amazing what happens when your most talented player isn't undermining the coach and captain.....or doesn't happen i guess
Somehow, in this half-season, we've had many more on-ice stories than we had last year.
We have had a starting goalie with a newly-minted contract refuse to play because he didn't feel well enough to start despite having backed up the previous game.
Shortly thereafter, the same goalie was sent to the AHL.
Shortly after Bernier returned, Reimer went down with some mystery injury that had an undetermined date of return.
These things alone would have been media frenzies in previous years, they would have led to new "journalists" being hired in order to discover as many details as possible. Dave Feschuck would have rented Reimer's mom's neighbour's house in order to keep tabs on the status of the mystery illness.
The team currently sits in 3rd last place.
The team currently sits 7th last in goals per game with 0.01 goal more than Edmonton.
The team currently sits 10th last in goals against per game.
Most interestingly though, they are 7th best in shots for per game and yet allow more shots that they take where they rank as 4th worst.
There are plenty of storylines to follow on this team, both positive and negative.
I've had to admit that Gardiner looks much improved under Babcock, although I don't think he has enough smarts to be a top-notch defenseman.
James Reimer has the best save % in the league!
PaP has been far better than I expected.
Kadri has likely been more effective while being far less productive than people expected.
After a really nice run where the team could put up some offensive games, they now seem to not be able to score anymore.
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The difference between this year and those previous when it comes to drama isn't solely on the team, because although the points of interest aren't the same, they aren't lacking, it's the media's coverage of the team that has drastically changed this year.
Babcock came in and essentially told every member of the media that they would play by his rules or they would be politely removed from the picture.
Lou came in and instituted a rule for media availability drastically reducing the interactions between the players and reporters. Hell, he even kicked every single member of the media off their charters.
Babs has stated many, many times that his first priority was to make the environment in the dressing room "safe". It has been.
When Jeff O'neil asked Babcock a question that he would a week later answer unprompted, he basically shot Jeff down completely.
Jeff asked if he (Babcock) feels like sometimes a leader or captain has to drop the gloves and stand up to players who are crossing the line, if for no other reason, to send a message of solidarity to his teammates.
Babcock's dismissive response to that led to some hilarity in the following days including Jeff's "...the coach of the Maple Leafs, I don't know his name...".
Less than a week later, Dion did exactly what O'neil was suggesting.
Babcock came out and supported the decision to fight.
It sends a message to the media that if they ask questions that Babcock doesn't like, even if they are fair, he has the authority, the power and the support to be derisive towards that media member. The guy was given an 8 year long, $50M baton and he's not afraid to wield it.
That right there is the real reason for the "lack of drama".
