Funny, 'cause it seems to me like the problem ain't the players that replaced Brown, Marleau, and Kadri. Hainsey and Zaitsev absolutely, but then Cody Ceci should not be playing #2 on any team trying to go anywhere. And I'm sorry, but that's not Dubas' fault. Not getting someone to play with Reilly is his fault, but sticking Ceci there and pretending everything is fine? That's Babcock.
Sportsnet: “All bets are off” in regards to Babcock
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If Kadri was the heart of the Leafs, they'd have given up after Game 2 last year, and after Game 1 the year before.
Man Bear Pig
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Who cares. Once that train gets rolling the media has enough of an effect to get him fired. And he should be. Hes lost this team and his decisions have been baffling for years. Theres no excuses anymore. Hes got the center depth, the goalie and a defense that should be good enough on paper.
I am just going to repeat my post from the mainboards here:
Anyone who has paid attention to this team for the past couple seasons understands that this crap show is because of Babcock.
Go back to a year ago - The Leafs came out flying - 1st or second in the league for almost the whole first half of the season. After every game, in which the Leafs' usually clobbered their opposition, Babcock would talk to the press looking depressed and complain that the Leafs were not playing the right way. There was an obvious power struggle between the players and Babcock and Babcock eventually won - as the season went on Babs was putting more and more of his stamp on the team and finally had forced everyone to his will by the halfway mark.
But, for a while, before the team was too Babafied it was a really good team. After 38 games the team was still comfortably in 2nd in the NHL - pacing for 117 points. They had a +39 goal differential and were pacing for 311 goals for (2nd) and 227 goals against (top 10). The team was exciting. The players were having fun. The fans were excited. Babs was miserable. And Babs is all that matters. Keep in mind that this was a team that was every bit as soft and was as weak defensively as people say the current team is - they can win - if they are allowed to play in a way that suits their style.
After Babs got his way? For the final 44 games the team was a shell. The players looked miserable. The fans looks like they would rather poke their eyes out than watch the completely style of play that was also completely unsuited for the team. But Babs in the press conference after the team lost each lifeless game - he was ecstatic with a hardon as big as Saskatchewan. The team played at a 86 point pace during that time - and playing Babs way - they also stunk defensively (pacing for 311 goals against - worst in the NHL).
That has simply continued on from last year. A set of vomit inducing systems that are mindbendingly boring and players who look like they would rather be anywhere else.
Babcock is a cancer for this team.
Go back to a year ago - The Leafs came out flying - 1st or second in the league for almost the whole first half of the season. After every game, in which the Leafs' usually clobbered their opposition, Babcock would talk to the press looking depressed and complain that the Leafs were not playing the right way. There was an obvious power struggle between the players and Babcock and Babcock eventually won - as the season went on Babs was putting more and more of his stamp on the team and finally had forced everyone to his will by the halfway mark.
But, for a while, before the team was too Babafied it was a really good team. After 38 games the team was still comfortably in 2nd in the NHL - pacing for 117 points. They had a +39 goal differential and were pacing for 311 goals for (2nd) and 227 goals against (top 10). The team was exciting. The players were having fun. The fans were excited. Babs was miserable. And Babs is all that matters. Keep in mind that this was a team that was every bit as soft and was as weak defensively as people say the current team is - they can win - if they are allowed to play in a way that suits their style.
After Babs got his way? For the final 44 games the team was a shell. The players looked miserable. The fans looks like they would rather poke their eyes out than watch the completely style of play that was also completely unsuited for the team. But Babs in the press conference after the team lost each lifeless game - he was ecstatic with a hardon as big as Saskatchewan. The team played at a 86 point pace during that time - and playing Babs way - they also stunk defensively (pacing for 311 goals against - worst in the NHL).
That has simply continued on from last year. A set of vomit inducing systems that are mindbendingly boring and players who look like they would rather be anywhere else.
Babcock is a cancer for this team.
ummm what?
and games are not played on paper
just ask jersey/rangers/knights/preds/sharks
all paper tigers so far
Kurtz
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The media works for/with our ownership. The media has finally turned on Babcock. That means that they've been given notice that he's done here.
He'll never coach another game here again. Expect the team to look fast, aggressive, skilled and passionate again once the witch is dead.
He'll never coach another game here again. Expect the team to look fast, aggressive, skilled and passionate again once the witch is dead.
Kurtz
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Remarkably accurate and well put.
An excellent question. I think he's taken the joy out of hockey for these guys. They are just punching the clock and collecting their winnings
WillNy29
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thats because mcdavid and draisatl actually get the TOI to do so
edit: matthews and willy destroying the blackhawks and played about 21 minutes; babcock moans about them playing too much
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Where' Cam Neely at?
Him and Babcock would make a mean trucker duo with the way they could mean mug guys.
This could have simply been avoided if they had either went with Hunter or Lamorello.
I don’t get what the hell expected to happen. Dubas/Babcock are not on the same page. Dubas literally took away all of the players Babcock was able to make effective in order to have his dworf figure skating team
I don’t get what the hell expected to happen. Dubas/Babcock are not on the same page. Dubas literally took away all of the players Babcock was able to make effective in order to have his dworf figure skating team
lmao. I love when somebody makes so much sense. Do let me know what they answer for this one. I believe it's easier to coach players who are willing to buy into systems, have strong work ethic, etc..which means Babcock would do better with only a few skill only players and the rest are mostly about work ethic, smarts, etc. Our team is full of skill and not much else and that's really the big issue. No one can deny that you need some scorers and all but i always laugh now when i see young people making lines full of speed and skill(and i can't blame them because when i was that young i did it too until i started noticing it's a fantasy and doesn't really transfer well into real world...then i noticed that it's really a balancing act where you need just enough of heart, scoring, smarts, etc).
Muston Atthews
Bunch of Bangerz
WillNy29
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why can't scoring have heart and work ethic? or is heart and work ethic just a codeword for talentless?
Theo Fleury and Gilmour were small skill players but high motor, heart of a lion types; none of these traits are mutually exclusive
WillNy29
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The most telling thing was when Matthews scored that powerplay goal and said they went away from the plan and moved around to make it happen (direct shot at coach one of a few hes actually taken)
Babcock was not happy they scored that goal that way; he referred to it as an "ad lib"
Babcock was not happy they scored that goal that way; he referred to it as an "ad lib"
Think how difficult it was to make it to the NHL back then for players their size. They were true exceptions
Oh yea he's definitely lost the plot and the players. I also think he is over-riding Hakstol and McFarland
more times then not a player either has it inside them or they do not
2 perfect examples crosby and kessel , one has it,,,,, the other will never
2 more kadri/nylander
Another thing - when it comes to the percentage of time this team is leading and trailing during games this season they have managed to fall exactly inline with the tank season:
2015/16 season: leading 21.7% of the time; trailing 39.4% of the time.
This season: leading 22.0% of the time; trailing 38.9% of the time.
The 3 seasons in between they averaged 37.2% and 28.3%.
So it's a complete disaster, and must be completely demoralizing for the players - at least in the tank year they were tanking.
If they don't right this ship quick things will have gone too far and they will have to start over with a new rebuild.
But anyway, I am not a long time Leafs' fan (and there is another team I also cheer for), but I have watched every single Leafs game for a little more than 3 years now, but I just have to step away - maybe for just a game, maybe for a month, I don't know - but this game broke me. There have been too many Leafs' games over the past 11 months where I had asked myself "why the hell am I watching this? Am I some kind of masochist?" But this last game was something else. I have watched games where a team lost 6-1, but I came away saying, well my team had some bad bounces or something. This game really should have been about 12-1 and the Pens started going easy on them.
2015/16 season: leading 21.7% of the time; trailing 39.4% of the time.
This season: leading 22.0% of the time; trailing 38.9% of the time.
The 3 seasons in between they averaged 37.2% and 28.3%.
So it's a complete disaster, and must be completely demoralizing for the players - at least in the tank year they were tanking.
If they don't right this ship quick things will have gone too far and they will have to start over with a new rebuild.
But anyway, I am not a long time Leafs' fan (and there is another team I also cheer for), but I have watched every single Leafs game for a little more than 3 years now, but I just have to step away - maybe for just a game, maybe for a month, I don't know - but this game broke me. There have been too many Leafs' games over the past 11 months where I had asked myself "why the hell am I watching this? Am I some kind of masochist?" But this last game was something else. I have watched games where a team lost 6-1, but I came away saying, well my team had some bad bounces or something. This game really should have been about 12-1 and the Pens started going easy on them.
Sounds like a lot of folks on this board.
I don't plan on letting any of them off the hook when Babs gets the boot.
WillNy29
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Marchand, gallagher, marner
Its not a trait exclusive to talentless plugs; the desire to win comes from internal drive to win not from size or in the case of the poster i was quoting someone who cant score
WillNy29
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Wait the guy who had cancer and came back only to be a career PPG player in the playoffs and have a dominant playoff performance for one of two back to back cups doesnt have "it" or are you trying to say crosby doesnt have it?
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