Would the Leafs be doing better right now if Babcock wasn’t the coach?

[OppositeLocK]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/hey-hey-ho-ho-mike-babcock-has-got-to-go.2479961/

So seeing as we’re not allowed to negatively discuss Babcock on the Leafs board I’d like to get other fans’ opinions on him.

I really think the Leafs would’ve fared much better with Cassidy/Sullivan/Quenneville/Cooper as their coach as opposed to Babcock.

Guy has been taken to school thanks to his stubbornness all series.

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[rent free]

it matters about the players. they need to be much better. that d is very weak. idk if any coach can do better with that blueline

 

[TheMule93]

No

 

[FlaPanthers11]

The Leafs are a couple years away from finishing the rebuild and being a perennial contender. They need better personnel not a better coach.

 

[OppositeLocK]

it matters about the players. they need to be much better. that d is very weak. idk if any coach can do better with that blueline

You can with the right system in place. The problem is there is no system in Toronto. That’s on Babcock.

You can say lack of experience but I really don’t think that every last drop has been squeezed out of Toronto’s roster. Not even close.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

A textbook fallapart would look decent on babs next year.

 

[OppositeLocK]

The Leafs are a couple years away from finishing the rebuild and being a perennial contender. They need better personnel not a better coach.

They’re not rebuilding though. Rebuilding teams don’t keep pending UFAs and trade 2nds away.

 

[Todd Parchment]

We would never know. How long is his contract?

 

[Riddum]

Leafs wouldn't make the playoffs without Babs.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

"Not allowed to negatively discuss Babcock on the Leafs board" Wut? Half the posters on the Leafs board have been talking about Babcock non stop for the last 6 months . As for the OP itself. The answer is absolutely not. People love to pile on the coach because it is always the easiest and biggest target to go at. At a certain point blame goes on the players. Because lets be honest if Andersen had a 930 save percentage and not an 880 the Leaf fans acting like Babcock should be fired would be the same ones calling him the best coach in the league.

 

[rent free]

You can with the right system in place. The problem is there is no system in Toronto. That’s on Babcock.

You can say lack of experience but I really don’t think that every last drop has been squeezed out of Toronto’s roster. Not even close.

thats very true. i think the d is just a mess that it would take a miracle and a half for it to be sub par. for the lineup, each coach in the nhl has their favorites, not just babcock, so i wouldn't be surprised to see hyman with matthews still.

 

[MattySnipes]

Marchand said it best the other day. Everyone has a good system and fast players, etc. It comes down to the team executing. When the players execute it makes the coach look good. When they don't it makes him look bad. Simple as that. Now he has definitely made a lot of head-scratching decisions in his time here, but it's easy to place all the blame on the coach. At the end of the day, he's not on the ice.

 

[ITM]

You're asking for a factual answer to a hypothetical question after the club set a record for regular season record...

If the point isn't to scapegoat Babcock, then what is it?

 

[OppositeLocK]

"Not allowed to negatively discuss Babcock on the Leafs board" Wut? Half the posters on the Leafs board have been talking about Babcock non stop for the last 6 months . As for the OP itself. The answer is absolutely not. People love to pile on the coach because it is always the easiest and biggest target to go at. At a certain point blame goes on the players. Because lets be honest if Andersen had a 930 save percentage and not an 880 the Leaf fans acting like Babcock should be fired would be the same ones calling him the best coach in the league.

Anderson is not to blame at all. One bit. I blame the system entirely. Leafs have a ton of offence and a solid backend that makes up any shortcomings with mobility. If Pens won with their D the past few years (minus Letang) Toronto can too.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Maybe. they'd be doing better if Andersen wasn't the goalie almost for certain though

 

[FlaPanthers11]

They’re not rebuilding though. Rebuilding teams don’t keep pending UFAs and trade 2nds away.

Teams at the beginning, or even the middle, of a rebuild don't. Teams with two years left in the rebuild do (or teams that don't realize that they are still pieces away and mistakenly sacrifice the future for a good but not great present).

 

[Hunter368]

Babcock is easily a top 5 coach in the nhl and a big asset to the Leafs. People have to stop hanging Leafs challenges it seems solely on Babcock & Andersen. The entire team has struggled this playoff (exception Marner). Leafs are losing to a better team end of story, that doesn’t mean you trade multi core pieces or fire one of the best coaches in the nhl. What are people going to suggest next? Trading AM b/c he sucked in the playoffs this year? Come on people....

Leafs are fine, will be fine next year.....but yes omg they aren’t perfect team and have weaknesses in their lineup that need to be fixed during the off-season and FA.

 

[OppositeLocK]

You're asking for a factual answer to a hypothetical question after the club set a record for regular season record...

If the point isn't to scapegoat Babcock, then what is it?

Why do people bring up the regular season like it means something?

Babcock was also the coach when the team was in last place.

 

[VanIsle]

Boston is a damn good team, Chara is a still a beast Bergeron is the best shut down centre in the league.

The Leafs are learning a great lesson and will be in the playoffs for years to come, but they are so young and this will help them in the long run.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Anderson is not to blame at all. One bit. I blame the system entirely. Leafs have a ton of offence and a solid backend that makes up any shortcomings with mobility. If Pens won with their D the past few years (minus Letang) Toronto can too.

I wasn't saying Andersen is entirely to blame. But he absolutely deserves a share of the blame. At a certain point the excuses need to stop for some of the top players on the team(Andersen,Matthews,Nylander) and they just need to produce. Andersen has had one period in this series where he has looked locked in....other then that he has done nothing to inspire confidence in the team. Pittsburgh also got great goaltending both years from Murray and Fluery.

 

[ITM]

Why do people bring up the regular season like it means something?

Babcock was also the coach when the team was in last place.

Right...And from last place the club finished year over year in which direction? Forward or backwards? You tell me? And does that "mean something"...You know...to improve?

I can't answer why "people" bring up "the regular season" like it means something but, I'm bringing up a record setting regular season to demonstrate the obvious that occasioning Babcock as the reason for Toronto's lack of playoffs success willfully avoids the plain progress the club has made under his direction.

Tukkaa Rask plays behind the best forward line in hockey centered by a multiple Selke winning forward and a Norris winning defecneman on a club that's older, stronger and a recent Stanley Cup champion. That rookie led Toronto squad looked the equal of a veteran ladened Capitals club. Against arguably the best team in the NHL over the last couple of months the same 20-year olds have experienced difficulty. And one would think, with a defense that depends upon Roman Polak and a middle-aged Ron Hainsey to go with another 20-21 year old in Dermott...and not a single Norris winning D in sight to lead them anymore than an offensive Selke winning Cup winning forward to lead the young forward core, one would think that those factors would play into "people" pausing to consider why Boston might be ahead in this series.

 

[Selyanin]

They’re not rebuilding though. Rebuilding teams don’t keep pending UFAs and trade 2nds away.

Rebuilds usually goes on for years after the trade all ufas for picks stage.

 

[Flair Hay]

The Leafs had a country club culture there for a while before he arrived. If the Leafs 50 million dollar coach isn't cutting it for them too bad lol

 

[ACC1224]

Babcock needs to stop giving up so many soft goals.

 

[Herschel]

I don't think Babs is the issue and I don't really think the "kids" need to learn a lesson. I get that many had high hopes for the Leafs coming into the playoffs with 105 points but they ran into a better team in round one and Boston is a terrible matchup for this Leafs team.