"It's a gong show": PK Subban criticizes Keefe and Nylander in latest Leafs rant
Another day, another PK Subban Toronto Maple Leafs rant.
Appearing as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, the former NHL defenceman had plenty to say about the Leafs’ performance in Round 1 so far. And when it came to head coach Sheldon Keefe, he did not hold back.
Discussing Toronto’s Game 2 win against the Boston Bruins, Subban was quick to criticize Keefe’s handling of questions from the media regarding the mysterious absence of star forward William Nylander.
“If Nylander’s not in for Game 3, I want to hear what Sheldon Keefe’s gonna say about it,” said Subban. “If he’s gonna miss three games and he played Game 82, what’s the explanation? It’s nuts.”
"It's a bit of a gongshow in Toronto with the media and Sheldon Keefe..
In my opinion I don't think he handles the media well and there's no excuses for this Toronto Maple Leafs team" ~ @PKSubban1#PMSLive #HockeyIsAwesome pic.twitter.com/hXz1OZMHRo
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 23, 2024
The 34-year-old later called the coach’s relationship with the media a “gong show.”
“It’s a bit of a gong show in Toronto, with the media and the coach. I don’t think [Keefe] handles the media correctly… I don’t think he handles it well,” he told the ESPN host. “I grew up in Toronto… I’ve got respect for the organization… So, when it comes to managing the media, there’s gotta be more respect for the fan base.”
“You’re talking to people that are educated about the game. We’re not idiots,” he added. “You gotta be able to handle that.”
Subban also expressed his confusion about the team’s decision to let Nylander play in the final games of the season if there was prior knowledge of an injury.
“Let’s just say something was ailing him, why are you playing in that last game? And then, what the hell happened between Game 82 and Game 1?”
Despite coming into the series as underdogs against a higher-seeded team, the Norris Trophy winner noted that the Leafs have no excuse not to win this series, even if they are without one of their top forwards for the foreseeable future.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs, there’s no excuses. I ain’t giving ’em any excuses. You still got Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner,” he said. “You say you’re Stanley Cup contenders. You should be able to beat the Boston Bruins in the first round without Nylander.”
With the series tied at one game apiece, Toronto will get the chance to prove Subban wrong in Game 3 this Wednesday.
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