John Tavares’ time with the Maple Leafs has not been without its bumps. Yes, there was that one goal to finally propel the team into the 2nd round of the playoffs last year, but otherwise, the center is extremely criticized.
Last night, the coach sent him a pretty strong message, insinuating that he could have given a lot more in the game. He said Tavares had acted like a passenger by being carried along by his team.
Keefe followed up today by saying that he expects a good response from him, while mentioning that he could very well be one of his team’s best players.
We can expect quite a game from him tomorrow night against the Capitals.
While to some, Keefe’s exit may seem normal, it’s more a sign of a coach who has almost no room for manoeuvre left.
It’s true that Tavares isn’t looking too good at the moment, but this kind of conflict is often settled in the office, not in front of the media.
The playoffs haven’t even begun, and already the pressure is on. Imagine, the Maple Leafs have just lost two games in a row and are the 3rd best team in the Eastern Association. Despite this, the coach has little patience with his team.
It will be interesting to see what impact the pressure has on the Leafs in the playoffs. Once again, the lineup is more than interesting for doing damage, but it will all be played out on the ice, and in the Leafs’ case, that’s a challenge every year.
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