How Come Babcock Is So Unwilling To Make Adjustments?

[ottomaddox]

I believe a lot of the "problems" people have with Babcock is his crazy rigidity and hypocrisy (at times).

Ten Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders​

Zenger and Folkman's 10 Fatal Leadership Flaws

6) Don't walk the talk
This is one of the classic mistakes of leadership - not leading by example. When a leader sets out specific guidelines or expectations and then fails to live up to them, it will not look good to the rest of the team. Instead, the leader should be the first one in line to obey all of the conditions that have been put in place to dictate the actions of everyone on the team. Only when they are willing to play by their own rules will they be seen as having integrity.

7) Resist new ideas
Good ideas can come from anywhere, but some leaders are too stubborn or scared to take them if they don't come from inside their own head. Resisting good ideas that come from others is a typical mistake of a bad leader. It shouldn't matter where an idea came from as long as it is genuinely in the best interest of the team - and the organization as a whole.

So before I get into my issue, I'll commend Babcock because last year he was totally guilty of 6 where he buried Marner while NOT burying Hyman and Brown who were way worse, for someone who talked about accountability, where was it for plugs? This year though, I have not seen him do that to our stars and they have struggled at times, so I will commend him for walking the walk far more in regards to true accountability.

Anyways, I believe we have and have been having these problems for a long time:

Stagnant lines that are not really dominating outside of Marner and Tavares who have been clutch all season
Stagnant 1st PP with our 2nd PP being awful (if someone has the stats, please post them, I'd love to see how bad our 2nd pp is)

Adjustments that can be made:

Someone else posted these..

Kapanen. Matthews .Nylander
Kadri. Tavares .Marner
Johnsson. Marleau. Brown
Moore. Lindholm . Hyman

////

Kadri - - Matthews - - Kapanen
Marleau - - Tavares - - Marner
Johnsson - Nylander - Hyman

On the PP, here are my thoughts, do the regular setup for the first minute and if they are effectively dealing with it, put Matthews on the opposite wing, I recall them trying this and although they didn't score, I remember some good chances coming from it.

Furthermore on the PP, Naz has been pretty useless, why not give Willie a shot there and I say this as someone who has been probably the hardest on him here, but WHY NOT try him out????

Finally, what is this obsession with giving the clearly worse 2nd PP unit EQUAL time, why??? Do other top teams do that? Hell no, so why do we????

What bothers me about Babcock is his rigidity, I am NOT saying these ideas=instant ez better results, but why NOT try them??? I mean things aren't going great now, so why not make SIMPLE and STRAIGHT FORWARD adjustments;

Stacking lines taking advantage of our depth
Actually adjusting to teams adjusting to our excellent PP, forcing them to READJUST at which point we can just go back to the original plan
Making small alterations on the PP lines
Letting our best players have THE most opportunity

And before people start whining about apparent whining, this is just mean to discuss, we hold players accountable for mistakes, coaches that go on and on about accountability can also be held accountable for theirs.

There is a lot of homeless and panhandling going on in downtown TOR. They say: ,"Can you spare any change?" Some people are kind enough to give a little change, but for some people it goes unnoticed. Is this you in a metaphorical or figurative sense (not cents)?

 

[BlueForever75]

Marner, Tavares, Kap, Reilly& Kadri

Matthews, Marleau, Nylander Gardiner & johnsson

I actually like these changes.

And if Babcock is smart, there is no PP1 and PP2. What ever players that are on the ice when the PP is given will depend on which PP unit starts. Split the PP time evenly.

I think these are more balanced and will give the opposition fits to be able to match 2 PP units with their top PKers.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Marner, Tavares, Kap, Reilly& Kadri

Matthews, Marleau, Nylander Gardiner & johnsson

Promotion for Kappy.
Nice.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

And if Babcock is smart, there is no PP1 and PP2. What ever players that are on the ice when the PP is given will depend on which PP unit starts. Split the PP time evenly.

I like it.
Worth a try anyway.

Maybe we try a more uptempo power play ? As it is now, PP teams seem to go into slow mo and thus they players can stay out longer than the usual short shift.

I really dont like 3 Cs on PP1. Especially Kadri on PP1. He needs to save his energy for his regular shifts.

At the end of the Power play our 3 best C are tired ?

And then they are all fresh at the same time a few min later ? (but only one can go on ?)

Just the opposite might work ... Let our Wingers take the power play (maybe 1C) and keep the Cs fresh.

 

[Bomber0104]

Better question..

"How come I think I know more than one of the best hockey coaches in the world?"

 

[SprDaVE]

The one adjustment he has failed to do recently are the defensive pairings. I think that's one area where there is some changes to be done to perhaps make it better but it hasn't changed in a long long time outside of Ozhiganov sitting out.

Outside of that, the lines and adjustments have been there. When you're a top 2/5 team in this league, I think you're doing something right.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

crazy rigidity

Sometimes the kids need some structure.
HFboards wants to change the PP by the first PP with no goal.

or keep a Marlie that has one good game in the NHL.

or trash a goalie that has one bad game.

 

[BlueForever75]

Pairings should be juggled on D next.

Worth giving this a try, they cant be any worse:

Reilly-Gardiner
Dermott-Zaitsev
Hainsey- Oz

 

[Bluelines]

"Why are you not changing the lineups?!"
"Why did you change the lineups?!"

Rinse, repeat.

I know right?

Why does the Postman only deliver mail when my wife is home and I'm at work? I think we can all relate .. amirite?

 

[LeafFever]

Babcock right now is a big problem. If not for Willy's contract situation he'd be playing Kapanen on the 4th line still.
The guy needs to play the best lineup nightly and he does not. He played the freaking 4th line with 5 minutes left down 2-0 against the Preds.

Babcock is not getting enough criticism.

 

[RLF]

Sometimes the kids need some structure.
HFboards wants to change the PP by the first PP with no goal.

or keep a Marlie that has one good game in the NHL.

or trash a goalie that has one bad game.

It is funny how so many can say "not a big enough sample size" to draw any conclusions, but at the same time, let's change things up if they don't work for 5-6 games. I would like to see some changes as well, but also try and understand it takes time to see if combo's or units can figure out how to adjust when teams have adjusted to them. Our 1st PP hasn't adjusted, so he made a change.

 

[ottomaddox]

Bossy Gretzky Silanne
Hull Lemieux Howe
Shanahan Yzserman Jagr
Robitaille Messier Richard

Orr Lidstrom
Potvin Bourque
Robinson Stevens

Roy
Sawchuk

Fans still might criticize Babs about ice time and power play opportunities.

 

[Mess]

Marner, Tavares, Kap, Reilly& Kadri

Matthews, Marleau, Nylander Gardiner & johnsson

How come Babcock is stealing my ideas.

Just a few days back I was criticizing a stale PP that was on cruise control and highly predicatble, and that Leafs should go back to last years strategy moving Matthews back onto the 2nd unit with Nylander and try and replicate last years strategy.

Hey wait a second, if this last years strategy of 2 X balanced PP units created NHL 2nd best 25% PP%, then maybe Babcock thought of that first after all.

Okay nevermind, I guess this just shows Babcock is willing to make adjustments as needed, I guess that is why he is such a good coach.

 

[Al14]

It's Babcock's way or the highway. No one, I mean no one, tells Mike Babcock what to do, that includes assistant coaches, players, fans, his peers, and especially that punk Dubas.

 

[Jack Bauer]

How many people were here 2 years ago wondering why Hyman was one of his favorites and locked in on Matthews wing? Preaching him as a bottom 6 forward with no reason to play with top 2 centers?

A large majority of the time Babcock does indeed know more then every single one of us.

 

[BlueForever75]

How many people were here 2 years ago wondering why Hyman was one of his favorites and locked in on Matthews wing? Preaching him as a bottom 6 forward with no reason to play with top 2 centers?

A large majority of the time Babcock does indeed know more then every single one of us.

Hymans game has gotten better in the past 2 years from when he has started.

I think now the Leafs and their fans would love another Hyman somewhere in our lineup. If we had Hyman times 2 along with Brown and Kapanen, this would give a solution to the Leafs needing to play heavier like Babcock stated recently

 

[Kazparov]

How many people were here 2 years ago wondering why Hyman was one of his favorites and locked in on Matthews wing? Preaching him as a bottom 6 forward with no reason to play with top 2 centers?

A large majority of the time Babcock does indeed know more then every single one of us.

Also love how everyone cries the leafs don't have enough grinding heavy toughness but whine Hyman doesn't belong on a line with high skill players. Last time I checked Eric Lindros doesn't play anymore.

 

[zeke]

I don't really agree with the changes suggested here...

...but I definitely agree that it's weird how rigid Babcock is with his lineup decisions. I thought with this young team he would have mixed up the combinations in every which way to see what the best fits we're, but instead he has always just decided what combos make sense to him on paper and pretty much stuck to them come hell or high water.

 

[GodEmperor]

First, I think we need to differentiate between his philosophy and his tactical implementations of it. He's not going to change his philosophy, and I don't think he needs to. Therefor, we'll see skilled pairs with a complementary player on each line. I think that's better than the alternative above. I'd rather have three lines that has players that can push offense than two, and I'd rather have someone like Kadri get lots of puck touches on a third line than get what's left on a second line.

What I have some problem with is his implementations of that. It's not so much that he doesn't listen to or try out new ideas. He'll try things, but he does it expecting them to fail. So when he puts Kapanen and Nylander with Matthews and they start a game off with a couple of strong shifts and a goal, he is skeptical. And when they follow up with a couple of shifts where Gardiner screws up and the puck ends up in the net, he sees that as proof that the line lacks the kind of player he wants on it. However, he'll keep throwing Kadri and Nylander out there together, even though they are about our most incompatible duo. Kadri wants his linemates to create chaos that he can use his individual skill to take advantage of, while Nylander wants his linemates to control the game and patiently break down structure.

The way that the PP is used is under all criticism. You either stack one unit and give it most of the time, or you throw two rather equal units out there. It's also among the most static PP setups in the league, with so little creativity and movement. The second unit shows what that would look like without the plethora of talent that the first unit has.

Thank you for being one of the few that responded to my post coherently and with something intelligent.

Better how? How do we measure this? Certainly not by his historic results if that's what he did throughout his career considering he has underperformed relative to expectation. But let's say it generally is, surely trying something for 3-5 games can't hurt right? Especially considering we are locked into a playoff spot and not really battling for much.

That's not trying, his sample size is virtually nil, yes there are things you can try quickly and fail with and abandon, but NHL lines are clearly not them. Especially considering even the best lines in the NHL struggle, never mind a new line just put together. To me this isn't any different than never trying anything new, it's actually a much more poisonous and insidious form considering it can be cited as trying when it's not at all trying in reality. You need larger sample sizes to draw conclusions, not 4-5 shifts in a game.

I mean this is the same guy who stapled Brown and Hyman onto Matthews wing for nearly half the year when both of them had no business being there, so let's not get into "he just got bad results and thus abandoned the idea," clearly he is not opposed to getting bad results which is what that line was relative to Matthews' potential. He also demoted Marner obviously knowing that he would get worse results right away while no such accountability has been seen for Hyman or Brown, Brown needing to sit a few this year and Hyman needing to be demoted multiple times over the past 2 years.

I'm fine stacking it, I just wish they'd adjust to if PKs are making adjustments to them trying out different structures. The other problem is also his obsession with going 1 minute for both PP lines when everyone knows the 2nd PP unit sucks. I don't think these are massive sweeping changes I'm citing, but basic and straight forward ones.

"Why are you not changing the lineups?!"
"Why did you change the lineups?!"

Rinse, repeat.

Never the case with Babcock.

Non argument.

You mean, how come Babcock doesn't do what I want him to do?

Yes, I am just DYING for Babcock to do what I want him to do, it's not a discussion, it's me wanting him to do what I want.

Mike B, why don't you play chess with me? WHY DON'T YOU LIFT WITH ME????? MIKE B!!

Great contribution.

 

[GodEmperor]

How many people were here 2 years ago wondering why Hyman was one of his favorites and locked in on Matthews wing? Preaching him as a bottom 6 forward with no reason to play with top 2 centers?

A large majority of the time Babcock does indeed know more then every single one of us.

So we have to endure two years of mediocre lines for maybe a payoff down the line?

You know Brown was also a staple on Matthews wing his first year and has gotten ample opportunity like Hyman to shine, he has not developed in the same fashion, so there goes the idea that playing meh players with good players makes them better.

Hyman has improved every year he has been on the Leafs, that doesn't mean he wasn't misused or that his current improvement is due to his misuse, nearly all of us are happy to see him succeed with Mitch and John, but let's not in any way act as if this was Babcock's doing, Brown didn't develop the same way and he has had the same coaching and similar usage.

 

[dubplatepressure]

"Why are you not changing the lineups?!"
"Why did you change the lineups?!"

Rinse, repeat.

This guy nailed it.

Having witnessed Babcock change the lineups constantly this season it baffles me that anyone can even stake a claim that he's unwilling to try new things.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

It's Babcock's way or the highway. No one, I mean no one, tells Mike Babcock what to do, that includes assistant coaches, players, fans, his peers, and especially that punk Dubas.

Shanny does. And he has done it. Not a lot but a few times when he needed to. It will come out but Babs wanted to keep MAC. Dubas wanted Sparky. Shanny decided with Dubas. It sent a message which it was intended to do. Babs came on board after.

 

[ShaneFalco]

More about his systems to me
The stretch pass is a great example

Hasn't worked well for a long time!

Not a fan of his obsessive line-matching either which was a disaster against Boston in the playoffs

 

[JT AM da real deal]

I don't like the stretch either. It leads to too many icings and even when it works it is an isolation play which most often dies. But Babs is working with a soft skilled group which lacks strength to play a decent board game so traditional breakout may not work with these guys. You have to be really close to team and players day to day as a coach to truly know what would work best. The stretch is so ingrained now with each and every practice for past 2 years that it might be impossible to change that quickly.

 

[Bluelines]

Why does he resist change?

It could just be his nature that he likes to stick with what has worked in the past or he could be trying to provide some consistency and demonstrate a lack of panic in an effort to provide a safe consistent development environment for the young players. Some coaches are task masters some are not, you want your players comfortable enough to allow them the peace of mind to make mistakes trying to be better but not comfortable enough to make mistakes by being complacent with good enough.