Official '19-'20 NHL Thread - v. Hedman is a cupman.

[KevShmev]

The funny thing is that it is okay for fans to think and joke about it, but the team can't think that way or else they will never get over that mental hurdle, and to be fair, I doubt most teams think about that kind of stuff.

[romdrums]

Damn, if you had told me Babcock would be out of Toronto before Blashill was gone in Detroit, I would’ve laughed at you.  Then again, I think this is a little bit of Babcock taking the fall for Dubas.

[jingle.boy]

Not really... this is about Shanny putting his chips in with Dubas.  Once he was hired (and Lou fired), Babs was never gonna make it to the end of his contract.  The way that Dubas has built the team isn't in sync with how he feels Babs coaches.  Babs isn't taking the fall for Dubas... Dubas is now taking the full spotlight - it's his roster, it's his head coach, and it's his Assistant Coaches.  Nobody to blame now but Dubas (and the players).

One thing that came up in all of the media analysis yesterday (it was insane!) is that the team is 30-28-10 (or something along those lines) for calendar 2019.  So the problems go back all the way to the beginning of the year.  Their 9-10-4 start this year just was a continuation of the slide they were on in 2H last season.

Starting the season, the bar for success was set at a 2-3 round playoff run.  They've regressed so much that the new bar is just MAKING the playoffs.  And once Shanny/Dubas reached that conclusion, the right thing to do was to let Babs go - he couldn't get out of his own way.  So many head-scratching decisions... like why in b2b games, when game 2 is against a divisional opponent, 3 times he put Andersen in net for Game 1, Hutchinson in net for game 2!  Points against Boston/Mtl are far more important than points against Columbus!

The stats are staggering:
26th in GA/game
13th in GF/game
25th in points % (which normalizes points against the number of games played)
mid-20s in both PK and PP
18/23 games they have given up the first goal; they've only held a lead start to finish TWICE
2 regular time wins in the last 16
Only 6 regular time wins - against Sens, CBJ, Wings, Wild, Sharks, Kings.  All teams below them in the standings

After last night, Ottawa has more wins as the Leafs do, with 1 less game played.  Let that sink in.

Pretty sure this was exactly the start I predicted - actually, it's worse.  I figured they'd be a little over .500, not well below it.

[TAC]

Those offensive stats are eye popping. That does not compute.

Chad, do you think JT and Matthews back channeled their coach?

They definitely seemed to have quit in him.

[jingle.boy]

No... JT definitely not, and Matthews is the one bright spot this season (statistically at least), so I don't think either of them submarined Babcock.  I don't think anyone ever would tbh.  Having seen the player interviews yesterday though, it's clear that Matthews is looking forward to not playing for Babcock anymore; Tavares was wearing it heavy, and clearly disappointed that the team's performance led to this.

I will say this, they played a very noticeably different style last night, and it paid off - 17 seconds from a shutout victory against a team that had themselves just come off of back-to-back shutout victories.  So, they stopped the bleeding ... for the moment at least.  We'll see what the game in Denver brings tomorrow night.

[romdrums]

I know Henrik Zetterberg tired of Babcock towards the end of his tenure in Detroit.  I don't think the "Swedish Mafia" guys in Detroit liked Babcock a whole lot.  Dylan Larkin didn't turn pro until after Babcock moved to Toronto.  Johan Franzen did this for Gustav Nyquist after Babcock left:

https://www.instagram.com/p/6PWUb9w-Wb/?utm_source=ig_embed

 

[jingle.boy]

I think, by-and-large, more players have disliked playing for Babcock than have enjoyed it over the years.  Still, he produces.  700 career wins, 2 Olympic Golds, 1 Cup.  Hard to argue with that.  Babs was the right coach at the right time when he was brought in to Toronto, and did a great job turning the franchise around.  There is no arguing that*.  But now?  Not so much.  The young (and overpaid) crew weren't responding to his schemes.  And considering the roster on the ice last night had 9 players that have played for (new coache) Keefe, this will likely be a good thing for the team.  It was a necessary move/decision.

* - Back in '14, it was between Buffalo and Toronto for where Babs was going.  Look what each team has done since then - Leafs; 2 100-point seasons, 3 straight playoff appearances (taking Washington to 6 games, 5 of which were OT) Boston to 7 games twice before choking both series' away.  Buffalo; zero playoff appearances; 3 different head coaches; Top 10 draft pick every year since - including #1 in 2018.

[King Postwhore]

The leafs have choked against Boston a lot earlier then Babcock's tenure.

[jingle.boy]

The leafs have choked against Boston a lot earlier then Babcock's tenure.

The only thing that makes me rage more than blowing a 4-1 Game 7 lead with 11 minutes to go is Kerry Fraser not giving Wayne Gretzky 5-and-a-game for drawing blood against Doug Gilmour in Game 6.  Then Gretz getting the OT winner, and a hat-trick in Game 7.   

[King Postwhore]

Holy crap!  I forgot about that!

[KevShmev]

Wow, I had forgotten about that as well.  I will admit I had some good hatred going for the Leafs around that time since they beat the Blues 6-0 in Game 7 to win that 2nd round series. 

[jingle.boy]

Leaf Nation will NEVER forget that.  The likelihood of a Leafs/Habs final in '93 was very high.  Canada would have lost its shit.  Who knows if there will ever be an all-Canada cup final again.

[KevShmev]

Given how angry and bitter I would have been had the Blues lost that conference finals to the Sharks this past spring after that Game 3 OT BS (as angry as I sounded here, it would have been 10x worse had the Blues gone on to the lose the series), I hear ya.  It sucks when your team gets totally screwed on a missed or bad officiating call in a pivotal playoff game.

[TheCountOfNYC]

What a comeback by the Rangers!!!

[jingle.boy]

What a comeback by the Rangers!!!

That was something else for sure.  3rd comeback from 4-0 in the last two weeks - the Panthers having the other two.  Crazy.

[King Postwhore]

Can't believe the B's came back as well down 4-2 with 5 minutes left.

[jingle.boy]

Can't believe the B's came back as well down 4-2 with 5 minutes left.

It's like there's no such thing as a shut-down defence anymore.

Leafs limped their way to victory last night.  They completely dominated the 1st, then got their asses served up to them in the 2nd and 3rd.  Once again, Andersen saved their bacon.

Few days off, and then it's Detroit and Buffalo back-to-back.  They might just end this tough stretch at 5-4 after starting 0-4.

[KevShmev]

Leafs won again last night?  Man, some franchises have all the luck...

[jingle.boy]

Kev/Gary ... what the fuck was with Bortuzzo? That was brutal - looked like a clear intent to injure to me. Shocking that it was only 4 games, given his history. And Arvidsson is out 4-6 weeks now. 

[TAC]

Bruins new third sweater.

I like it!

https://weei.radio.com/blogs/matt-kalman/the-bruins-unveiled-their-new-third-sweater

[KevShmev]

Kev/Gary ... what the fuck was with Bortuzzo? That was brutal - looked like a clear intent to injure to me. Shocking that it was only 4 games, given his history. And Arvidsson is out 4-6 weeks now.

Very dirty hit.  He's lucky he only got 4 games, and if he had gotten more, I would have been fine with it.  No place in the league for that kind of crap.

[TAC]

Not defending Bortuzzo, but the NHL has long allowed vicious cross checks to the back for far too long. Chris Pronger made a living out of two handing a guy's back. For all of the player safety yadayada, d men crosschecking forwards in front of the net is the one that needs to be legislated out of the game.

[jingle.boy]

The frst hit was bad enough. The second one was just ugly. One of the worst things I've seen in a while.

[gmillerdrake]

Kev/Gary ... what the fuck was with Bortuzzo? That was brutal - looked like a clear intent to injure to me. Shocking that it was only 4 games, given his history. And Arvidsson is out 4-6 weeks now.

Very dirty hit.  He's lucky he only got 4 games, and if he had gotten more, I would have been fine with it.  No place in the league for that kind of crap.

Pretty much that. It’s BS and given his history with that type of thing he should have gotten more.

[jingle.boy]

Ok, so let me get this straight Department of Player Safety.  Bortuzzo's actions warrant a 4-game suspension - a very deliberate cross-check into the cross-bar / net, then a viscous and unprovoked additional cross check on a prone and 100% defenceless and unsuspecting opponent.  Plus, Bortuzzo has a history of this.

Kerfoot, gets 2 games for this hit!?!?  It was the comment in the explanation video that got my blood boiling - "... a forceful shove to the back of a player who is not positioned to adequately protect himself".  First, the Avs player PUT HIMSELF IN THAT POSITION A SPLIT SECOND BEFORE THE HIT.  If he stays upright, he would've gone chest first into the boards like 80% of any other similar hits.  Second, what about your comment just 15 seconds earlier DPS?  "while the hit was not delivered with exceptional force".  Third, Kerfoot has no history - no fines; no suspensions.  But this nets him 2 games?  1/2 of what Bortuzzo got; 2/3 of what spitting on a player gets ya.

I hope I don't sound like a homer here - I'm not... it's not like Kerfoot is a critical element to the Leafs lineup.  But (like the NFL, and I've said this before vis-a-vis the NHL DPS), I'm tired of players putting themselves in vulnerable positions, and then the player making the contact - with no time to change their attack - gets the penalty/suspension.  Was it a 2-minute penalty, absolutely.  Maybe even a major.  But suspendible?  Nuh uh.

[Luoto]

I hope I don't sound like a homer here - I'm not... it's not like Kerfoot is a critical element to the Leafs lineup.  But (like the NFL, and I've said this before vis-a-vis the NHL DPS), I'm tired of players putting themselves in vulnerable positions, and then the player making the contact - with no time to change their attack - gets the penalty/suspension.  Was it a 2-minute penalty, absolutely.  Maybe even a major.  But suspendible?  Nuh uh.

Major penalty is absolutely fine in these cases, but I agree a suspension is questionable here. Johnson was in a natural position to have his back against Kerfoot and make a play, which Kerfoot should've anticipated. Cross-checking someone in the numbers at that distance off the boards is always a dumb move.

[King Postwhore]

Bruins, 7 goals on 20 shots.  Holy shit.

[TAC]

Bruins, 7 goals on 20 shots.  Holy shit.

It'd be funny if the Bruins scored more points than the Patriots.

[King Postwhore]

Well it's 8 to 1 now. Lol

[TAC]

Well it's 8 to 1 now. Lol

On 24 shots.

[King Postwhore]

16-3-5.
Crazy. 

[TAC]

https://www.tsn.ca/calgary-flames-head-coach-bill-peters-will-not-coach-wednesday-vs-buffalo-sabres-1.1404264


And Bill Peters was already on the hot seat..

[jingle.boy]

This was all the news yesterday. Lots of talk of it being s tipping point for hockey - not just NHL, but minor and kids hockey - how old school coaching that sometimes includes abuse, mind games, and abuse of power, is gonna take a hard and fast fall.

[KevShmev]

This was all the news yesterday. Lots of talk of it being s tipping point for hockey - not just NHL, but minor and kids hockey - how old school coaching that sometimes includes abuse, mind games, and abuse of power, is gonna take a hard and fast fall.

In other words, say goodbye to d-bag coaches the likes of Mike Keenan.

[jingle.boy]

This was all the news yesterday. Lots of talk of it being s tipping point for hockey - not just NHL, but minor and kids hockey - how old school coaching that sometimes includes abuse, mind games, and abuse of power, is gonna take a hard and fast fall.

In other words, say goodbye to d-bag coaches the likes of Mike Keenan.

Not exactly.  Keenan is well known (hell, Bowman too) to have been a tough coach, but most would say he's not a douche of a human.  I think we'll be saying goodbye to douchebag people / behaviour in the locker room.