WHOA - Mike Babcock OUT | Sheldon Keefe IN

[dappleganger]

From the article, Keefe quote......

And there?s a lot of things that are still in place that we didn?t have to change with the team.

Like Freddie playing a lot! Very PC of Keefe though I wouldn't expect him to say man we had to change a lot of this stuff up. Amazing how the special teams coaches are the same and both are flourishing now. Many of us said it all along, Babs was running the show. Keefe is allowing his assistants to do their jobs.

It could just be the guys enjoy going to work now.

 

[Guilt Trip]

From the article, Keefe quote......

And there?s a lot of things that are still in place that we didn?t have to change with the team.

Like Freddie playing a lot! Very PC of Keefe though I wouldn't expect him to say man we had to change a lot of this stuff up. Amazing how the special teams coaches are the same and both are flourishing now. Many of us said it all along, Babs was running the show. Keefe is allowing his assistants to do their jobs.

It could just be the guys enjoy going to work now.

It's more then that but that is certainly part of it.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Keefe?s ?old-school? style tactics even Babcock never used...benching star players such as Nylander to shake things up and give them the message that the coach is less than pleased with effort.  Smart psychology.

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[disco]

I just love his flexibility and ability to make adjustments in real-time without ego. Players re-arranged, stacked lines, ice-time up or down. He's not overly attached to anything. Exactly what this team needed.

 

[hockeyfan1]

Keefe traits...unlike Babcock:

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In stark contrast to his predecessor, Mike Babcock, Keefe has made a habit of making small, sentimental gestures in his short time behind the Leafs bench.

?I just think that as a coach and as a leader, you?ve got an opportunity to create some memorable moments for individuals and I think that that?s important,? Keefe explained of his thinking after his 14th win in 19 games as the Leafs? head coach. ?We?re never going to put our team in a tough spot, or compromise our ability to win a game. But I think there?s little things that we can do as leaders and as coaches to put people in spots to succeed, put people in spots that they or their families will remember.

?And the hope is that those types of things just kind of fuel our team to give a little more when times are tough, and maybe get a little more luck to fall our way at tough times such as today.?

 

[disco]

Word is Brooks was very touched about not only starting but making the first shift in his hometown. A nice gesture that costs you nothing. A great moment for him and another thing that players notice and appreciate. Team morale is a subtle thing that doesn't show up in the stats.

 

[wnc096]

Word is Brooks was very touched about not only starting but making the first shift in his hometown. A nice gesture that costs you nothing. A great moment for him and another thing that players notice and appreciate. Team morale is a subtle thing that doesn't show up in the stats.

Better than benching Spezza in the home opener in front of family and friends I suppose

 

[Bullfrog]

Slightly better.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I really do think now Babs lost the team right then and there.

 

[Bates]

I know its been awhile and discussed to death but I'm still blown away at how tone deaf a guy like Babcock could be while being discussed as one of the most prepared coaches in the game?? How could you not consider the human side??

 

[Bates]

I really do think now Babs lost the team right then and there.

I said it at the time, based on talk and results of last couple years if I was in charge I would have fired Babcock that day.

 

[Kin]

Sort of a side note but I'm really surprised at how after a career of disliking him as much as I did because of his being a Senator it's really surprising to me how much Spezza has redeemed himself in my eyes this year. Not even because he's been especially great, although I think he's been alright, but just in seeing how much he seems to enjoy being a Leaf.

 

[Bates]

Sort of a side note but I'm really surprised at how after a career of disliking him as much as I did because of his being a Senator it's really surprising to me how much Spezza has redeemed himself in my eyes this year. Not even because he's been especially great, although I think he's been alright, but just in seeing how much he seems to enjoy being a Leaf.

I find his goofy honest demeanor rather easy to cheer for. And the fact that he is willing to accept any role to be part of it doesn't hurt.

 

[Guilt Trip]

I really do think now Babs lost the team right then and there.

That was a douchebag, powertrip, I'm the boss move by Babs and it def didn't go over well. I remember O Dog and Ferraro talking about it on Overdrive. I remember O Dog saying go ask Madano how he feels. 1599 games and Babs scratched him numerous times so he wouldn't get 1600.

 

[Guilt Trip]

Sort of a side note but I'm really surprised at how after a career of disliking him as much as I did because of his being a Senator it's really surprising to me how much Spezza has redeemed himself in my eyes this year. Not even because he's been especially great, although I think he's been alright, but just in seeing how much he seems to enjoy being a Leaf.

I find his goofy honest demeanor rather easy to cheer for. And the fact that he is willing to accept any role to be part of it doesn't hurt.

I like what Spezza has brought to the team. He's never been the best defensive guy but he brings it every night. From all accounts he's like Marleau in the room but brings a lot more on the ice. Spezza currently is 5th at 2.99 points per 60 mins.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Sort of a side note but I'm really surprised at how after a career of disliking him as much as I did because of his being a Senator it's really surprising to me how much Spezza has redeemed himself in my eyes this year. Not even because he's been especially great, although I think he's been alright, but just in seeing how much he seems to enjoy being a Leaf.

Me too.  The biggest thing I dislike about Spezza now has nothing to do with him personally, but rather how certain media people (Colaiacovo, O'Neill, McLennan) pronounce his name "spez-ah".  I mean, it's pronounced "spets-ah", right...?  The double-Z like in "pizza"?

 

[Highlander]

We never talk about Keefe's winning ways, historically.

He finished his CCHL coaching career with a record of 285?95?12.
OHL 134-55-5.
Marlies 200- 89-22 regular and playoffs 38-21

The guy is a winner, simple as that, everywhere he goes. And the Lumber Kings, the Soo Greyhounds and the Leafs were all sucking the hind teat before he turned all these organizations around.

 

[Zee]

I started liking Spezza when I found out he was Italian. I don't know how that fact escaped me all these years

 

[herman]

https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2020/1/6/21047723/toronto-maple-leafs-coach-mike-babcock-firing-maple-leafs-analysis-maple-leafs-news

This is good.

 

[ZBBM]

https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2020/1/6/21047723/toronto-maple-leafs-coach-mike-babcock-firing-maple-leafs-analysis-maple-leafs-news

This is good.

Hmmmm one of the bad things about the Internet is that it allows people to ramble on unedited.  TLDR indeed. 

But, skimming through and jumping to his conclusions, I would just point out that Brendan Shanahan, who as far as I know is not taking flak from much of anyone, scored what was universally regarded as a coup when he signed Babcock.  Everybody here was over the moon.  The guy who wrote that piece was.  I'm not hearing him criticize Shanahan for hiring Babcock.

And while it didn't end well, it's hard to seriously argue that Babcock wasn't successful in many ways.  If he wins even 1 playoff series he'd still be in the driver's seat.