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

[Cor]

The interesting thing is, the Leafs have been a bit better defensively this year, by about 2 high danger chances a game.



However, it appears in order to achieve that, the Leafs have sacrificed 40% of their own high danger chances.

 

[ShaneFalco]

And you'd be pointing how stupid he is if he had started Kaskisuo in his first NHL game at home against a divisional rival and nemesis the night before, and let he those two Marchand goals in.

Maybe I don't start him in either and run with Andersen for a bit. Mix it up you know? Try to win a few games and worry about resting Fred later

 

[ToneDog]

The interesting thing is, the Leafs have been a bit better defensively this year, by about 2 high danger chances a game.



However, it appears in order to achieve that, the Leafs have sacrificed 40% of their own high danger chances.

The Leafs are better defensively. LOL

I think I just lost any respect I had for this guy.

 

[dimi78]

If your team consistently looks extra bad on their 2nd game of a b2b then it absolutely is completely wrong and insane to hang your backup goalie out to dry with that usage. It was absolutely irresponsible to the team to play Kask in first career NHL game like that. It would be absolutely irresponsible to bring up Woll or Scott some time in the future and subject them that kind of confidence destroying usage.

Than you think it's a good Idea to put your #1 in that situation? You lose the confidence of the #1 any team at that and your season is over. The strategy of sacrificing your backup in the 2nd half of the back to back to protect the #1 isn't new and it holds way more water in reasoning than you guys keep lamenting at.

When will you guys start to put the emphasis on the players not executing and stop blaming the coaches at every turn of struggles?

If Babcock is guilty of one thing is that he's been protecting the players way too much. Barrie should be a healthy scratch for the next 2 games with how he's been playing. Matthews after being the best player on the ice vs Boston follows up with an effort that deserved a benching.... See these days holding players accountable is getting harder and harder. The relationship between players and coaches isn't a democracy and that's something this group and the fan base need to realize.

 

[Cor]

The Leafs are better defensively. LOL

I think I just lost any respect I had for this guy.

I mean, it's not much, but statistically they ARE a bit better.


The main point, is how the Leafs are 40% less effective at generating high danger chances compared to last season.

 

[ACC1224]

Yeah but good leaders often take it on themselves when things don’t go well or atleast say things to protect their group. Here he keeps saying the same crap ‘dig in, work harder,’ not saying it’s not true but I’m sure your team is much more likely to raly around you if you take it on the chin for them atleast once in a while.

I doubt he is speaking to the team through the media.
He may deliver an entirely different message in person.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

The interesting thing is, the Leafs have been a bit better defensively this year, by about 2 high danger chances a game.



However, it appears in order to achieve that, the Leafs have sacrificed 40% of their own high danger chances.

and it's clearly by design, as Babcock thinks it's beautiful. Becoming significantly worse offensively for a slight defensive boost is a massive failure of a strategy

 

[ToneDog]

I mean, it's not much, but statistically they ARE a bit better.


The main point, is how the Leafs are 40% less effective at generating high danger chances compared to last season.

Sure they might have improved in some areas but overall they are much worse defensively. I do get the other part which is concerning given we are supposed to have so much skill. Amazing what happens when teams do not give you lots of space in their end. Perimeter play probably also has to do with it.

 

[Legendary]

Dubas likes to promote ‘his’ guys and they have all failed so far. Swapping Babcock for Keefe will work?

 

[SprDaVE]

Sure they might have improved in some areas but overall they are much worse defensively. I do get the other part which is concerning given we are supposed to have so much skill. Amazing what happens when teams do not give you lots of space in their end. Perimeter play probably also has to do with it.

The only thing worst about their defense is the atrocious to average goaltending they've received.

 

[leburn98]

Nothing wrong with his backup goalie usage. Even if you dont agree with it, the idea of playing your backup in the 2nd of a b2b isnt the huge travesty many are making it out to be . Bigger concern is how extra bad our team looks on the 2nd game of a b2b.

The issue isn't necessarily the usage, it's his inability to read the situation. For example, if you have Columbus and Boston on a back to back, Freddie absolutely needs to play Boston regardless if it's Game 1 or 2. The points against division rivals are far too valuable to be giving them away like candy.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Sure they might have improved in some areas but overall they are much worse defensively. I do get the other part which is concerning given we are supposed to have so much skill. Amazing what happens when teams do not give you lots of space in their end. Perimeter play probably also has to do with it.

well, the other thing is with the Leafs spending almost all their time trailing, their defensive numbers will look better by other teams going into a defensive shell with a lead. Last year they were at 2.59 expected goals against, and this year they're at 2.55. That difference is almost nothing, but it is technically an improvement. Their expected goals for has gone from 2.77 to 2.22

 

[ShaneFalco]

Dubas likes to promote ‘his’ guys and they have all failed so far. Swapping Babcock for Keefe will work?

Holl looks pretty good. As does Goat, Petan can add some depth when need be. He traded for Muzzin and Kerfoot. Which of his guys haven't worked?

 

[ToneDog]

The issue isn't necessarily the usage, it's his inability to read the situation. For example, if you have Columbus and Boston on a back to back, Freddie absolutely needs to play Boston regardless if it's Game 1 or 2. The points against division rivals are far too valuable to be giving them away like candy.

It is completely baffling looking at it in from the outside but let's keep doing it and see if anything changes. For this I give Babs a dunce hat and take away his basketball.

 

[dimi78]

The issue isn't necessarily the usage, it's his inability to read the situation. For example, if you have Columbus and Boston on a back to back, Freddie absolutely needs to play Boston regardless if it's Game 1 or 2. The points against division rivals are far too valuable to be giving them away like candy.

2 points is 2 points Boston played there backup against us in a similar fashion... Your overanalyzing the logistics of playing the backup in the 2nd of the back to back games and giving the team in front a free pass for sucking.

 

[Legendary]

The Muzzin trade is the only Dubas move I like. Everything else has been trash. Maybe the Sandin pick as well. Will Keefe get everyone to contribute defensively?

 

[Lightsol]

I have heard him say that he needs to be better but for the most part I don't listen to press conferences.
They are hardly truthful.

He never says HE needs to be better. It's always "the team needs to be better". If you watch Babcock press conferences, you'll notice that he never admits fault. Nothing is ever HIS fault. It's always either the players or the whole team. And as mentioned before, he ended last year by complaining the team "didn't have the depth to compete with Boston" and then just kept hammering on it all offseason, basically blaming all of last year on Kyle Dubas (or more specifically, Dubas' failure to pick up guys like Luke Glendening that Babcock has been pushing for for a few years now, so he can overplay them, as they're "good pros" that play the Babcock way).

 

[Fogelhund]

The main issue defensively 5v5, is zone exits, and turning the puck over in the zone, during a zone exit, leading to high danger chances for the other team. This has been problematic much of the time under Babcock. Of course, PK is also a major problem. You greatly reduce those two issues, and we end up being a MUCH better squad defensively. Plus of course, better backup goaltending.

 

[stickty111]

 

[stickty111]

Which tells me a coaching change is coming soon.

 

[MyBudJT]

Which tells me a coaching change is coming soon.

How does that tell you a coaching change is coming soon?

 

[CDN24]

Nothing wrong with his backup goalie usage. Even if you dont agree with it, the idea of playing your backup in the 2nd of a b2b isnt the huge travesty many are making it out to be . Bigger concern is how extra bad our team looks on the 2nd game of a b2b.

Exactly, last year teams playing the 2nd game of a B2B won something like 28% of the time. Its hard to win both games. Babcock is essentially giving himself the best shot possible at the easier of the 2 points-the first game. Julien has used the same approach in Mtl. 3 of their 4 sets of b2B, price played game 1. The one time he used Kinkaid first it backfired and they got one point SO loss in game 1 with kinkaid and then Price loses game 2 to the wings. Same with bruins Rask got 2 of 3 1st games, neither played their no1 back to back.

Mtl (4 sets so far) one more this week
Buffalo Det Played Kinkaid-Price Kinkaid got one pt in 1st game with SO loss, Price lost 2nd in regulation
StL- Minn Played price first he won against Stl, lost game 2 against the wild with Kinkaid
Arizona -vegas Played price first he won against Arizona, Kinkaid won game 2 against vegas in OT
Washington-jersey Played price first he won against Caps, Kinkaid lost game 2 against Jersey in OT

That second game is tough to win no matter who is in net.

Boston
Stl- Rangers Played rask against Blues and lost Halak won 7-4 in 2nd one
Pens- Habs Halak won the first one, Rask lost the second
Leafs Caps Rask won the 1st one and Halak lost the second one.

So in 4 games habs used the starter price once in 2nd game he lost and to add insult to injury they also lost the 1st one.
In 3 the bruins went with Rask once in the second one and lost.

Combined Habs/Bruins 5-1-1 in 1st half with starter going 4-1 and back up 1-0-1
2nd half they are 2-4-1 in 2nd half with starters going 0-2 and back up 2-2-1.

Babcocks usage is fine, the problem is the backup does not give them much of a chance to win.

 

[Green Snow Storm]

and it's clearly by design, as Babcock thinks it's beautiful. Becoming significantly worse offensively for a slight defensive boost is a massive failure of a strategy

Especially with the murderer's row of offensive players we have.

 

[Kiwi]

Which tells me a coaching change is coming soon.

Are you sure Stickty? Because that suggests to me we're going to keep on keeping on without doing anything

 

[Cor]

Grandma Dubas not a fan of Babs? (Not my pic. Was floating around Twitter)