Has anybody thought of this? Gilmour leaves his position of President of an OHL team to just become like a paid face for the Leafs. What if and this is a long shot what if. He's being put behind the scenes as a possible replacement for Keefe, who moves up if and or when Babcock is shown the door. My theory but I wanna call it first. Lol
- Buck Norris

I thought about that at the time they announced it till they said he was an ambassador... you'd think if the plan was to have him behind any bench then he would work in hockey ops or go on the bench with keefe...

Dougie tried the coaching thing but moved out of it once he was with the frontenacs... him becoming an ambassador sems more like he's done with the stress of managing and just wants a cushy job with the leafs where he can go to games and be revered for the next few decades. Which... who would blame him...

I thought about that at the time they announced it till they said he was an ambassador... you'd think if the plan was to have him behind any bench then he would work in hockey ops or go on the bench with keefe...

Dougie tried the coaching thing but moved out of it once he was with the frontenacs... him becoming an ambassador sems more like he's done with the stress of managing and just wants a cushy job with the leafs where he can go to games and be revered for the next few decades. Which... who would blame him...
- Bleedz_Blue

Personally I would have dougie and wendal just stand outside the dressing room when the team is getting ready... just stand there mean-muggin the team and remind them who they play for and what it means to be a leaf...

How could any of them catch eyes with those two and not be humbled and fired up to put everything on the line every shift...

Leafs are 4th worst in the league in GA. Boston is 1st overall.

Personally I would have dougie and wendal just stand outside the dressing room when the team is getting ready... just stand there mean-muggin the team and remind them who they play for and what it means to be a leaf...

How could any of them catch eyes with those two and not be humbled and fired up to put everything on the line every shift...
- Bleedz_Blue

Would work for about 3-4 games and then it gets old.
Has to come from within the team.

Babcock is known for always putting the team first and going for a win. Except what's funny to me is he hasn't really had success in a decade. Time to make some changes.
- Aaron_85

I can see the argument, and even feel that way myself.

The problem is not Babcock however. It is very simply players who don't give a poop. There is not a lot Babcock can do about it.

All hail Ek.

Ek is a hockey genius.

Remember this?

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...d-Team-to-Toronto/1/18296

Ek was right.

https://www.blogto.com/sp...w-nhl-team-biggest-arena/

AW5
- Atomic Wedgie

I would give Ek credit if he wrote it. Clearly he did not.

The rat with another 5 point game
- 21peter

He combines talent with heart and effort. Not one player on the Leafs does this. Tavares, maybe.

Bïtches and gentlemen!

I fücking love the narrative all over TSN about Willy being a huge pansy..

Gee,, wasn’t someone in here almost everyday saying the exact same thing, 🤔
- Arctic_AARDVARK

I still enjoy people telling me what a great contract that was.
43 pts pace since he signed for 7 million a year.

... yeah let's talk about how it is better to overpay our "stars", while other teams overpay for mediocre talent.

Just make a big ass arena with a hockey rink and bball court. Play the raps and leafs at the same time.
F ya!
- Fakepartofme

lmfaooooooooo 🤣

ufc and leaves🤣lmfaooooooooo

I can see the argument, and even feel that way myself.

The problem is not Babcock however. It is very simply players who don't give a poop. There is not a lot Babcock can do about it.
- Aetherial

A good coach always use the Captain and the A's to make sure all the players are ready to give a 110% effort every night. When your A's are lazy players, things often gets out of hand...

Would work for about 3-4 games and then it gets old.
Has to come from within the team.
- MaximusAurelius

yep

It's stupid how Spezza is being used.

I can see the argument, and even feel that way myself.

The problem is not Babcock however. It is very simply players who don't give a poop. There is not a lot Babcock can do about it.
- Aetherial

Well, Babcock can play Spezza who seems to care a lot mroe than the you get core. But no, he's benched tonight.

It's stupid how Spezza is being used.
- BALUCHA

Yep.

This should get fixed when they waive him.

Leafs are 4th worst in the league in GA. Boston is 1st overall.
- aminnes

Broons are clearly a better defensive team.

But how well would they be doing if Bergeron and debrusk were injured?

Broons are clearly a better defensive team.

But how well would they be doing if Bergeron and debrusk were injured?
- Tumbleweed

They would probably still do good. Their depth players would step up.

They always find way.

Well, Babcock can play Spezza who seems to care a lot mroe than the you get core. But no, he's benched tonight.
- BALUCHA

He’s not that good, and he took a couple penalties last game...not a big deal.

He’ll get back in

Was bored last night so I watched the Pens vs Bruins for a while. I was startled at the difference in the style and intensity of that game compared to all the Leafs games this year. Both those teams played hard, gritty games. No one was afraid to go in corners or take the body. After whistler lots of them were face washing and throwing jabs. Guys like Malkin etc. It was the complete opposite of the Leafs and made me realize we will not win anything the way we play on a regular basis. I am ashamed as a Leafs fan... we must be the laughing stock of the league...

Broons are clearly a better defensive team.

But how well would they be doing if Bergeron and debrusk were injured?
- Tumbleweed

They're also presently getting the league's best goaltending. Rask and Halak are both good goalies, but they aren't the best in the league. Boston is a good team - it's not like WE don't know - but this will average out.

Meh.

Leafs weren't really supposed to make the playoffs the first 2 years.

Outplayed the broons and got beat by rask and their pp last year.

Needs to win this year. Will be a different team when they have 2 first lines back instead of running with 2 4th lines.
- Tumbleweed

The 1st year sure, but the 2nd they were.

Leafs are 4th worst in the league in GA. Boston is 1st overall.
- aminnes

Not a huge surprise
The teams overall D has been bad for years.

He’s not that good, and he took a couple penalties last game...not a big deal.

He’ll get back in
- Garnie

I don’t get why Babs isn’t allowed to believe in a player more than another player.

Everyone on here is allowed to do it.

Shore and Spezza aren’t far apart, there is a case for both players.

If you like Spezza better well then suck it up, because it seems Babs disagrees.

Broons are clearly a better defensive team.

But how well would they be doing if Bergeron and debrusk were injured?
- Tumbleweed

The leafs werent great prior to Jt getting injured.
Bergeron was out 16 games last year.....bruins were 9-6-1.
So they would be fine.
Gotta find another excuse.

They're also presently getting the league's best goaltending. Rask and Halak are both good goalies, but they aren't the best in the league. Boston is a good team - it's not like WE don't know - but this will average out.
- Monkeypunk

Ya, people said that last year

He’s not that good, and he took a couple penalties last game...not a big deal.

He’ll get back in
- Garnie

You know . . . it's a 4th line role for 12 minutes / game, but I still don't get the appeal for Shore over Spezza.

Shore has played 12 games; Spezza 9.
Shore has 1 point. Spezza has 4.
They've both taken 3 penalties; Spezza has drawn 1.
Shore has given 6 hits to Spezza's 3.
Shore is winning faceoffs at 60.8% to Spezza's 50.7%
Spezza's had only 3 minutes on the PK, but Shore has only had 10.

But the thing that gets me - and it's a "fancy stat", but it bears noting. They have played frequently in a similar 4th line. Because of the Tavares injury, you have to look more at Gauthier because he's the common link.

Spezza with Gauthier has a +6 shot and scoring chance advantage and +2 in High Danger chances generated.

Shore with Gauthier is -17 in shots for, -1 scoring chances, and -8 High Danger chances generated.

Spezza is slow, but he is generating. All of his predominant linemates this year - Kapanen, Moore, Petan and Gauthier have a better expected Goals For when playing with Spezza. Ignoring the fancy stats, that is also what my eyes tell me when I watch the games. He's slow, but he is contributing.

Shore so far has been good on face offs, and that's honestly about it.