A shortage of players available and fatigue forced head coach Sheldon Keefe to modify his practice plans.
A shortage of players available and fatigue forced head coach Sheldon Keefe to modify his practice plans.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had hoped to hold a full practice following the team's 6-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, but at the 11th hour (literally), plans were scrapped and a lighter session with just a handful of bodies on the ice occurred instead.
So why the change?
"We were mindful of the fact that we just played three games in four nights, but quite frankly we had a few players that I expected to be available for practice today that played last night that were not available for practice today," Keefe said on Wednesday. "All of a sudden our numbers were real light. And many of the things I wanted to do today were not going to be possible with less people.
"So I felt if it was going to be more of a flowing type practice then we can do that tomorrow morning and capitalize on the rest here today."
The Maple Leafs played Tuesday's game without defensemen Morgan Rielly (upper-body injury) and Joel Edmundson (unavailable for the week with an undisclosed injury. There's the old saying that everyone is playing with some sort of ailment at this time of year. But perhaps the grind of the season is beginning to take its toll on the club with less than a month before the playoffs begin.
The Leafs instead will hold a full morning skate on Thursday morning when they host the Washington Capitals. Keefe is many of those players will be healthy enough to take part in that session although it sounds as though there are some question marks around the lineip.
"Yeah, some will for sure. We think they just needed the day. And then some that we'll have to see where we're at tomorrow. Both the guys that played last night and those that didn't, Morgan (Rielly) specifically," Keefe said. "But yeah, we'll just have to see where we're at tomorrow with a couple things to settle."
The comments suggest there could be quite the lineup change in store depending on how players may feel waking up on Thursday when the club hosts Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
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