Mike Babcock

[supsens]

I was literally only talking about Babcock and his contract cost outside the cap.

Matty was actually great this playoffs, Anderson was fine and can only do so much, we gave him zero support in game 7, and JT was dealing with the top line of Boston (but yes he could have scored more)

Willy just never got his game going, and for sure it was all the time missing. He was also thrust into the C role in the middle of a series against the Bruins, not the best time.

I don't believe this team will always be this way, players will get better, drafts will happen, players will get developed, and the cap will only increase.

It will be fine.

I know your team will be fine, I am explaining all that was wrong and what the board will see when deciding if babs was the issue and pooping his 25 million away is worth it or not.

 

[ijuka]

Yep, their players don't want to be paid a lot, only us.

They might want to stay for 8 years instead of 5, though.

That's the biggest issue with the Matthews contract. But well, that's all speculation at this point. What we do know is what Nylander's and Matthews's contracts look like. Let's wait until we know about the others.

 

[DanM]

I know your team will be fine, I am explaining all that was wrong and what the board will see when deciding if babs was the issue and pooping his 25 million away is worth it or not.

Tell you this, if Babs is staying, both Dubas and Shanny need to sit down with him and tell him what they expect.

No BS, play your stars, replace your assistants, and adapt your system, or GTFO.

If that doesn't work, bring in the board, and they will simply say "listen to what you are told, or you are fired effective immediately" what the hell is Babcock going to tell them lol

 

[koyvoo]

Down by two goals in the 3rd in game 7, plays the most prolific scorer on his roster in said playoffs 5 mins in that 3rd period.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Why not blame the team too? Too small, too soft and not built for the playoffs. It starts with Dubas.

Bigger than them and outhit the B's too

Total blind koolaid hate.

 

[Pyrophorus]

It seems like only yesterday leafs fans guaranteed multiple cups after hiring the greatest hockey coach ever in Babcock

Then you can provide a link to this great nugget of knowledge?

 

[Pyrophorus]

Tell you this, if Babs is staying, both Dubas and Shanny need to sit down with him and tell him what they expect.

No BS, play your stars, replace your assistants, and adapt your system, or GTFO.

If that doesn't work, bring in the board, and they will simply say "listen to what you are told, or you are fired effective immediately" what the hell is Babcock going to tell them lol

Mike should say, get me the players who can help me out.
As Cassidy said, they're getting older

 

[DanM]

Mike should say, get me the players who can help me out.
As Cassidy said, they're getting older

Mike wants players to fit exactly the system he wants, but he is paid a lot of money to also adapt, be creative, think outside the box, have competent assistants.

He rules with an iron fist in my opinion, I don't feel he is the right coach for this group of players, that's all.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Mike wants players to fit exactly the system he wants, but he is paid a lot of money to also adapt, be creative, think outside the box, have competent assistants.

He rules with an iron fist in my opinion, I don't feel he is the right coach for this group of players, that's all.

I think he does play to a system, but in camp he knows what kind of team he has. The Ducks and Wings never played like
this. I believe that its this decision, that affects the coaching.

Still on Dubas to make the right moves, and the team so isn't there yet.

 

[CanadienShark]

He's a better-than-average coach. Not one of the best.

 

[DFC]

I don't think anybody's concerned about the 25m, if only because the amount of excitement Babcock's hiring generated. Leaf fans treated that like the coming of the messiah, and that must have turned into money some way or another.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

That roster still isn't good enough imho. That being said, they wouldve won this with a bit of puck luck.

Same can be said for almost every team that lost in the first round.

 

[Rusty Razor]

So he played a one legged Hyman thirty seconds less than Matthews in a game 7 that the Leafs trailed nearly the whole time.

 

[Archijerej]

Let me guess the issues here.

He doesn't make adjustments. He doesn't adapt. He plays favorites with certain players. He makes questionable lineup decisions. He's stubborn and some may even say arrogant.

This is a list of fans complaints for coaches and somehow it's always unique to that one coach even though it literally describes every single coach in history.

Underrated post.

 

[Dr Pepper]

So he played a one legged Hyman thirty seconds less than Matthews in a game 7 that the Leafs trailed nearly the whole time.

Babcock + Hyman = BFFs forever and ever.

Babs is gonna fly down to Arizona again this summer to try and smooth things over with Matthews. I can feel it.

 

[glucker]

I have been a pretty big Babcock supporter/defender, but this series has definitely hurt my opinion of him.

I think he's been great at mentoring a lot of the players, and molding guys like Matthews, Marner, Hyman, Kapanen, Johnsson, and yes, even Nylander into strong all-around players... but I think his in-game decisions are hurting the team at the worst time.

Matthews and Tavares should have been pretty much the only 2 centers out there in games 6&7. You have a chance to win the series- your guys are going to rest after that... just play them hard and take the W.

Nylander should have been put back with Matthews as soon as he got back into the roster- maybe a week or two in, after he got up to speed- but that never happened for any amount of time. Those two were dynamite together, and Matthews never found the same kind of chemistry with Kap and AJ.

Repeatedly using Marleau when he's shown he's out of gas... just not good. Same with trying to showhorn Brown with Matthews as much as he has.

And lets not forget, the Leafs bring in a big dman in Muzzin, and he almost immediately gets pushed down the lineup into the 3rd pairing because he isn't a righty. FFS.

 

[Apotheosis]

Most overrated coach in the NHL and maybe of all time. Has stacked teams carry him, walks in to a Leafs team with a stacked offence. Hasn't been out of the first round in years, not gotten out 7 of the last 9 trips to the playoffs. Needs to go before he ruins the Leafs even more.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Was nice to see Babcock blame everyone but himself in today's media/locker clean out. It was simply ridiculous.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Keep him. I like seeing Toronto out in the 1st-Round.

A team that had 48 total points only 2 seasons ago has won a Playoff series before the Leafs did.

Considering the Leafs were dead last the season just before that, I think the surprising stat is that both of those teams were competing in the playoffs at all this year.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Guy is a dinosaur with a hugely inflated view of himself. For some reason that fits the Maple Leafs' worldview well.

 

[KapG]

Down by two goals in the 3rd in game 7, plays the most prolific scorer on his roster in said playoffs 5 mins in that 3rd period.

It’s been like this the last 2-3 seasons.

It’s pathetic

 

[shortfuze]

You absolutely don't fire a a head coach over a 7 game sample. The problem is it's not a 7 game sample it's now 3 years running he as well as the team just hasn't been good enough. The leafs powerplay this hear was also bad considering the personnel. You atleast have to dump the assistants to shake things up.

I agree with getting rid of the assistants but come on, no one thought they had a chance at beating Washington or Boston(the first time) and this year lost to a higher seeded team this year. He got out coached. The losers always get out coached. Does he need to make some changes to his game plan? Absolutely. It happens. They played against a great team. They’re a great young team that stills needs some tweaking. That’s on Dubas. This site is a what have you done for me lately.

 

[Frank Drebin]

This whole Anderson hate is misplaced.

He actually played well this series, he gave our team many chances to either go up to 3-1 or win the series, and our team didn't give him enough run support, but we outplayed the Bruins for most of the series.

But, when our D made mistakes, we paid, and when special teams let us down, we paid.

But Andy gave us plenty of time to win.

Andersen was really good for the most part but that's the second game 7 in a row where he wasn't at his best.

But outside of game 7i thought he gave the team a chance to win every game

 

[McDavidCrushedLarkin]

"Babcock and Dubass are the best coach and GM in the NHL"

 

[YearsintheWilderness]

Guy is a dinosaur with a hugely inflated view of himself. For some reason that fits the Maple Leafs' worldview well.

Exactly. People feel an affinity for others who are similar to them. It was a big hire. Highest salary ever paid for an NHL coach. Olympic gold medals. A Stanley Cup. A huge ego. It all fit.

Babcock is a huge narcissist and as such has cultivated many useful sycophants in the Leafs organization and in the media. He will hold on for much longer than any other coach with similar weaknesses. But when it all finally comes apart, it's going to be one of the great train wrecks.

I'd like to think Goober (Dubas) has what it takes to stand up to Babcock, but I'm not so sure. Goober was played badly by a punk like Nylander, so a seasoned narcissist like Babcock may be able to employ all sorts of mind-games and turn next season into a melodramatic freakshow for the ages (even by Leafs standards). Of course, Shanahan also seems to be under Babcock's spell, and he may have the final say in whether Babcock stays or goes. Good odds there's another wasted season coming for the Leafs under Babcock.