Toronto Maple Leafs: What Do You Think? – Mike Babcock

The Toronto Maple Leafs have once again failed to break through past the first round.

This is a recording.

It’s now been 15 years since the Maple Leafs last qualified for the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In that time, the team has qualified for postseason action on just four occasions, going on to hold a series lead only twice, as well. Both times, of course, they failed to seal the deal.

Suffice it to say, this has been a less-than-terrific decade and a half for Toronto in the realm of playoff success.

As you are glaringly aware of right now, last night was no different. After failing to vanquish the Boston Bruins on home ice on Sunday, the Maple Leafs rode into Boston for another Game Seven grudge match and were thoroughly outplayed. Well, outplayed and outcoached. 

Again, this is becoming a trend.

For the second consecutive year, the Bruins identified a blatantly obvious systems flaw in the Leafs’ attack and exposed it at the worst possible time. Toronto’s lack of RHD was the point of emphasis in 2018, with Boston forcing any breakout attempts to the clearly inferior right side and feasting on the result. This time around, the stretch pass proved to be the Achilles’ heel. Bruce Cassidy was not exactly subtle about anticipating the Maple Leafs’ insistence on stretch passes to clear the zone, and made a conscious effort for his players to clog the neutral zone with the intent of simply breaking them up.

It worked, and here we are.

Regarding the effort put forth on the ice, the players did as much as they could. They weren’t the issue. Auston Matthews rose to the occasion, John Tavares thrived in the incredibly difficult defensive matchups he was given, and Frederik Andersen established himself as the best goaltender of the series.

The issue, in this case, was coaching. It should not be acceptable for the highest paid coach in hockey to see his systems be dissected in a Game Seven right before his eyes and have no plan with which to counter.

Mike Babcock has now failed to get the Maple Leafs over the hump for the third straight season, with the most recent two stemming directly from miscues that fall on his shoulders. Babcock is not new to this role, either. With four years under his belt, there is now a large enough sample size with which to judge his performance, and if results tell us anything, he simply hasn’t been good enough.

Does that mean Kyle Dubas should begin looking for Babcock’s replacement? There are arguments to be made for supporting both sides. But my opinion on the matter is not important right now.

What do YOU think?

What would you do with Babcock in the aftermath of last night’s loss? Let me know in the comment section below to be potentially featured in the follow-up piece the next day!

Thanks for reading!