I’m sorry the Leafs defense is great. We’re seeing that keep on keeping on👍
- Cptmjl

Rielly has struggled this season

Seeya Mikey.

I’m sorry the Leafs defense is great. We’re seeing that keep on keeping on👍
- Cptmjl

What hes trying to is reilly is having a poop season, and yet is still producing at a prettt good clip. I think onve he gets over whatever injury he has he will be back to what he was doing last year, which was leading all nhl dmen in goals and putting up 70 points.

Never said that. But i would like to see guys put in positions to succeed before giving up on them.
- mykokes

I would say Babcock is most likely gone. The Leafs are better than they are right now of course but to me their defense is suspect. That along with the lack of backbone will continue to haunt them at least to an extent imo.

Rielly has struggled this season
- Landsbergfan

I wish they would actually tell us why he was missing practices...but maybe its somethint that the opposing team could capitalize on if they knew.

Rielly has struggled this season
- Landsbergfan

I hear you but one defenseman doesn’t make a defense. You need depth in this league.

I wish they would actually tell us why he was missing practices...but maybe its somethint that the opposing team could capitalize on if they knew.
- mykokes

If it’s serious enough to hamper his play I can’t understand why they wouldn’t shut him down? If that’s the case that may bite them in the ass long term.

Babcock doesn't even play the players properly Dubas gives him. It's insane Tyson Barrie has never had a shift on the 1st PP unit. That's on Babcock.
- RogerRoeper

Truthfully the stats show this falls on Nylander.. Since Nylander last year they are a sub .500 team...Pre-Nylander they were top 5.

A lot of rumors swirling over the last few minutes here regarding the Leafs and Mike Babcock.

The last few minutes is a long time in Toronto I guess..

Cole Caufield trending #1 on hockeyDB









Now if that doesn't speak volumes then I don't know what does

Dubas set the tone for this but getting walked over by the players and has constructed this roster poorly... Babcock has lost the room and seems incapable of coaching the players he has been given..

I think Shanny should pull the plug on both call this season a wash and get ready for next.
- Azuredoom

So are you saying shanny will say this again? "We worked really hard for this pick" one of the funniest things I ever read in hockey was that quote after the draft lottery

Babcock, Dubas and most importantly Shannahan have to go!!!!!

Don’t have the balls to do it

Fans are jumping on Babcock but this mess has to be owned by Dubas. He has assembled a team without character or grit. A defence that supposedly is puck savy but softer than warm butter.

The Leafs are exactly what Dubas wanted. A team built around a magical mathematical formula clearly intending to dominate puck possession.

Well they are actually doing good in their puck possession numbers but they are giving up goals at a criminal level.

Perhaps somebody will finally drive a stake through the heart of the puck possession lunacy. It is absolute nonsense. The Leafs may be masters of possession but they also provide conclusive proof of the idiotic failures that come from making player deals based on fancy stats and the astrology of possession theory.

If you can't stop a team from scoring, possession time is entirely nonsensical.

In simple terms the Leafs are really good when they have the puck. When they don't have the puck they are terrible. Possession time means nothing if the other guys can stuff it down your throat when they enter your zone.

Rielly has struggled this season
- Landsbergfan

He's playing hurt and his numbers are still really good.

[quote=spatso]Fans are jumping on Babcock but this mess has to be owned by Dubas. He has assembled a team without character or grit. A defence that supposedly is puck savy but softer than warm butter.

The Leafs are exactly what Dubas wanted. A team built around a magical mathematical formula clearly intending to dominate puck possession.

Well they are actually doing good in their puck possession numbers but they are giving up goals at a criminal level.

Perhaps somebody will finally drive a stake through the heart of the puck possession lunacy. It is absolute nonsense. The Leafs may be masters of possession but they also provide conclusive proof of the idiotic failures that come from making player deals based on fancy stats and the astrology of possession theory.

If you can't stop a team from scoring, possession time is entirely nonsensical.




The problem with your theory is Babcock has never played the Leafs like they should be. It's on him.

They are an analytics team who are coached by an old school coach putting grinders on every wing and not playing his best players enough.

Truthfully the stats show this falls on Nylander.. Since Nylander last year they are a sub .500 team...Pre-Nylander they were top 5.
- Azuredoom

Oh yes that's the reason. It's not the fact that the goaltending has sucked since that time..

Ron was a stable king, compared to this season Leafs D
- Landsbergfan

He was terrible. The Leafs were good for only 2 months last season with him.

Could be worse Leafs fan. At least you have some great players and fun to watch most of the time. Better than being a Kings fan still watching a big, slow, not too skilled, dump n chase team for the past few years where management doesn't do anything except signing 35 yr old vets and telling us fans "the window is still open to win now." when we know they need to start the rebuild already.

If you have a team full of pluggers who normally wouldn't make the playoffs, and want a coach who'll get you there, he's the guy for you.

If you have a highly talented team, and want a coach who will stifle that talent with a system that designed for pluggers, he's also the guy for you.
- The Shrike

Bingo! That is one good bingo! This guy got it, nice post!

Babcock doesn't even play the players properly Dubas gives him. It's insane Tyson Barrie has never had a shift on the 1st PP unit. That's on Babcock.
- RogerRoeper

Agreed. I get not using Barrie on the number 1 PP unit if things are going well, but the fact that they aren't is a perfect opportunity to try to get him going.

How, in an embarrassing 6-1 loss do you not try out other lines and pairings? As much as the players look like they've given up on the coaches...last night it also looked like the coaches gave up on the players.

Babcock's best year of coaching BY FAR in Toronto was where he had a team full of grinders with no talent in 2015-16. His comments and player usage is so odd. Hyman in his first game in 7 months getting more TOI than Matthews? What?

Babcock's best year of coaching BY FAR in Toronto was where he had a team full of grinders with no talent in 2015-16. His comments and player usage is so odd. Hyman in his first game in 7 months getting more TOI than Matthews? What?
- RogerRoeper

And that was a game they trailed right from the start. I'd understand if they had a good lead. Back off the big guys and let the grinders play more...but in a game where you're playing catch up all game? Why is you're best goal scorer by far not leading the way??

If the Leafs ever manage to win a cup with this core, much thanks will be due to Babcock and his help in molding "gud pros", but this team, in this image, is never going to get better with his usage of players. And he's too stubborn or arrogant to adjust based on the roster in front of him.

Ugh are we still talking about the Leafs...

Enough is enough, the NHL needs to create a new cup called the Rupert Cup and just present it to the Leafs every time they win a game. Maybe hand out some ribbons to each player for participation. Even Coyote fans are shaking their heads.

And that was a game they trailed right from the start. I'd understand if they had a good lead. Back off the big guys and let the grinders play more...but in a game where you're playing catch up all game? Why is you're best goal scorer by far not leading the way??

If the Leafs ever manage to win a cup with this core, much thanks will be due to Babcock and his help in molding "gud pros", but this team, in this image, is never going to get better with his usage of players. And he's too stubborn or arrogant to adjust based on the roster in front of him.
- MarcN

The unbelievable thing about that game a Matthews played 5 full minutes less than the previou game here he a dominat and had 4 point. Babcock omeho thought 1 minute a "ay Too Much" and dial it back to 16 minute. LOL. It' o aburd.