Well. That escalated quickly.
I wasn’t sure Mike Babcock was going to last the year coaching the Leafs, but I didn’t think he was going to get fired yesterday, either. But I suppose now is as good a time as any, what with the team’s six game losing streak, the sub .500 record, the lack of anything resembling defense, back-up goaltending or energy and Babcock’s own seeming unwillingness to try anything in game to change any of it. If now wasn’t the right time, when was? A team with this much talent on it should still be able to make something of the season at this point, so why wait until the playoffs were out of reach to make a change? Looking at it that way, maybe I shouldn’t be as surprised as I am that Babs is suddenly unemployed. But considering his track record and all the money they’re paying him, I still am, at least somewhat.
As for the new guy, you could certainly do a lot worse than Sheldon Keefe. He’s had years of success with your minor league team and a bunch of the players currently on the big club are already familiar with him. I wish him well.
But that’s going to be the extent of my analysis here because honestly, I’m kind of over it. I’ve been watching the Leafs for decades now, more than enough time to have lost count of how many times a coach or a GM or a president or some other front office guy or one player or a new executive director of big fluffy towel procurement was going to be all the difference between the Stanley Cup and a bowl of dicks. At this point I really don’t care who does what. I just want to be able to watch my team and enjoy them. Is that too much to ask? Probably, but I’m doing it anyway.
