Square peg in a round hole

[AreBe]

So, the Leafs and Bruins played in the 1st round last year. The PP opportunites were 16-16, so your narrative is garbage. Your idealistic notion of a team with just speed will never work in the playoffs, like it or not. When the checking gets tighter, speed can be neutralized. Thats when you need guys willing to fight through checks and not just turn away.

Hockey has been played on the same size rink since forever. Players have gotten bigger and faster, yet the rink size is still the same. Although speed is a great asset, you need more than that.

All Dubas has done is gotten steamrolled in all contract negotiations and handcuff the team to the point we cannot even roster a full team or a reliable back-up goalie.

Nope it is the penalties not called and when they were called - there should have been 32 penalties at least against Boston with some suspensions thrown in

 

[robertmac43]

Then along comes the third period of the Chicago game, incredible sustained pressure, Chicago wilting, almost 60 shots. Several commentator remarked about what if they played like that all the time!

Is there a team in the league that plays like that all the time?

 

[GoonieFace]

Is there a team in the league that plays like that all the time?

I doubt it, but thats why people need to temper their expectations about that game. Chicago is a bad team, and pretty much sat back once they got the 4-1. Pretty easy to pressue a team like that, and when it got close they just scored to go up by 2 again. Play like that against a good team for the majority of a game, than we can be impressed.

 

[Madap]

If we just look at calendar year 2019, the leafs would finish in 9th in the east and would miss the playoffs.

Atlantic:
TB
Boston
Montreal

Metro:
Carolina
Washington
NYI

Wildcards:
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia

Good thing the calendar year has zero relevance to whether or not we make the playoffs then. Only from October-April.

We made the playoffs last year, and we'll make the playoffs again this year, regardless of the roster changes, injuries, stubborn coach, non-existent backup goalie, etc. Anyone who thinks otherwise is out to lunch.

 

[ruaware41]

Can we just get a Babcock and Dubas thread and funnel people into them? None of these hot takes are ever unique, you don't deserve a thread.

door's thata way pal

 

[hobarth]

I doubt it, but thats why people need to temper their expectations about that game. Chicago is a bad team, and pretty much sat back once they got the 4-1. Pretty easy to pressue a team like that, and when it got close they just scored to go up by 2 again. Play like that against a good team for the majority of a game, than we can be impressed.

Chicago was a bad team going into the game yet totally dominated the first period, why?

The way TO played the last period, the effort that was expended would have won the game easily for TO. That's what Babs has been repeating since he landed in TO, that effort would make TO relevant against any team in the NHL.

Be impressed, it's there!!

 

[Commander Clueless]

Hypothetical:

Dubas fires Babcock and replaces him with a coach that "unleashes" the team.

How long until we complain about the lack of defensive system?

 

[GoonieFace]

Hypothetical:

What if Dubas fires Babcock and replaces him with a coach that "unleashes" the team.

How long until we complain about the lack of defensive system?

Remember when we were winning games 7-5, 6-4 at the beginning of lasy year. It was fun, but it cant last. Until these young guys figure it out, I dont think they can play both ways at once. (meaning good defence and explosive offence)

 

[GoonieFace]

Chicago was a bad team going into the game yet totally dominated the first period, why?

The way TO played the last period, the effort that was expended would have won the game easily for TO. That's what Babs has been repeating since he landed in TO, that effort would make TO relevant against any team in the NHL.

Be impressed, it's there!!

And thats what we are all waiting for, this team to give a good effort every night.

 

[tmlms13]

Can we just get a Babcock and Dubas thread and funnel people into them? None of these hot takes are ever unique, you don't deserve a thread.

I rarely give out likes so when I do you have truly earned it by making a quality post that deserves more attention and should be taken seriously by everyone on this board.

I gave this post a like.

 

[34]

If this Babcock train keeps going in the direction that he is promoting, this Toronto team is going to 100% miss the playoffs.

Babcock keeps saying he is happy with the direction the team is going... loss after loss!

 

[hobarth]

Remember when we were winning games 7-5, 6-4 at the beginning of lasy year. It was fun, but it cant last. Until these young guys figure it out, I dont think they can play both ways at once. (meaning good defence and explosive offence)

What I remember about Babs' teams in Detroit was their puck pursuit and the difficulty to get the puck away from them once they had it, this is what Babs is always preaching about for the Leafs, keep the puck out of TO's end, that's his brand of defense.

Makes sense to me.

 

[AreBe]

Hypothetical:

Dubas fires Babcock and replaces him with a coach that "unleashes" the team.

How long until we complain about the lack of defensive system?

But this is a shinny team playing hockey. kind of a forced fit. Let them play shinny and plan the parade!

 

[NewEraGM]

With half the roster turning over, all that matters is from October this year to present day, 19 games.

Not sure what you are talking about ...against Chicago there were only 7 players who weren’t on the team last year of which 3 are Spezza , Shore and Timoshov all playing limited roles. The others are Ceci, Barrie, Kerfoot and Mikhehev. None of which are in starring roles. All together it’s 5 bottom 6 players that re in and out of lineup, a top 4 D and a top 6 D. That kind of “turnover” is fairly standard across the league.

 

[Mickey Marner]

A team is always going to favour either pace or structure. We're clearly a pace team playing poorly structured hockey.

 

[paulhiggins]

We are .529 this decade......not good enough. Time to fire the Coach and GM.

Current presidency has already hired 2 GMs: Lou, Dubas. Maybe time to aim higher before we allow a third with little success to show for it if you meaure it by cups and not profits.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Hypothetical:

Dubas fires Babcock and replaces him with a coach that "unleashes" the team.

How long until we complain about the lack of defensive system?

We're already garbage defensively anyway. Who gives a f***?

 

[ToMaLe]

What I remember about Babs' teams in Detroit was their puck pursuit and the difficulty to get the puck away from them once they had it, this is what Babs is always preaching about for the Leafs, keep the puck out of TO's end, that's his brand of defense.

Makes sense to me.

So Babs brand of defense is to keep the puck out of your end? Just curious what are all the other NHL coaches brand of defense, keep the puck in your end?

 

[Dough72]

this is already an open-ice pond-hockey team. The answer is not more pond hockey. And they already embrace their speed plenty, arguably to a fault. This lineup actually avoids body-checks and pinning people to the glass because it would get in the way of their skating.

 

[ZEBROA]

“Maybe people think that we hated each other, sometimes,” Zetterberg said. “I won’t say we did that. But, there were times when we weren’t that friendly, maybe."

“He is difficult. And, especially if you had him for 10 years, you know? Any coach for 10 years would be hard,” Zetterberg said. “But then you add Mike into it. He puts a lot of pressure on guys. He wants you involved. He wants you to buy in.”

“My relationship with him has always been good. We butted heads a lot of times. I think he knew he could tell me whatever he wanted. And, I knew I could tell him whatever I wanted.”

“He found a way to push me into an 'I’m going to show you’ kind of thing. Not everyone, I think, can handle it,” Zetterberg

Good or bad , i dont know. Zetterberg is a mentaly tough guy from the northen parts of Sweden. Dont think you should use the same tactics against every player.

Z also said this after Babcock left.
" I would probably say that we are more offensive now than we were under Mike Babcock. It's a little more offensive thinking. Now we have a coach who wants us to do something offensive, not just defensive, says "Zäta" and adds that:
- Everyone probably thinks it's a joy to play this year."

Just one player so take it for what its worth. I still belive we should benefit from a more offensive minded coaching.

 

[All Mod Cons]

They've discounted the defensive side of hockey for way too long. Not going anywhere with this defense and only a few forwards that are any good in their own zone

 

[Cappuccino]

If this Babcock train keeps going in the direction that he is promoting, this Toronto team is going to 100% miss the playoffs.

Babcock keeps saying he is happy with the direction the team is going... loss after loss!

I am not even too concerned about missing the playoffs IF they at least "top 10 draft pick" miss the playoffs. Thinking about the assets we flushed away when we miss the playoffs and would have drafted between 11 - 15 is hard. It would be:

Draft pick gone
Kadri gone (if Barrie walks)
Muzzin probably walks or 1 year older
Tavares 1 year older
No playoffs

Missing the playoffs and at least draft Byfield (to trade away a 11M center) or Drysdale (RD need) would somehow compensate for this.

 

[egd27]

Current presidency has already hired 2 GMs: Lou, Dubas. Maybe time to aim higher before we allow a third with little success to show for it if you meaure it by cups and not profits.

 

[ottomaddox]

It’s no wonder we are such a frustrated lot, we long time Leaf fans! We have glimpsed a powerful offensive juggernaut, we’ve risen out of our seats at their mercurial talent and charisma, marvelled at their flair and inventiveness.

But what have we witnessed for almost a year now, outside of the too few glimpses of their potential? A moribund uncertainty on the ice, an inability to start on time, constantly hemmed into their own zone, running around frantically, too often saved by Anderson. Spineless, neutered at times, standing around like deer would in headlights. Little sustained pressure in the offensive zone, playing on the periphery with few shots getting through, Corsi looking good without the results.

Then along comes the third period of the Chicago game, incredible sustained pressure, Chicago wilting, almost 60 shots. Several commentator remarked about what if they played like that all the time! Was this their true identity? Was the needing an all out attack to have a hope the gateway to how they should always play; to throw caution to the wind?

Kyle Dubas, Please unleash this team! You have played all your cards for this year and it is slipping away. From the Barrie contract, to the pending UFA Muzzin. You’re also using up one of the precious five years before Austin Matthews marches to unrestricted free agency. You cannot afford to wait, this is not a patient long term rebuild.

There is a noose around this team. You get a sense of it at Mitch Marners comments about a year ago at how the Leafs play better on the road because Babcock can’t over-coach. Or when you read recently about a rival team needing to “de babcock” a recent Leaf acquisition (the name escapes me) because of how complex the game had become to that player. There was an earlier hint too when the coach travelled a great distance to visit a couple of players in the summer a few years ago-coaches don’t do that! You must have shaken your head at his overuse of Marleau,?of Hainsey,?of Ceci and so on. Or of Komorov, Polak, etc. And what about the derogatory recent comments about Babcock by more than just a few ex Leafs! And now, the height of stupidity and stubbornness, the permanent loss of nine points due to mismanagement of backup goaltending, points that could mean loss of home ice advantage, at worse missing the playoffs. Do you not see your season in jeopardy due to a stubborn
anachronism of a coach, choking the lifeblood out of something that was meant to soar?

Take the plunge Kyle. It’s intimidating I know, there’s the salary, the distance the team has come the past few years, the pedigree. But what if the players flourish under a players coach, what if the players smiles return, what if they truly overwhelm their opponents in a non stop offensive frenzy? The way you say you’ve built them to?

You can wait, the schedule has been horrendous, and now you have the excuse of Marner being out a month. But this team should be a stallion, able to overcome this. Look ahead at November’s schedule, look at the improvement in Florida, Montreal, Buffalo. You might end up missing the playoffs.

Is this Charles Dickens creative hockey writing?

Shinny is the answer?

 

[Pookie]

We need a new coach.
This is a shinny team held down by the coach.
We need position-less hockey- everyone is a deference man, a winger and a center- just skate! We need more imagination- more deference men in front of the opponents net, wingers at the point, centers getting back to blow up 2 on 1s. Wingers blocking shots on defense. This team can do it.

This team is built with three ingredients: Speed, speed and speed. Let's let it rip and let's see it!

You are funny.

You think that the Analytics army that Dubas assembled doesn’t factor into style of play decisions?