Toronto Maple Leafs will not make the playoffs this season.

[koyvoo]

And my major question is if Babcock is fired, is Keefe actually the answer?

Sure, he's had a good run with the Marlies, but that means nothing in comparison with an NHL coaching gig. There's no guarantee that he's any better... sure the hope is there, but if he comes to the Leafs and they continue to look and play flat, is he the next one who takes all of the blame? When does Dubas' team building get questioned? When do the players get questioned?

Something's rotten in Denmark, and only a small part of it is the coaching.

It’ll help just for a change of the atmosphere and vibe to a more positive and optimistic one. It must be very sour in that room right now and I think it has to be done.

But, there is a lot of things wrong with this team aside from the coaching. The GM built a very unbalanced and one dimensional roster that is now even softer than they were even last year. Tyson Barrie was not needed. They already have a 70 pt PP QB. Barrie can’t defend, can’t clear the crease and is a turnover machine.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Don’t be naive. He is a human and was rejected by his former team. Every person in the world (except Buddhist monks and the like) revel in revenge and seeing those that rejected them doing badly. A competitive person like a pro athlete is probably even more like that than the average person.

I am neither a monk or the like. I have plenty of flaws and I don't revel in the miss fortune of others. Especially, a professional athlete where trades are part of life. They even remain friend off the ice even if they were enforcers other teams who had to face each other. It is part of the job. It is not naive, it shows maturity.

 

[libertarian]

It really breaks my heart to see the Leafs lose again.

At least Toronto has the Raptors.

Toronto is a victim of their own management stupidity. Nothing to feel sorry for. When you use half of your cap space on four players you are a accident waiting to happen. Toronto fans are now starting to understand this. Having awesome forwards that takes so much of your cap space without a supporting cast is not a receipt for long term successes. The Leafs may still make the PO but they do not have the depth to win it all.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

No It doesn't mean it can happen with the Leafs. Obviously, the Leafs are not the Blues. They are not the Red Wings Oliers Devils or AVs either, We are the Leafs, and the Blues showed it can be done. They did not guarantee a path to victory, but it can be done whether its is the Leafs, Red Wings, Oliers Devils Avs or another addition of a Blues team.

Yes a team thats not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs can come back and win it all, that doesn't need a "precedent". Its certainty that in the NHL's hundred long year history, it would happen. It really shows how rare and amazing an achievement it was for the Blues. I guess Leaf fans can aspire and hope the leafs can accomplish this super rare feat. But the Blues accomplishing it only shows that the Blues can accomplish it (and unlikely to even repeat it themselves under the same circumstances).

 

[makbeer]

I love the people who don’t understand per 60 stats and think it is not about real Hockey.

/60 stats are the most literal and direct translation of a player’s impact on winning.

 

[Leaf Fans]

Yes a team thats not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs can come back and win it all, that doesn't need a "precedent". Its certainty that in the NHL's hundred long year history, it would happen. It really shows how rare and amazing an achievement it was for the Blues. I guess Leaf fans can aspire and hope the leafs can accomplish this super rare feat. But the Blues accomplishing it only shows that the Blues can accomplish it (and unlikely to even repeat it themselves under the same circumstances).

It is better than giving up. And I said recent precedent. It also doesn't hurt anyone. I would cling to hope if that is what is offered. Understanding how one would think that is pathetic is over complicating a simple situation.

 

[ffh]

I love the people who don’t understand per 60 stats and think it is not about real Hockey.

/60 stats are the most literal and direct translation of a player’s impact on winning.

petan and dano had very good p/60 when they were on the jets. they are scrubs. stat means nothing if your team doesn't trust to play you more the 5 minutes a game.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

It’ll help just for a change of the atmosphere and vibe to a more positive and optimistic one. It must be very sour in that room right now and I think it has to be done.

But, there is a lot of things wrong with this team aside from the coaching. The GM built a very unbalanced and one dimensional roster that is now even softer than they were even last year. Tyson Barrie was not needed. They already have a 70 pt PP QB. Barrie can’t defend, can’t clear the crease and is a turnover machine.

At least there's one rational Leafs fan I've seen (personally, with my own eyes) that has accepted that Barrie is Gardner 2.22: Electric Boogaloo, only without the points to match.

 

[senators101]

when's the last time the Leafs had a bag-skate

They just have money bag skates.

 

[makbeer]

petan and dano had very good p/60 when they were on the jets. they are scrubs. stat means nothing if your team doesn't trust to play you more the 5 minutes a game.

I assumed people in this thread understood sample size, and could decide when to and when not to apply the stat based on that.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Toronto is merely benchmarking the St. Louis Blues. They're tanking on purpose now so they can save their hot streaks for the playoffs. 4D Chess.

 

[Freudian]

We need Mike Babcock to go on Don Cherry's podcast and tell his side of the story.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

Relax, step away from the ledge, it is only November.

 

[Hostile Offer]

I love the people who don’t understand per 60 stats and think it is not about real Hockey.

/60 stats are the most literal and direct translation of a player’s impact on winning.

But it literally isn't about real hockey as it extrapolates scoring for minutes that were never played.

 

[koyvoo]

Relax, step away from the ledge, it is only November.

They’ve been horrible for almost a full calendar year now. There is nothing to suggest they can obtain a record of 38-21 or equivalent in their last 59 games would put them on 97 pts and likely a wildcard seed.

 

[Claypool]

At this rate, for the Leafs to make the playoffs they'll need to win about 38 out of their remaining 59 games this season, or a .644 winning percentage. That would give them 98 points, which was the wild card cutoff for the Eastern Conference last season.

 

[pb1300]

While I would like nothing more than the Leafs to miss out on the playoffs every season, its not even Thanksgiving yet. Plenty of time to turn it around. As a Panthers fan though, Ive typed that phrase way too often over the years. They are flawed, but I think they turn it around and get in. I think they are one of the top four teams in the division.

 

[Alex1234]

Ottawa 3 points back with 2 games in hand...

yikes

 

[koyvoo]

Ottawa 3 points back with 2 games in hand...

yikes

The leafs are 5 points above the very bottom of the standings across the entire league and every team under then aside from Detroit have games in hand.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

They’ve been horrible for almost a full calendar year now. There is nothing to suggest they can obtain a record of 38-21 or equivalent in their last 59 games would put them on 97 pts and likely a wildcard seed.

Sure there is. Sometimes it is a small trade or a firing or a moment that unites the team. They have the talent but just not the strong will as a team to win right now.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Would be so satisfying for them to finish 11th in the draft. Would be a complete waste of a season.

 

[PuckFather]

Sure there is. Sometimes it is a small trade or a firing or a moment that unites the team. They have the talent but just not the strong will as a team to win right now.

Watch out if it's Dubas doing the trade or firing.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Thanksgiving is next week right?
That's generally the benchmark for a team making or missing the playoffs.
Time for Dubas to re-evaluate or get Keefe up there.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Worst part is, the onyl reason babs has changed any lines are injuries.

Terrible year and 6 game losing streak, terrible PP and PK..

- Changes no forward lines outside of rotating 4th line plugs in and out

- No change to PP players or strategy

- No change PK players or strategy

- He flipped Barrie and Holl for half a game on defense

This is a problem going back to last year. Last year the PP was god awful after the new year and it took until game 7 of the finals to make any sort of change, and it was only swapping Matthews and Marner on the sides they play on the PP.

This team is a disaster straight through the lineup. Not even top 10 in goals based on games played.

There may be some problems with the roster, the room, etc. Who knows. But coaching is 100% one of them, and Dubas has failed so far in letting this go with no changes at all.