Former NHLer chimes in on the Leafs following Sheldon Keefe/Wes McCauley discourse
Following the Leafs' Game 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the talk of the game was the officiating and whether or not Wes McCauley should even be allowed to officiate Leafs games, given his history with Sheldon Keefe.
For those who would like some clarification on the Keefe/McCauley discourse, you can read more at the link below:
On Thursday morning, ahead of Game 2, former NHLer Mike Danton took to social media to touch on all of the comments he had received about the Keefe/McCauley aftermath.
While Danton did not wish to comment on the Keefe/McCauley situation, he did want to make it very clear that it was not the officiating that was to blame for the Leafs' loss.
I'm not going to comment on Wes McCauley, Dave Frost or Sheldon Keefe because you'll either complain that it's rehearsed rhetoric or won't believe it unless it fits the narrative you want it to.
Instead, I'm going to comment on WHY the Leafs actually lost that game, and what their issue has been for the last several years.
They're soft as baby shit! That's it, that's all!
Their top players have no jam, play on the outside and are more interested in flopping around on the ice than getting to dirty areas and paying the price.
It surprises me that a coach whom has all the knowledge and assets afforded to him still cannot address the issues at hand.
I, for one, am not a Leafs fan at all. However, I am a hockey fan even though my interest is dwindling. It would be great for hockey if the Leafs could pull their heads from their asses at some point and win a Cup.
That is not going to happen with Matthews, Marner, JT, Nylander, etc leading this group. They don't have what it takes.
Any hockey person knows this, and the only people that are living in a fantasy world are the diehard fans that rely on hope and wishfulness.
Therefore, instead of dragging up the past from 20-30 years ago (that is also false in almost every regard) in an attempt to deflect away what the actual issues are, deal with them head on.
Then, maybe you'll make some headway!" - Danton on the Leafs
While Danton is certainly entitled to his opinion, it's a little tough to win a game when you spend most of it on the penalty kill.
The Lightning were awarded 8 power plays on Tuesday to Toronto's 4. What's more is that 2 of the Leafs' power plays were awarded in the third period, long after the game was well out of reach.
The officiating may not have been the only reason why the Leafs lost Game 1, but it definitely played a huge role in being blown out in the contest - especially with the flurry of penalties that came when the Leafs were trailing by just one goal.
