Speculation: Babcock Turning Matthews Into A Checker & The Leafs Into Boring Chumps

[eddieO]

The reports that they are basically using their cushion as an opportunity to teach is encouraging in that it means there's method to the madness. Nothing would worry me more than a management team that wants the team to play like this. But if it's done to instill certain values with a focus on certain things, cost what it may cost in terms of performance, then it might do long-term good and, most importantly, have an expiration date.

Good post. It's almost as if the smart hockey minds we hired have a smart hockey plan... who would have thought?

And the whiners and Babcock-bashers on this thread don't have a plan at all, they just know what they don't like about Babcock's "old school ways".

We're a good young team and have the perfect coach to help develop our players into good overall players, not just one-dimensional cut-outs.

 

[ITM]

The reports that they are basically using their cushion as an opportunity to teach is encouraging in that it means there's method to the madness. Nothing would worry me more than a management team that wants the team to play like this. But if it's done to instill certain values with a focus on certain things, cost what it may cost in terms of performance, then it might do long-term good and, most importantly, have an expiration date.

Absolutely.

Every management team, every coach worth their Cup rings has been scrutinized unduly and some have even<gasp> made mistakes. We could list and verify moments where the media at large (in large part to fan furor...) speculate the necessary departure of one coach or GM (i.e. Scotty Bowman, Lou Lamoriello, etc...) only to all but post retraction through pieces that described the plan in hindsight as though it was plain all along...when it wasn't.

 

[deletethis]

Conspiracy theory:

The leadership behind the bellyaching about Babcock as a coach aren't Leafs' fans but exterior trolls sowing the seeds of dissent in the minds of useful fools. And when your default position is negativity and misery, you're an easy target for manipulation.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Babs wants a diverse playing style and will not stop until he gets it is the truth.

Stopping complaining about who he plays most or demotes most and just study the team play over the course of the next half of the season!

Something maybe lost in yesterdays 8-1 crushing was the good defense the team played. All three goals from our young guys, Marner,Nylander and Kapanen came of of being in good defensive position and speed and skill they can use aftet gaining puck possession to cause separation from opponents.

The puck support, positioning and gap control by the entire team was beautiful yesterday. And they scored 8 off of it.

Beauty game babcock style! I bet he praised them highly after that gem!

 

[Morbo]

I'm not sure this will ever be a good dump and chase roster. at least as presently composed.

 

[Muston Atthews]

I'm not sure this will ever be a good dump and chase roster. at least as presently composed.

Absolutely not, especially the way Babcock wants to spread out our talent. He’s going to need to stack the top two lines if he wants to run a dump and chase wth the bottom two lines. None of Matthews, Marner or Nylander thrive in a dump and chase role, they’re all possession players

 

[Apotheosis]

I'm not sure this will ever be a good dump and chase roster. at least as presently composed.

It never will be. Our big 3 and supporting wingers like Kapanen are all fast and or good possession players. They thrive on keeping the puck away from the opponent and constantly bombarding with shots. It fits the mobile back end as well. Babcock is trying to change this team in to dump and chase, but it will never work.

 

[Mr Hockey]

When other teams stack there blueline, you better dump and chase, Jackets had 4 guys on there blue line and the other at center ice! We are fast enough to be an effective dump an chase team, when needed. IMO

 

[Apotheosis]

When other teams stack there blueline, you better dump and chase, Jackets had 4 guys on there blue line and the other at center ice! We are fast enough to be an effective dump an chase team, when needed. IMO

The point is, it should be secondary to a fast, possession play style. Sure, modify your approach, but we're a much faster team than the Jackets and with Kapanen in the fray, probably the fastest overall team in the NHL. You play your game first and then adjust on the fly.

 

[Joedoggy]

After the Montreal game when Babcock apparently had a brain cramp and took Hyman off Matthews' line (and the offense exploded) , he remarked that the goals by Matthews from Marner ( and Martin) came in a 6 goal game and didn't mean anything...
Here was a coach who apparently was embarrassed at how well his potluck lines performed and had to state that it meant nothing.....
It would have been an insult to him that his thought out line combos and practices and strategies were outperformed by a mishmas of lines that he just threw out there..

I've never seen a coach try to downplay what was an impressive performance..
That's where Babcock lost me for good.........it looked like his ego took over...

Also it was interesting to me that he used the same lines in practice the next day and everyone thought they would start the game that way...and then ..and then....Hyman was back on the line to start and has been ever since..

Winner winner chicken dinner!

 

[Willy Stylez]

 

[david999]

Babcock has totally coached the offense out of this team.

 

[Bullseye]

Conspiracy theory:

The leadership behind the bellyaching about Babcock as a coach aren't Leafs' fans but exterior trolls sowing the seeds of dissent in the minds of useful fools. And when your default position is negativity and misery, you're an easy target for manipulation.

I don't like blowing leads and neither does Babcock. If we won this game 1-0 or 2-1 peeps would be fine. Get points and make the post season was the mantra last year but this year everything is going to hell in an handbag while doing the same thing. We got a point. Relax peeps.

 

[Stephen]

When other teams stack there blueline, you better dump and chase, Jackets had 4 guys on there blue line and the other at center ice! We are fast enough to be an effective dump an chase team, when needed. IMO

Teams have a harder time stacking the blueline if you use speed to attack.

 

[thewave]

Check away Matthews, win right.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Teams have a harder time stacking the blue line if you use speed to attack.

 

[Superstar]

I thought every team game plans against Toronto now, maybe it's just me thinking that way. Seriously, we're not surprising anybody anymore, we just need to bear down, play hard and play the right way and we'll win our fair share of games.

 

[Mr Hockey]

Teams are trying to take away our speed and skill advantage, now. You have to grind out wins, skill is not enough, Babs talks about it in all his interviews, he knows what it takes to win in the NHL.

 

[jrgtml67]

I dont see anything wrong with Matthews. Of late ive noticed a bigger issue with Babcock (who i normally defend).

Great eg. Tonight he played Carrick and Gards almost exclusively when Matthews was out...why? Because he is stubborn and always sticks to matchups. Therefore Reilly and Haines were always on with Kadri.

I dont know why he rotates Dermott with Borg and Carrick. Borgman is fine Carrick is a wreck much like Marincin who he has finally given up on. The rotation should be polak carrick and tbh i think its time to bench jake. Only issue with that is trade deadline..doing that shows other GMs a negative.

Further proof of his matchup bs is kadri out to start overtime..like stop thats 3 OTs ina row we lost..why? Kadri loses possession Matthews line therefore defends for most of their time out though tonight nylander just missed. In OT put ur best out..or play a hunch now and then. So Matthews Nylander...Bozak/Marleau and Marner wait till Kadri finds his offense again..so worried about D is costing us pts. Our goals for lately are proof. Sure we need to limit chances etc but theres a happy medium between all D and no offense or all offense no regard for D.

 

[Mr Hockey]

I dont see anything wrong with Matthews. Of late ive noticed a bigger issue with Babcock (who i normally defend).

Great eg. Tonight he played Carrick and Gards almost exclusively when Matthews was out...why? Because he is stubborn and always sticks to matchups. Therefore Reilly and Haines were always on with Kadri.

I dont know why he rotates Dermott with Borg and Carrick. Borgman is fine Carrick is a wreck much like Marincin who he has finally given up on. The rotation should be polak carrick and tbh i think its time to bench jake. Only issue with that is trade deadline..doing that shows other GMs a negative.

Further proof of his matchup bs is kadri out to start overtime..like stop thats 3 OTs ina row we lost..why? Kadri loses possession Matthews line therefore defends for most of their time out though tonight nylander just missed. In OT put ur best out..or play a hunch now and then. So Matthews Nylander...Bozak/Marleau and Marner wait till Kadri finds his offense again..so worried about D is costing us pts. Our goals for lately are proof. Sure we need to limit chances etc but theres a happy medium between all D and no offense or all offense no regard for D.

He uses Rielly with the Matthews line on the road and he uses Rielly with Kadri at home as a such down unit.

Babcock is looking for a second unit miss match when he sends out Matthews/Nylander/Gardiner, he also believes the first unit will hold off the other teams first unit.

 

[jrgtml67]

Unrelated news...

Dying for the other ball to drop here...all season really BUT with Goat up Dermott up..a sign management is in the final stage of prospect assessmemt b4 a trade(s) happens.

Though it irks me we have not done so yet. I am glad we are making sure there are no mistakes when a trade happens. Its coming..though I think for most the deal(s) maybe underwhelming.

Needs..well

RHD and center. If a winger(s) get dealt namely say JVR then maybe we add a winger named Max. At all costs we have to be sure he goes west or not to a team in our conference. Overall player type Max would be huge...imagine him with Matthews? Or Marner?

If we get a RHD i think we go for a Hainsey type...i really feel we are going to go for Doughty hard. There is a log jam on our backend already...add Timmy and Rosen in the mix and Igor Oz from CSKA who already tweeted he cant wait to sign after his season is over...what the heck do we do? Ill tell you...keep a Timmy and Igor..Rosen thus far is a giveaway expert. Trade the Carrick Gardiner let Polak walk.

Trade Leivo, probably have to give up bracco..trade rychel and Curtis. Lupul polak gleason all off the books next year trade sign deal jvr...bozak hard call. We have no center depth almost worse than D. After goat we have no one in our system even close.

So who at center? Short term fix Jumbo Joe at deadline or offseason. Pavelski would be awesome and if sharks r out of a playoff spot and then entering a rebuild it would be killer to get him though probably a pipe dream.

Anyway its exciting and nerve racking and ill say Lou is an expert tradesman. The fellow stole schenider from the nucks several yrs ago..i think since he has been here he has won every trade. So sit tight

 

[jrgtml67]

Not sure what you are talking about. Nine times outta 10 kadri takes on the shutdown role. In any case see how that worked tonight? Lost 4 faceoffs in a row tie game. Lost faceoff in OT and then got burnt on an odd man rush. Thats 3 OTs Kadri has started and we have lost before we role out Marner.

In addition dermott deserves a chance on the PP i think and in OT i think hes been our best D the last 3 games. Reilly wouldve been my choice the last 2 b4 tonight but he cost us both games.

Anyway its Babcocks love affair with matchups costing us. Also we are way too concerned with D and its screwing our offense. Players look hesitant or scared for mess up..problem is 2 things they still mess up and zero offense.

As much as we need a RHD we could benefit from a trade where we get a excellent 2 way center. The fact Hyman and Komarov take PK faceoffs show how little Bab trusts Bozak.

There is a happy medium between playing afraid 2 screw up defensively and playing too loosey goosey and goin all out offense. I think our strategy should be...early in game go all out offense push the other team we have enough talent to get 3 real quick. Now we have the lead work on the D aspect.

In any case the blame isnt just Babcock and his stubborn matchup no matter what mentality. Its also we have a giant hole with Zaitsev out. Dermott looks like he is up for good to me. He has been gr8. Little smart plays in our end or tape to tape outlet passes...make Gardiner expendable..id rather lose Carrick but if Jake plus other assets get us another center or upgrade on RHD then great. And again i really think leafs are going to push hard for doughty. We may see some head scratching trades now that help position us for july.

 

[BrannigansLaw]

The reports that they are basically using their cushion as an opportunity to teach is encouraging in that it means there's method to the madness. Nothing would worry me more than a management team that wants the team to play like this. But if it's done to instill certain values with a focus on certain things, cost what it may cost in terms of performance, then it might do long-term good and, most importantly, have an expiration date.

If that’s what they’re actually doing, that is mighty cocky of Babcock and co. There is still a possibility we get caught for that 3rd spot if we keep playing like this

 

[IBeL34f]

If that’s what they’re actually doing, that is mighty cocky of Babcock and co. There is still a possibility we get caught for that 3rd spot if we keep playing like this

Really? I'd almost consider it cockier if Babcock just assumed that whatever worked at the beginning of the season would continue to work as the games got tighter in the back-41/Playoffs. I think it's quite astute, and a great sign of self-awareness, to continue to try and find ways to teach and improve even when you're showing results in the standings.
I mean, when else would you want him to experiment with systems? When they're struggling to keep up with the rest of the League?
I don't believe this system is a hill Babcock's willing to die on - I think he might just be taking advantage of a good opportunity to flesh out the development of his team, and better equip them for different situations and styles.

 

[rent free]

the leafs should do that when their weak defensive players are on the ice and they don't have the puck