I never thought I would say this because at the time I was one of his biggest haters...

[DavePoulin4PM]

No Babcock was a problem but the team is also a problem.
Lets not start saying Babcock is this awesome coach now.

The gap between Babcock and Keefe is about as wide as the Grand Canyon. Babcock was widely regarded as the top coach in the NHL for a number of years. Keefe is probably the worst coach in the NHL and only got hired by as a head coach because he is Dubas boy. There is no comparison between the two. It’s like comparing Sidney Crosby to Alex Galchenyuk.

 

[Tairy Greene]

Leafs could win Game 7 and smoke WPG. In fact Leafs could have easily won the first game, if not for some flukey plays. Leafs could have won both these OT games as well. MTL is being dominated and Price is keeping them in it. There is nothing special about the Habs. Like a fighter losing on points getting dummied, but manages to throw a punch as the other fighter trips, and knocks him out.

We said that last year too. Fact is good teams get out of the first round and we have also had excellent goaltending. This isnt over yet but if we lose to Montreal we have to accept the fact that we aren't a good team and I dont see this as an up and coming roster, theres not much room to get better.

 

[Tairy Greene]

Leafs could win Game 7 and smoke WPG. In fact Leafs could have easily won the first game, if not for some flukey plays. Leafs could have won both these OT games as well. MTL is being dominated and Price is keeping them in it. There is nothing special about the Habs. Like a fighter losing on points getting dummied, but manages to throw a punch as the other fighter trips, and knocks him out.

We said that last year too. Fact is good teams get out of the first round and we have also had excellent goaltending. This isnt over yet but if we lose to Montreal we have to accept the fact that we aren't a good team and I dont see this as an up and coming roster, theres not much room to get better.

 

[GQS]

Price has turned back the clock, showing why he's one of the best in the league.

Price has been great, but the Leafs have also missed a bunch of prime scoring chances that if it were the Bruins they probably would've converted many of them. Sometimes the Leafs offense looks awesome, but many other times they have games like these where they have great scoring chances and simply can't finish them. Open net, breakaways you name it, the Leafs have missed alot of gimmes this series.

This series should've been over in game 5, but because of lack of finish we're going to game 7.

 

[AcerComputer]

We said that last year too. Fact is good teams get out of the first round and we have also had excellent goaltending. This isnt over yet but if we lose to Montreal we have to accept the fact that we aren't a good team and I dont see this as an up and coming roster, theres not much room to get better.

Margins can be razor thin sometimes.

 

[Dave92]

Babcock's biggest flaw is that Mike Babcock is Mike Babcock's biggest fan, and Mike Babcock only cares what Mike Babcock thinks of Mike Babcock and as long as Mike Babcock believes in Mike Babcock he won't change a thing.

He's still a way way way better coach than Keefe. Keefe is trash and won't be picked up when he's done with the Leafs. He's coached 4 elimination games and trailed by multi goals before his team scores in all of them, never has his team ready to go, idiotic lineup decisions overreactions left and right. He's been as much of a liability as anybody this series.

It's a more ridiculous comparison than Dubas and Lou.

 

[wingman75]

But maybe Babcock wasn't the problem with this team.

It took me a while to come to grips with it. [MOD]

The purpose of the Babcock firing (aside from being a horrible human being) was to see if the problem was the coach, the roster or the core.

The coach has changed. The roster has changed. Even the goalie has changed. The core is (unless they win Monday and maybe even if they do) rotten.

Babcock, Keefe, it doesn't matter. These guys cannot find a way to get up for a game where they could win a playoff series... it is a mental issue that they can take with them when they leave.

 

[Neas Olc]

The purpose of the Babcock firing (aside from being a horrible human being) was to see if the problem was the coach, the roster or the core.

The coach has changed. The roster has changed. Even the goalie has changed. The core is (unless they win Monday and maybe even if they do) rotten.

Babcock, Keefe, it doesn't matter. These guys cannot find a way to get up for a game where they could win a playoff series... it is a mental issue that they can take with them when they leave.

This. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and it isn't Freddie Anderson.

 

[ORRFForever]

But maybe Babcock wasn't the problem with this team.

It took me a while to come to grips with it. [MOD]

This fanbase is nuts.

We had Babcock and everyone whined that he was too hard on the players. Now everyone wants him back? Good Lord.

 

[Superstar]

Babcock must be chuckling inside...still getting paid by the Leafs and seeing them choke.

 

[ORRFForever]

Babcock must be chuckling inside...still getting paid by the Leafs and seeing them choke.

The Leafs will likely win on Monday.... and then lose to the Jets.

Marner needed a hard ass coach more than most. He had one and he got run out of town. As a result, we have a player who can't cope when things go wrong.

 

[yubbers]

He was.. and now Keefe is mirroring the same stupid set ups that got Babs fired.

Hahaha. So what you're saying is Dubas is incompteant.

 

[AvroArrow]

11M for Marner is the problem. He plays like a guy worth 700k in the playoffs. For 11M we can get a real franchise player, this kid isn't it. He doesn't have what it takes to compete in the playoffs. Plays scared every single play, no confidence and no heart. He needs to go this summer. Frees cap to resign Rielly/Hyman and you can easily trade him for a legit top line or top pairing winger considering his regular season success. Playoff bust.

 

[yubbers]

This fanbase is nuts.

We had Babcock and everyone whined that he was too hard on the players. Now everyone wants him back? Good Lord.

They got rid of Dad for the stepdad that wants to be your friend. That's when you get Bieber :p

 

[AndyWozniewski]

Price hasn't done shit. Hes blown a 3-0 and 2-0 lead in back to back games. Hes garbage just like the team in front of him.

Leafs are chokes. Thats it. Nothing else needed to explain this shitshow.

Agreed, we can't keep making excuses for this loser team (especially after THAT effort in the first 50 minutes of this game). Good teams find a way to win.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

But maybe Babcock wasn't the problem with this team.

It took me a while to come to grips with it. [MOD]

Babcock was the problem with the team. The question is whether he was the only problem.

 

[yubbers]

Babcock was the problem with the team. The question is whether he was the only problem.

We went from breaking franchise point records to not making the playoffs last year. You have an odd definition of a problem. And the solution was to get rid of Lou and Babs....to bring on 2 guys that have never done their jobs in the league at any capacity. You understand how insane that is right?

It's like a company that's doing well firing a proven CEO and CFO to hire 2 dudes from Princeton's cafeteria.

 

[Satire]

You guys have been the better team through 6 games. You still have one more chance to close it and keep looking forward. Playoffs aren't easy - you need to tone down your expectations of how great the team is or dial up your expectations of what Montreal is capable of. I think the players need to do the same to be honest.

I think you still got game 7. Gotta exorcise those demons at some point.

 

[ORRFForever]

They got rid of Dad for the stepdad that wants to be your friend. That's when you get Bieber :p

Made me laugh.

 

[Samsquanch]

As an outsider looking in, what Babcock does is he MAKES players earn their ice time by playing the way he wants them to play hockey. And the way he wants his team and its players to play is the way that elite teams win games.

Its how he delivered his message, and how he lost touch with reality/lost the reigns on his own ego that led to him becoming the villain and part of the problem in Toronto. But had the dynamic duo in TO been playing like they are and Babs was still in TO - he would have had other players playing ahead of them. And they would be quasi-benched by this point in the series.

Making the star players work as hard or harder than the grinders to earn their minutes is the surest way to win a championship though. That cant be argued. Eventually they just do it naturally and get the coaches full trust to be leaned on in all situations, like Zetterberg and Datsyuk were.

But it takes years of programming and continuously pushing some of these kids out of their comfort zones to develop "winners". Which is the hard part for the coach - it takes a very delicate/tactful touch to deliver a hard and cutting message and critique someone on their play. And rewarding a still learning player with a monster contract makes delivering any kind of hard message even harder for any coach (especially if the GM is probably in a CoD clan with the players on PS5 every night).

Again Babs clearly lost the faith of his team and got tuned out eventually. Hes not going click with the new generation of players ever again by my estimation. But then again, the young stars on Toronto also never learned fully how to play the game the right way before he left - and if anything their GM has very clearly given them the message that they are completely fine to keep doing what they've been doing since day 1 in the league. And Keefe is not the coach to teach them how to win at this level...

So now its a horrendous mess for so many reasons, and quite possibly beyond repair.

 

[Stonehands1990]

Other than the fact he had a .953 save % he was garbage

Campbell is .944 vs Price .919 in the playoffs

 

[Leaf Fans]

We've seen the team get bounced in the first round how many years in a row now?

And now we are struggling against one of the worst teams to make the playoffs in a long time (due to the weak north + 7 team division).

Jets are gonna sweep us even if we beat these garbage habs

I doubt that.

 

[Faltorvo]

But maybe Babcock wasn't the problem with this team.

It took me a while to come to grips with it. [MOD]

I did my best to tell all that this was NOT a Babcock issue but the s here had to see that big bad meany go. The out dated Neanderthal had to go .

How we looking now?

Babs took the eastern champs to game 7,

,Keefe?,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Missed the POs and now this.

IIRC,,, Dumbass has traded away our LAST 3 first round picks to create this roster

That is a MASSIVE debt put on the franchise credit card,,,,,and for what?

 

[Faltorvo]

This fanbase is nuts.

We had Babcock and everyone whined that he was too hard on the players. Now everyone wants him back? Good Lord.

This is nuts,,,,,, to post that "EVERYONE whined" when that is clearly not even remotely close to fact

 

[Faltorvo]

Hahaha. So what you're saying is Dubas is incompteant.

I'm saying it flat out

Dumbass and Keefe are not cut out for the big leagues