Seattle Metropolitans.

Seattle Spanish Influenza.
- Atomic Wedgie

Seattle Soundgarden.

Did you figure out Kodi yet?

..but
- senstroll

- Fruitcakenipple

calm down

calm down
- Symba007

NO....

thats what great coaching does for a team.....
- ToMaLe

Leafs have enough cash to buy Gallant out of that sinbin VEGAS

meh, wasn't that bad of a hit.

Schultz right back out on the ice no doubt?
- Garnie

Actually he missed the rest of the game. Are you close to Ontario? I would happily give you a demonstration where we recreate the events exactly. I’ll play Brown and you can play Shultz. Then we’ll see how bad the hit was.



Watch out Garn!
- AdamFrench

Guy must be a real puss

BRING IT ON FRENCHIE

thats what great coaching does for a team.....
- ToMaLe

Gallant has a lot of talent on that team but more than anything, he has 20 guys that were deemed expendable by their former team so he has the perfect "Us vs. Them" scenario.

You know how it feels like every single time the Leafs play a team with a former Leaf on it, the former Leaf scores, sometimes even the GWG? He has 20 guys like that, every single night.

Zaitsev should be back soon? Perfect guy to blame the total collapse and missing the playoffs on.

Zaitsev should be back soon? Perfect guy to blame the total collapse and missing the playoffs on.
- annoyed

Another couple weeks the earliest for him..

Paul Hendrick

@HennyTweets

·

33m

Leaf lines in Ottawa today JVR-Bozak-Brown Hyman-Matthews-Nylander Marleau-Kadri-Leo Martin—Gauthier-Marner Borgman-Hainsey Gardiner-Carrick Dermott-Polak
- Tumbleweed

Holy poop. The Leafs suck.

I think Babs is a good coach, but the way he favours players is elementary. And let's face it, he won the cup and gold medals on teams that were (frank)in stacked.

Imagine we let him go to Buffalo instead and they were still terrible. That would be epic. It's starting to look like they paid him way too much money.

Gallant has a lot of talent on that team but more than anything, he has 20 guys that were deemed expendable by their former team so he has the perfect "Us vs. Them" scenario.

You know how it feels like every single time the Leafs play a team with a former Leaf on it, the former Leaf scores, sometimes even the GWG? He has 20 guys like that, every single night.
- Unholy_Goalie

So true.

I think Babs is a good coach, but the way he favours players is elementary. And let's face it, he won the cup and gold medals on teams that were (frank)in stacked.

Imagine we let him go to Buffalo instead and they were still terrible. That would be epic. It's starting to look like they paid him way too much money.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

His salary doesn't count against the cap so who cares how much he gets, doesn't affect the product on the ice, Leafs are wealthy, they can afford to overspend for management/coaching

His salary doesn't count against the cap so who cares how much he gets, doesn't affect the product on the ice, Leafs are wealthy, they can afford to overspend for management/coaching
- Symba007

It sends a message that he's untouchable. So imo it does effect the quality of play. I don't think Babs works any less hard, but when someone wields absolute power they tend to let it go to thier head. In a sense he's sort of narcissist. He takes credit for wins or good performances even when they win by playing not how he wants them to. When they were crushing teams with thier offense earlier in the season he had to dial them back and humble them.

It sends a message that he's untouchable. So imo it does effect the quality of play. I don't think Babs works any less hard, but when someone wields absolute power they tend to let it go to thier head. In a sense he's sort of narcissist. He takes credit for wins or good performances even when they win by playing not how he wants them to. When they were crushing teams with thier offense earlier in the season he had to dial them back and humble them.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

oh

I think Babs is a good coach, but the way he favours players is elementary. And let's face it, he won the cup and gold medals on teams that were (frank)in stacked.

Imagine we let him go to Buffalo instead and they were still terrible. That would be epic. It's starting to look like they paid him way too much money.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Babcock winning a gold medal is an interesting proof of good coaching. On the one hand, he easily had the best roster imaginable by a wide margin. On the other, it takes a special kind of coach to manage those types of egos and guide them to victory. It's similar to Scotty Bowman winning so many Cups. He always had the best teams so was it his coaching or his ego management skills that really won those Cups? A great coach might not manage the egos very well and get cast aside rather quickly. But, a guy who manages all the egos but doesn't understand the Xs and Os doesn't win either.

All that being said, different teams need different coaches to maximize their success. I like most things about Babcock and maybe he's perfect for the Leafs in the sense that he won't allow the young core to develop egos and bad habits. But on the other hand, he's so ultra competitive and wants to win so badly, that his song and dance could become tiresome and the room eventually tunes him out and it's easier to replace one coach than 20 players.

Coaches are hired to be fired so at the end of the day, it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't survive the length of his contract but it also wouldn't surprise me if he never gets fired and they just get rid of every guy he doesn't like along the way. Time will tell.

It sends a message that he's untouchable. So imo it does effect the quality of play. I don't think Babs works any less hard, but when someone wields absolute power they tend to let it go to thier head. In a sense he's sort of narcissist. He takes credit for wins or good performances even when they win by playing not how he wants them to. When they were crushing teams with thier offense earlier in the season he had to dial them back and humble them.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

You kind of want the coach to be untouchable sometimes because it sends a message to the players that they can't drag their feet for two months and hope he gets fired. They have to get on board and play the way they are instructed to play.

It only really (frank)s things up if the coach is clueless (like Ron Wilson was) which I doubt anybody will agree Babcock is. It's the old argument about a benevolent dictator.

You kind of want the coach to be untouchable sometimes because it sends a message to the players that they can't drag their feet for two months and hope he gets fired. They have to get on board and play the way they are instructed to play.

It only really (frank)s things up if the coach is clueless (like Ron Wilson was) which I doubt anybody will agree Babcock is. It's the old argument about a benevolent dictator.
- Unholy_Goalie

It's an interesting take (both replies), but I still think if you have the best team you have the best chance of winning regardless of the ego maintenance that is required. More importantly imo you must be able to change with the game. If you lack the ability to see where things are going wrong you'll just become redundant. Babs isn't stupid, he knows that it's all about speed now, but he seems to still put emphasis on other things disproportionately. Such as trying to protect a lead by using "defensively minded" players. The Leafs are a high powered offense I say let them live and die by it instead of getting a few goals then sitting back and defending. Make teams try to skate with them.

It's an interesting take (both replies), but I still think if you have the best team you have the best chance of winning regardless of the ego maintenance that is required. More importantly imo you must be able to change with the game. If you lack the ability to see where things are going wrong you'll just become redundant. Babs isn't stupid, he knows that it's all about speed now, but he seems to still put emphasis on other things disproportionately. Such as trying to protect a lead by using "defensively minded" players. The Leafs are a high powered offense I say let them live and die by it instead of getting a few goals then sitting back and defending. Make teams try to skate with them.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

The problem with just letting the kids play run and gun hockey is that it doesn't work, especially when the games matter. The year the 18 wheeler went off the cliff, the Leafs were playing run and gun hockey and it blew up in their face because when the games matter, they lost the game. Same with the playoffs against Boston. It's unsustainable hockey and Babcock knows he has to break the bad habits before they even start.

The only real problem I've had with him is exactly as you said; speed vs. defense. On the one hand, he wants speed, on the other, he puts Komarov and Polak out there every night. It's a paradox that he hasn't identified yet. Like a coaching blind spot.

Let's keep in mind the Leafs are right around where a lot of people thought they would/should be at this point. They are one and a half seasons away from a dead last finish. Last year they crushed all sorts of rookie team records and took a huge step forward. They've been scuffling lately, but in the big picture I don't really see cause for concern with the coaching, or the team in general. You could move the lines around all you want, teams like Tampa have something you can't line change for, that's experience.

Let's keep in mind the Leafs are right around where a lot of people thought they would/should be at this point. They are one and a half seasons away from a dead last finish. Last year they crushed all sorts of rookie team records and took a huge step forward. They've been scuffling lately, but in the big picture I don't really see cause for concern with the coaching, or the team in general. You could move the lines around all you want, teams like Tampa have something you can't line change for, that's experience.
- Zezel

There's a lot of people out there with much higher expectations than that. A lot of people out there that think "as long as you make the playoffs, anything can happen". Also, people have this stupid idea about progress being linear. It almost never is. But some people think that because they took Washington to OT of game 6 last year that it automatically means they should be contenders this year. There's a reason why Vegas odds had the Leafs as the favorite to win the Cup in October; they knew idiots out there would actually put money on it.

There's a lot of people out there with much higher expectations than that. A lot of people out there that think "as long as you make the playoffs, anything can happen". Also, people have this stupid idea about progress being linear. It almost never is. But some people think that because they took Washington to OT of game 6 last year that it automatically means they should be contenders this year. There's a reason why Vegas odds had the Leafs as the favorite to win the Cup in October; they knew idiots out there would actually put money on it.
- Unholy_Goalie

Ha ha, I did put money on it, but I was having some fun with it. 16 to 1 seemed like a fun pull of the slot machine. That was my gambling for the year. It's been worth talking poop about it already.

I agree about the non-linear progress...and people seem unrealistically impatient. Like a half season in, the Leafs aren't the top seed and aren't rolling along crushing teams, all of a sudden Babcock's this, Babcock's that, it's crazy. Give the man a chance to work with a young team. People seem to forget what watching previous Leaf teams was like. Compared to that, I really can't complain right now. I'm enjoying this.

Ha ha, I did put money on it, but I was having some fun with it. 16 to 1 seemed like a fun pull of the slot machine. That was my gambling for the year. It's been worth talking poop about it already.

I agree about the non-linear progress...and people seem unrealistically impatient. Like a half season in, the Leafs aren't the top seed and aren't rolling along crushing teams, all of a sudden Babcock's this, Babcock's that, it's crazy. Give the man a chance to work with a young team. People seem to forget what watching previous Leaf teams was like. Compared to that, I really can't complain right now. I'm enjoying this.
- Zezel

Leafs are broken right now, that's why we're freaking out. It's a big part of being a sports fan, you complain when they aren't performing. It's 100% mental I think tho and I'm probably being a little unfair to Babs. When Brown and Nylander were swapped boom two quick goals. Maybe they just need a change of perspective.

Ha ha, I did put money on it, but I was having some fun with it. 16 to 1 seemed like a fun pull of the slot machine. That was my gambling for the year. It's been worth talking poop about it already.

I agree about the non-linear progress...and people seem unrealistically impatient. Like a half season in, the Leafs aren't the top seed and aren't rolling along crushing teams, all of a sudden Babcock's this, Babcock's that, it's crazy. Give the man a chance to work with a young team. People seem to forget what watching previous Leaf teams was like. Compared to that, I really can't complain right now. I'm enjoying this.
- Zezel

Can't say I'm a gambler but that seems like a waste of money to me. But if that's your gambling for the whole year, sure, why not? I was talking about people actually expecting to win though and people who think the Leafs are just as likely to go on a miracle run as other previous teams like LA or Nashville. Fact is, those teams played "the right way" and were very defensive teams. Almost the polar opposite of the Leafs right now.

I'd rather people complain about Babcock than the young guys at this point. It's a better argument that Babcock is being stubborn than it is that 20 year olds should be perfect players. I couldn't care less if the fans and the media ran a coach out of town but it would be really sad to see them do it to a young player on this team. It's been a very long time since the Leafs had this much talent and youth all at the same time and the last thing we need is for Toronto fans / media to give them a reason to leave or want out.

Leafs are broken right now, that's why we're freaking out. It's a big part of being a sports fan, you complain when they aren't performing. It's 100% mental I think tho and I'm probably being a little unfair to Babs. When Brown and Nylander were swapped boom two quick goals. Maybe they just need a change of perspective.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Broken is a team like Montreal or Ottawa; a team that should be a contender but isn't because their GM is an idiot. Both have arguably the best player at their position in Price and Karlsson, both have gone to the Conference Finals once and both are failing to live up to their expectations because the core of their team is mediocre at best. Those are teams doomed to mediocrity until their star players are forced to retire or be traded because of frustration. That was the Leafs with Sundin. One world class player surrounded by annual patch jobs. Pretenders.

The Leafs are far from broken. The Leafs were broken under Wilson and Carlyle. They were always gunning for 8th place and never going anywhere. The Leafs are a very young, very talented team that is learning how to play the right way. If five years from now, they're still 3rd in the division and getting bounced in the 1st round every year (or worse than that), then you might be able to call them broken, but for right now, they're exactly where they should be.