Is Mike Babcock Actually an Upgrade on Randy Carlyle? #MyColumn:
8 years ago
It has been an exciting and eventful summer in Toronto, with the
Maple Leafs reshaping their organization from top-to-bottom. From scouts
to players to management, Brendan Shanahan has left no stone unturned
in his quest to turn the Leafs into a consistently competitive
franchise. But no move has had people as excited as the hiring of Mike
Babcock.
Maple Leafs reshaping their organization from top-to-bottom. From scouts
to players to management, Brendan Shanahan has left no stone unturned
in his quest to turn the Leafs into a consistently competitive
franchise. But no move has had people as excited as the hiring of Mike
Babcock.
Babcock
has been regarded as one of the best coaches in hockey – if not the
Best Coach in Hockey – for years now, and a lot of it has to do with his
consistent success at every level he has coached at. And yet, the
previous Leafs coach, who also had a history of winning, was slandered
by everyone – especially the media. In fact, the media should apologize for their harsh treatment of Carlyle, but that’s for another time.
has been regarded as one of the best coaches in hockey – if not the
Best Coach in Hockey – for years now, and a lot of it has to do with his
consistent success at every level he has coached at. And yet, the
previous Leafs coach, who also had a history of winning, was slandered
by everyone – especially the media. In fact, the media should apologize for their harsh treatment of Carlyle, but that’s for another time.
People loved the firing of Carlyle and loved the hiring of Babcock. They argue that Babcock is a vastly superior coach. I beg to differ. But it’s not just a baseless opinion.
Let’s look at some facts.
Mike
Babcock has won a Stanley Cup. He won it in the 2007-08 season. Randy
Carlyle has also won a Stanley Cup? He won it the previous season, in
2006-07. A common argument against Carlyle has been that the style of
coaching he preaches doesn’t translate to today’s game, since he last
won so long ago. Is the one year difference between his and Babcock’s
Cups that substantial?
Babcock has won a Stanley Cup. He won it in the 2007-08 season. Randy
Carlyle has also won a Stanley Cup? He won it the previous season, in
2006-07. A common argument against Carlyle has been that the style of
coaching he preaches doesn’t translate to today’s game, since he last
won so long ago. Is the one year difference between his and Babcock’s
Cups that substantial?
Worth
mentioning, is that Randy Carlyle won his Stanley Cup in his second
year of coaching. It took Mike Babcock six seasons before he won his.
Four years is a lot more substantial than one. That’s a very impressive
feat for Carlyle.
mentioning, is that Randy Carlyle won his Stanley Cup in his second
year of coaching. It took Mike Babcock six seasons before he won his.
Four years is a lot more substantial than one. That’s a very impressive
feat for Carlyle.
Of course, Randy Carlyle’s Cup-winning team was stacked. We know this. But
For all the talk of Carlyle only winning a Cup because of having a
roster that included future Hall of Famers Chris Pronger, Scott
Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, as well as (at the time) future stars like
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and an in-his-prime Jean-Sebastien Giguere,
no one talks about how Babcock won his Cup. That 07-08 team featured
Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, and
Brian Rafalski, plus a very well-balanced supporting cast. And don’t
forget Chris Osgoode, who put up a .930 sv% in the playoffs that year.
Babcock still deserves credit, of course, but you can’t say Carlyle was
lucky and Babcock wasn’t. Goes both ways.
For all the talk of Carlyle only winning a Cup because of having a
roster that included future Hall of Famers Chris Pronger, Scott
Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, as well as (at the time) future stars like
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and an in-his-prime Jean-Sebastien Giguere,
no one talks about how Babcock won his Cup. That 07-08 team featured
Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Lidstrom, Chris Chelios, and
Brian Rafalski, plus a very well-balanced supporting cast. And don’t
forget Chris Osgoode, who put up a .930 sv% in the playoffs that year.
Babcock still deserves credit, of course, but you can’t say Carlyle was
lucky and Babcock wasn’t. Goes both ways.
And
sure, there is one thing Babcock has done that Carlyle hasn’t – win an
Olympic Gold. But guess what? I could win an Olympic Gold with that
roster. Let’s also not forget that Babcock’s Canadians barely got by
Latvia in that tournament. He forcefit Chris Kunitz onto the top line,
which was damaging. If there is one thing Carlyle would have done
better, it’s play players where they should play.
sure, there is one thing Babcock has done that Carlyle hasn’t – win an
Olympic Gold. But guess what? I could win an Olympic Gold with that
roster. Let’s also not forget that Babcock’s Canadians barely got by
Latvia in that tournament. He forcefit Chris Kunitz onto the top line,
which was damaging. If there is one thing Carlyle would have done
better, it’s play players where they should play.
Carlyle
did all he could with the players he was given. Nonis, without any
noted prompt from Carlyle, got rid of a bunch of great players
(Grabovski, Kulemin, MacArthur), and brought in numerous bad players
(too long a list to name). Is that Carlyle’s fault? Babcock wouldn’t
have gotten anything more out of that lineup. Now, management is finally
working on acquiring good and young players, and Babcock is going to
get the benefit.
did all he could with the players he was given. Nonis, without any
noted prompt from Carlyle, got rid of a bunch of great players
(Grabovski, Kulemin, MacArthur), and brought in numerous bad players
(too long a list to name). Is that Carlyle’s fault? Babcock wouldn’t
have gotten anything more out of that lineup. Now, management is finally
working on acquiring good and young players, and Babcock is going to
get the benefit.
But
no difference between the two is as substantial as the fact that Babcock has never played the game (at a high level). Carlyle on the other hand?
1055 games. 647 points. 1400 PIMs. Those are the numbers of comp(l)ete
player. Of someone who gets it. Hockey isn’t just fancy Swedes and stickhandling. It’s toughness. It makes sense that Babcock would be the coach of a team in which Kyle
Dubas is an important part – they’re both nerds that rely more on
the numbers in a spreadsheet than the numbers on a jersey.
no difference between the two is as substantial as the fact that Babcock has never played the game (at a high level). Carlyle on the other hand?
1055 games. 647 points. 1400 PIMs. Those are the numbers of comp(l)ete
player. Of someone who gets it. Hockey isn’t just fancy Swedes and stickhandling. It’s toughness. It makes sense that Babcock would be the coach of a team in which Kyle
Dubas is an important part – they’re both nerds that rely more on
the numbers in a spreadsheet than the numbers on a jersey.
I
don’t want to veer too far off track – this isn’t to slag Mike Babcock.
He seems like a solid coach and a decent guy. But his track record does
not speak as highly as some would lead you to believe – the same group
that have tossed Randy Carlyle down the side of a cliff, waiting for an
eighteen wheeler to fly off and crush him. The differences between the
two aren’t that great on paper, and for today’s new-age hockey fan that
only looks at websites filled with numbers and percentages, that doesn’t
bode well.
don’t want to veer too far off track – this isn’t to slag Mike Babcock.
He seems like a solid coach and a decent guy. But his track record does
not speak as highly as some would lead you to believe – the same group
that have tossed Randy Carlyle down the side of a cliff, waiting for an
eighteen wheeler to fly off and crush him. The differences between the
two aren’t that great on paper, and for today’s new-age hockey fan that
only looks at websites filled with numbers and percentages, that doesn’t
bode well.
Where Babcock could be better than Carlyle is in the intangibles, but those don’t exist.
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