Post-Game Talk: Leafs Lose 6-2 | Happy St. Patrick's Day I guess

[JT AM da real deal]

Yeah I was laughing my a** at Marincin, Z and Holl too. It was interesting when everyone told me they were NHLers and same depth guys as every other team had so why trade for more d depth. Meanwhile I have likely seen these guys play for Marlies more games, reg season and playoffs, than anyone else on this site. Also real interesting that clown coach Torts put McQuaid back in line-up when it really mattered and he was their 2nd best dman after Jones. Folks there are practice players and then there are gamers. McQuaid is one of those guys. When it really matters the guy can really elevate his game. Funny how a crappy dman like most of you say McQuaid is can shut down the vaunted Bruins. Some guys don't give er in practice so you can get confused like Torts did. Then he says after game wow I did not fully get it. Clown coach. If you can shut down the Leafs high powered offense and then the Bruins forecheck/small ice game I think maybe you can play. He was the one guy we could have picked up which would have made a big difference in the Bruins series. Oh well Dubas screwed up. He knows it now so it will help for next years run.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I'm glad that so many people are coming around to the idea of Babcock being a bad coach. I've been saying that for years and there weren't many who agreed with me at all when I first started saying that. It was basically impossible to question anything that Babcock did in his first few years here. No one tolerated any criticism of him whatsoever. People like me were pointing out these problems years ago... and it's a real shame that we wasted the ELC years of our stars with such a bad coach. This year should have been our best chance at winning the cup had it all been done correctly. All the talent in the world can't cover up for horrible coaching.

yeup. it's all Babcock's fault.
No fault players we have here. again.

 

[PuckMagi]

yeup. it's all Babcock's fault.
No fault players we have here. again.

We have a very good roster. We have an elite forward group, a very good goalie, and some good defenders.

If we had a team without any talent, I would agree with your sentiment that it isn't all Babcock's fault. If Babcock was given a team where Bozak was the best center, I wouldn't blame him for the poor performance. Back in the Kessel & Phaneuf era, there was only so much a coach could do with what he was given to work with.

But Babcock isn't in a situation where he was given a roster without any talent. He was given possibly the best offensive team assembled in the NHL in the last decade or two... plus a good goalie... plus a norris trophy candidate... plus all the resources he could ever need... and we've looked pretty average/bad over the last few months (after our hot start).

Why can't you see what is so painfully obvious to many people by now? Babcock was given an insanely talented team, but he's not a good coach anymore, so our team looks pretty bad despite the elite roster. Look at the guys on this team: Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Kapanen, Johnsson... Andersen... Rielly, Gardiner, Muzzin, Dermott, Hainsey. That's a lot of good players. Babcock should have this team looking a lot better.

What do you think that Babcock is doing right? What things does he do well? The only thing I can think of is that we've held leads when leading after the 2nd period. So he's managed to find a way to hold on to our leads in the 3rd. Other than that, it's hard to find any positives about his coaching.

 

[notDatsyuk]

I think if you compare this team to the Wings or Olympic teams he's coached, you might find the reason. Those teams had lots of forwards who would 'take a hit to make a play' as the cliche goes.

Other than Hyman, Kapanen, Muzzin, and Dermott, and occasionally Kadri and Brown, who on this team does that? Anyone notice that my list does not include any of the 'best' players?

 

[Daisy Jane]

We have a very good roster. We have an elite forward group, a very good goalie, and some good defenders.

If we had a team without any talent, I would agree with your sentiment that it isn't all Babcock's fault. If Babcock was given a team where Bozak was the best center, I wouldn't blame him for the poor performance. Back in the Kessel & Phaneuf era, there was only so much a coach could do with what he was given to work with.

But Babcock isn't in a situation where he was given a roster without any talent. He was given possibly the best offensive team assembled in the NHL in the last decade or two... plus a good goalie... plus a norris trophy candidate... plus all the resources he could ever need... and we've looked pretty average/bad over the last few months (after our hot start).

Why can't you see what is so painfully obvious to many people by now? Babcock was given an insanely talented team, but he's not a good coach anymore, so our team looks pretty bad despite the elite roster. Look at the guys on this team: Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Kapanen, Johnsson... Andersen... Rielly, Gardiner, Muzzin, Dermott, Hainsey. That's a lot of good players. Babcock should have this team looking a lot better.

What do you think that Babcock is doing right? What things does he do well? The only thing I can think of is that we've held leads when leading after the 2nd period. So he's managed to find a way to hold on to our leads in the 3rd. Other than that, it's hard to find any positives about his coaching.

I can - and have said Babcock is at fault for a lot of things. so I can see that there are issues with him.
what I can not understand - is how people, refuse to put any ounce of owness on the players.

they don't start on time? coach's fault.
they don't commit defensively? coach's fault.
they can't finish their checks? coach's fault?
they admit they quit and they aren't playing well? coach's fault.
they can CLEARLY remember positioning for offensive faceoffs (of which they are 1st in the league) but turn to dog poo in the defensive end, why is that? oh - well, offensively, they are awesome - defensively - coach's fault.

everything wrong with this team is not not all Babcock's fault. because yah. we could fire Babcock and that would make you and others veeeerrry happy, but a lot of the issues that we're seeing in my opinion strictly isn't "coaching" related. so the question I'd be asking is why can't people put ownership on the players as much as they want to always blame other people? Hm?

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

I think the comparison was more along the lines of how they felt they were worth more than their team and thus sat out for their contract negotiations. Yashin was not much of a team player, and inherently self serving.

Nylander held out for a contract whereas Yashin was signed to a contract which he refused to honour.
They are not the same at all.

 

[notDatsyuk]

The league did not schedule a Leaf game on St Paddy's Day, so that we couldn't use our magic St Pats uniforms to win. All part of the conspiracy.

 

[SprDaVE]

I think we're done with this game. We got a game tonight!