Maple Leafs Head Coach Gets Into An Altercation With Players

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Austin Sabourin
January 12, 2024 (5:20 PM)

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In a matchup at UBS Arena, the Toronto Maple Leafs initially showcased control over the New York Islanders, boasting a comfortable two-goal lead.

However, the momentum took a dramatic shift as the Islanders capitalized on a pair of power-play opportunities, turning the tables on the Leafs.

Both Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat found the back of the net during the man advantage for the Islanders, while Toronto struggled to generate any offensive spark on their power plays. Head coach Sheldon Keefe, in his post-game remarks to NHL.com, expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's performance, particularly emphasizing the subpar special teams showing.

"Special teams were rotten tonight," Keefe remarked. "Our power play, penalty kill, and overtime [were rotten]. That costs you games. Our power play had one chance and did nothing with it. It's as bad as we've looked on any power play, and on the penalty kill, the puck's in our net before we could blink to start the game."

Auston Matthews, reflecting on the game, attributed the outcome to the fine margins in hockey, describing it as a

"game of inches."

"I thought there was a lot of good we did in the game," Matthews commented. "They're a good team. They play really well on both sides of the puck. They make it hard on you offensively, so I thought it was pretty back-and-forth. Just a game of inches out there."

Looking ahead, the Leafs will seek redemption this weekend as they face the Colorado Avalanche on home turf. Stay tuned for a crucial matchup that promises to test the resilience and strategic adjustments of the Toronto squad.

As seen on hockeyfeed