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2018-19 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

Zee said:
CarltonTheBear said:
Last season the Leafs had 9 games go to the shootout. 8 games left this season and they still haven't had one.
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You've doomed the Leafs to have the final 8 games all go to shootout.
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Let's tag-team on reverse jinxing again Zee.  I predict that the Leafs' opponents will all forfeit their remaining games with us.
 
https://twitter.com/LeafsNews/status/1108539448642424832
This type of stuff will come in handy vs Boston. Also Naz naztiness (without the suspensions). You can put a guy out with a clean hit. Good in a 7-game series.
 
didn't see the whole game, that hit was just what we need. Muzzin should be giving lessons to our other D in how to dish out the punishment.
 
https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2019/3/22/18277078/kyle-dubas-is-not-your-mary-sue-toronto-maple-leafs-fans-and-media-have-drama-llama-minds

Katya's great

The reality of the coaching-GM divide is that the GM has to take a more nuanced view that mixes long- and short-term goals on the ice with salary cap concerns, the minor leagues and all the other things that go into running a team. A coach has more immediate concerns.

But the thing about this story that?s being written across the internet and that misses the mark the most for me is the idea that Dubas and Babcock are philosophically miles apart. This is not borne out by the evidence of how Babcock talks about hockey in a general way, and how the Process Man, Kyle Dubas, talks about everything.

Babcock doesn?t use college boy words, but he talks about mental preparation, physical readiness, routines, healthy lifestyles, which is all process talk. He talks about players needing to execute well over and over and how that?s the path to success. Process talk. He also does not punish players for bad shooting percentages. Process over results. He does move players to the fourth line sometimes, which does not at all upset me. And he says it?s to give them a chance to just play and stop thinking. Process talk.
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Highlander said:
didn't see the whole game, that hit was just what we need. Muzzin should be giving lessons to our other D in how to dish out the punishment.
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Is it a matter of learning how or of wanting to hit? A lot of our players are just not suited to playing rough and tough hockey. It seems that's the only type of player that teams like the Bruins have, for instance.

It's a very specific type of team Dubas as built, and is continuing to build in Toronto. Very different from a close checking, defensively tight , punishing type of team. He is clearly hoping speed and skill can overcome those grinding teams. Lets hope he's right. But the jury is still out.

I know that's essentially stating the obvious but you do have to question his philosophy of compiling these speedy skilled , often smallish forwards especially if they show once again this spring they cannot compete with teams like Boston come playoff time.
 
This is my philosophy, but I think the evidence points to it being Dubas and Babcock's view as well: the priority is having the puck and it shouldn't matter how you make that happen so long as you're effective at it. Hitting is merely a means to an end, and the types of players who have to rely solely on that method to be effective have a much shorter shelf life. Babcock clearly does prefer having the larger player when skill is equal because of the advantages it entails.

Better at puck taking via...
Stick: Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Tavares, Gardiner, Dermott, Rielly (sort of)
Body: Hyman, Muzzin, Zaitsev, Dermott, Moore, Johnsson, Kapanen, Kadri, Gauthier, Brown
 
https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/1109127904120705024

He?s had a Christmas wish list labeled moar depth every season he?s been here and because this one came around the time of a couple of losses it got blown up.

https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/1109131733826445319

https://twitter.com/mirtle/status/1109127671852789762

He may or may not have been referring to the Edmonton flu.
 
https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/1109468806123085825

Wow so Mike Babcock doesn't care about Gardiner's return to the line-up.
 
Guru Tugginmypuddah said:
CarltonTheBear said:
https://twitter.com/kristen_shilton/status/1109468806123085825

Wow so Mike Babcock doesn't care about Gardiner's return to the line-up.
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I don't think that's what Mike meant, but it's funner to think that. 
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xT0sCeB.gif
 
https://twitter.com/iyer_prashanth/status/1109500436380336128

Shooting talent stabilization

For reference:
https://twitter.com/iyer_prashanth/status/1109512814106996737
https://twitter.com/iyer_prashanth/status/1109504177825333248
https://twitter.com/iyer_prashanth/status/1109508445303128064
 
I suspect the coach is banned from asking about injury status directly of the player given how he pressured players to return too early in his first couple of seasons (source: the latest Leaf Report podcast)
 
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2019/03/23/alec-brownscombe-discusses-mike-babcock-kyle-dubas-controversy-on-tsn1200-im-not-sure-we-are-at-all-at-the-point-where-we-can-legitimately-question-whether-babcock-and-dubas-can-work/

More cogent thoughts from MLHS?s Alec. I?m jealous of how articulate he is.
 
herman said:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2019/03/23/alec-brownscombe-discusses-mike-babcock-kyle-dubas-controversy-on-tsn1200-im-not-sure-we-are-at-all-at-the-point-where-we-can-legitimately-question-whether-babcock-and-dubas-can-work/
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"There is also a certain section of the fan base that views Dubas as their surrogate in the Leafs front office and they project all of their hopes, dreams and beliefs onto him ? everything they believe, he definitely believes because he?s a progressive hockey guy who values analytics. Therefore, whenever they disagree with Babcock?s decisions, Dubas must also disagree with Babcock, and there is no way these two could possibly get along in the long run"

Lol. Pretty much nailed this board.
 
Load management.  It?s what the Raptors do such as resting star forward Kawhi Leonard here and there throughout the season (to prevent recurring injury/health issues which Leonard dealt with when he played for the Spurs).

This has obviously paid off for the Raptors as Leonard is peaking close to the post-season.  The idea to prevent ?wear and tear? helps (older) players particularly in b2b games, etc.

Perhaps it?s time for the Leafs to take a page from the Raptors.  Take Patrick Marleau, among the team?s oldest.  Many noticed that after the NHL ASG break, Marleau had renewed energy.  What of Ron Hainsey?  Certainly he looked absolutely exhausted in last year?s First Round playoff tilt vs Boston.
What of Freddy Andersen, who has faced more shots than any of his competitors. 

It wouldn?t hurt to give some of your veteran players and other cornerstones  ? Andersen, Marleau, Kadri, Hainsey, even Reilly, etcetera ? a chance to recharge & refresh.  The problem is that hockey isn?t basketball (schedule, nature of the game, attitudes (players wanting to play and balking at the idea of taking ?time off?), parity, etc.).

Load management wouldn?t necessarily work the same way for the Leafs as it does for the Raptors.  If done judiciously and wisely, it could provide benefits.

[tweet]1109112853502398465[/tweet]
 
herman said:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2019/03/23/alec-brownscombe-discusses-mike-babcock-kyle-dubas-controversy-on-tsn1200-im-not-sure-we-are-at-all-at-the-point-where-we-can-legitimately-question-whether-babcock-and-dubas-can-work/

More cogent thoughts from MLHS?s Alec. I?m jealous of how articulate he is.
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Nice one Herman and yes he is very articulate.
 
Highlander said:
herman said:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2019/03/23/alec-brownscombe-discusses-mike-babcock-kyle-dubas-controversy-on-tsn1200-im-not-sure-we-are-at-all-at-the-point-where-we-can-legitimately-question-whether-babcock-and-dubas-can-work/

More cogent thoughts from MLHS?s Alec. I?m jealous of how articulate he is.
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Nice one Herman and yes he is very articulate.
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Excellent articulation of facts on the state of the Maple Leafs.  Brownscombe summetd it up succinctly in a manner not seen by media people spewing out all kinds of theories on the state of the Leafs.

I much prefer Brownscombe?s analysis of events.
 
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