Mike Babcock Was Not a Good Playoff Coach

[Claypool]

Time to call a spade a spade. Since everyone giving Bruce Boudreau grief for not getting it done in the post season I figured I'd highlight the playoff track record of the best coach in the league. I don't really blame him for the loses in 2007, 2010, and 2014.

2004: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2006: Lost in First Round to Edmonton
2009: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2011: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 0-3
2012: Lost in First Round to Nashville
2013: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 3-1
2015: Lost in Game 7 in Quarter-Finals after starting series 3-2

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[WingedWheel1987]

I know right. Toronto didn't win a single playoff game this year.

 

[BinCookin]

Time to call a spade a spade. Since everyone giving Bruce Boudreau grief for not getting it done in the post season I figured I'd highlight the playoff track record of the best coach in the league. I don't really blame him for the loses in 2007, 2010, and 2014.

2004: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2006: Lost in First Round to Edmonton
2009: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2011: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 0-3
2012: Lost in First Round to Nashville
2013: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 3-1
2015: Lost in Game 7 in Quarter-Finals after starting series 3-2

Hey where are the missing years? I wonder if he did anything good in those years?

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Might have won more especially in the latter years, if the Wings have had a goalie.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Hey where are the missing years? I wonder if he did anything good in those years?

Let's also keep in mind he coached Canada to back to back gold medals in the Olympics. Oh and he's had several assistant coaches become NHL head coaches. People can twist facts however they like, many of us knew we were going to get worse coaching as soon as Babs left. Some people apparently still have hurt feeling about him leaving for Toronto.

 

[YpsiWings]

The only series I was more disappointed in Babcock than the team was the Nashville series. Trotz told him to grab his ankles and Babs obliged. The rest of that list I see a lot of injuries, bad bounces, and over achievers.

 

[KJoe88]

I've never liked him.

 

[Claypool]

Let's also keep in mind he coached Canada to back to back gold medals in the Olympics. Oh and he's had several assistant coaches become NHL head coaches. People can twist facts however they like, many of us knew we were going to get worse coaching as soon as Babs left. Some people apparently still have hurt feeling about him leaving for Toronto.

Never said he wasn't a good coach.

 

[Grant]

Time to call a spade a spade. Since everyone giving Bruce Boudreau grief for not getting it done in the post season I figured I'd highlight the playoff track record of the best coach in the league. I don't really blame him for the loses in 2007, 2010, and 2014.

2004: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2006: Lost in First Round to Edmonton
2009: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2011: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 0-3
2012: Lost in First Round to Nashville
2013: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 3-1
2015: Lost in Game 7 in Quarter-Finals after starting series 3-2

Personally I think the bolded points are impressive.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Never said he wasn't a good coach.

2004: Lost as a 7 seed facing a 2 seed
2006: Edmonton went to the Finals
2009: Pittsburgh won the Cup
2011: Lost as a 3 seed facing a 2 seed
2012: Lost as a 5 seed facing a 4 seed
2013: Lost as a 7 seed facing a 1 seed
2015: Lost as a 3 seed facing a 2 seed

Your examples show he lost coaching a lower seeded team in 71% of these circumstances. This is clearly not a sign of bad playoff coaching. The two times his team was favored one opponent played for the Cup and the other won the Cup. I know losing Babcock hurt some people. I fondly recall "get rid of the trash and go with Blash!"

 

[Heaton]

Shocking that a coach loses more when he starts losing more and more talent. It's not a mystery that the best coaches in the world also are known as the best when they have the best talent.

How did Scotty Bowman win? Oh yeah, just with hall of famers on virtually every cup winning team.

Also, if Babcock isn't a good coach, kinda hard to call Holland a good GM at the same time.

 

[sarcastro]

Babcock got the 03 Ducks to the doorstep, and that team had no business being there at all.

09 Wings would have sealed it if not for injuries and stupid back to backs in the Finals.

His resume is very impressive on all fronts.

 

[Bench]

Ah, coaching records. Right up there with +/- for most useful statistic.

Ericsson had a great year, if you didn't hear.

 

[clonedominator]

Babcock got the 03 Ducks to the doorstep, and that team had no business being there at all.

Nah, that was mostly Giguere having one of the greatest playoff performances in NHL history. 5 SO 1.62 GAA .945 SV%

Coaching in hockey is a bit overrated. Did Joel Quenneville all of the sudden become a great coach in Chicago?

 

[Fugu]

Time to call a spade a spade. Since everyone giving Bruce Boudreau grief for not getting it done in the post season I figured I'd highlight the playoff track record of the best coach in the league. I don't really blame him for the loses in 2007, 2010, and 2014.

2004: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2006: Lost in First Round to Edmonton
2009: Lost Game 7 of Stanley Cup Final
2011: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 0-3
2012: Lost in First Round to Nashville
2013: Lost Game 7 of Semi-Finals after starting series 3-1
2015: Lost in Game 7 in Quarter-Finals after starting series 3-2

If you want to assess his history as a coach, and playoff results, post the entire history. You can start a new thread that shows all the years.


And I never liked Babs myself, but come on, man.