Keefe Explains Decision To Scratch Justin Holl.

While the wins are a bit closer than anybody would like them to be, the Toronto Maple Leafs look like they're turning the corner with two wins in a row.A 3-2 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks and a 5-4 win against the Detroit Red Wings helped the Leafs put some points back on the board and join the Tampa Bay Lightning in the standings with 9 points overall. Something we saw over the weekend that we haven't seen in awhile was a decision on Justin Holl. The defenseman hit the press box as a healthy scratch for the first time since 2019 when Mike Babcock was still head coach. Current head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the reason behind the decision. «We just thought, let's shock the system here a little bit and get him some time,» said Keefe. «But we need to build him back up because he's an important player for us. And he's played at a really high level (in the past). We've come to expect more from him, which is why we felt we needed to take a step back here.»
Keefe didn't guarantee Holl would be back in the lineup anytime soon.