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The ****ing Season Thread 2018-19

I would guess its because of Mitch's massive jump in game score this year. I'm sure his model takes into count pass seasons performance.
 
So, Leivo led his team again in virtually all adv stats last night: cf%, ff%, sf%, scf%

Meanwhile, Tyler Ennis and Connor Brown ... not so much.
 
Leivo: 2gms, ES 12:23 (B qoc), 2.42p/60, 2.42p1/60, 65.6cf% (+24.9rel), 91.3xgf% (+45.3rel)
 
I don't think I'll ever understand why Babcock didn't like Leivo.

Must have been a clash of personalities, because everything about him on the ice looks like a player that you'd think Babcock would love.

Hopefully Carl Grundstrom's eventual call-up will make him easier to forget.
 
I'd love for someone to ask him eventually what he thinks of the fact that his 4th line was a strength all year, and then suddenly unplayable as soon as leivo was dropped.
 
I'd love for someone to ask him eventually what he thinks of the fact that his 4th line was a strength all year, and then suddenly unplayable as soon as leivo was dropped.

What really, really gets me though is that the minute Leivo was gone, he ratcheted up the defensive zone usage against top competition for the 4th ****ing line.

I get not liking a player for whatever reason, I get ****ing up the evaluation of a player because he doesn't fit whatever gud pro criteria you have. I think they're massive blindspots, but I get how it's possible. What I don't get was how you can so poorly evaluate everything else on that line (including Lindholm) into believing that Leivo was the problem with that line and all you needed was him gone before you could give it more responsibility.

What scares me is that it appears to be just another link in a chain of bad lineup decisions Babcock has made over the last few years. Matt Martin over real hockey players, Leo (while performing like the worst offensive forward in hockey) dragging down the 3rd line for 40+ games without even trying anything different, Connor Brown getting reps with Matthews before trying more offensively talented players, Willy/Mitch to the 4th line every time they dogged it on a back check, etc, etc, etc.

I don't know if this old dog even thinks he's potentially wrong. It's more likely that he just thinks Dubas isn't giving him enough gud pros to make it work the way he wants.
 
What really, really gets me though is that the minute Leivo was gone, he ratcheted up the defensive zone usage against top competition for the 4th ****ing line.

I get not liking a player for whatever reason, I get ****ing up the evaluation of a player because he doesn't fit whatever gud pro criteria you have. I think they're massive blindspots, but I get how it's possible. What I don't get was how you can so poorly evaluate everything else on that line (including Lindholm) into believing that Leivo was the problem with that line and all you needed was him gone before you could give it more responsibility.

What scares me is that it appears to be just another link in a chain of bad lineup decisions Babcock has made over the last few years. Matt Martin over real hockey players, Leo (while performing like the worst offensive forward in hockey) dragging down the 3rd line for 40+ games without even trying anything different, Connor Brown getting reps with Matthews before trying more offensively talented players, Willy/Mitch to the 4th line every time they dogged it on a back check, etc, etc, etc.

I don't know if this old dog even thinks he's potentially wrong. It's more likely that he just thinks Dubas isn't giving him enough gud pros to make it work the way he wants.

I've been worried for a while that the Babcock hiring might come to haunt us. All the respect in the world for what he has accomplished in his career, but the league has changed a ton in the last 10 years, and from what I've seen I'm not sure he's adapting well.

It kind of reminds me of the Burke hiring actually. He was a guy that had some great success, but the league had begun its transformation by the time he got to Toronto and he just refused to change. Actually, the league changing around him seemed to amplify his commitment to his "brand" of team building (pugnacity etc etc), like the changing style was an attack on him personally.

You see some of the same traits in Babcock. The refusal to stack a line. The comments on analytics. The security blanket favourites on each line. How many times this year has he told us that the Caps were the biggest team in hockey and you have to play a heavy game to win in the playoffs? Completely ignoring the Pens going back-to-back the previous 2 years, of course.

I don't know, this team is stacked and is going to win games regardless, but I'm a bit concerned Dubas is chained to Babs with no way out.
 
If we don't win a cup this year or make it to the finals, then I would be considering a coaching change.

Otherwise, I think its going to be hard to convince anyone that we need a coaching change based on our progress thus far... and that was with Willie out and Matty out a significant chunk of the season.
 
It’s going to suck when we win the Cup and all there is to read here are endless “gud pro” statements and the continuing downpour of teardrops over the departure of Leivo.
 
Wait, some of you are considering whether Babcock should be replaced? Seriously?

He’s a top 5 coach easily. Who would you want? Therrien?

:lol
 
Nothing is good enough.

I want to build my own coach with the latest cyborg technology where I can upload all my line combos and he has to execute on them.
 
Nothing is good enough.

I want to build my own coach with the latest cyborg technology where I can upload all my line combos and he has to execute on them.

Hilarious as always.

These kind of comments are dumb. Its a ****ing hockey message board. The team is at the point where they are elite, one of the top contenders in the league. Someone already touched on it, I think it was LGM, but we don't need a #1 C anymore. We don't need a #1 goalie. We don't need better players at every god damn position.

So what's left? Small details. Minor improvements. The difference between a cup winner and a contender are luck and minor details. So some of us are questioning Babs lineups and usage because to win a cup everything has to go right. The small details, including who you choose to play on the 3rd and 4th lines, matter. So we're discussing it. Doesn't mean we're not enjoying the teams success.

If all you wanna do is JO over how good they are, there's some great youtube compilations. Zaitsev probably even has one. The rest of us are looking for a discussion.
 
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I've been worried for a while that the Babcock hiring might come to haunt us. All the respect in the world for what he has accomplished in his career, but the league has changed a ton in the last 10 years, and from what I've seen I'm not sure he's adapting well.

It kind of reminds me of the Burke hiring actually. He was a guy that had some great success, but the league had begun its transformation by the time he got to Toronto and he just refused to change. Actually, the league changing around him seemed to amplify his commitment to his "brand" of team building (pugnacity etc etc), like the changing style was an attack on him personally.

You see some of the same traits in Babcock. The refusal to stack a line. The comments on analytics. The security blanket favourites on each line. How many times this year has he told us that the Caps were the biggest team in hockey and you have to play a heavy game to win in the playoffs? Completely ignoring the Pens going back-to-back the previous 2 years, of course.

I don't know, this team is stacked and is going to win games regardless, but I'm a bit concerned Dubas is chained to Babs with no way out.

Also ignores that their softest skilled forward, Kuznetsov, was by far their best through out the playoffs.
 
When I hear Babcock talk about playing a heavier game - I don't feel like he's talking about needing bigger players, I feel like he's telling his players that they have to be prepared to play against these kinds of teams and not wilt when they are getting leaned on.

Babcock's job is to prepare this team for any opponent, because you can't pick'em come playoff time.
 
I'd love for someone to ask him eventually what he thinks of the fact that his 4th line was a strength all year, and then suddenly unplayable as soon as leivo was dropped.


This truly is a piss off of major proportions!

The 4th line with Leivo, Ennis, Goat did nothing but drive the play, maintain possession, won board battles, kept the puck in the offensive zone, then they go and trade the glue that held that very strong 4th line together. This should have been a dream line for Babcock, chock full of gudpro, but noo. The 4th line is now broken., thank you Babcock. Matter of fact, the dealing of Leivo and the addition of the diva boy Willy is messing with overall team chemistry. As soon as Willy arrived he took a big dump in the middle of the dressing room.

And for the love of god no more Willy with Matthews they don't have chemistry. Matthews gives more effort and has chemistry with Kapanen and Johnsson. Kapanen-Matthews-anyone.
 
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