Is Keefe the right coach for this team at this time.

[Ziggdiezan]

Jones/Werenski with the PLD line were absolutely killing the leafs offense at 5 on 5. Stacking the first line with Matthews, JT and Marner made absolutely 0 sense as it allowed Jones/Werenski to play against the majoirty of the leafs good offensive players for most of the game.

That was probably the only real error I think Keefe made in that series. Also people need to realize a goalie playing lights out is not only about the goalies' individual performance it is also about the team infront of them as well as the team they are facing. There is frankly no excuse for getting shutout almost half the games with the offense the leafs had. Part of that is due to Columbus' goalies playing very well but it is also on the leafs for not making it difficult enough with screens, deflections, rebounds etc. Also i think people are forgetting the amount of highlight reel saves Andy made that series. Probably worth a rewatch

 

[X66]

He better be, because he's been given the team Babcock should have been given.

Keefe has the grit up front Babcock was never given.

Keefe has 3 capable goalies, Babcock had 2 for a short while, then Mac got waived and the backup was ignored for 17 months.

Keefe has a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more complete defense than Babcock EVER did.

This is the team Babcock should have been given.

It's the team Keefe has, he better make good with this opportunity.

So you're saying Dubas did a good job?

It takes time to move on from Zaitsev and Marleau contracts.

The team that Dubas has assembled with a flat cap is nothing short of masterful.

 

[X66]

Jones/Werenski with the PLD line were absolutely killing the leafs offense at 5 on 5. Stacking the first line with Matthews, JT and Marner made absolutely 0 sense as it allowed Jones/Werenski to play against the majoirty of the leafs good offensive players for most of the game.

That super line caved in Columbus when they were on the ice, but their goalies saved them.

 

[al secord]

Leafs should hire Babcock. He is at free market.

No no...let's see where this new Mike Keenan premise goes...

 

[ACC1224]

No no...let's see where this new Mike Keenan premise goes...

The extremes that are gone to here

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So you're saying Dubas did a good job?

It takes time to move on from Zaitsev and Marleau contracts.

The team that Dubas has assembled with a flat cap is nothing short of masterful.

He did a great job this off season at least on paper, but some of these things could have, and should have been addressed at least a year ago if not longer.

But they are addressed now so let's see if Dubas and Keefe deliver

 

[The CyNick]

Keefe was savagely out coached in the qualifying round. He had a training camp to get his players ready, and they were inept 5 on 5 against an average team.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt to have at least one full camp and full season. But what I saw was he couldn't get the team to compete in critical parts of the qualifying round and he was behind the bench for the most embarrassing effort in franchise history. All not good signs IMO.

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

He did a great job this off season at least on paper, but some of these things could have, and should have been addressed at least a year ago if not longer.

But they are addressed now so let's see if Dubas and Keefe deliver

Timing is everything. Maybe he didn't thuik it was wise to rush a Nylander trade to get a D back worse than Brodie? You have to wait and make smart moves.

 

[X66]

Keefe was savagely out coached in the qualifying round. He had a training camp to get his players ready, and they were inept 5 on 5 against an average team.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt to have at least one full camp and full season. But what I saw was he couldn't get the team to compete in critical parts of the qualifying round and he was behind the bench for the most embarrassing effort in franchise history. All not good signs IMO.

You just talk for the sake of talking, eh?

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

You just talk for the sake of talking, eh?

Keefe is terrible, Dubas is terrible, Our prospects are terrible, our players are terrible. Worst organization eva! We are doomed! Move the team!

 

[The CyNick]

You just talk for the sake of talking, eh?

Care to articulate on how your opinion differs?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Timing is everything. Maybe he didn't thuik it was wise to rush a Nylander trade to get a D back worse than Brodie? You have to wait and make smart moves.

A Nylander is not and was never necessary as has been proven this year

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

A Nylander is not and was never necessary as has been proven this year

William Nylander is very important to this team. You don 't trade a 22 year-old (at the time) when his value is at it's lowest. That is horrific asset management. Now his value is much higher. He's 24, signed through his prime. Dubas was 100% right not rushing a trade for him.
The guy scored 31 goals. With added usage, on a 42 goal pace. Yes, we need that. But yes, we'd be better with Brandon Montour LOL

 

[justashadowof]

I think Keefe is a competent coach with little in innovation to add. An NHL team could win under him with the right composition of personalities and style. He shouldn't be expected to get a team to overachieve or implement tough to crack defensive schemes with this team.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

William Nylander is very important to this team. You don 't trade a 22 year-old (at the time) when his value is at it's lowest. That is horrific asset management. Now his value is much higher. He's 24, signed through his prime. Dubas was 100% right not rushing a trade for him.
The guy scored 31 goals. With added usage, on a 42 goal pace. Yes, we need that..

Sorry I missed a word that's supposed to say " A Nylander trade is not and never was necessary."

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

Sorry I missed a word that's supposed to say " A Nylander trade is not and never was necessary."

Oh LOL NM. Ignore my rant.

 

[Ziggdiezan]

That super line caved in Columbus when they were on the ice, but their goalies saved them.

Can you provide me a link to the data? Curious

Edit: also important to look at how the rest of the leafs lineup did in comparison to previous games without the stacked line because even if the stacked line did well but the rest of the team struggled the overall result could still be a negative

 

[egd27]

Keefe didn't panic. He coached that series really well.

He had weeks to prepare a game plan for a team that everybody knew exactly what they were going to do.
He had a mini camp to get the team ready to execute that game plan.
He had a basically healthy roster to deploy.

And his team laid an egg in games 1, 4 (aside from getting lucky in a one in a million fluke), and 5 and choked up a 3 goal lead in game 3.

He did not coach the series really well.....CBJ did exactly what everyone knew they were going to and the Leafs had no answer. That is not coaching "really well"

 

[egd27]

Torts has been fired 3 times. He'll get fired again. He's nothing special.

 

[KyleDubasBoyGeniua]

Won nothimg his first 2 years. Lots of crappy coache's win cups. That's like showing crappy players with cups. Eh.

 

[LeafGrief]

Torts is a good coach, I agree with you there. But there's pics of Randy Carlyle and Mike Babcock holding Stanley Cups. Dan Bylsma too.

Torts has been in the league a long time and has certainly earned good coach status, but that pic really doesn't mean squat.

 

[X66]

Can you provide me a link to the data? Curious

Edit: also important to look at how the rest of the leafs lineup did in comparison to previous games without the stacked line because even if the stacked line did well but the rest of the team struggled the overall result could still be a negative

No problem.

In terms of possession, the trio had possession nearly 70% of the time they were on the ice.

In terms of scoring chances for and against differential, they were over 60%(very good)

In terms of high danger scoring chances for and against differential, they were over 70%(which is incredible)

Essentially Columbus barely got anything against the Leafs when that trio was out, but the trio was very dangerous, as shown in the illustrations below.

These charts not only show their shot location, but also the quality of the shots/chance through xga etc. The reality is, Columbus got some really lucky breaks against that line, which is the truth.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

He better be, because he's been given the team Babcock should have been given.

Keefe has the grit up front Babcock was never given.

Keefe has 3 capable goalies, Babcock had 2 for a short while, then Mac got waived and the backup was ignored for 17 months.

Keefe has a MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more complete defense than Babcock EVER did.

This is the team Babcock should have been given.

It's the team Keefe has, he better make good with this opportunity.

Babcock had the likes of Komorov, Martin, Polak, and Kadri . He barely used Martin, overused Komorov and we still lost in the 1st round.

Why would anyone still want Babcock here. The guy played Marleau who had lost a huge step and did nothing all year (including the playoffs where he only had 2 assists in 7 games) more than our star goal scorer in game 7 of the playoffs.

He would put Leo Komorov out to start a 3 on 3 OT instead of our young star players. As well as the PP at times.

He would put a tired line out on the ice for the sake of linematching. He would also put an injured Hyman out on the ice for the sake of linematching.

He refused to make in game adjustments or even game to game adjustments when things weren't working. He also refused to move on from his strategy of playing his starting goalie on the first half of back to backs, completely disregarding opponent even though we had a horrible record on back to backs.

Plus his stupid antics like what he did with Marner, Spezza, Modano etc. None of which motivates you. Just makes you lose all respect for him.

 

[egd27]

Won nothimg his first 2 years. Lots of crappy coache's win cups. That's like showing crappy players with cups. Eh.

Torts is a good coach, I agree with you there. But there's pics of Randy Carlyle and Mike Babcock holding Stanley Cups. Dan Bylsma too.

Torts has been in the league a long time and has certainly earned good coach status, but that pic really doesn't mean squat.

Yea, I suppose you guys are right.

 

[Kiwi]

Gee why would you run the line that scored 3 goals in a couple minutes the night before?

That's something you do when your desperate for a goal, much like pulling the goalie but you don't do that for the whole game because it screws with the rest of the lineup and you get nothing out of them