Keefe: Tavares line ‘didn’t have one good shift’

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe offered a blunt assessment of his team’s second line after Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

“That line was not good for us at all tonight,” Keefe said postgame. “They didn’t have one good shift that I can remember.”

The trio of captain John Tavares, William Nylander, and Tyler Bertuzzi produced a paltry expected goals share of just 14.7% when on the ice together at five-on-five Saturday, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Keefe moved Nylander to the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for the third period in place of rookie Matthew Knies, who took Nylander’s place on the second unit.

“I just thought putting our best people together, going best on best to give us a chance to keep the puck away from (Nathan MacKinnon line and Cale Makar) a little bit more could help us,” Keefe said.

Bertuzzi played just one shift in the third period, while Tavares and Knies logged three apiece.

However, the Leafs’ third line of Max Domi, Calle Jarnkrok, and Pontus Holmberg was the team’s best, producing a 95.3% expected goal share while outscoring the opposition 2-0.

The Leafs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but the Avalanche notched five unanswered goals to complete the comeback. It’s the second straight game in which Toronto blew a multi-goal lead and lost.