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2017-18 Toronto Maple Leafs - General Discussion

Everyone forgets Griffith. In this case, I don't think he's the one Babcock was talking about though.

Quote context:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/10/25/mike-babcock-jvrs-status-josh-leivos-patience/
How have you seen Josh Leivo tackle the mental challenge here where he?s always kind of on standby but never knows when he?s going to play?

Babcock: I think Leivs has been great with that. We?ve talked about it lots. We?ve had players here in the past that were disgruntled and then when they went somewhere else, they found out they weren?t NHL players. Just keep getting better every day. You?re getting paid to get better. You?re getting paid to train. When you get your chance ? he?s getting a chance for sure ? be ready and make sure no one can take you out. The beauty of the system is, once you get in, if you play good enough, no one takes you out.
 
herman said:
Quote context:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/10/25/mike-babcock-jvrs-status-josh-leivos-patience/
How have you seen Josh Leivo tackle the mental challenge here where he?s always kind of on standby but never knows when he?s going to play?

Babcock: I think Leivs has been great with that. We?ve talked about it lots. We?ve had players here in the past that were disgruntled and then when they went somewhere else, they found out they weren?t NHL players. Just keep getting better every day. You?re getting paid to get better. You?re getting paid to train. When you get your chance ? he?s getting a chance for sure ? be ready and make sure no one can take you out. The beauty of the system is, once you get in, if you play good enough, no one takes you out.

I mean that underlined part is like 100% untrue. Leivo was practically one of the Leafs best players in that 10 game or whatever stretch he played last season and went directly back into the pressbox once we got healthy after that despite playing "good enough".
 
CarltonTheBear said:
herman said:
Quote context:
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2017/10/25/mike-babcock-jvrs-status-josh-leivos-patience/
How have you seen Josh Leivo tackle the mental challenge here where he?s always kind of on standby but never knows when he?s going to play?

Babcock: I think Leivs has been great with that. We?ve talked about it lots. We?ve had players here in the past that were disgruntled and then when they went somewhere else, they found out they weren?t NHL players. Just keep getting better every day. You?re getting paid to get better. You?re getting paid to train. When you get your chance ? he?s getting a chance for sure ? be ready and make sure no one can take you out. The beauty of the system is, once you get in, if you play good enough, no one takes you out.

I mean that underlined part is like 100% untrue. Leivo was practically one of the Leafs best players in that 10 game or whatever stretch he played last season and went directly back into the pressbox once we got healthy after that despite playing "good enough".

He's been saying a version of that all season, and I laugh because Matt Martin is still in the lineup.
 
What I don't quite understand is the Mitch Marner demotion.  Ever since Babcock did that, the Leafs haven't been the same.  Then last night he shuffled the lineup again.  There's that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  The Leafs were in first place overall in the league when Babcock demoted Marner.  He is not a fourth line player.  He is an elite offensive talent.  I will say Kapanen is better than a bunch of the other forwards currently with the club, so I say keep him up.  Aside from that, though, they should revert to the forward lines they used at the beginning of the season.

I'm not saying Marner is perfect or that he doesn't have stuff to work on.  He does.  Don Cherry was right last night when he pointed out Marner's lazy backchecking that led to a goal by Philly.  Players shouldn't have to be demoted when they have to work on something.  Marner is young and I'm sure he's coachable.
 
sickbeast said:
What I don't quite understand is the Mitch Marner demotion.  Ever since Babcock did that, the Leafs haven't been the same.  Then last night he shuffled the lineup again.  There's that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

But it was broke. The team was scoring in bunches and their defensive issues were being covered up. The scoring slowed down and the defense remained terrible over the last few games.
Is Marner a 4th line player? No. He knows that and Babcock knows that. When players stink, the first step is to try and correct their habits. When that doesn't happen, what choice does a coach really have other than to send a message by demotion?

 
OldTimeHockey said:
sickbeast said:
What I don't quite understand is the Mitch Marner demotion.  Ever since Babcock did that, the Leafs haven't been the same.  Then last night he shuffled the lineup again.  There's that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

But it was broke. The team was scoring in bunches and their defensive issues were being covered up. The scoring slowed down and the defense remained terrible over the last few games.
Is Marner a 4th line player? No. He knows that and Babcock knows that. When players stink, the first step is to try and correct their habits. When that doesn't happen, what choice does a coach really have other than to send a message by demotion?
Well I?m just glad that Babcock has gone back to what was working. Hopefully Marner got the message. I hope they showed him the video clip Don Cherry showed also. Marner is fast, young, and fit. There is absolutely no excuse for not backchecking.
 
sickbeast said:
OldTimeHockey said:
sickbeast said:
What I don't quite understand is the Mitch Marner demotion.  Ever since Babcock did that, the Leafs haven't been the same.  Then last night he shuffled the lineup again.  There's that old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

But it was broke. The team was scoring in bunches and their defensive issues were being covered up. The scoring slowed down and the defense remained terrible over the last few games.
Is Marner a 4th line player? No. He knows that and Babcock knows that. When players stink, the first step is to try and correct their habits. When that doesn't happen, what choice does a coach really have other than to send a message by demotion?
Well I?m just glad that Babcock has gone back to what was working. Hopefully Marner got the message. I hope they showed him the video clip Don Cherry showed also. Marner is fast, young, and fit. There is absolutely no excuse for not backchecking.

He's young and bound to make mistakes. How much he learns from those mistakes will show what kind of hockey player he really is.
 
https://twitter.com/HennyTweets/status/925454360296923137
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/925453707671511040

Shake and Bake...
 
disco said:
https://twitter.com/HennyTweets/status/925454360296923137
https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/925453707671511040

Shake and Bake...
Finally Babs is getting it. Perhaps Lou put him in a headlock. Half Nelson
 
Like I mentioned in the GDT, something in Andersen's game was definitely off.
https://theathletic.com/142816/2017/10/31/frederik-andersens-latest-techincal-struggle-and-how-he-can-fix-it/

Good news: it's easily fixable.
 
The Leafs have a really tough schedule the next few games.  Chances are they will come out at around .500.  Not good at all considering their hot start.  I really think Babcock is going to be able to fix this though.  The opposing teams have figured out how to neutralize the Leafs' offense, and the Leafs aren't much of a team with their offense neutralized.  Babcock just needs to figure this out, and I think he will.  Andersen hasn't been bad, either.  The defense and team play in front of him hasn't been good enough.  Sure he could be better but he is the last guy they should be blaming or worrying about.

I notice that the opposing teams are lining up five guys on their defensive blue line and then the Leafs are unable to penetrate the zone.  The Leafs need a new strategy, it might be dump and chase or something else.  It's hard to carry the puck over the line with five guys standing there waiting for you.
 
https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2017/11/2/16593106/toronto-maple-leafs-beat-ottawa-senators-1-3-1-forecheck

Bounce pass!
 
Mike Kelly highlighting a few plays that make Connor Brown the top offensive zone stick check'er (by whatever his and his company's criteria for that is):

https://twitter.com/MikeKellyNHL/status/926472778206859264

I get why Babcock likes Hyman on that top line but most of what he does in terms of board work Brown can do just as well, and he has a much better scoring touch. Both are right-handed shots so there's no difference there. Brown might not have as much experience on the left side but I don't think Hyman did either when he first went there. You can't tell me a player as smart as Brown wouldn't be able to figure things out on his off-wing.
 

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