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Keefe benches Kampf, ’much less tolerance’ for Maple Leafs errors


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David Kampf will probably be a wholesome scratch for the Maple Leafs on Saturday night time.

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Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe hopes it’s a stern discover that sinks in for the remainder of the workforce’s gamers, who haven’t been capable of get out of their very own approach with the quantity of errors being made in current video games.

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“I suppose you can name it a message to the group within the sense that there’s going to be much less tolerance for that,” Keefe mentioned a few hours earlier than the Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes met at Scotiabank Area.

“We’ve bought to get higher on this space. That’s it. Specifically, members of our management group, like David is, we belief these guys to prepared the ground for us and the expectations are increased. Kampf needs to be a pacesetter on (the fourth) line. He’s bought to be a pacesetter in these sorts of conditions the place we’re accountable for the sport. 

“It’s not simply him, it’s the blokes that we actually depend on to be good in these areas, whether or not you’re the highest guys that produce quite a lot of offence, we want these guys to be to be good in these areas as nicely. However for somebody like Kampfer particularly, that’s his major job and focus when he’s on the ice. When he strays from that, he opens up the chance for others to take his minutes.”

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Pontus Holmberg will attract for Kampf at centre on the fourth line and can play for the primary time in two weeks.

Errors have been many within the Leafs’ 6-5 time beyond regulation loss in Columbus in opposition to the Blue Jackets on Friday night time. As Keefe alluded to, that’s not new for the Leafs, who’ve misplaced 4 of their previous 5 video games together with three in regulation.

Kampf, whose defensive acumen helped result in a four-year contract extension with the Leafs in June, was singled out after his offensive-zone miscue helped result in the tying objective by the Jackets’ Adam Fantilli within the third interval on Friday. A foul change on the a part of Kampf and his linemates earlier than Cameron Gaunce scored the Jackets’ second objective didn’t sit nicely both.

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For one night time at the very least, the eye paid to the Kampf benching will take a few of the highlight away from the poor goaltending of Ilya Samsonov. Had Samsonov been enjoying to the usual he set final season, he would have made a save on the Fantilli objective, which was a smooth one.

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Martin Jones will begin in opposition to Carolina.

Holding gamers accountable by benching them is a unique tack for Keefe. We’ll see whether or not it goes past Saturday night time.

“It’s not particular to Kampf,” Keefe mentioned. “You attempt to be affected person and also you attempt to belief your guys and provides them alternatives to return out and do proper, however the tolerance for a similar sorts of errors which can be occurring once we’re in positions (to win) of late, goes to be rather a lot much less.

“It must be rather a lot much less if we don’t see enchancment. That’s the fact of it. We’ve bought a younger man in Holmberg who has performed nicely for us and hasn’t performed for some time. He’ll get a possibility.

“There must be some accountability. For my part, (Kampf) didn’t do a adequate job in a few of these moments I’m speaking about as a man that we actually depend on in these positions, particularly once we’re enjoying with leads. He’s crucial participant for us and he will probably be rather a lot higher for us.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

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