The coaches.

He had a system in place and let players deviate from it, probably by management design for development imo. I found them to play slack and inconsistent often letting players go on their own. TOI was very predictable and often guarded as expected. I don't fault that, I think that was the smartest way to go for the franchise. I just don't think it takes any special coaching trait to do that. (this is the part where I rip my own arm off and eat it because Lou and Shanny did really well this year and I have to compliment them).

I'm not disagreeing.
Why is Babs getting so much credit when his team was so far away from being able to lock down zones? That's kind of my point. He didn't change the players, there was nothing revolutionary or dramatic. He had a stronger offensive roster and let them play offense. They were inconsistent and struggled making adjustments...which is fine for a young team but it's also why I don't see the coaching brilliance or even above averageness (I'm awarding myself points for making a new word)

It's not that impressive, AND NEITHER IS a 4th place finish in a weak division.

Absolutely.
Next year is on Babs.
This year was on Lou, Shanny, and their minions imo, not Babs.

 

Sure, if you want to make an argument about being the best in the league. Torts, I would give it to for the regular season, but Babbs for the playoffs.

The leafs never had a real good pk face-off specialist unit Boyle got here. As a young team, there really was no definite projections on matthews, marner, nylander or zaitsev. Not too many here though they would make the playoffs.
They began the year with an injured and struggling goalie and a lot of fresh faces, I thought he did pretty good. Regardless, to go from dead last to taking the caps to six games is an achievment.

Next season, look fir them to add another top 4 d-man.

 

On Matthews there was an expectation that he would be a 1C.
Throw in his 63% Ozone start and it's pretty obvious how he was used even for a fan that had never watched a hockey game. Nylander was 56.8% and Marner 55.9%. All 3 were in the top 5 for PPTOI among fwds too. http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/TOR/2017.html#all_stats_adv_rs

Now I agree there weren't projections, but I don't think anybody would have put them at under 50pts for the year with that type of deployment...especially if they were with the top dpair and some decent vets like JVR.

Not that we aren't the oracle of things hockey, but the overwhelming assumption was that Toronto wasn't going to be keeping all of their vets like Kadri, Bozak, JVR, etc. Very few were expecting them to buy during the season too. Vegas had them at 81pts, not because of their skill but because the assumption was that the team wasn't going to try to turn the corner (management decision). There was plenty of bad money on the books, it looked like the long play was to burn another year to develop, accumulate more assets, and then unwind more of the bad money.

I think everybody was going to put them on the bubble if they were going to keep everybody up front AND pick up help for defensive assignments.

It is an achievement. It was a good year for the franchise.
MY FOCUS IN ON BABS. I don't see what he did that an average coach wouldn't have done given what management did for the franchise.
In 16' their better players were out or traded. They weren't tanking, they were very healthy, they kept their good vets, they allowed the young players to avoid defensive assignements, management signaled their intention to win by acquiring Boyle, the skill players didn't have to carry defensive assignments (outside of Zaitsev, too many fans were railroading him, he had it tough and it showed) etc.

Colorado had 48 pts and had Varlamov and Johnson out or playing at less than full strength almost the entire year. They have 3 top line fwds. It's not going to take a hell of a lot to get them to be a bubble team. One good hire and one good trade and they're a 85 pt team (which sucks). That 37 pts swing isn't much of an accomplishment coming out of the tank.

This is largely inconsequential. I don't think Babs was really worried about faceoffs with that roster. Putting kids in to win those little battles is a recipe for disaster and does little for development. It's not hard for a coach to play for faceoffs, and that's whyBabs was 54% FO win against Washington. Toronto had to gamble, Trotz didn't. It's part of the reason the series was closer than it probably should have been. http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?aggr...&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=faceoffWinPctg

 

There's also the X-factors like, keeping a positive vibe flowing, team unity, no dissenton, respect of the players, not being a confidence killer. I think this is where he has a big advantage over a coach like Dan Bylsma.

 

If DB is the coach of the leafs and MB the coach of the sabres, is there a difference in the standings?

 

So how does Babs' x-factor put him over the coaches I mentioned several posts ago?
Trotz was coming off of a monster year and replicated it.
Boudreau turned Minnesota around overnight with almost the same roster, and they weren't coming out of a tank season for those gains.
Clode erased how MTL played before (new lines, pairs, and many different schemes..and won something).
Sullivan absorbed big injuries and a short summer to have a DOMINATE season
Yeo took the reigns from Hitch, was done several good players from the year before and righted the ship.
etc. etc. etc.

What aspect of his coaching was really superior to any of those?

If Babs were to win, he'll have the lowest point total of any Adams winner of the since Pat Burns won it (91pts, but different scoring format), even MacLean's shortened season was off to a slightly higher point pace.

Tangibles, intangibles. The voices are not accepting Babs' entry into awesomeness for coaching this year.

 

This is a ridiculous comparison.
Besides, Babcock's record without a true 1C absolutely blows...so there's that too.

 

I do think Babs is a good coach.
He wasn't trying to really coach to win this year, it was what I would call 'autopilot'. The table was set by Shanny and the suits.

We saw him coach in the postseason. It looked good but they still didn't win and you don't get credit for going 2-4 in the playoffs in terms of having a great year coaching imo.

 

Anyway, I'm done on the Babs thing.

Lennie hasn't gotten me so worked up since they put OV on the AST at two different positions.

 

I don't think he deserves to win the JA, I'm just saying he did a good job and deserves recognition.i think he did an exceptional job, he coached more to nurture a young squad.

 

Not making a comparison, just shedding some light into his value.

 

In a surprise, Blues name Steve Ott assistant?coach

Pretty wild last few days for St. Louis on the coaching front.

After gutting Mike Yeo?s staff of four assistants, then hiring hiring Darryl Sydor, the Blues went totally off the grid on Friday by announcing longtime NHLer Steve Ott would become Yeo?s new assistant.

?Steve was a competitor on the ice as a player and I expect him to bring that energy in this role,? Yeo said in a release. ?He was highly respected as a player and a person among his teammates and I believe he will be a huge asset to our staff.?
The decision caught many off guard given Ott, 34, has no prior coaching experience and was playing as recently as last month, suiting up for Montreal in its opening-round playoff loss to the Rangers.

Ott is familiar with the Blues organization, having played there for three seasons.

?I am very proud of my playing career and will devote the same work ethic to my coaching career,? said Ott. ?The Blues organization is very special to me and my family and I?m excited to take the next step in my hockey career with this franchise.?
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lol... I'm in shock!!!

 

wow, cant wait for Ott to cheap shot one of his own players in practice. Maybe he can suit up for the Blues because of a rash of injuries.....in which case he can cheap shot someone on the other team.

 

I cant wait to hear Bob's take on this................ where the hell is Bob?

 

both coaches in the Cup are good local Sullys, one an actual Sully.
1st time the Finals has had 2 US coaches going head to head.
Id estimate that 90% of Mass hockey players are from the eastern 1/4 of the state, these 2 included.

 

where the hell is Bob?

 

Bob's on vacation.

 

So sorry hockeybob, my dog made me do it. He is mischievous and loves human pain. Have a great summer.

 

Scott Gomez gets a chance to use Garth's cock machine around toilets. What a junior move, he has no experience other than playing. Nice paychecks he received though. Was that St. Lou?

 

TEH PHIL to Buffalo!

Phil Housley was named HC of the Buffalo Sabres.

Absofuckinglutely delighted!