“Let’s not pile on the negatives here,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe DEFENDS Mitch Marner after CRITIZING star forward earlier following 3-2 loss to Penguins

Sheldon Keefe had previously called out Mitch Marner for his lack of consistency and poor input while going forward in attack, while he stated that he's surpporting him in finding his groove.

“Let’s not pile on the negatives here,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe DEFENDS Mitch Marner after CRITIZING star forward earlier following 3-2 loss to Penguins

Sheldon Keefe (L) and Mitch Marner (R) [Pic Credit: AP]

The 2023-24 NHL season continues to bring in drama regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has had mixed moments throughout the season so far where sometimes they have been good and sometimes sloppy. Forward Mitch Marner was criticized by his coach Sheldon Keefe following their 3-2 defeat to the Penguins. Surprisingly the Leafs coach has now defended him.

In the past few games, the forward has put up great numbers but the lack of consistency could be observed. As his comments regarding him started to grow even further, the coach came to the defense of his player and told the media to “not pile the negatives“.

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"I think we could all agree that they can play better...one of the reports I get before every game is...our 5-on-5 scoring this season, and at the top of the list is Mitch Marner. We'll stay building out our team... but let's not pile on the negatives here".
Coach Keefe on Mitch Marner as per The Hockey News.

So far this season, Marner has stayed a little under the spotlight with Auston Matthews and William Nylander dominating the headlines. The Canadian forward though has notched 20 points this season with five goals and 15 assists in 19 games.

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What did Sheldon Keefe say regarding Mitch Marner earlier?

As the Toronto Maple Leafs took to the field to face the Pittsburgh Penguins, the tension was high in the air. The statement by Sheldon Keefe on Mitch Marner’s performance became the highlight of the day. The coach later came into defense and took back some of his criticism of him despite his side enduring a 3-2 loss to the Penguins.

Sheldon Keefe (L) and Mitch Marner (R) [Pic Credit: AP]

The 43-year-old coach had criticized his performance and said he was not performing at the highest level. He also claimed that Marner had not established himself yet in Toronto. Coach Keefe commented on Marner:

"Just not executing at the level that you'd expect from Mitch... hasn't found his groove here yet".

These strong words from Keefe did not go down well among the fans. Several of them slammed him for this statement. Recently P.K. Subban called him out and urged for his sacking from the team following the poor results of the team.

Whether the Leafs will take any action regarding his future remains to be seen. With a 10-6-3 record so far, they will take on the Florida Panthers in their next encounter who are sitting three places above them in second spot.

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