Sheldon Keefe Post Game, Leafs 8 vs. Avalanche 3: "I like a lot of things about our game today, but I don't leave the rink feeling like we dominated or anything like that" – Maple Leafs Hot Stove

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke to the media after the Maple Leafs’ electric 8-3 blowout win over the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday evening — their NHL-leading 17th win of the year.

On the quality of the team’s start:

We thought we needed to start quickly in the game. Obviously, playing with a lead is important always but especially against this team. To build the lead that we did was great to see. I thought we moved the puck really well in that first period which gave us a chance to get after them and attack their net. It’s nice to get that lead and start quick.

On the blowout performance overall:

I don’t think it was an 8-3 game, to be honest. We were playing a team that faced some adversity before the game with their goaltending and I thought we capitalized on that. I think that makes the game feel a lot different than it was.

It’s a tough game, I can imagine, on their side — pucks are going in like that. I like a lot of things about our game here today, but I don’t leave the rink feeling like we dominated or anything like that.

They had the puck quite a bit — I thought we defended well as a group. The thing we really wanted to focus on was our defensive zone — we knew that they were going to spend a lot of time in our end as they usually do. That was important for us to be good there and I was happy with the job we did. For the most part, we limited them to point shots, tips, and things of that nature. Against a team of that quality, you’ll take that.

On what kept Joseph Woll from dressing as backup tonight:

He just came into the game stiff from practice yesterday to the point that he wasn’t comfortable, or [the medical staff] weren’t comfortable allowing him to skate. We’ll see how he is after a day off, both today and tomorrow now. It’s minor, so we hope he bounces back.

On Auston Matthews’ hat trick:

First of all, I thought that line really moved the puck — they were really good down below the hash marks. Those first two goals are just really good sequences by that line — just unbelievable passes by Mitch Marner in both cases and elite finishes as well. On the third one, he gets in alone and that’s a pretty good shot that kisses the post and goes in. It’s nice to see it go in — he hasn’t had many of those this season and those are ones that usually go in for him. To get it to be the one that finishes off the hat trick on home ice is pretty cool.

On Michael Bunting’s three-assist game alongside Matthews-Marner:

He did a lot of really good things off the puck today in terms of working on the forecheck. On the first goal, he’s on it and gets the first touch then goes to Mitch back to Auston.

Good example of the type of game we need from him. I looked at it as he comes away with three assists in the game. There’s maybe nothing that really stands out in terms of how he got those, but he’s a part of those sequences there leading to goals, so he’s contributing in his own way.

On whether there’s concern that the team will become complacent given their recent success:

I think with the fact that we’ve gotten to this point and things have rolled the way they have, the guys themselves have done a good job of that and assuring that we just stay on it. Am I concerned about it? No, because the players themselves have done a really good job here of late, but — at the same time — there are a number of things that we can do a whole lot better. We’re going to enjoy the day off tomorrow — the players very much need a day off and a day away. They’re still recovering from that road trip, so tomorrow’s an important day.

As a staff, we’ve already got a number of things that we want to work on tomorrow and work at in practice to help us prepare for Minnesota.

On Joey Anderson’s season debut performance:

I really liked [his] game. He was strong on the puck in terms of having it and fighting his way through traffic. He’s around the net and strong off the puck, too. He won some battles and got the puck back for us. From what I was looking to see from him, I think he delivered that and fit in well on that line.

On the termination of Kirill Semyonov’s contract:

It’s one of those situations with these guys that come over — they come over because they want to get a look in the NHL and get a chance to play in the league. It doesn’t always go as smoothly as they would hope. The organization has always been really good at working with guys on this if it’s not going to way that they’ve liked. In particular, for the Russian players coming from the KHL, they leave some pretty good situations there.

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