News Article: Babcock can't fix everything can he?

[Menzinger]

Babcock actually seems to talk to oplayers and even offers solutions to what Herve been doing wrong.

A nice change of pace from Randy "I don't understand what the problem is" Carlyle or Ron "I'll throw my players under the bus to the media" Wilson.

 

[Babcocks Marner]

Babcock has never had a Nylander, or a Marner. Imo, you would think he would love younger players (ready for NHL younger...) over the "vets".

Those young minds are much easier to mold into what babcock wants. Both Nylander and Marner will only know the "babcock style" in the NHL until their prime years.... think about that one

 

[Budsfan]

Polak: Leafs' work ethic won't be a problem this season

http://www.tsn.ca/polak-leafs-work-ethic-won-t-be-a-problem-this-season-1.366450

TORONTO – Roman Polak doesn't mince words much when it comes to the differences he expects in this year's edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"The biggest change is going to be that everybody's going to work hard," Polak, among the more candid Leafs, said.

Toronto fell apart in the second half last season, the work ethic of the group openly skewered at times by players, coaches and management. That, Polak believes, won't be a problem in the days ahead.

"Last year we got away [from success] because we didn't play as a team; it was just a couple of guys with effort," said Polak. "Sometimes we put everything in, sometimes we didn't. And I think right now it's not going to be a question if we're going to put everything in, it's going be like standard. We're going to do it every night. We're not going to win every night, but we know that we're going to put everything on the line every game."

"That was the accomplishment that management tried to get with is trying to change the culture of the whole organization," said Nazem Kadri, suspended late last season for off-ice issues. "I think so far we're well on our way.

"Mike, he's just honest and truthful whether you want to hear it or you don't. He's not just trying to single any guys out or anything like that; he's just trying to make you a better player and, more importantly, a better person too.

"He's going to hold us to a high standard. He's definitely an accountable guy, so he's going to hold us to the same standard as well."

 

[ACC1224]

Polak: Leafs' work ethic won't be a problem this season

http://www.tsn.ca/polak-leafs-work-ethic-won-t-be-a-problem-this-season-1.366450

Wouldn't be surprised at all to see Polak re-signed to a modest deal, seems like a good soldier.

 

[Budsfan]

Wouldn't be surprised at all to see Polak re-signed to a modest deal, seems like a good soldier.

I agree, he is a hard-nosed player and while maybe not the most mobile player, he is pretty reliable and not afraid to stick-up for a team-mate, that he thinks has been pushed around, by an opposing player.

 

[King85Kong]

Every time he speaks of any particular player wether it be Rielly Gardiner or Phaneuf or Bozak he always insists he will have to make them better.

He is questioning wether Bozak is a first line center without Kessel and questioning Kadri's off ice character insisting that a coach also teaches players to be good people.

I think he is going to punish any of these players at every turn for spotty play if it is not eliminated from their game after it is recognized and discussed.

There could be some tense days ahead this year i suspect.

Comments i am curious about come from articles like this one.http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/1...r-bozak-a-top-line-centre-without-phil-kessel then there is this article with Polak sending a message to his teammates.http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/20/its-butt-kicking-time-for-leafs

The young prospects will not be able to develop in this environment that will be coming. I am sure this will be a veteran team now.

He makes valid points, no harm in him telling it how it is. He has no problems with rookies, just is the type of coach to make sure that they are ready for the NHL level before playing full-time. Look at Detroit, they have a very solid way of developing players. Wouldn't mind Toronto following that at all. Plus, he has been saying good things about Nylander. We got a very competent coach, lets see what he does.

 

[Bullseye]

I wonder how many games it will take before:

i) this group of players starts playing the system the way Babs wants

or

ii) Babs throws in the towel with certain vets - benches, demotes, or trades them - calls up teachable capable Marlies to the Leafs to implement the system properly.

 

[ACC1224]

I wonder how many games it will take before:

i) this group of players starts playing the system the way Babs wants

or

ii) Babs throws in the towel with certain vets - benches, demotes, or trades them - calls up teachable capable Marlies to the Leafs to implement the system properly.

IMO, they'll be given this weekend and then someone(or two) will be made an example of.

 

[jmart21]

I wonder how many games it will take before:

i) this group of players starts playing the system the way Babs wants

or

ii) Babs throws in the towel with certain vets - benches, demotes, or trades them - calls up teachable capable Marlies to the Leafs to implement the system properly.

I think the post-game last night was something we haven't seen in a long time; he was straight to the point and called out our "best" players saying they weren't good enough. Usually we get a very generic "the team didn't compete" lecture from Horachek/Carlyle...not anymore. The finger pointing will happen and it's about time.

 

[Trapper]

I think the post-game last night was something we haven't seen in a long time; he was straight to the point and called out our "best" players saying they weren't good enough. Usually we get a very generic "the team didn't compete" lecture from Horachek/Carlyle...not anymore. The finger pointing will happen and it's about time.

Pretty sad when the vet core is already called out in preseason.
Time to see anyone else in some key top 6/top 4 D positions for a while.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Pretty sad when the vet core is already called out in preseason.
Time to see anyone else in some key top 6/top 4 D positions for a while.

Yup, if a management and coaching overhaul, guys in on PTO's and some young guys playing well doesn't motivate them........ is it at all surprising though?

 

[burpsalot]

IMO, they'll be given this weekend and then someone(or two) will be made an example of.

But some Leafs will be saying, "Babs has our backs". They don't realize he will happily push them in front of the train, if they aren't giving 100% or doing their job on the ice.

 

[Rogie]

Among other things, Babcock mentioned in his presser: "cheating on offense" and "turnovers proceed structure".

I'm sure our last coaches knew this also, but we can hope that this coach knows what to do about it, because he's very clear about it.

 

[deletethis]

Here's Babcock problem: do you think if a rookie would get another game this pre-season or regular season if he made that half-hearted lameduck pass to Connor Brown that Lupul made last night?

 

[Trapper]

Here's Babcock problem: do you think if a rookie would get another game this pre-season or regular season if he made that half-hearted lameduck pass to Connor Brown that Lupul made last night?

No but Brown doesn't make 5.25 million like Lupul.
Do you think Bozak would make the team if he was on a PTO right now?

 

[Guy Boucher]

Among other things, Babcock mentioned in his presser: "cheating on offense" and "turnovers proceed structure".

I'm sure our last coaches knew this also, but we can hope that this coach knows what to do about it, because he's very clear about it.

Carlyle's only accountability move was to bench Gardiner. All other offending players were disciplined with more playing time.

 

[Kamal007]

I don't know when Babcock directly said "pain is coming" some around here acted like he was joking or playing down what he would do. He looked at the roster and knew that PAIN WAS COMING. He knows that this team NEEDS pain for them to become what he wants them to become. Now some are upset that pain has come.

 

[deletethis]

I don't know when Babcock directly said "pain is coming" some around here acted like he was joking or playing down what he would do. He looked at the roster and knew that PAIN WAS COMING. He knows that this team NEEDS pain for them to become what he wants them to become. Now some are upset that pain has come.

I went to the dentist yesterday. He said "this thing I'm doing next may hurt." When I flinched in pain when it did hurt, he didn't berate me for feeling the pain because he had warned me that it might hurt.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

Even if Babcock does make a positive impact on the Team I don't it's reasonable to expect him to wash the stink off the roster before his 1st year behind the bench ends.

I do believe, now, that he had alot of sway in terms of shipping Kessel out though. Phil simply wouldn't have survived an 82 game season with Babcock as coach.

 

[deletethis]

Even if Babcock does make a positive impact on the Team I don't it's reasonable to expect him to wash the stink off the roster before his 1st year behind the bench ends.

I do believe, now, that he had alot of sway in terms of shipping Kessel out though. Phil simply wouldn't have survived an 82 game season with Babcock as coach.

That decision may have pre-dated Babcock judging from Shanahan's words at the end of last season. Shanahan made allusions to things easily attributable to Kessel. At most Shanahan may have asked Babcock whether he would like to try with Kessel and said he'd rather not.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

That decision may have pre-dated Babcock judging from Shanahan's words at the end of last season. Shanahan made allusions to things easily attributable to Kessel. At most Shanahan may have asked Babcock whether he would like to try with Kessel and said he'd rather not.

You're probably right but I'd argue that Babcock added a sense of urgency to move him. Could you imagine trying to keep the locker-room if the highest-profile player on the team couldn't keep up with Babcock's high-intensity pre-game skates. The alternative would be sending a message and limiting ice-time but then the player's value sinks.

 

[deletethis]

You're probably right but I'd argue that Babcock added a sense of urgency to move him. Could you imagine trying to keep the locker-room if the highest-profile player on the team couldn't keep up with Babcock's high-intensity pre-game skates. The alternative would be sending a message and limiting ice-time but then the player's value sinks.

That would have ugly. And if Babcock had been forced to just quietly put up with it, he would have been in the exact same boat as Wilson, Carlyle and Horachek with the inmates running the asylum.

 

[Leaf Warrior]

I don't know when Babcock directly said "pain is coming" some around here acted like he was joking or playing down what he would do. He looked at the roster and knew that PAIN WAS COMING. He knows that this team NEEDS pain for them to become what he wants them to become. Now some are upset that pain has come.

I do remember him saying to expect pain for a few years when he had one of his first pressers.

 

[Kamal007]

I went to the dentist yesterday. He said "this thing I'm doing next may hurt." When I flinched in pain when it did hurt, he didn't berate me for feeling the pain because he had warned me that it might hurt.

I'm not talking to you then. I'm talking to those that when the dentist said "this may hurt" said "no its not, you're too good of a dentist for that" and then it hurt.

 

[Leaf_Crazy]

The other coaches couldn't realize this? lol