Leafs @ Wild - Dec. 14th, 8:00pm - SNO, TSN 1050
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
disco
New member
If we're gonna lose I wish they'd just open it wide up and lose that way. Just play like we're down 1 or 2 in the third period right off the bat. Usually pretty unwatchable until they feel the need to start pressing. Remember when win or lose they'd score four of five? Man, that was CAN'T MISS TV. This... is not that. I'm almost not that concerned about playoff positioning at this point. I just want the last 60% of this season to be exciting. They certainly have enough creativity to make that happen. Turn 'em loose a bit.
Significantly Insignificant said:
Same.
hockeyfan1
New member
Something to ponder...
[tweet]941325674220064768[/tweet]
One thing that stands out as the writer notes is that by limiting the skilled players' ice time in favour of the grinders, will result in the penalty differential in going from a plus 0.33 to a minus 0.77 with a month-to-month variance.
[tweet]941325674220064768[/tweet]
One thing that stands out as the writer notes is that by limiting the skilled players' ice time in favour of the grinders, will result in the penalty differential in going from a plus 0.33 to a minus 0.77 with a month-to-month variance.
https://twitter.com/mirtle/status/941525104479027200
Maybe Babcock's saving his real coaching for the playoffs.
Maybe Babcock's saving his real coaching for the playoffs.
Strangelove
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
Babcock's comments are disheartening and borderline delusional. The Leafs' play has nothing to do with how hard they are squeezing their sticks and everything to do with the system they are playing and line-up management.
Komarov had over 19 minutes of ice-time in a game we were struggling to score. The defence and forwards were chipping it out/in (and giving the puck away) rather than maintaining possession because that's how they are taught to play. These are issues of Babcock's own creation, and have led to the team not playing well by any metric except goaltending.
OldTimeHockey
Active member
This team was playing a run and gun style game and we knew the offense wasn't going to last. They were scoring at an unsustainable rate and everything in this league levels off eventually. They were also giving goals up at a rate that spelled disaster and that needed to be leveled off immediately or the team would be on the outside looking in.
A good defense creates a good offense. Currently, the offense is taking a hit because of the focus being placed on defense and the group of players not knowing how to transition a defensive stop into an offensive opportunity. This is a young group of hockey players. They are going to take time to adjust and figure it out. As fun as it is to watch a team win 7-6, it's equally as frustrating to watch a team blow 3 or 4 goal leads like they have shown the tendency of doing(both this season and last).
Now, as is evident by the amount of shots being given up, the defense still needs a lot of work. The growing pains will continue.
The team may not be fun to watch right this second but the team needs to learn how to play the game correctly. Winning 7-6 or losing 6-5 isn't learning how to play the game correctly. It's teaching you that the only way to win is to put up 4+ goals a night and we all know that's not going to happen. Not consistently unless you're dressing Gretzky, Kurri, Messier, Coffey and Anderson.
A good defense creates a good offense. Currently, the offense is taking a hit because of the focus being placed on defense and the group of players not knowing how to transition a defensive stop into an offensive opportunity. This is a young group of hockey players. They are going to take time to adjust and figure it out. As fun as it is to watch a team win 7-6, it's equally as frustrating to watch a team blow 3 or 4 goal leads like they have shown the tendency of doing(both this season and last).
Now, as is evident by the amount of shots being given up, the defense still needs a lot of work. The growing pains will continue.
The team may not be fun to watch right this second but the team needs to learn how to play the game correctly. Winning 7-6 or losing 6-5 isn't learning how to play the game correctly. It's teaching you that the only way to win is to put up 4+ goals a night and we all know that's not going to happen. Not consistently unless you're dressing Gretzky, Kurri, Messier, Coffey and Anderson.
OldTimeHockey
Active member
disco said:
That is extremely shortsighted. We'd all love to see them turned loose but that does not lead to success. See the Edmonton Oilers as an example of a team that has "refused" to play the "boring" game and has struggled as a result.
Strangelove
New member
OldTimeHockey said:
So the possession and offence-oriented play of Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh doesn't lead to success?
We can cherry-pick examples all day, but the bottom line, in my mind, is that the Leafs are not playing to their strengths, and that is not a long-term recipe for success.
Strangelove said:
This morning on Ottawa radio, Maguire said that he thought the problem was that they can't seem to marry the defensive system that Babcock wants to play with the offensive skill that they have. He the thinks that at some point they will get it, and at that point, the Leafs will be very dangerous.
OldTimeHockey
Active member
Strangelove said:
You can't compare Toronto to the Pittsburgh Penguins or Tampa Bay yet. They're not there. They're trying to get there. But in order to get there they need to play both ways.
You can't be a team that can only play one style of game and expect to be successful long-term in this league. You have to be able to turn it up when you need to, and shut it down when you have to.