Post-Game Talk: Clutch Hutch Shuts Down Scorned Islanders | Leaf Win 3-0

[nuck]

Exactly what i meant when talking about the difference a coach can make. Imagine one guy talking ****, calling you out and constantly putting you down. VS whatever the perception of Keefe is, which seems to be trust and a healthy relationship with his players. It's like working for a POS boss vs a respectful one, has a big impact on how you perform at work.

Has it actually been reported that there was any of that going on with him though? This is the first hint of anything relating to a Babcock issue with the goalie I have heard mentioned. We can speculate of course because it is certainly possible, but for all we know Babs had a great relationship with him and his struggles were the same internal ones as any goalie on a down streak. Unless you have a link of course.
It seems like a lot of people are teeing off on Babcock for all kinds of things that weren't hinted at. One poster suggested it was Babcock holding Holl back and only tenacious battling by Dubas got him to be a full timer this year. I'm fine with booting Babcock for the things we know of but I think Hutch's highs and lows have been on Hutch.

 

[Vaive50]

Hutchinson looks like a completely different player under Keefe. Amazing how big of an impact a coach can have on a players confidence. No complaints about Hutch in his last 4ish games now. Maybe we have our backup goaltender after all ?

Yeah and a quick look at Hutch's numbers under Keefe, 3-1-0 with a 2.5 GAA and .921 SV%, these numbers include that first lost game to the Sabres. If you look at his 3 wins after that, his numbers are 3-0-0, 1.67 GAA and .945 SV%.

 

[AvroArrow]

Has it actually been reported that there was any of that going on with him though? This is the first hint of anything relating to a Babcock issue with the goalie I have heard mentioned. We can speculate of course because it is certainly possible, but for all we know Babs had a great relationship with him and his struggles were the same internal ones as any goalie on a down streak. Unless you have a link of course.
It seems like a lot of people are teeing off on Babcock for all kinds of things that weren't hinted at. One poster suggested it was Babcock holding Holl back and only tenacious battling by Dubas got him to be a full timer this year. I'm fine with booting Babcock for the things we know of but I think Hutch's highs and lows have been on Hutch.

It is pure speculation, but with the way he's treated other players on this team and teams of the past, it wouldn't shock me. He didn't seem like a fun guy to wanna play for, the entire team just looks rejuvenated under Keefe. Everyone is competing. I'm just asking, is it all pure coincidence that since Keefe took over, literally every single player on this team has looked MUCH better, including Hutch ?

 

[TDotMassive]

The recent results before Keefe were not acceptable for Hutch but a .907 carer save percentage over 6 NHL seasons and 123 games shows that he is a passable backup option.

He is 29, a good age to settle in exactly for what he is needed for.
A spot starter that will give you a save percentage that starts with a .9 over the long haul of a season for cheap $$$.

Like Hutch lately but I would still prefer trading some forward talent eating cap space like AJ or KK for a legit #1B goalie that can comfortably play 30 games and take a real load off Freddie. Spot starter/decent backup isn't enough. This team plays high tempo-high risk hockey and you need better than average goaltending to really take advantage of that style.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Invisible game by Marchment. I don’t see enough urgency. Where are the hits that leave an impression? I don’t think he skates well enough to play in our system. I prefer Brooks or Timashov out there.

 

[TDotMassive]

Invisible game by Marchment. I don’t see enough urgency. Where are the hits that leave an impression? I don’t think he skates well enough to play in our system. I prefer Brooks or Timashov out there.

Willing to give him more of a leash because we need some of his physicality, but if he can't keep up with our style then he won't be a fit regardless.

 

[Kingstondude84]

It is pure speculation, but with the way he's treated other players on this team and teams of the past, it wouldn't shock me. He didn't seem like a fun guy to wanna play for, the entire team just looks rejuvenated under Keefe. Everyone is competing. I'm just asking, is it all pure coincidence that since Keefe took over, literally every single player on this team has looked MUCH better, including Hutch ?

My cousin knows a player who used to be on the Wings from the Babcock era there, and I'll put it this way, Babs was despised there by many of their top players. Datsyuk said he was going to retire a year early had Babcock decided not to coach here, Zetterburg was going to request a trade etc. Babs practices were military drills according to the players, and most players dreaded them before game time.

 

[Stephen]

The mechanics on that Auston Matthews spin shot, deflection are hard to understand even in slow motion. Poor Varlamov.

 

[Stephen]

My cousin knows a player who used to be on the Wings from the Babcock era there, and I'll put it this way, Babs was despised there by many of their top players. Datsyuk said he was going to retire a year early had Babcock decided not to coach here, Zetterburg was going to request a trade etc. Babs practices were military drills according to the players, and most players dreaded them before game time.

There were certainly whispers of that from the Wings fan base when Babcock was poached by the Leafs but that whole team has also been together for almost a decade at that point so I wonder if things had reached a boiling point from all of their playoff failures.

 

[deltamachine]

Like Hutch lately but I would still prefer trading some forward talent eating cap space like AJ or KK for a legit #1B goalie that can comfortably play 30 games and take a real load off Freddie. Spot starter/decent backup isn't enough. This team plays high tempo-high risk hockey and you need better than average goaltending to really take advantage of that style.

Disagree. If they were in a dog fight for a WC spot, then I would highly agree. But they are firmly entrenched in a spot and i don't think Fla can hang. That said, even if Hutch goes .500 the rest of the way, we're good. No replacement will help with a playoff drive if Freddie goes down anyway, so if you're not fighting for a PO spot then it's not worth improving that position for someone that does spot duty once every 2 weeks. I'd rather parlay a package Johnson + Ceci even Reilly and use all the cap space for a legit defender in the same mold as Muzzin. Someone that can lay the body, and able to keep up with the offence. Reilly looks off and I don't think there's anything wrong with him, i just don't think he's capable of playing the kind of game the team is playing right now.

 

[KIWILEAFFAN]

Congrats Canada on gold. Just finished watching the game. Edge of seat stuff the whole way.
Beating a team that thumped you 6-0 a few days before is really impressive. What a rush.

Oh......GLG!

 

[The Iceman]

Deltamachine, If Freddy goes down long term we have $5 million in LTIR to acquire a goalie on an expiring contract.
Crawford or Robin Lehner would be a couple guys to consider.

 

[deltamachine]

Deltamachine, If Freddy goes down long term we have $5 million in LTIR to acquire a goalie on an expiring contract.
Crawford or Robin Lehner would be a couple guys to consider.

True, but my point was that carrying a 1a and 1b option in net would be superfluous and a waste of cap space given where they are in the standings. If they can get an upgrade cheaply, by all means go for it, but backup is and should no longer be priority #1 like it was a several weeks ago.

 

[Vaive50]

My cousin knows a player who used to be on the Wings from the Babcock era there, and I'll put it this way, Babs was despised there by many of their top players. Datsyuk said he was going to retire a year early had Babcock decided not to coach here, Zetterburg was going to request a trade etc. Babs practices were military drills according to the players, and most players dreaded them before game time.

It's good to hear these stories from people who actually witnessed it rather than all of us arm chair GM's.

 

[nuck]

Disagree. If they were in a dog fight for a WC spot, then I would highly agree. But they are firmly entrenched in a spot and i don't think Fla can hang. That said, even if Hutch goes .500 the rest of the way, we're good. No replacement will help with a playoff drive if Freddie goes down anyway, so if you're not fighting for a PO spot then it's not worth improving that position for someone that does spot duty once every 2 weeks. I'd rather parlay a package Johnson + Ceci even Reilly and use all the cap space for a legit defender in the same mold as Muzzin. Someone that can lay the body, and able to keep up with the offence. Reilly looks off and I don't think there's anything wrong with him, i just don't think he's capable of playing the kind of game the team is playing right now.

^ This especially the bolded. If Johnson has a GM or two who are fans we aren't talking a scrub quality return. An AJ package should return a solid asset, not someone who could be signed for peanuts off the FA market every summer. But I am not sure if Ceci has the potential for a solid positive return or not. I would love them to get out from under his cap hit but Barrie for an asset and that asset plus AJ could get them a legit top 4 RD whose game fills an actual need. There should be no issue with moving Barrie if the guy coming back has at least 2 years on his deal and plays decent defence.

 

[deltamachine]

^ This especially the bolded. If Johnson has a GM or two who are fans we aren't talking a scrub quality return. An AJ package should return a solid asset, not someone who could be signed for peanuts off the FA market every summer. But I am not sure if Ceci has the potential for a solid positive return or not. I would love them to get out from under his cap hit but Barrie for an asset and that asset plus AJ could get them a legit top 4 RD whose game fills an actual need. There should be no issue with moving Barrie if the guy coming back has at least 2 years on his deal and plays decent defence.

I might be in the minority, but I would keep Barrie. Ideally, Ceci would go in a trade, but if it takes, Reilly+Johnsson i'm all for it. My reason for Barrie is that this offensive scheme is a 5 man unit, and Barrie is a big part of that. High octane offence is the hallmark of this team - losing Barrie means the other 4 on the ice is a little less effective in playing this style of game which is tailored for him to a T ...esp the PP. Johnsson and Reilly might get a deal done for a bonafide defenseman - put the notice out for Petrieangelo - If he won't resign with them and he should salivate at the idea of playing here, St louis would get cost control and both would be quality players they're getting back. St Louis could use some winger depth. That and letting Ceci walk in the summer would let you retain that defenseman and resign one of muzzin and barrie with the cap increase.

 

[TDotMassive]

Disagree. If they were in a dog fight for a WC spot, then I would highly agree. But they are firmly entrenched in a spot and i don't think Fla can hang. That said, even if Hutch goes .500 the rest of the way, we're good. No replacement will help with a playoff drive if Freddie goes down anyway, so if you're not fighting for a PO spot then it's not worth improving that position for someone that does spot duty once every 2 weeks. I'd rather parlay a package Johnson + Ceci even Reilly and use all the cap space for a legit defender in the same mold as Muzzin. Someone that can lay the body, and able to keep up with the offence. Reilly looks off and I don't think there's anything wrong with him, i just don't think he's capable of playing the kind of game the team is playing right now.

I disagree with that as well. That's exactly what I mean... we need to invest in a legit #1B. I'd rather use $3-4m in cap space from a trade for that than another D. Sandin will be ready for callup by year end. Right now, if Freddie goes down the season is finished. Hutch is a good backup yes, but we need more than that. We need a #1B goalie so if something does happen to Freddie, it's not an entire season down the drain. Also... Freddie would be best playing 50-55 games, we need someone that can confidently play 25-30 games, I'm not sure Hutch is that guy.

 

[nuck]

On the one hand, you say Babcock has no role in how he plays. Then on the other hand, you say how important Hutch's confidence is. Totally contradictory.
If you have a goalie who is in need of confidence and you insist on only playing him in the most difficult situations, then maybe that coach is an idiot.

Or maybe the goalie performance had nothing to do with the coach. I am not defending Babcock, just saying goalie chokes typically are on the goalie if his save pct is miles off of the other guys. You are suggesting the two area must be related. I am saying that Hutch, like Enroth of a couple of years ago, was probably just a non coach-related suck. It happens.

 

[Kingstondude84]

It's good to hear these stories from people who actually witnessed it rather than all of us arm chair GM's.

Yes and thanks. It just goes to show you what a nasty person Babs is and how over-rated he is. Its one thing it to be an asshole, but you better have the tools to over-compensate for it, which he doesn't. Bowman was the hugest douchebag in the NHL, yet players wanted to go to war for him, not because they liked him, but they believed in him.

 

[Morbo]

The mechanics on that Auston Matthews spin shot, deflection are hard to understand even in slow motion. Poor Varlamov.

reminds me of that one-handed one he had a couple years back. One of the greatest goals he's scored.

 

[likecheese]

Or maybe the goalie performance had nothing to do with the coach. I am not defending Babcock, just saying goalie chokes typically are on the goalie if his save pct is miles off of the other guys. You are suggesting the two area must be related. I am saying that Hutch, like Enroth of a couple of years ago, was probably just a non coach-related suck. It happens.

He certainly hasn't sucked his last three outings, he may actually be serviceable enough to get us through the season, Keefe knows the value of stoking a player's confidence, all through the lineup.
Babcock was setting the bar too high and just throwing him on the trash heap.

 

[Stephen]

Just looking at the way the Leafs are playing as a unit, it looks like part of the problem was demotivational coaching from Babcock and part of it was just everybody playing too anxiously in the Babcock system. So wouldn't surprise me if that's why Hutchinson was playing below his backup standards. Still, they have to monitor the situation and decide if they want to make an investment in a back up.

 

[joeyjojojrshabadoo]

The mechanics on that Auston Matthews spin shot, deflection are hard to understand even in slow motion. Poor Varlamov.

Ya, man. It was something else.

 

[Teeder Keon]

Hutch has been tremendous this year !

 

[kb]

Hutch has been tremendous this year !

This whole decade!