The Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman has struggled through his first 13 games of the season. Head coach Sheldon Keefe says the player is injured and working through some things. The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a lot of days off. So in their final tune-up before they take on the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe cracked the whip when he didn't like what he saw on the ice. Following one particular drill, Keefe whistled things down before yelling that it was a "f***ing horses***t practice. Keefe explained his actions following the session saying that while there are positives of having days off to rest, there are some negatives that come with it, too. "You're not necessarily game-ready," he explained. "You're trying to manufacture that. As much as you want guys to compete at a high level, practice is not the same when you're going up against your teammates." The Maple Leafs haven't played a game since falling to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime on Saturday. "You want to get into a rhythm here, it's been unnatural the way our schedule has been." Through the opening two months of the season, the club's first road trip was their longest of the entire season (five games and 11 days) and there was a week-long trip to Stockholm, Sweden for a pair of games in November. "We're all itching to get back it for sure," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares agreed. "He's making sure he's on top of things and not letting things slide. Especially with a big game and a busy stretch. A lot of hockey coming up here." The Leafs begin a stretch of five games in eight days that will see them go through Ottawa and New York, with home games against the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets also in the mix. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk40-guMlb8[/embed] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk1MTUxMDE2NDM2ODQ0/cf1808c0-6a82-4298-9049-3eb2eae105b0.jpg] Related 'He's Got The Ability To Block Things Out': Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Impressed with How William Nylander is Handling In-Season Contract Negotiations [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/hes-got-the-ability-to-block-things-out-maple-leafs-gm-brad-treliving-impressed-with-how-william-nylander-is-handling-in-season-contract-negotiations] 'That Car Was On Its Way Out Anyways': Maple Leafs' John Tavares Jokingly Responds to Former Teammate Doug Weight's Story About the Then-NHL Rookie Crashing His Car [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/that-car-was-on-its-way-out-anyways-maple-leafs-john-tavares-jokingly-responds-to-former-teammate-doug-weights-story-about-the-then-nhl-rookie-crashing-his-car] Why Martin Jones was Called Up to the Maple Leafs on an Emergency Basis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/why-martin-jones-was-called-up-to-the-maple-leafs-on-an-emergency-basis] News from THN.com THN On The 'A': Calgary Flames and Wranglers' Matt Coronato Discusses His Rise to AHL and NHL [https://thehockeynews.com/podcast/thn-on-the-a-calgary-flames-and-wranglers-matt-coronato-discusses-his-rise-to-ahl-and-nhl] Three Defensemen Who Could Replace John Klingberg on the Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/news/three-defensemen-who-could-replace-john-klingberg-on-the-toronto-maple-leafs] THN Archive: New Archive Podcast Guest Engblom Was Sturdy Blueline Force With Canadiens, Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/news/thn-archive-new-archive-podcast-guest-engblom-was-sturdy-blueline-force-with-canadiens-capitals]
