News Article: Did Mike Babcock Almost Ruin the Toronto Maple Leafs?

[Pookie]

All-Time NHL Head Coaching Records

NHL Records

1300 games & 700 wins = 8th best mark with a .538 winning % among the very best all time.

You can’t use records like win/loss or setting franchise records.

You can only use win/loss for Keefe. And even then only for the first 20ish games.

That’s what I’ve learned from small but vical parts of these forums.

 

[ACC1224]

I find this statement really interesting.

As measured by what?

Twitter

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Hard to believe people are still defending Babcock. I think it's inarguable he buried us in the playoffs last year and he almost certainly lost the room. Had to go.

 

[ACC1224]

No doubt for me that Babcock was a problem and needed to go but he didn't ruin the team.
Dubas is far more likely to ruin the Team and early results certainly aren't promising.

When all is done it wouldn't surprise me in the least that Teflon Shanahan was the real issue.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

not comparing the players (which you know but choose to ignore) but the situation which is exactly the same so i have no idea why you believe the comparison is lame other than it doesn't fit your narrative that Johnny is worth being the highest paid player in the league but chose to come home at a discount , lol

Well I can’t even debate the contracts when other high end RFA’s signed bridges that will escalate in a couple more seasons. The debate is stuck.

I will debate the Nylander deal toe to toe with what seemed like a majority of the board, so anyone basically. Very few seen the value in Willies contract.

That was all on Dubas. Now what, has everyone tucked their head in the sand and avoided saying they were wrong on it. Darn right they have.

Its a good team with some tweeks to be made. One of the best teams in the league since Keefe and he’s dealt with injuries since being here. Rielly, Muzzin,Tavares,Marner. I’m surprised we were as good as we have been. Thats a testament to the talent in the top of the lineup.

Bottom six needs more jam and energy,intensity,forchecking type pressure players with physical aspects of their game higher than present.

Its a growing team that was sabotaged by a media that told everyone this is a cup contender before a game was played. It never was a cup contender. Media said it was so and hammered on it relentlessly and all the while wanted that so they could complain.

Screw them, this team needs another two year to build to that type of consistency of a cup contender.

 

[Its not your fault]

No

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I’m glad Babcock is gone

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Once again ppl fail to see what the variable was since we've slid.

Hint..... It's not Babcock

Man you need to give it another look or something. You are just going to say something that you have zero accountability for so why should we care? There is no slid, there is inconsistency in play. Just like every team and generally to more extremes on young teams with young defenses like ours.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

not quite but at least you gave the spin a better effort this time

and just to be clear , the SJ offer was a rumor , it was never confirmed and grew legs to try to paint Johnny Snowshoes and the Dube in a better light

can't blame them though since it seems to always work regardless of how many times it gets used , lol

All our top 4 have produced. Its 50% of our offense. Whats the weather like in oblivion

 

[Wafflewhipper]

my original point was when Dubas overpaid JT it pushed the salary bar higher for M & M , you can agree or disagree but don't spin my posts

Over paid Tavares. Keep talking this is transparency at it finest

 

[Wafflewhipper]

I find this statement really interesting.

As measured by what?

By his character I’m thinking

 

[BrainyBomber]

a 3rd and a 5th ?

it was two 3rds one of which might get upgraded to a 2nd and Moore for Campbell and Clifford but who cares about the assets he coughed up even though he could have kept them if he was even somewhat competent in his job and not created the problem in the first place or even corrected his mistake for free in the summer

i guess Marner and JT being injured on top having to play Dubes f*** up b/u goaltender wouldn't be factored into Babs record by you for some strange reason even though you have endless excuses for Dubie turning the club record team he was handed into a playoff bubble team

No it was a 3rd for Clifford and a 3rd for Campbell. It's not becoming a 2nd as Campbell needs 3 more wins and he'll be lucky to get that many starts even if we resumed play tomorrow.

The 5th I mentioned before was what we traded to get Hutch.

Marner and JT were briefly injured together but not for as long as Mikheyev, Rielly, Muzzin and Ceci have been. The loss of those 4 has been more detrimental to the team arguably based on games lost over the past 20 and value to the team.

 

[Merrrlin]

We were a much better team with Lou period. Until then...you don't really have an argument.

I just made an argument and you ignored it.

That’s the opposite of not having an argument.

Lou wasted the ELC years.if you want to glorify him for that, feel free.

 

[BrainyBomber]

Lots of maybes. This team is dysfunctional. If you're pleased with it .....hey. I'd say you're in the minority.

I'm not really pleased with the team but don't think it's disfunctional either.

We certainly have major consistency problems and need a RD upgrade in the summer and some PK help.

If we miss the playoffs this year it would probably be strike 1 for Dubas to me. He's done much more good than harm on balance and we need to trust the process especially with such a young team and coach. He deserves a couple more years unless he goes bonkers.

 

[ottomaddox]

Sometimes it's like people want to find ways to cancel Mike Babcock, beyond firing him from the organization.

It's kind of the way the world works now: a firing or an apology is not good enough for people. They want you to be eliminated completely.

I used to think Dallas Eakins was a complete and total idiot. Those hilarious SPORTSNET commercials with the Marlies, "Dallas should be the next coach of the Leafs", "Dallas Eakins is the best coach outside the NHL", etc. His experience and eventual demise in EDM was very well documented. At one point I just kind of felt bad for him, and when ANA picked him up as head coach I said to myself: "Well...life carries on, and what good is it for me to continue to rip him at such a distance now?" Clearly he's good enough to show success at the AHL level and good enough to coach again in the NHL. I never cared for him when he was around the Leafs Organization, but I have no good reason to want to see him eliminated.

 

[Pookie]

By his character I’m thinking

So inferences...

I all the players like Keefe but they finish last... that’s a success then?

 

[Wafflewhipper]

So inferences...

I all the players like Keefe but they finish last... that’s a success then?

Are they last

 

[Pookie]

Are they last

Just a hypothetical.

Want to be sure what I’m judging Keefe on.

I can’t use the record for Babcock. But I can for Keefe IF I only count the good times.

And IF they like him... then the record isn’t important.

 

[Menzinger]

Nothing in this league is black vs white. Its perfectly fine to day Babcock was a peonlem BUT that the team had issues that went beyond him.

Imo Babcock deserved to fo for 1) Special Teams incompetency 2) his behind the scenes mindgames with Marner and other players 3) his unneccessary stubbornness/petiness with some players -ie Spezza 4) lack of playoff successes (though i would say he was more on "thin ice" here)

 

[Spencer White]

hey OP you spelled Kyle Dubas incorrectly and misused the word "almost"

haha very funny

 

[Spencer White]

I dunno but he certainly made it harder for me to enjoy watching... I have Babcock PTSD.

same, still recovering

 

[Spencer White]

Did he ruin the Maple Leafs?

Is this the Maple Leafs that picked first over all? The same Leafs who under Babcock set a franchise record for points a few short years after that 1st over all pick?

I'm sure the arrival of 4 of the best in the league didn't have any impact

 

[Spencer White]

After watching Leafs get embarrassed 6-3 by losing to a 42 year old Zamboni driver goalie I was finally convinced Babcock was the problem and change was needed.

HMMMM it sounds like you should read another one of my articles
https://www.overtimeheroics.net/ind...im-almost-glad-the-leafs-lost-to-david-ayres/

 

[Spencer White]

No

counterpoint: yes

 

[ottomaddox]

Hard to believe people are still defending Babcock. I think it's inarguable he buried us in the playoffs last year and he almost certainly lost the room. Had to go.

Well I tend to defend coaches & GM's who some fans want to have extra fired.