"We beat ourselves with how we played at home" - Sheldon Keefe bemoans Toronto Maple Leafs' Game-7 loss to Boston Bruins

By Arnab Mondal

Modified May 05, 2024 07:28 GMT

Reflecting on the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 on Saturday, coach Sheldon Keefe delved into the reasons behind the defeat, emphasizing the team’s tendency to self-destruct under pressure.

Despite a commendable effort from goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who filled in for the injured Joseph Woll, pivotal moments of the game overshadowed his performance. Keefe acknowledged the Bruins' disciplined approach, lauding their defense and ability to tackle offensive threats:

"They are a very structured team. They do a very good job through the neutral zone. They protect their net as well or better than most teams in the NHL. They were content to do that."

Furthermore, Keefe elaborated on the challenge of generating offense against a team as defensively adept as the Bruins:

"It makes it hard to get offense with that plan. Two teams are playing patiently. You are trying to challenge to push to score but not sacrifice or open up the game to do so."

Sheldon Keefe highlighted instances in Games 3 and 4, where the Leafs faltered at home, suggesting that their lapses contributed significantly to their downfall:

"It is very evident that when teams play the Leafs, they set up the game for the Leafs to beat themselves. I thought we did that in Game 3 and Game 4. We beat ourselves with how we played at home."

He also pointed to the moments evident in Games 2, 5 and 6, where the Leafs managed victories by staying disciplined and focused:

"But the way we played in Game 2, Game 5, and Game 6 was a way we could win, and we won three games in the series. We didn’t beat ourselves."

Moreover, Sheldon Keefe recognized the importance of special teams in such tightly contested matchups, lamenting the Leafs' inability to capitalize on power play opportunities:

"The power play was fine tonight, but it didn’t give us the goal that we needed."

Despite glimpses of effective play, inconsistency and missed opportunities eventually led to their downfall against the Bruins.

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Sheldon Keefe and John Tavares reflect on narrow margins and team effort

Coach Sheldon Keefe and Captain John Tavares provided further insight into the Game 7 loss.

Keefe emphasized the razor-thin margin that separated victory from defeat, acknowledging the disappointment of falling short in overtime, telling NHL.com:

"Obviously, this series (was) very close. That is the thinnest of margins you can get in Game 7 overtime. So, obviously very disappointing to not come on the right side of it."

Tavares echoed Sheldon Keefe's sentiments, showing the narrow gap between success and failure in such high-stakes matchups:

"We were right there. I mean, it's a very small difference. And just the type of hockey that we played, the way we needed to play to give ourselves a chance to win the series ... there's no doubt that we were right there."

Tavares commended the team's collective effort and commitment to executing the necessary game plan.