Sheldon Keefe's comments after Game 4 loss rubbing fans the wrong way

Now down in the series 3-1, the hole the Leafs have dug for themselves in the first round doesn't leave much hope for Leafs Nation. If the display on the ice wasn't bad enough, though, head coach Sheldon Keefe's comments after the game truly show how delusional and out of touch he really is on the situation.

Sheldon Keefe

Keefe defended his players following the Game 4 loss, saying the problem is execution, not effort. Regardless of what the issue may or may not be, there is problem and Sheldon Keefe refusing to acknowledge it doesn't give anyone much confidence that the Leafs will be able to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the series.

Superstar center Auston Matthews has been battling through an illness, which hasn't helped matters, and it also caused him to miss the third period of last night's game after the team's medical staff ruled him ineligible to continue.

It would be a rarity to find players at 100% this time of the year. After a long regular season that just gets amplified when the playoffs begin, the injuries will accumulate. Matthews' situation is a bit different in that there's no band-aid, stitches or medical tape to fix food poisoning, which is believed to be the ailment Matthews is playing through.

Keefe's comments about the team's effort not being the problem certainly rubs people the wrong way, especially when you factor in the brutal effort on special teams. With the power-play being an atrocious 1-for-14 in the series, and the penalty kill allowing six goals on 13 opportunities, the Leafs are not getting it done when it matters. That's a problem, Sheldon.

If the Leafs can't come back in this series, there is next to no chance Keefe can survive the summer and be back behind the bench next season.