Canada is playing Babcock hockey, they need to play Keefe hockey

[ponder]

This is obviously a very “Leafs fan biased” view, but IMO a huge problem with team Canada’s international teams, for years, is the coaching style. They hire a lot of old school, traditional coaches, who preach “grind it out, finish your checks, get the puck in deep, dump and chase, get pucks on net.” This is fine for an under skilled team trying to play a safe, defensive game, but a terrible waste of high end talent.

IMO, they need to start bringing in new-school, creative coaches, who encourage them to play a style that emphasizes their skill. Guys who get their team holding onto the puck, trying creative strategies like “3 guys high” with lots of east west movement. Where you don’t settle for a quick “one and done” with a low quality shot, but hold onto the puck, make tonnes of east-west moves and passes until you can generate a high quality chances. Basically, they need to play “Keefe style hockey”, not “Babs style hockey”. Some will say there’s not enough time to institute a system like this in short international tournaments, but I disagree, we saw Keefe make major changes in very few days with the Leafs.

Thoughts? Is Canada’s “old school coaching” a problem?

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[Mr. Met]

Not everything has to be about the Toronto Maple Leafs

 

[kabidjan18]

Again, they beat the progressive USA team and lost to a very old-school Russian Valeri Bragin lineup. I think this theory is coming from previous biases and experiences rather than actually originating from something that Team Canada has done in the first two games. The theory may itself be correct on the basis of other evidence, but not this tournament to this point.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

You don't need to frame it as a leafs thing but yeah. They clearly aren't doing things very well

 

[82Ninety42011]

This made me laugh but it's probably true. Let the kids loose and stop trying to win boring defensive first games. You have the most talented kids all together let them loose !! I must add I haven't watched more then ten minutes but historically this is what Canada does.

 

[ponder]

Not everything has to be about the Toronto Maple Leafs

It’s just a way to quickly summarize coaching styles, I go deeper into what I mean in the post.

Again, they beat the progressive USA team and lost to a very old-school Russian Valeri Bragin lineup. I think this theory is coming from previous biases and experiences rather than actually originating from something that Team Canada has done in the first two games. The theory may itself be correct on the basis of other evidence, but not this tournament to this point.

I’m more concerned with what Canada does than their opponents. Different coaching styles fit different rosters, but Canada never seem to chose a coach that emphasizes their talent advantage. They’re playing a very conservative, simple style, all north-south and grind it out, settling for very low percentage shots. IMO that’s a major waste of the talent they have. If they spread out, emphasized holding onto the puck, lots of east-west movement, and modern strategies like keeping a 3rd guy high in the offensive zone to generate breakdowns in the high slot, I really think they could be generating much better offensive chances, AND holding onto the puck way longer.

 

[Kshahdoo]

It’s just a way to quickly summarize coaching styles, I go deeper into what I mean in the post.


I’m more concerned with what Canada does than their opponents. Different coaching styles fit different rosters, but Canada never seem to chose a coach that emphasizes their talent advantage. They’re playing a very conservative, simple style, all north-south and grind it out, settling for very low percentage shots. IMO that’s a major waste of the talent they have. If they spread out, emphasized holding onto the puck, lots of east-west movement, and modern strategies like keeping a 3rd guy high in the offensive zone to generate breakdowns in the high slot, I really think they could be generating much better offensive chances, AND holding onto the puck way longer.

Don't CHL teams play the same hockey?

 

[koyvoo]

The entire world junior tournament is too short a sample size to put definitive labels on anything, let alone two games. It’s more likely that today was more a bad day at the office than it is indicative of how good they are in relation to their peers.

 

[Mathew Barzal]

Chemistry is a big deal, all the Russians seem to operate on the same wavelength and have a higherer average skillset between the players. Not much you can do when you're outclassed in that regard.

 

[kabidjan18]

I’m more concerned with what Canada does than their opponents. Different coaching styles fit different rosters, but Canada never seem to chose a coach that emphasizes their talent advantage. They’re playing a very conservative, simple style, all north-south and grind it out, settling for very low percentage shots. IMO that’s a major waste of the talent they have. If they spread out, emphasized holding onto the puck, lots of east-west movement, and modern strategies like keeping a 3rd guy high in the offensive zone to generate breakdowns in the high slot, I really think they could be generating much better offensive chances, AND holding onto the puck way longer.

I'm a bit confused because, while I haven't been watching for this specifically, as I recall they pretty consistently do have a 3rd guy high near the blue line when they are able to control the puck in the offensive zone. Getting that control was the hard part.

 

[CupInSIX]

Not everything has to be about the Toronto Maple Leafs

Team Canada were caught with their pants down. Canadian fans need to demand more, so much more.
After all, this is Canada's team.

I don't see what TC has to do with the Leafs.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Its all about the Leafs

 

[ORRFForever]

Good Lord...

 

[chauron]

I guess this goes more to NHL but they should bring in more coaches from Europe to add more intel to the mix.

 

[supsens]

Babs let the little babies runaround for two years, the third year he wanted them to grow up and play hockey that would result in a championship. They cried refused to play now they are right back where they started.
Big win

 

[JackSlater]

I understand that the title is not meant to be literal, but it is funny considering that Babcock is Canada's most successful coach internationally and has never lost an international tournament.

Anyway, Canada's most successful play through these two games was when they played aggressively against USA. If anything, holding onto the puck too long and trying too many cross ice passes has been a problem for Canada in this tournament. Of course it's only been two games so any conclusions seem pretty premature.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I bet the Maple Leafs would’ve defeated those Russian punk kids.

 

[Heldig]

Lots of hot takes after a blowout loss. Nobody was suggesting Canada Hockey was flawed after a fairly convincing win against the US.

They had a stinker of a game. Shouldn't happen but it does. Nobody played well. Credit to the Russians. They played a fantastic game and handed it to Canada in every facet of the game.

Big test is to see how Team Canada rebounds.

And the Russia - US game is HUGE.

 

[SteelerNation]

Congratulations, I have never cringed like that at a thread title until right now.

 

[Howie Hodge]

And what specifically is Babcock hockey?

Did they all dye their hair a rediculous and non existent hair color???

 

[blindpass]

This is obviously a very “Leafs fan biased” view, but IMO a huge problem with team Canada’s international teams, for years, is the coaching style. They hire a lot of old school, traditional coaches, who preach “grind it out, finish your checks, get the puck in deep, dump and chase, get pucks on net.” This is fine for an under skilled team trying to play a safe, defensive game, but a terrible waste of high end talent.

IMO, they need to start bringing in new-school, creative coaches, who encourage them to play a style that emphasizes their skill. Guys who get their team holding onto the puck, trying creative strategies like “3 guys high” with lots of east west movement. Where you don’t settle for a quick “one and done” with a low quality shot, but hold onto the puck, make tonnes of east-west moves and passes until you can generate a high quality chances. Basically, they need to play “Keefe style hockey”, not “Babs style hockey”. Some will say there’s not enough time to institute a system like this in short international tournaments, but I disagree, we saw Keefe make major changes in very few days with the Leafs.

Thoughts? Is Canada’s “old school coaching” a problem?

How do the London Knights do? It's a short tournament with lots of good teams. You won't always win. Relax.

 

[Emerica]

 

[dubey]

Not everything has to be about the Toronto Maple Leafs

Yes it does

 

[SenzZen]

Not everything has to be about the Toronto Maple Leafs

I believe this is a false narrative.

 

[Get North]

OP is wrong solely on the selection of defencemen from the coaching staff. They picked puck-moving, offensively aggressive defencemen. Babcock hockey wouldn't have as many offensive defencemen. One could argue that Canada went overboard on selecting offensive defencemen considering how often they get hemmed in their own zone.