Fire Babcock

[FD19372]

My apologies to Sheldon Keefe, but if Dubas doesn't make that team tougher, they aren't winning a Cup anytime soon, even as skilled as they are. That's what seperates them and Boston.

[JR Ewing]

Random point-form thoughts:

 

-Babcock isn't perfect, but (imo) he took the bullet for management. That's how that works, though, and coaches know it.

-I had real worries for the Leafs when they ditched Gardiner, then traded their value contract (Kadri) for a guy that can't defend. This is part of the cascade from the Tavares signing, and it's not over yet.

-Wherever he is right now, Mike Commodore is very happy.

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

34 minutes ago, JR Ewing said:

Random point-form thoughts:

 

-Babcock isn't perfect, but (imo) he took the bullet for management. That's how that works, though, and coaches know it.

-I had real worries for the Leafs when they ditched Gardiner, then traded their value contract (Kadri) for a guy that can't defend. This is part of the cascade from the Tavares signing, and it's not over yet.

-Wherever he is right now, Mike Commodore is very happy.

 

 

Not sure about the Mike Commodore reference, but the rest I get it and agree.   

[JR Ewing]

16 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Not sure about the Mike Commodore reference, but the rest I get it and agree.   

 

 

 

There's some blue language, should your kids be in ear shot.

[ruxpin]

On 11/18/2019 at 2:14 PM, WordsOfWisdom said:

Bruce Boudreau

 

I was good with your list except for this one.  Quite possibly the most over-rated nothing coach in the history of nothing coaches.  He's so inept, he should be on the President's Cabinet.

 

You guys have had good seasons and disappointing playoffs.  Why would you want a coach with the massacred bodies of lost seasons strewn behind him because he's absolutely impotent in the playoffs?  

 

The tone here is directed at Bruce, not you, but I'll never understand this idiot's press clippings.

Edited November 21, 2019 by ruxpin

[WordsOfWisdom]

4 hours ago, FD19372 said:

My apologies to Sheldon Keefe, but if Dubas doesn't make that team tougher, they aren't winning a Cup anytime soon, even as skilled as they are. That's what seperates them and Boston.

 

I'd be happy to see Dubas get fired next. I think he's in way over his head. He needs to go back to school, learn what makes a good hockey team, put some glass in the frames he's wearing, and come back to the NHL at a later date. Every trade Dubas has made thus far is questionable. He strikes me as one of those guys who is only looking at "advanced" stats and isn't looking at any of hockey's most obvious and prized traditional stats when evaluating players. 

 

Take Tyson Barrie for instance. I would have never acquired a guy like him when my team already has Morgan Rielly and needs to have a DEFENSIVE defenceman. He went out and traded for something he already has in abundance. Makes no sense.

 

Also, Cody Ceci was plucked from the last place Ottawa Senators and was ~ -24 last season. Why would we be picking defencemen off the 31st best team defensively? Doesn't make any sense. That's dumpster diving. We'll see how that one pans out but neither of these guys are what Toronto needs on their blue line. 

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

2 hours ago, ruxpin said:

 

I was good with your list except for this one.  Quite possibly the most over-rated nothing coach in the history of nothing coaches.  He's so inept, he should be on the President's Cabinet.

 

You guys have had good seasons and disappointing playoffs.  Why would you want a coach with the massacred bodies of lost seasons because he's absolutely impotent in the playoffs?  

 

The tone here is directed at Bruce, not you, but I'll never understand this idiot's press clippings.

 

Alright, we'll drop Bruce Boudreau.   

 

[intheslot]

 

Statement form Mike Babcock (via @PierreVLeBrunhttp://tsn.ca/1.1400977  #TSNHockey

 

3,655

5:08 PM - Nov 20, 2019

[WordsOfWisdom]

6 hours ago, intheslot said:

 

Statement form Mike Babcock (via @PierreVLeBrunhttp://tsn.ca/1.1400977  #TSNHockey

 

3,655

5:08 PM - Nov 20, 2019

 

I don't have anything against the guy personally. The bottom line is that the team wasn't playing well on his watch and hadn't been playing well since FEBRUARY of the previous season. Whether his strategies no longer work, or the players tuned him out, he wasn't getting the team to play as a team. All of the metrics for how coaches are evaluated were a fail. 

 

[musky]

There defence still sucks.

[hobie]

I'm looking at Ceci's record to date, 1g, 4a in 31 games so he isn't an offensive d-man yet with those poor offensive stats TO has somehow scored 4 more goals that the opposition when he's on the ice.

 

I think Rielly and Ceci together have had around a 52 CF rating which is pretty good for a top pairing d on a team that has been outscored. But Ceci when separated from Rielly has had a 60+ CF, Rielly's CF without Ceci is between 33 to 42, the higher the number the better by the way.

 

Rielly has had only 1 season where his +/- was positive and that was last year. The year TO had the most points ever, Rielly was -4 and in the year we were first introduced to the big 4 when TO made the playoffs he was -20. 

 

Rielly had an anomaly year last year, his points are again decent but again he's -4.

 

It looks to me like Keefe is reading the tea leaves or fancy stats if you like and now he's pairing Rielly with Barrie and giving them sheltered minutes 5v5, probably a good reaction to what's happening. We're already seeing better d.

 

 

[hobie]

I watched the Leafs/St.L. game last night and then I thought about the coaches having their pasts dug up.

 

A St.L. player slashed a Leaf, the Leaf then waved his stick at the St.L.'s stick on the ice, the St.L. player then attempted to cross check the Leaf in the face, the Leaf player managed to avoid this and seeing that the St.L. player wanted to accelerate the foray he grabbed on to the St.L. player for dear life, the St.L. player then started to punch the Leaf player even tho the Leaf player had no interest in fighting.

 

The result of this, both players received a fighting major, I find this troubling. For one thing the St.L. player expended a great deal of energy attempting to hurt the Leaf, I'm certain he was encouraged to do so as the entire St.L. clapped their sticks in appreciation. It seems strange to me that players expect to be treated with dignity but on the other hand have zero respect for their opponents, fellow players. Also that incident screams loud and clear that the officials refereeing games have little respect for players and even encourage them to disrespect their opponents.

 

I watched two other games involving the Leafs this past week against the Avs and Philly, both games were great games where all teams played hockey. Hockey games broke out in both games, all teams expended a great deal of energy and skill entertaining us, it was great.

 

That was TO's first fighting major of the year?

  

[hobie]

On 11/20/2019 at 8:48 PM, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

I'd be happy to see Dubas get fired next. I think he's in way over his head. He needs to go back to school, learn what makes a good hockey team, put some glass in the frames he's wearing, and come back to the NHL at a later date. Every trade Dubas has made thus far is questionable. He strikes me as one of those guys who is only looking at "advanced" stats and isn't looking at any of hockey's most obvious and prized traditional stats when evaluating players. 

 

Take Tyson Barrie for instance. I would have never acquired a guy like him when my team already has Morgan Rielly and needs to have a DEFENSIVE defenceman. He went out and traded for something he already has in abundance. Makes no sense.

 

Also, Cody Ceci was plucked from the last place Ottawa Senators and was ~ -24 last season. Why would we be picking defencemen off the 31st best team defensively? Doesn't make any sense. That's dumpster diving. We'll see how that one pans out but neither of these guys are what Toronto needs on their blue line. 

 

 

The rumor is that Dubie wanted to turf Babs in the summer but the powers that be vetoed him. Babs is a fine coach which he proved to me in his first year as coach of TO from then on many of his decisions have caused me to doubt his suitability to coach this team.

 

I'm gonna be happy when Dubas proves many/most wrong and I think it's far more likely to happen with Keefe as the coach. I can rember many years ago when Montreal was great, they sprinkled so muscle in their lineup but truly won because of talent and speed. Now few teams have muscle, teams are relying on their players, no matter their level of talent, to have the character to overcome meathead intimidation.

 

I think the Ceci acquisition was more about the Cap going forward than about improving TO's d.   

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by hobie

[WordsOfWisdom]

On 12/10/2019 at 12:08 AM, hobie said:

 

The rumor is that Dubie wanted to turf Babs in the summer but the powers that be vetoed him. Babs is a fine coach which he proved to me in his first year as coach of TO from then on many of his decisions have caused me to doubt his suitability to coach this team.

 

I'm gonna be happy when Dubas proves many/most wrong and I think it's far more likely to happen with Keefe as the coach. I can rember many years ago when Montreal was great, they sprinkled so muscle in their lineup but truly won because of talent and speed. Now few teams have muscle, teams are relying on their players, no matter their level of talent, to have the character to overcome meathead intimidation.

 

I think the Ceci acquisition was more about the Cap going forward than about improving TO's d.   

 

 

YOU'RE BACK!!!!!! 

[hobie]

The further into Keefe's tenure the more I'm seeing the team we were being told we have. For years we were told how fast and talented TO's players were but outside of the outright goal scoring my eyes constantly told me TO wasn't that skilled or fast. For me skill isn't just being able to score but it's also getting and maintaining possession. Speed isn't something that can be utilized if the team is constantly told to advance the puck even if that means giving up possession. Babs' stretch passes and dumping the puck in is a practical approach for a team of at best middlin' talents but a truly talented team needs, craves possession and should do it's best to keep the puck.

 

Will this always be a winning formula, not always I'm sure but for this team with these players that's how TO needs to roll.

 

Last night TO played the Rangers and after 2 periods the game was tied. Considering how tenuous TO has looked protecting a lead going into the 3rd period lately there was a foreboding feeling. Surprise, surprise TO played the 3rd like they play the 1st periods lately, the d pressed, the forwards possessed, basically TO dominated. After 4 plus years of Babs wanting them to lock the game down, minimize mistakes, defend essentially TO finally did so by playing the 3rd like they should play the entire game, by pressing not defending. This is also how TO should play the entire game, forget the clock, if the lead is 3 go for 4. I read somewhere that Gretzky would say to his Oiler teamates going into the 3rd period when Edmonton had a serious lead, let's score more! 

 

There is a mindset that's firmly ensconced by Babs and it's going to take some time for TO to free itself of this and realize that Babs' way is one way but probably not the best way for this team.

 

Now I'm seeing TO's speed and talent!!!

[WordsOfWisdom]

1 hour ago, hobie said:

Now I'm seeing TO's speed and talent!!!

 

They've been a lot more fun to watch lately.   

[hobie]

 

I'm pretty sure if Babs was coaching tonite TO would've lost. TO was stale from the git go but Keefe was patient waiting till the last 1/4 of the 2nd to start tinkering. Babs would've stuck with the same lines and he would've expected TO to defend it's way to victory. I never understood how Babs figured TO could win when the puck was living in the Leafs end, Babs might've changed up the lines for one shift, maybe. Keefe decreased the icetime of the players who weren't doing anything and upped the icetime of those who were trying.

 

It's so refreshing to see a coach coach rather than have a coach trapped in their own thoughts.

 

We're seeing the team that Dubie wants, exciting winning hockey.

[WordsOfWisdom]

16 minutes ago, hobie said:

 

I'm pretty sure if Babs was coaching tonite TO would've lost. TO was stale from the git go but Keefe was patient waiting till the last 1/4 of the 2nd to start tinkering. Babs would've stuck with the same lines and he would've expected TO to defend it's way to victory. I never understood how Babs figured TO could win when the puck was living in the Leafs end, Babs might've changed up the lines for one shift, maybe. Keefe decreased the icetime of the players who weren't doing anything and upped the icetime of those who were trying.

 

It's so refreshing to see a coach coach rather than have a coach trapped in their own thoughts.

 

We're seeing the team that Dubie wants, exciting winning hockey.

 

It's a huge change. The team is firing on all cylinders now... and just in time because there's still a chance for a playoff spot in this division, although it's going to have to be a top 3 position because I think both wild cards are coming out of the Metro division this season.

 

The best thing that could happen to Babcock is five years of hockey exile. If he gets rewarded with another coaching gig this season then he'll never change his ways. 

 

The Leafs have a soft schedule to finish up the month of December. This is the time to grab back all those lost points.