Leafs @ Avalanche 7pm EST Saturday November 23,2019 SN, CBC, TSN Radio 1050

[TML fan]

That call was ungood.

 

[ZBBM]

2 big stops.

 

[AvroArrow]

Andy!

 

[L K]

If Rielly is going to kill penalties I like Muzzin/Ceci and Holl/Rielly better as defense pairings.  I'm liking Keefe's adjustments to the roster so far.

 

[herman]

Leafs look like a completely different team. Its amazing.

It's not quite the same but the first handful of games last year they seemed to just overwhelm teams with their offense.  This is like a considerably better version of that.

The major indictment is that this team was like two procedural tweaks from this

 

[ZBBM]

What a period.  Give up a real weak one right off the bat.  AND THEY DIDN'T FOLD.

What???

 

[disco]

I've... I've never felt so alive.

 

[ZBBM]

If Rielly is going to kill penalties I like Muzzin/Ceci and Holl/Rielly better as defense pairings.  I'm liking Keefe's adjustments to the roster so far.

He brought Barrie and Rielly out for an attacking zone draw IIRC.  Like, he wants to, you know, attack.

 

[ZBBM]

Leafs look like a completely different team. Its amazing.

It's not quite the same but the first handful of games last year they seemed to just overwhelm teams with their offense.  This is like a considerably better version of that.

The major indictment is that this team was like two procedural tweaks from this

Well, I owe Barrie a big apology, that's for sure.  Looks like he was well and truly straitjacketed by Mike.

 

[lc9]

4 periods in, it?s very apparent that Keefe understand the way this team is supposed to play. 

Honest question, why was babcock so stubborn?

 

[ZBBM]

I've... I've never felt so alive.

  ;D

 

[ZBBM]

Dubas deglassed?

 

[bustaheims]

Leafs look like a completely different team. Its amazing.

It's not quite the same but the first handful of games last year they seemed to just overwhelm teams with their offense.  This is like a considerably better version of that.

The major indictment is that this team was like two procedural tweaks from this

Yup. Looks like Babcock mostly made the wrong tweaks.

 

[ZBBM]

Hooray!  Dubas endorses more physicality.

 

[herman]

I still think it?s wasn?t necessarily wrong to try to instill defensive practices, but I like it the way Dubas and Keefe want it done: very aggressive puck retrieval before they even get to come out of their zone. Lots of coordination required so we will likely see some baaad looking breakdowns as the season wears on. But if we also get 3-4 goals per bad chance against, oh well.

It would have been very easy for Babcock to build that into the program, especially with these ponies. Unfortunately he refused to.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Dubas deglassed?

Wearing a headset with glasses is a pain in the ass.

 

[Hobbes]

Leafs look like a completely different team. Its amazing.

It's not quite the same but the first handful of games last year they seemed to just overwhelm teams with their offense.  This is like a considerably better version of that.

The major indictment is that this team was like two procedural tweaks from this

Yup. Looks like Babcock mostly made the wrong tweaks.

There was a piece in The Athletic highlighting some of the differences we might expect between Keefe and Babcock. Once of the points made was that Babcock has a certain idea of how he wants his team to play, and the role he has for each player, and he expects the players to fit themselves into whatever job he assigns them (and, though not in the article, also by inference expects his GM to supply players that fit those roles). Keefe's approach is to have a general idea of how he wants his team to play, then looks for ways to maximize each player's talents/strengths within that general system, even if that means trying many assorted tweaks to the methods until they hit on the right ones.

Babcock is a fantastic coach if he has the right players to suit his idea of the ideal team -- like one built by Hockey Canada, tailored to his requirements and not subject to cap considerations -- but maybe is a bit too prone to keep trying to hammer square pegs into round holes.

 

[ZBBM]

Dubas deglassed?

Wearing a headset with glasses is a pain in the ass.

Or maybe he only wore glasses to appease Mike Babcock and now he's freed himself too! 

 

[L K]

I still think it?s wasn?t necessarily wrong to try to instill defensive practices, but I like it the way Dubas and Keefe want it done: very aggressive puck retrieval before they even get to come out of their zone. Lots of coordination required so we will likely see some baaad looking breakdowns as the season wears on. But if we also get 3-4 goals per bad chance against, oh well.

It would have been very easy for Babcock to build that into the program, especially with these ponies. Unfortunately he refused to.

I'll take the bad breakdowns that come at the expense of creative puck control over the 4-5 baaaaaad breakdowns that were happening while the team tried to play the way they were before.

 

[herman]

I still think it?s wasn?t necessarily wrong to try to instill defensive practices, but I like it the way Dubas and Keefe want it done: very aggressive puck retrieval before they even get to come out of their zone. Lots of coordination required so we will likely see some baaad looking breakdowns as the season wears on. But if we also get 3-4 goals per bad chance against, oh well.

It would have been very easy for Babcock to build that into the program, especially with these ponies. Unfortunately he refused to.

I'll take the bad breakdowns that come at the expense of creative puck control over the 4-5 baaaaaad breakdowns that were happening while the team tried to play the way they were before.

Aye, verily.

Perhaps we will sing a different tune when our shooting percentage is no bueno. But I think if we just keep pressing and blitzing their recoveries, we?ll breakdown their structure with sheer will.