The Toronto Maple Leafs have now lost five games in a row and fans are really starting to question the coaching stance of Mike Babcock. When the Leafs played the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 16 many fans expected the Leafs to turn things around with no Crosby or Letang in the lineup. With the Leafs having Kasimir Kaskisuo, it looked like they had a pretty good chance of winning the game. But in fact, it was probably one of the worst games the Leafs have played this season. People have probably been putting blame on the Leafs' goalies but I have to question this.
Could the struggle lie with the players in front of the goal as well as Mike Babcock?
Babcock's future looks slim with the Leafs
It's confusing, at times, as there are a lot of skilled players on the Leafs' roster of success. But at the same time, there's been a lack of consistency. When I look at the past success of some of the players on the Leafs roster I question what seems to be the issue. William Nylander won MVP of 2017 and 2019 World Championships. Tyson Barrie was the NHL’s 2nd most productive defensemen in the last three seasons. Morgan Rielly was the Team NA’s best player in the 2016 World Cup. He was also named All-Star in the World Championships. One distinctive thing that stands out in these statistics is that Mike Babcock was not their coach.
It is safe to say that Babcock's system and framework aren’t working for these players. I think many of us forget that Babcock has also made some decisions that have been puzzling. For example, Mike Babcock decided to not play Matt Martin in the playoffs last season. Matt Martin has gone on to play an integral role with the Islanders rebuild which shows his skill as a player.
All in all, his inability to adjust to his player's strengths is one of the biggest surprises so far this year.
It's panic time for Toronto
People have been continuing to question how much longer Babcock will remain with the Leafs considering the circumstances. Babcock has failed to get his team past the first round of the playoffs in the last few years now.
And with this season, the Leafs recent struggles have showcased their unlikelihood of making the playoffs. The rumors are that the Leafs are going to be trading some players or that Babcock will be fired. Babcock has become the easy target for the Leafs' struggles this season. If you think that Mike Babcock is still capable of keeping his job, I would say that you haven't been watching this team closely enough this season. So, if I had to put it in an analogy for you, Mike Babcock is to the Leafs what a restrictor plate is to Nascar. He’s slowing the team down and the end result is a giant car crash.
