Keefe clears the air with Leafs ‘elite players’

SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Toronto Maple Leafs, who practised at Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday ahead of their game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

Following Monday's 4-2 loss, Sheldon Keefe didn't hold back in explaining how his talented group came up short against the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes. 

"The difference between us and Arizona is that we have elite players," the coach stated bluntly. "Our elite players didn't play like elite players. They couldn't make the difference."

After a day off on Tuesday, Keefe checked in with his top players on Wednesday.

"He explained what he meant to say and how it came out and I'll leave it at that," winger Mitch Marner said. "We have closed doors here for a reason and we have talks without you for a reason. We had that talk today. We understand. We're grown men." 

"I used some of the wrong words to try to describe what I was trying to describe," Keefe said, "which is that the difference in the game was just, we weren't able to produce, whether it's power play or 5-on-5. And that's really the difference, with all the puck time we had. But by no means was I meaning anything beyond that."

Auston Matthews broke into a smile when asked about the coach's initial critique. 

"This is my seventh year here now and I kind of understand how it works," the 25-year-old centre said. "I think the conversations that go on behind closed doors without media and stuff are more generally discussions rather than just harping on guys."

Added Marner, "I don't think anyone was hurt by the comments or anything like that."

Keefe was asked if the players are so delicate these days that he now has to choose his words carefully. 

"I