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Sheldon Keefe didn’t mince phrases on Saturday morning.
The Maple Leafs coach stated he “hated every little thing” about his workforce’s lack of bodily response after defenceman Timothy Liljegren was injured on an egregious journey by Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand on Thursday.
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Following a full time without work on Friday, the Leafs introduced on Saturday that Liljegren was positioned on longterm injured reserve, with Keefe confirming that the 24-year-old suffered a excessive ankle sprain. Liljegren will miss “vital time,” Keefe stated, which implies he received’t be capable to play in his residence nation of Sweden in two weeks when the Leafs face the Detroit Crimson Wings and Minnesota Wild in Stockholm.
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The Leafs recalled defencemen Max Lajoie and Simon Benoit from the Toronto Marlies. Lajoie made his Leafs debut on Saturday evening towards the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Area.
Relating to the Marchand matter, aside from Ryan Reaves saying a number of issues to Marchand because the Bruin circled by the Leafs bench following the play — no penalty was referred to as — the Leafs didn’t a lot as shrug.
It wasn’t search for a membership that likes to delight itself on being a tight-knit group. Led by the stoic method of captain John Tavares, the Leafs usually are not a workforce that wears their collective feelings on their sleeves, and watching Liljegren hobble off the ice at TD Backyard didn’t change that.
For groups that rise up for one another, a bodily response would have been the pure final result. The Leafs have put themselves on the clock now.
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“We talked about it, we addressed it within the room and will probably be modified going ahead,” Reaves stated. “When (Marchand) skates by the bench, I feel there most likely may very well be a bit extra of a response there, however we talked about it and we’ll reply accordingly.”
What was Reaves saying to Marchand?
“It was, to start with, get away from the bench,” Reaves stated. “Second of all, he was fortunate I used to be not out on the ice with him. That they had final change, so I didn’t get any shifts towards him.”
The Leafs can have final change once they subsequent meet the Bruins, on Dec. 2 in Toronto.
Mentioned defenceman John Klingberg: “It appeared prefer it was a success on hit, however after we obtained to see the replays and speak to Lilly in between durations, we understood what occurred and it’s clearly a grimy play.”
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Keefe identified that the Leafs responded on the scoreboard. It was 1-0 for the Bruins when referee Wes McCauley missed what seemed to be a straightforward name on Marchand; Boston made it 2-0 earlier than Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews scored to tie the sport. The Bruins went on to win 3-2 in a shootout.
“Brad Marchand doesn’t care about Ryan Reaves or anyone else within the league,” Keefe stated. “That’s well-established.
“It’s extra concerning the workforce response. There’s plenty of different gamers which are carrying Bruins colors, we will make life tougher on them. It’s extra nearly an uplifting of our workforce. We got here again within the hockey recreation. In order that’s a response in itself.”
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NOT THERE YET
Tyler Bertuzzi goes to spherical into kind.
Keefe is bound of it.
“Bert is an important participant for us and will likely be an important participant for us and can come by way of,” Keefe stated. “The tougher this factor will get, the higher Bert goes to be.”
A look at latest historical past bears that out. Bertuzzi had 10 factors in seven playoff video games with the Bruins final spring after he was acquired in a commerce with the Crimson Wings. In 21 regular-season video games after the swap, Bertuzzi had 16 factors.
The catch with the Leafs, nonetheless, was how little Bertuzzi produced by way of 10 video games. Two objectives, each on the ability play, and one help amounted to Bertuzzi’s contributions.
That wasn’t almost sufficient for a participant who was supposed to offer some constant scoring after signing a one-year, $5.5 million US contract with the Leafs in free company.
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Bertuzzi didn’t click on on a line with Matthews and Marner, and, heading into the sport towards Buffalo, hadn’t discovered a rhythm with captain John Tavares and William Nylander.
In every of the Leafs’ earlier two video games, Bertuzzi barely noticed the ice within the third interval.
“I’ve to be higher,” Bertuzzi stated on Saturday morning. “No excuses. It’s easy performs. Be arduous on the puck.”
There was some on-line warmth for Bertuzzi after he was seen on digital camera on the Leafs bench, nodding his head and smiling at Marchand following the incident on Thursday.
“Folks can understand that nonetheless they need,” Bertuzzi stated. “I’m not going to elucidate myself.”
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