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

[snipes]

Does Babcock play D?

I think their D along with Matthews/Nylander failing to show up at all have more to do with this 3-1 hole they're in than Babcock does.

 

[Joe Sakic]

Not with that D core my friend.

Also, I expect a much better performance from Matthews and especially Nylander.

I think Babcock has done the best with what he has. The Bruins are just an outstanding team.

 

[Master P]

I don't think he's a bad coach or the issue. I do feel he gets a tad overrated. He's not some instant success tool which is how I think some people view him.

 

[Hunter368]

Not with that D core my friend.

Also, I expect a much better performance from Matthews and especially Nylander.

I think Babcock has done the best with what he has. The Bruins are just an outstanding team.

Hainsey & Z & Polak as 50% of your top 6 D isn’t going to deliver good results, need to improve their D big time and give Andersen some support in the D zone. Their whole right ride on D is bad....really bad.

 

[Pens x]

Aren’t the Leafs going to lose JVR and Bozak after this year? Toronto might actually regress next season if they fail to sign a big name free agent with the cap room.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Literally the only way the Bruins could/can win this series is by pinching relentlessly. If they're playing in the neutral or defensive zone against the Bruins, they're dead.

He should get some credit for realizing it and trying to adjust, but some criticism for not realizing it before the series started.

 

[WHISTLERNATE]

The Leafs are the 3rd best team in the worst division in the league. They are not as good as TSN would have you believe. They have a very bright future and a number of solid players, but also have a number of holes in their lineup right now. That is no fault of anyone`s, it is the reality of a team that is putting the finishing touches on a their rebuild. Certainly nothing to do with Babcock.

 

[Randy Randerson]

like anything else, the Leafs not thriving this playoffs isn't rooted in a single variable. The team has done about as well as we could have hoped in 2 seasons after being dead last, and we had the misfortune of playing a better opponent in the 1st round than we earned because of the new seeding system. The Leafs were the better team last night, The Bruins finished their 2 good chances and we didn't, so this seems a little over reactionary. We weren't the favourites to win this series and I don't think anyone blinks if we lose in 7 and were competitive to a team that could legitimately win the cup, and really we've only been trounced in 1 game so far (the score in game 2 was a lot like last night, one goalie made more stops than the other)

Babcock does make some weird decisions, like Roman Polak being on the team at all (was at the game last night, I think he took 8 shots and not one of them got through). Also seems like the system doesn't adapt well when the opponent's play style changes, the Leafs are often sending forwards too early which means they stall at the forward zone blueline waiting for passes, then when they get those passes they're standing still. The Bruins' forecheck is keeping our defensemen from being able to hit those forwards in stride for a fast break into the offensive zone. We're going to have to learn to play playoff hockey where the whistles go away and the spaces to work get tight

Personnel wise, we need a RHD upgrade for sure. Just getting Polak out of the lineup will be a step in the right direction, then we should try to upgrade on Hainsey as well. Another year towards the peak of this core's prime will also help quite a bit

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Hainsey & Z & Polak as 50% of your top 6 D isn’t going to deliver good results, need to improve their D big time and give Andersen some support in the D zone. Their whole right ride on D is bad....really bad.

but it's Babcock's decision to play Hainsey, Polak, and Zaitsev where he does. His transition schemes are also on him

 

[Martin Skoula]

Not everything is on him but quite a few things are.

Watch the breakout next game and tell me how a team with 1 of Rielly, Gardiner and Dermott on the ice at all times are having a hard time getting the puck up ice without icing it. All 3 are outstanding skaters with great passing as their main offensive skill. The forwards they have available are all fast with the exception of maybe Bozak/JVR.

There's no other explanation to me than an absolute systemic failure, and that's 100% on Babcock. I don't know if any site tracks it, but the Leafs must be running away with first place in icings despite having one of the best skating defenses in the league.

 

[therealkoho]

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

those departing UFA's deserved one last shot in a Leaf uniform and possibly nobody was willing to pay up for them......2 or possibly all 3 will likely be departing come July 1, trading away the 2nd is less impactfull because they still have SJ's 2nd...they have 7, 8 and 8 picks over the next 3 drafts

next year will be a challenge for sure as the Leafs are likely looking at another season with a probable 4 or 5 rookies in the line-up

the rebuild is still on for at least 2 more years, at that time they'll be icing a team made up of a median of 5th year pros depending on additions

 

[LeafFever]

Aren’t the Leafs going to lose JVR and Bozak after this year? Toronto might actually regress next season if they fail to sign a big name free agent with the cap room.

Most teams have UFAs. Kapanen and Jonsson need to find more ice-time. It'll be internal. Not a huge deal.
Matthews/Marner/Nylander should all be better,

 

[LeafFever]

The Leafs are the 3rd best team in the worst division in the league. They are not as good as TSN would have you believe. They have a very bright future and a number of solid players, but also have a number of holes in their lineup right now. That is no fault of anyone`s, it is the reality of a team that is putting the finishing touches on a their rebuild. Certainly nothing to do with Babcock.

That statement does not exactly tell the full picture. Worst division yes, but the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the entire NHL were in that division. The Leafs would be 2nd or even 1st in the other divisions.

 

[Hunter368]

but it's Babcock's decision to play Hainsey, Polak, and Zaitsev where he does. His transition schemes are also on him

Lineup is coaches decision

Roster is GM’s decision, if you want to hold Babs responsible then you better include Lou.

Coach plays the best players he has in his opinion to give him success.

Yes transition schemes are the coaches, he creates the ones best suited to his roster & lineup.

 

[Gurilla]

That statement does not exactly tell the full picture. Worst division yes, but the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the entire NHL were in that division. The Leafs would be 2nd or even 1st in the other divisions.

Jets play in the central

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Lineup is coaches decision

Roster is GM’s decision, if you want to hold Babs responsible then you better include Lou.

Coach plays the best players he has in his opinion to give him success.

Yes transition schemes are the coaches, he creates the ones best suited to his roster & lineup.

Babcock's decision to run a 38 year old Ron Hainsey into the ground all year and play his exhausted husk on our top pairing in the postseason is on him. Same with his decision to play Polak over Carrick even though the latter is much better.

Lou could have done better, but Babcock is still not even close to off the hook for defensive issues.

 

[Hunter368]

That statement does not exactly tell the full picture. Worst division yes, but the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the entire NHL were in that division. The Leafs would be 2nd or even 1st in the other divisions.

Correction

The two best teams in the entire nhl were from the Central.....3rd & 4th placed teams were from the Alantic.

 

[North Cole]

Nah, I thought people wanted him to win the jack last year? Now he's a bum? Funny.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

No

The team is soft and the D is mediocre

A different coach wouldn't be in a better position right now

 

[Do Make Say Think]

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.

They also got to 105 points partly on the back of being in a very poor division with Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo all having disastrous seasons (only MTL is almost guaranteed to remain terrible though, Ottawa's future is uncertain at best and Buffalo has the best shot at Dahlin, they will improve soon enough)

 

[Richardbro]

While the leafs haven’t played to their potential this round, you’re forgetting that Boston this year has looked near unstoppable since November and are a ******* damn good hockey team. There is no shame in that, we probably would have beat 12 out of the 15 teams in the playoffs in this first round, but Boston very likely crushes them all.

 

[OppositeLocK]

Not everything is on him but quite a few things are.

Watch the breakout next game and tell me how a team with 1 of Rielly, Gardiner and Dermott on the ice at all times are having a hard time getting the puck up ice without icing it. All 3 are outstanding skaters with great passing as their main offensive skill. The forwards they have available are all fast with the exception of maybe Bozak/JVR.

There's no other explanation to me than an absolute systemic failure, and that's 100% on Babcock. I don't know if any site tracks it, but the Leafs must be running away with first place in icings despite having one of the best skating defenses in the league.

Thank you very much for bringing this up. People completely overlook the system in place (or the complete lack of one).

 

[Daximus]

No they just don't have a good defensive core at all. Haven't even been mildly impressed with Gardiner or Dermott.

 

[almostawake]

Yes. Absolutely. Babcock is 100% the problem. Please fire him immediately.

Sincerely,
A guy that would love to see the Leafs awful again.

 

[firstemperor]

Hainsey & Z & Polak as 50% of your top 6 D isn’t going to deliver good results, need to improve their D big time and give Andersen some support in the D zone. Their whole right ride on D is bad....really bad.

Andersen has been awful though, no question. .880 vs .926 (Rask) is absolutely glaring, especially when the microstats through 4 games show it's been very close (we actually had far better posession, scoring chances, and superior expected goals in game 2- I know it's not a solace at all but 4 goals in 5 shots, with at least 3-4 of the goals being questionable gives you no chance from the get-go). Eye-test for me matches as well. Leafs outplayed the Bruins over the course of last night, you just get zero margin of error when the goaltending matchup is that one-sided.....I think the D is passable->good against lesser teams but it doesn't stand a chance against the top teams in the league- and the Bruins are that (called them as the best team entering the playoffs, few times over, even before the matchups were set).

I think the team has gotten exposed in some ways because Boston has an elite-top end, are an elite-team, and don't have many weaknesses at all. The Leafs have the team to compete with that, but they have minor holes, top to bottom.

As for the D culprits who have been underwhelming, I think you nailed them Hunter. Though I think Z has been solid in the playoffs, just made 1 bad read on an odd-man rush. Hainsey as your top-pairing D is not good enough though.....only looks passable out there because of Rielly. With Gardiner, I think he's fine.....he's a risk-reward player, you just need to shelter him with better stability and Z isn't that yet (still think it has potential). This team desperately needs a higher-end #1/#2 that provides stability and someone like Polak, but better, who plays the shooting/passing lanes better. Gardiner is a guy you can perpetually look to upgrade on, but I don't think he's nearly the fundamental problem some fans suggest.

No they just don't have a good defensive core at all. Haven't even been mildly impressed with Gardiner or Dermott.

Dermott has been fine->good, should be a staple in the lineup for a while. Gardiner is what he is, he's good enough to be worked around. The issue is we don't have the proper pieces to shelter them, particularly on the right side. You have the right idea about what the problem is- relative to being a cup contender, but picked the wrong culprits, IMO.