Leafs head coach admits to shortcomings, reveals how the Leafs will try to pull themselves out of the hole they've dug
The Leafs came into last night's game against the Florida Panthers hoping to cut into the Panthers' 2-0 lead and bring the series to 2-1. Unfortunately, they weren't up to the task and dropped a 3-2 OT decision to the Cats and now face elimination, with the Panthers having a 3-0 stranglehold on the series.
Sheldon Keefe met with the media on Monday in Florida and addressed what the Leafs will need to do if they want to have any hope of extending the series in Game 4 on Wednesday.
"You have to start with one and build positive momentum and go from there. We continue to have great belief in our group. We still haven't played our best hockey."
The Leafs endured a monumental task in Round 1, knocking off the Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games. Following the conclusion of their series, they still needed to wait to find out who their Round 2 opponent would be after the Panthers extended their series against Boston to 7 games. Prior to Florida's Game 7 win over the Bruins, Leaf fans were begging for the easier matchup. When the Panthers knocked off the Bruins, Leafs Nation was beaming with excitement, having drawn a Panthers team in Round 2 that they dominated all season long, owning a 3-0-1 record in the season series. Well, knowing now what we didn't know then, maybe we shouldn't have been so excited.
If Keefe wasn't aware of the challenges that the Panthers pose before, he certainly is now. That much was evident on Monday when asked if his team's current situation reminds him of things they've dealt with in the past.
"It's been difficult to understand. It's meant to be hard. Anything worth achieving is hard."
I don't know why this Leafs team constantly needs to find themselves in an uphill battle before they wake up. This long-suffering fanbase honestly deserves better. The 3-0 hole the Leafs have dug themselves in this series is eerily reminiscent of the 3-1 series lead they allowed to slip away against the Habs in 2021. The main difference here is that at least this time, the Leafs still have time to make something happen.
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