Post-Game Talk: Nashville @ Toronto | The "WHO IS STILL ABLE TO PLAY" Edition || 7:30PM TSN4

[AngryScotsman]

Surprisingly candid, almost harsh regarding, Josh Leivo:

"The pace of his game has got to improve. He's got to get a lot stronger. He's got to commit to physical fitness. And in the off-season get stronger. And as he does that he'll become a much better player because his hands and his mind are good. His legs... he's got to improve that area.
So he can do a lot of work to make that happen."

Leivo is very Jeremy Williams-ish only in a bigger body. The coach has laid out the challenge. This new regime is no-nonsense. He has to show up in the fall in the better shape to stay in the team's plans.

I don't think Mike is saying anything about Josh he hasn't already expressed with him directly. But your right, no nonsense approach. Refreshing.

 

[ULF_55]

Surprisingly candid, almost harsh regarding, Josh Leivo:

"The pace of his game has got to improve. He's got to get a lot stronger. He's got to commit to physical fitness. And in the off-season get stronger. And as he does that he'll become a much better player because his hands and his mind are good. His legs... he's got to improve that area.
So he can do a lot of work to make that happen."

Leivo is very Jeremy Williams-ish only in a bigger body. The coach has laid out the challenge. This new regime is no-nonsense. He has to show up in the fall in the better shape to stay in the team's plans.

So not an endorsement for Underhill?

 

[SprDaVE]

So not an endorsement for Underhill?

How are you making the connection to the skating coach? He's talking about fitness, consistency and getting stronger. Improving those would improve 'his legs'. Leivo's skating is not an issue.

Consistency has always been an issue with Leivo, ever since drafted. Babcocks comments are harsh but he's not completely wrong. I have no idea of how in shape or not Leivo is though. He's been great all year with the Marlies and I think he's been all right since his call up.

 

[Gary Nylund]

How are you making the connection to the skating coach? He's talking about fitness, consistency and getting stronger. Leivo's skating is not an issue, at least not in my eyes and Babcock didn't really mention that.

Consistency has always been an issue with Leivo, ever since drafted. Babcocks comments are harsh but he's not completely wrong. I have no idea of how in shape or not Leivo is though. He's been great all year with the Marlies.

Well he did mention pace. Anyhow, I like it. Instead of going yay look at those goals Babcock zeroed in on areas of improvement.

Message - don't rest on your laurels, don't be satisfied, work to be better. And that's as it should be after all, Leivo's career is just starting and it's up to him what kind of career it will be.

 

[Brock Radunske]

Surprisingly candid, almost harsh regarding, Josh Leivo:

"The pace of his game has got to improve. He's got to get a lot stronger. He's got to commit to physical fitness. And in the off-season get stronger. And as he does that he'll become a much better player because his hands and his mind are good. His legs... he's got to improve that area.
So he can do a lot of work to make that happen."

Leivo is very Jeremy Williams-ish only in a bigger body. The coach has laid out the challenge. This new regime is no-nonsense. He has to show up in the fall in the better shape to stay in the team's plans.

His tone was of the positive challenging nature when he was talking about Leivo.
And getting a stronger lower body is a very achievable request, especially since he said he has the hands, shot and IQ to be a good player.
I hope Leivo takes this and runs (literally)

 

[Johny Drama]

Really pleased with what we're seeing from the young guys. Leivo is making a great case to be a legit 2nd line option, and Leipsic is making some good plays. Didn't notice Percy or Loov tonight, but sometimes that's good for a defenseman. Gardiner is back, baby.

Fun finish to a solid effort.

Gardiner, Reilly and Kadri were all excellent. Gardiner has been our best player for the past few weeks IMO.
Percy, Loov, Leivo and Leipsic all looked pretty good at times. Clune's interview was a classic. Something about him I like, wouldn't mind keeping him around even if its same role he has now between the Leafs and Marlies.

 

[Mess]

Damn Babcock is a good coach!!!.

He is almost winning games with a roster that is 1/2 the salary cap and over 1/2 filled with Marlies and not the top prospects.

When Leafs finally give him some real players to work with this is going to be scary what he will do.

PS. Darn you Babs and your coaching challenge winning % as I would have had a grand slam in the prediction contest if not for it being 1mm offside.

 

[Johny Drama]

kadri has been unreal this year playing with 3rd and 4th liners never mind the fact that he has shut down pretty much every top centre he has gone up against even the chicago blow out if not for the pp toews would have not got a point and how about johanson where was he last night

He's been excellent this year. Noticed a bit of a change in his game lately. Not sure if he has been given the green light but seems to be trying to be more creative in the other team's zone. I really hope we keep him, would love to see him play with better line-mates.

 

[ULF_55]

Gardiner, Reilly and Kadri were all excellent. Gardiner has been our best player for the past weeks IMO.
Percy, Loov, Leivo and Leipsic all looked pretty good at times. Clune's interview was a classic. Something about him I like, wouldn't mind keeping him around even if its same role he has now between the Leafs and Marlies.

Gardiner seems to have taken another step since they moved Phaneuf, whereas Rielly seems to be maybe trying too hard.

Not saying Rielly has been bad, but he just looks okay. Again, holding him to the highest standards, not just a top 4, of which the league has dozens and every team should have 4.

 

[The Examiner]

How are you making the connection to the skating coach? He's talking about fitness, consistency and getting stronger. Improving those would improve 'his legs'. Leivo's skating is not an issue.

Consistency has always been an issue with Leivo, ever since drafted. Babcocks comments are harsh but he's not completely wrong. I have no idea of how in shape or not Leivo is though. He's been great all year with the Marlies and I think he's been all right since his call up.

You don't really notice it on the ice with Leivo. I didn't realize there were fitness issues with Josh. Now it makes sense as to why he was getting 4th line minutes.

I hope he takes Babs' advice because I can imagine how much better he could be if he does.

You can score all you want but if you are not committed to fitness, then dont expect any favours. I like that.

 

[The Examiner]

Gardiner seems to have taken another step since they moved Phaneuf, whereas Rielly seems to be maybe trying too hard.

Not saying Rielly has been bad, but he just looks okay. Again, holding him to the highest standards, not just a top 4, of which the league has dozens and every team should have 4.

We've all been "gushing" over Kadri, Gardiner and the young guys but I think we are overlooking how well Rielly played last night. (not you in particular but the board in general, me included). As you mentioned, he hasn't been as good lately and last night was one of his better games.

 

[Hotel Mario]

Gardiner seems to have taken another step since they moved Phaneuf, whereas Rielly seems to be maybe trying too hard.

Not saying Rielly has been bad, but he just looks okay. Again, holding him to the highest standards, not just a top 4, of which the league has dozens and every team should have 4.

Better than watching players that don't try hard enough.

 

[Johny Drama]

We've all been "gushing" over Kadri, Gardiner and the young guys but I think we are overlooking how well Rielly played last night. (not you in particular but the board in general, me included). As you mentioned, he hasn't been as good lately and last night was one of his better games.

Rebuild or not, one thing they need to address in the offseason is to get Reilly a good solid vet dman. Doesn't have to be highly paid top pairing guy, but a guy he can learn from. Zaitsev and Gardiner could become a good 3/4 pairing and bottom pairing of Corrado/Hunwick/Loov/Percy/Cowen. Take your pick from that lot.

 

[LeafGrief]

Surprised to see the call out on Leivo, we'll see how he responds to the challenge. If there is that much room for improvement in his fitness you have to hope that he has potential to turn that into another leap forward in development. He's showing that he might be able to play 2nd line wing and a conditioning improvement might be the final touch.

 

[Stigma]

Laughed very hard at this, especially when I pictured it happening.

#tank

I LOLed too.

I picture him in an undershirt - gold chain swinging back and forth - with a mouthful of sunflower seeds as he is calmly sawing.

 

[Crysis]

But Mike, he has 3 goals in 7 games and Froese has 2 in 54 games!

Froese isn't on the team due to his goal scoring. Something tells me Froese is going to owe Babcock EVERYTHING when he's retired after being a 4th line checking center for us for a decade. Good chance he would have been in the minors his entire career if Babs didn't take a liking to him.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Froese isn't on the team due to his goal scoring. Something tells me Froese is going to owe Babcock EVERYTHING when he's retired after being a 4th line checking center for us for a decade. Good chance he would have been in the minors his entire career if Babs didn't take a liking to him.

I certainly hope Froese isn't a long-term 4th liner for us. He's a decent option on the PK and a good face-off guy, but has very limited impact on the game other than that.

I hope for more, even from a 4C.

 

[deletethis]

My natural pull for underdogs means I'm fully rooting for Froese to succeed but my realism sees that he's a very limited NHL player. I believe Babcock is rewarding Froese as a shining example of professional dedication, personal sacrifice and hard work.

 

[IBeL34f]

He's been excellent this year. Noticed a bit of a change in his game lately. Not sure if he has been given the green light but seems to be trying to be more creative in the other team's zone. I really hope we keep him, would love to see him play with better line-mates.

Kadri's looked awesome the past couple games. He's definitely showing his skill level and nifty mittens. It's been really nice to see after so much growth in the other facets of his game. I also don't understand the rush to move him, he's one of our most veteran forwards now and the best homegrown forward we've had since Steen. Seeing all of these proposals on the Boards about sending him to St. Louis is setting off alarms in my head. I think it would be a mistake, he's still not a fully realized player.

Gardiner seems to have taken another step since they moved Phaneuf, whereas Rielly seems to be maybe trying too hard.

Not saying Rielly has been bad, but he just looks okay. Again, holding him to the highest standards, not just a top 4, of which the league has dozens and every team should have 4.

I think Rielly's been fine recently, I'm a little surprised everyone's been getting critical of him. He's 21 and is now leading a very young D-corps on a very bad team. He has absolutely no insulation outside of Gardiner, who's been worthy of his praise, and he's playing way more minutes than he ever has. I think he's getting tired. What you see as trying too hard is I think him just trying to let his game shine through again. It's pretty obvious to me that Babcock loosened the leash around the 41-game mark, and he's been stepping up a lot and getting more involved ever since. Combine that with extra minutes and less support from a depleted blueline, and I think you start to see a couple mistakes here and there just based on more exposure.

Last night I thought he looked real good, especially with Marincin, who's been my least favourite D for us this year. He definitely needs a stabilizing presence with him for support.

***

As for the rest of the kids, I really liked Leipsic's game, he stood out a lot and seemed real hungry. Active in all three zones, and fearless. Would love to see him as a mainstay on next year's roster. He and Kadri looked great together.

Not surprised that Babcock would be tough on some of these guys like with Leivo though. They're being given a chance to play over a bunch of their also-deserving teammates on the Marlies, and they're being given an opportunity to audition for jobs next year. They need to have a clear idea of what expectations are at this level, what's required of them for the remainder of their careers in this organization. Finding statistical success is fantastic, and I'm sure Babcock gives them the kudos they deserve there, but there's a lot more to being a professional than that, and in this first year of the rebuild with Babs and Lou at the helm, that message is more important than ever. Drill it into the kids, teach them accountability, and all will be well.

 

[diceman934]

We've all been "gushing" over Kadri, Gardiner and the young guys but I think we are overlooking how well Rielly played last night. (not you in particular but the board in general, me included). As you mentioned, he hasn't been as good lately and last night was one of his better games.

Best player on the ice.....followed closely by Kadri. The last 3 games Rielly has been our best player.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Kadri's looked awesome the past couple games. He's definitely showing his skill level and nifty mittens. It's been really nice to see after so much growth in the other facets of his game. I also don't understand the rush to move him, he's one of our most veteran forwards now and the best homegrown forward we've had since Steen. Seeing all of these proposals on the Boards about sending him to St. Louis is setting off alarms in my head. I think it would be a mistake, he's still not a fully realized player.



I think Rielly's been fine recently, I'm a little surprised everyone's been getting critical of him. He's 21 and is now leading a very young D-corps on a very bad team. He has absolutely no insulation outside of Gardiner, who's been worthy of his praise, and he's playing way more minutes than he ever has. I think he's getting tired. What you see as trying too hard is I think him just trying to let his game shine through again. It's pretty obvious to me that Babcock loosened the leash around the 41-game mark, and he's been stepping up a lot and getting more involved ever since. Combine that with extra minutes and less support from a depleted blueline, and I think you start to see a couple mistakes here and there just based on more exposure.

Last night I thought he looked real good, especially with Marincin, who's been my least favourite D for us this year. He definitely needs a stabilizing presence with him for support.

***

As for the rest of the kids, I really liked Leipsic's game, he stood out a lot and seemed real hungry. Active in all three zones, and fearless. Would love to see him as a mainstay on next year's roster. He and Kadri looked great together.

Not surprised that Babcock would be tough on some of these guys like with Leivo though. They're being given a chance to play over a bunch of their also-deserving teammates on the Marlies, and they're being given an opportunity to audition for jobs next year. They need to have a clear idea of what expectations are at this level, what's required of them for the remainder of their careers in this organization. Finding statistical success is fantastic, and I'm sure Babcock gives them the kudos they deserve there, but there's a lot more to being a professional than that, and in this first year of the rebuild with Babs and Lou at the helm, that message is more important than ever. Drill it into the kids, teach them accountability, and all will be well.

Well put. I wouldn't even call it being tough on Leivo, he's just sending message - that don't spend too much time patting yourself on the back for what you've done well because you need to get to work on the things you can improve on and here's what they are.

 

[teeder333*]

I saw a picture of Leivo two weeks ago with a couple of Marlie teammates and I was shocked at how soft he appeared to be. I was going to say something about it , but didn't out of fear of being over trolled for remarking on the guys body.

Anyways, he appeared total unchiseled No muscularity at all. Not fat per se, but just very Jeremy Bracco ish, soft, well fed, and never seen a gym he liked.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Gardiner seems to have taken another step since they moved Phaneuf, whereas Rielly seems to be maybe trying too hard.

Not saying Rielly has been bad, but he just looks okay. Again, holding him to the highest standards, not just a top 4, of which the league has dozens and every team should have 4.

To be fair, I think we should have expected this. While Gardiner is playing the same competition level he's played against the previous few seasons, Rielly is getting a major uptick in competition. He's gone from 2nd and 3rd pairing matchups to seeing the best NHLers. As a player as young as he is, he's not going to hit those matchups out of the park on his first go around. What I think we'll see is improvement next season. Part of what makes Mo such a good player is his IQ. He'll keep figuring new things out, improve, and turn into that #1D we all expect him to be.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Best player on the ice.....followed closely by Kadri. The last 3 games Rielly has been our best player.

And didn't he get paired with the disaster that is Marincin last night? (didn't get to see the game, only saw that was the lineup projection before the game)

 

[Ovate]

And didn't he get paired with the disaster that is Marincin last night? (didn't get to see the game, only saw that was the lineup projection before the game)

Rielly was with Marincin, but Marincin's been one of our better defensemen lately. At least as good as Hunwick.