The Toronto Maple Leafs put themselves in a perfect position to win last night's game against the Colorado Avalanche, carrying a 3-0 lead into the first intermission. It all went south from there. The line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Drouin - backed up by Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the blueline - took over the reigns and powered the Avs to a huge comeback, winning the game 5-3. It's hard to blame Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe for being impressed with his opponent's play, but his comments after the game left some scratching their heads.
Keefe was asked what went wrong following the loss. He said the MacKinnon line is on a level all its own.
Keefe isn't necessarily wrong in his assessment of the talent of Colorado's top line right now, but the statement seems odd coming from a coach of a team that supposedly has some of the best players in the league. That includes a core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly that should be able to rival any opponents coming at them. In terms of the salary cap, when Nylander's new contract kicks in next year, Rielly will be the lowest paid member of the core at $7.5 million per season, while the rest will range from $10.9 million to $13.25 million. Keefe better hope he can find a way to get that level of talent and money to "another league," or he'll be looking for another job.
POLL | ||
Is Sheldon Keefe the right coach for the Leafs? | ||
Yes, he is | 74 | 15.5 % |
No, he should be fired | 287 | 60.3 % |
I don't care about the Leafs | 115 | 24.2 % |
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