Why Sheldon Keefe is using 11-and-7: The pros, cons, and where this is headed

TORONTO – Sheldon Keefe, by nature, is a tinkerer.

The whiteboard is his beaker, colored Sharpies his elixirs.

Half chemist, half coach, the person shouting surnames behind the Toronto Maple Leafs bench has been blessed — or, relying in your love for stability, cursed — with the reward of time.

Attempt as one would possibly to promote the significance of the Maple Leafs’ remaining 16 video games, in these quarters, the outcomes matter lower than the educational.

Even with Monday’s lacklustre 4-3 collapse to a determined Buffalo Sabres membership, the Leafs are the NHL’s fourth-best membership. They’re up 4 factors (plus a sport in hand) on a first-round opponent, the Tampa Bay Lighting, that they’ve identified about for months and are an 88 per cent lock because the Atlantic Division’s No. 2 seed, per MoneyPuck.com.

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It’s no secret they’ve hit cruise management, and with little motive to be pressing till mid-April, it will be arduous in charge them.

True, they haven’t launched into a lot as a four-game win streak for the reason that first half of November. However in addition they haven’t misplaced consecutive outings since Jan. 14, and so they’ve solely hit a dropping skid longer than two video games as soon as — manner again in October, when they dropped four on the road and the sky was falling.

That was eight trades in the past.

Looks like a lifetime in the past.

Irritating as it could be for the ticket-buying public who make investments on a sluggish evening, these Leafs now know when to slam the gas and when to relaxation the engine for the massive race.

Which brings us again to Keefe, who needs to test-drive each mannequin within the lot earlier than committing to his journey.

“We’re attempting to place our gamers in the most effective spot potential to win each sport whereas additionally having a watch in direction of what’s coming,” Keefe says, following Monday’s blown lead. “Whether or not that’s attempting various things that you could be need to take a look at in sure occasions, or typically possibly it’s important to (change a line).

“Various things occur that you could be need to get forward of.”

Keefe tugs on the reminiscence of his undisputed prime line from 2021-22 — Michael Bunting–Auston Matthews–Mitchell Marner — tearing by way of the league… till Bunting suffered an harm shortly earlier than the Lightning sequence and was not almost as effectual.

“So, we’re definitely attempting some issues which can be with a watch in direction of situations which may occur,” Keefe says.

If Bunting goes down, Alexander Kerfoot can leap up. If Matthews and Marner cease clicking, Marner can reunite with John Tavares. We all know Nylander can discover a scorching stretch with Matthews. Previous to Ryan O’Reilly’s busted finger, he too had made the rounds with a slew of top-nine wingers.

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GM Kyle Dubas seemingly introduced in power-play specialist Erik Gustafsson as Toronto’s seventh (eighth?) defenceman on the deadline in occasion that accidents pile up or the particular groups hits a serious rut.

Keefe needs everybody to really feel snug skating alongside everybody else. Simply in case.

The coach has been burnt so typically by the surprising (see: alarming postseason accidents to Tavares and Jake Muzzin, twice) that he’s now working repeated fireplace drills in anticipation of the subsequent blaze. As a result of he’s hyperaware the subsequent implosion will trigger the entire room to go up in smoke.

Solely time will inform, after all, if this all this line-juggling and partner-swapping ends in a nimbler lineup when the inevitable curveballs of do-or-die hockey begin flinging the Leafs’ manner.

Or: Is there some measure of overthought or overpreparation happening? May this lack of repetition and rhythm on the bench be detracting from a extra singular plan?

Absolutely there may be an finish date (say, April 1?) to Keefe’s fact-finding mission, some extent within the common season the place he begins dress-rehearsing his Sport 83 lineup.

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The buzzy matter as of late is Toronto’s 11-forward, seven-defenceman deployment, an method Keefe himself described as “not Choice A” however has been warming to.

“We’ve performed a few of our greatest hockey with 11 and seven,” Keefe mentioned, pointing to wins over Calgary and Edmonton.

The positives:

• Guards in opposition to an in-game harm or misconduct to a defenceman.

• Prevents a bubble D-man comparable to Timothy Liljegren, Luke Schenn, or Gustafsson from getting discouraged by frequent wholesome scratches. The brand new D are getting acclimatized and feeling engaged.

• Opens extra ice time for famous person forwards. Matthews (23:20), Marner (22:30), Nylander (22:24), and Tavares (19:40) all skated greater than Keefe’s most-used defenceman, Morgan Rielly (18:34) Monday.

• Keefe hasn’t been utilizing his twelfth ahead — proper now, that’s Alex Steeves — a lot anyway. “Particularly with the O’Reilly harm, it’s rather a lot simpler for us to play seven,” he says.

• Can throw the opposition off-guard.

“When the opposite crew is attempting to match your rhythm with their D pairs and their matchups, you’ll be able to actually mess with that a bit of bit. They’re not fairly certain what’s coming subsequent,” Keefe explains.

“Whereas 12 and 6 is probably the most snug state of affairs, it may not be the most effective one.”

The negatives:

• Threat. What if a ahead will get harm in-game, as O’Reilly did throughout the Leafs’ loss in Vancouver? On that evening, Keefe’s forwards have been so exhausted, he thought-about throwing certainly one of his further D-men on wing.

• Locations further stress on the coaches to regulate on the fly. As a substitute of merely yelling, “Matthews Line!” Keefe should name out all three names. He should monitor ice occasions and fatigue ranges of people extra intently.

• Video games with loads of special-teams motion complicate rhythm much more. The in-the-moment analysis generally is a load to deal with.

“What I discovered is you’ve got a plan going into it, however you actually have to answer what’s taking place within the sport,” Keefe mentioned.

• Gamers can get misplaced of their heads, not the sport.

Tyler Johnson put it properly when Jon Cooper started utilizing 11/7 in Tampa Bay Lightning’s early playoff runs: “The chemistry is all the time totally different. I’m nonetheless attempting to determine what to anticipate and what to do. It’s arduous to construct on something as a result of it’s all the time someone totally different. However the crew is enjoying properly proper now, so we acquired to maintain on going.”

Mockingly, it’s the group Keefe is in the end attempting to outsmart that popularized 11/7 on this period.

Our wager: When O’Reilly is wholesome and the postseason comes into sight, Keefe reverts to the extra acquainted 12/6.

However, hey, 11/7 will simply be another experiment off the record, one other software in his deep field of mixtures, and one much less shock to throw at his gamers.

“By way of staying with it, I believed we wouldn’t do this,” Keefe says. “However after processing some issues, it’s necessary to maintain our depth on protection concerned and engaged.

“We’d uncover by way of this we simply is perhaps higher at 11 and seven. Take a look at how issues have gone for us as of late, and you’ll see a number of the positives popping out of it. I believe it’s necessary we’re not simply locked in to 12 and 6.”

Fox’s Quick 5

• A microphone malfunction prevented anthem singer Natalie Morris from belting out “The Star-Spangled Banner” previous to puck drop.

A rink stuffed with Canadians stepped in to sing it for her.

“I’m actually glad you talked about that,” Sabres coach Don Granato mentioned. “That was a fairly particular second — to be in Canada and listen to the group singing our anthem. So, hats off to the followers that have been right here. I believe that shall be a memorable factor for anybody who’s within the constructing. What an amazing place that is. A number of nice folks. They usually rose to the event.”

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 “Everyone coming collectively, it’s fairly cool to see that in any constructing, however clearly whenever you’re in Toronto and it’s the American anthem,” American Auston Matthews agreed. “That was a extremely cool gesture by everybody.”

• Along with his membership’s defensive efficiency stumbling and focus slipping, Granato healthy-scratched Victor Olofsson — he of a career-high 24 objectives but additionally a minus-22 score — for the primary time this season.

• Leafs Nation has all the time cherished its hard-hitting, blue-collar grinders.

Fourth liner Noel “Cookie” Acciari was greeted Saturday at Scotiabank Area with a fan-made signal displaying assist for Quantity 52 alongside a drawing of Cookie Monster.

“It’s superior. They settle for my love for cookies, and it’s displaying on the market,” Acciari says.

Provides Keefe: “It’s an amazing nickname. You don’t get too lots of these.”

(The Maple Leafs are additionally completely satisfied to name Ryan O’Reilly by his nickname, “Issue,” to keep away from any O’Reilly/Rielly confusion.)

• Sabres followers are formally on Devon Levi watch.

With Levi’s faculty marketing campaign in Windfall over, the 21-year-old prospect can signal his entry-level contract each time he needs.

In 66 profession NCAA video games, Levi posted a 38-22-6 report, with a 1.90 goals-against common and 16 shutouts.

Levi’s .942 save share is the second-best profession mark in males’s faculty hockey historical past.

Solely Connor Hellebuyck (.946), who performed eight fewer video games, was higher. He turned out OK.

• Luke Schenn, proud father of three, is again in Toronto and will play a house sport as early as Wednesday.

Acciari’s spouse and their two younger kids additionally made the transfer Monday. Lastly. It took a pair weeks to kind out a passport for 11-month-old daughter Sutton.

“I’ve undoubtedly missed them,” he says. “Understanding they’re coming right now is thrilling.”

Extra from Sportsnet

Maple Leafs squander two-goal lead as Sabres battle back to snap four-game skid

Maple Leafs Notes: Bunting won’t ‘lose sleep’ over Kane’s diving accusation

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