Sportsnet: “All bets are off” in regards to Babcock

[ChurchOfMatthews]

Coming up on 60 years as a die hard fan and Babcock has finally caused me to have no interest in watching this team anymore. Thanks boobcock.

I've been checking out at around the 10 minute mark in the first period most of this season. I said to my wife tonight I'd rather be watching the no-playoff Leafs of the past. At least those guys had some passion, heart and punched faces. Way more entertaining than these overpaid children with some of them not deserving to wear the Leaf jersey (I'm looking at you cowardly Nylander).

 

[klmdg]

And the thing is, you can do this for the vast majority of players on this roster. When they all got here? Played their style. After a short time on the team? Suddenly they're playing the Babcock way. The one that REALLY gets me is Jake Muzzin. He used to hit. A lot. Now he doesn't.

I've mentioned it before on here. I think it was his 3rd or 4th game as a Leaf. He stepped up and crushed the puck carrier entering the zone. The result was a 2 on 1 against, which Anderson stopped. He stopped throwing big hits after that game. Either he completely changed the way he has always played on his own, or he was ordered to make the so-called safe play, which is to stick out the stick and try to disrupt the puck carrier. My bet is the latter.

 

[hector morrison]

I Don't like Babs strategies or way of thinking(or lack of). However,as difficult as it is to excuse him,this has been a trying time. This wasn't just a 2nd game of a back to back with travel and a new and inexperienced (at the NHL level) goalie. It was the 5th game in 8 days with 2 sets of back to backs in that time frame. That can't be normal! In fact ,I think it's crazy! who made this schedule?To take a look further back ,it was the 7th game in 11 days. Legitimate excuse? It definitely doesn't help. No way they are practicing in that time frame. They really need to get their shyte together.Guys in and out of the line-up due to injury isn't supposed to be an excuse...but it really is. I won't get into what I think Babs coulda or shoulda done tonite. with that many games in that short of a span,it may not matter what he did! But ,I doubt he gets fired yet!

 

[jrgtml67]

I feel like he lost the room. No excuse for periods starts in 90% of our games. Some blame is the players but it's gone too far (b4 Marner injury)

I say call up Keefe..issue is Marlies are doing very well. Does Hakstol go in? Or do we bring in Sheldon? I'm for Sheldon

 

[HolyCrap]

Then you are willing to miss the playoffs this year. There's no way we'll repeat history a la St. Louis, that's a pipe dream.

A few weeks ago I thought by Christmas. Now I agree. It will be far sooner. The earlier the better.

 

[jrgtml67]

Also...whether Babs or a player(s) we need change. Barrie should've been tested on our 1st unit by now..but nope.

 

[Coachcorner]

Great team of players gotten by dubas we also have.

No thugs, no hittas, no twerkas, no sparkers, no crowd get goers, not characters really. Marner and hyman and so many others matthews and tavares often show a lot of leadership etc but we need those TOUGH guys, this a man sport. Not sissies who don't talk the talk neither. Our players don't even defend their brothers.... y'all seen how tavares and kasimir got hit yesterday and tonight. Nobody did NOTHING: Cherry and I don't luv dat. My wife don't luv dat. We need DEFENDERS of the fortress. Dubas ain't done nothing to that there.

We already have the speed, scoring tough and talent. But we ain't no grit and grind.... no thugs at all. How you gon rob a sucka if you ain't a robber????????? Better yet: How you gon rob a robber????? TELL ME.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

At this point Leafs can’t get any worst if we fire Babs and replace him with Emilio Estevez
Might actually be more fun Leafs team to watch

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

There is really no downside to firing Babcock now. Team is still .500 and with a their firepower they really can't get any worse offensively (2nd worst expected goals for in the league).

This team SHOULD be significantly better than last years with the players we added. for some reason it just isn't working right now.

You can't give up the first goal in 17 of 22 games and expect to win.

People can rip Dubas all they want but the majority of the issues are easily fixed by a competent coach.

 

[leburn98]

I'm not ready to write off the players just yet.

How does a team add John Tavares, Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie, remove Bozak, Gardiner, JVR, etc., yet continue to play the same crap style of hockey year in and year out? This team continuously doesn't start on time, they make mistake after mistake on defense. To me, that is on the coach.

Babcock continues to make one mind-boggling decision after another. Matthews is 26th in total icetime among forwards and I guarantee you he is only that high because Tavares was injured (who is 67th by the way). McDavid, Draisaitl, Scheifele, Ovechkin, Eichel, MacKinnon, Kane, Panarin, O'Reilly and Crosby all play over 20 minutes a night. These teams are willing to use their best players, why don't the Leafs?

Then you have Barrie, who is being completely wasted on the second PP. Babcock and his staff continue to put Barrie with plugs and then wonder why he isn't producing. Here's a thought, why not put Matthews, Tavares and Marner (interm Nylander) up front, and Rielly and Barrie at the point? This setup has worked for over a century, it might be worth a try.

Misuse is a common theme with this coach.

 

[Superstar]

I'm not ready to write off the players just yet.

How does a team add John Tavares, Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie, remove Bozak, Gardiner, JVR, etc., yet continue to play the same crap style of hockey year in and year out? This team continuously doesn't start on time, they make mistake after mistake on defense. To me, that is on the coach.

Babcock continues to make one mind-boggling decision after another. Matthews is 26th in total icetime among forwards and I guarantee you he is only that high because Tavares was injured (who is 67th by the way). McDavid, Draisaitl, Scheifele, Ovechkin, Eichel, MacKinnon, Kane, Panarin, O'Reilly and Crosby all play over 20 minutes a night. These teams are willing to use their best players, why don't the Leafs?

Then you have Barrie, who is being completely wasted on the second PP. Babcock and his staff continue to put Barrie with plugs and then wonder why he isn't producing. Here's a thought, why not put Matthews, Tavares and Marner (interm Nylander) up front, and Rielly and Barrie at the point? This setup has worked for over a century, it might be worth a try.

Misuse is a common theme with this coach.

I agree...but nope, let's keep throwing Johnsson out there when things aren't working...truth is, Barrie is like another forward on the PP with a wicked slapshot from the point...let the man play his game.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I agree...but nope, let's keep throwing Johnsson out there when things aren't working...truth is, Barrie is like another forward on the PP with a wicked slapshot from the point...let the man play his game.

Barrie might be like another forward, but Johnsson actually is one. I'd replace Rielly with Barrie instead

 

[Moonman]

hire Gordon Bombay and employ the flying V on the PP.

 

[Coatsy79]

50% roster turn over this season, mate and a horrid back up tender

go look at how kadri/brown/hainsey/zaitsev are doing

Where are you getting a 50% turnover, the top 6 is the same lots of the bottom 6 is the same, we brought in like 2 defenceman and a few bottom 6 guys

Teams in my top league in the UK have near 100% roster turnovers every year and manage to come out playing well, it's no excuse

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

50% roster turn over this season, mate and a horrid back up tender

go look at how kadri/brown/hainsey/zaitsev are doing

Hainsey and Zaitsev have gotten caved in and are way worse than last year, and Brown/Kadri would have never gotten the opportunity here that they are getting with their current teams.

We had to give up Brown to get out of 6 more years of Zaitsev (thanks Lou), and based on Kerfoots early returns, if we had a coach that used Barrie properly we would be making out very well in that deal as well.

We got a younger, cheaper 3rd line C that will likely end up producing a couple 40 point seasons or at least close to what Kadri did for us last year.

 

[shaner82]

can't wait for this to happen, then what's the narrative when they continue to lose under Keefe?

Then the team looks at other changes, but until a new coach, with a new system comes in, nobody really knows what else needs to be changed.

 

[The Iceman]

If Babs is replaced Dubas will want his replacement to have immediate success.

Replacing him right now in the teeth of a bunch of tough road games doesn't smell like a success opportunity to me.

 

[Sens]

Hainsey and Zaitsev have gotten caved in and are way worse than last year, and Brown/Kadri would have never gotten the opportunity here that they are getting with their current teams.
.

For the record Zaistev has been awesome for us... Hainsey sucks though

 

[BAM]

Keefe has currently a sample size of zero regarding coaching in a proper league. I don't see how Keefe has enough authority to coach superstars like Marner, Matthews or Tavares. He'll likely run into issues trying to please everyone.

Just like Nick Nurse with Kawhi?

I swear hockey fans love to recycle through the same names on a coaching list for 30 years.

 

[ChuckWoods]

Cleary somethings got to give, and it wont be the players being shipped out. Navigating that approach in season is far too difficult.

This team is playing so poorly and uninspired that its an obvious internal issue beyond repair as it currently stands.

So their current options are:

1) Stick it out and hope we are either SO bad that we get a Top 10 pick, which we can use due to the protection attached. Then fire Babcock in the offseason.

2) Fire Babcock now, for reasons that are very clear. Whatever the results may be for this team, it really cant get any worse.

3) Stay the path and see what happens, it still cannot get much worse.


Or worst case scenario is failing to make the playoffs and handing over a first round pick (11 thru 19) to the Canes.

 

[Stigma]

For the record Zaistev has been awesome for us... Hainsey sucks though

Interesting. One of the posters on here (can't remember who) said we would deeply regret trading Zaitsev. Then again, Z wanted out of here.

 

[Nooodles]

Here's why I think Dubas won't fire Babcock this year, no matter how bad we are:

- Although I'm pretty sure he absolutely hates the way Babcock handles the roster he put together, his love towards Keefe is much stronger. He knows Keefe will be a much better fit, but not right now. He doesn't want to throw him under the bus and put him into this tough situation. The team is a mess, their morale is the lowest ever (thanks again Babs), this isn't really the time to take over, especially for a guy who never coached an NHL team.
- MLSE and Shanny. They've invested so much into this maniac they won't allow Dubas to fire him. With everyone cleary seeing there is a big problem with the guy, and no matter how bad he is he still got a resume, this whole Shanaplan was started with him, he was the face of the franchise from the day he got hired, up until Tavares and Matthews really took over last year. It was meant to be the perfect cinderella story with him, the "best coach of the world coming home to Toronto to win the Stanley Cup". They won't let it go and certainly won't fire the guy, they rather watch this season going down the toilet and let Babcock go in the summer (when his contract allows it)

And again, I'm 100% sure Dubas truly hates the guy. How they view todays game is the complete opposite. Kyle did everything to remove all of Babcock's toys in the past few years, yet somehow that old fart still operates the same shitty way, because he thinks he is God, the best ever, who knows everything.

So at the end, I think we need to wait till next summer, and this will be the real pain Babcock was talking about.

 

[francis246]

What team did Babcock make effective?

The first year Matthews and Marner we’re here. I would rather have Polak than Ceci lol. Would have kept JVR or getting Marleau

 

[BeLeafInTheFuture]

It's pretty clear Babcock's tenure here is untenable, the players have tuned out to his coaching, I have never seen a team give up that many odd-man rushes in one game for a long time. This is basic stuff as well. I think one of the points was highlighted during the 1st period when Andreas Johnsson completely switched off and never picked up Malkin. How can you not realise or even see that someone is free like that.

I understand people want to blame either Babcock or Dubas, but it goes higher than this. It was Shanahan and co that decided Dubas was the future at the helm, it's pretty obvious of the disconnect between him and Babcock with personnel etc. I think Babcock should go personally, but I think Dubas is on thin ice here as well, at least he has been trying to change it up and make the team better with trades/signings (subjective opinion of course) yet we see Babcock not even making changes to lines, sticking with the same garbage tactics that have been part of the reason we're in said mud hole anyway. It's pretty clear even from the D pairings that Ceci is bringing down Rielly something awful and Barrie just doesn't look the same player that did so well for the Avs being paired with Muzzin. It's the reluctance for change that is ultimately going to cuck Babcock over and it's down to himself.

 

[LeafGrief]

If Babs is replaced Dubas will want his replacement to have immediate success.

Replacing him right now in the teeth of a bunch of tough road games doesn't smell like a success opportunity to me.

His job is to save the season. The Blues fired Yeo in November and didn’t actually turn things around until after New Years. The replacement probably won’t magically turn us back into contenders overnight, it will be gradual.