously turn it around."
 
Do the players sense the frustration in the city? 
 
"Well, I mean, I think we're frustrated, too," Matthews said on Tuesday. "It's not a one-way street. Obviously, we want to be better. We want to win games and play to our capabilities."
 
The players seemed to handle the expected media frenzy fine, even finding some humour in it. As the big group of reporters entered the room after practice, a player joked that the journalists were piranhas. 
 
"The guys' energy was good," noted Keefe, "which is the thing you are most concerned about at this time of year with what you are going through coming back from the road trip — how it went, how long it was, the time change, and all of those kinds of things. The energy of the group was very good today. That gives me even more confidence going into tomorrow."
 
"It's nice to be home," said Matthews. "A good day of practice today."
 
Usually, Keefe will keep answering questions until reporters exhaust their list of topics, but on Tuesday that was not the case as a member of the media relations staff declared, "last question" after about five minutes. 

 
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After Alex Kerfoot, Calle Jarnkrok and William Nylander took turns playing in a bottom-six centre spot during the road trip, Keefe is looking to give someone new a chance. Pontus Holmberg was recalled from the American Hockey League and skated between Pierre Engvall and Jarnkrok at practice. 
 
"We were really excited about the camp that he had," Keefe said. "With the numbers and the cap and things, we didn't have the space for him coming in. We wanted to try some different guys in the middle. Obviously, we have tried different people throughout that road trip. We liked the idea of having a natural centre coming in. He had a really good camp for us. We like a lot of things about him."
 
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1587518477816012808
 
Holmberg, who has never played in the NHL, posted two assists in seven games with the Marlies to start this season. 
 
"All reports are that he has been excellent," Keefe said. "He is not a guy who scores at a high rate, but he does a lot of things that contribute to winning. We are happy to have him."
 
David Kampf, who leads the Leafs in 5-on-5 goals with three, skated between Zach Aston-Reese and Malgin on the fourth line. 
 
Wayne Simmonds was loaned to the Marlies. Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Nick Robertson project to be scratches on Wednesday. 

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Matt Murray returned to the ice for the first time since sustaining an adductor injury on Oct. 15. 
 
"He is progressing well," Keefe said. "It is part of his plan. Today was the day that was scheduled. He has met and stayed on that schedule. From that end of it, I think he is doing well. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him — and he wasn't on the trip — but I know that was the plan. It seems things have gone well there. He will just continue his process. I think he is still quite a ways away."

The initial timeline was that the goalie would miss at least four weeks. Murray is on the long-term injured reserve. 

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Lines at Tuesday's practice: 
 
Bunting - Matthews - Marner 
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander   
Engvall - Holmberg - Jarnkrok 
Aston-Reese - Kampf - Malgin 
Robertson, Aube-Kubel 
 
Rielly - Mete 
Brodie - Holl 
Giordano - Sandin 
Kral - Liljegren 
 
Samsonov 
Kallgren