What the Toronto Maple Leafs need is belief, not hope.
“This hope thing’s not much for me,” head coach Mike Babcock said of his team, which woke up Thursday at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. “Keep getting better, keep getting better, and we’ll get over the hump here. But belief is a big part of it.”
So is generating offence and limiting defensive gaffes, Babcock explained to Hockey Central at Noon. An offensive force this time last season — though a few things have changed since then — Toronto ranks just 21st in goals per game, generating 2.17.
Babcock wants his club to be more determined in the enemy’s zone. He wants to see the Maple Leafs transition from becoming a rush team to a heavy team and cut out the giveaways, like Nazem Kadri’s to Evander Kane in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss.
“[Buffalo] got seven chances off turnovers last night,” Babcoack said. “That’s ridiculous. That can’t happen. That shouldn’t happen in five games never mind one night.”
Here are a few more tidbits from Babcock’s interview with Hockey Central at Noon Thursday:
- The coach disagrees with the non-call of Kane’s high-stick on Dion Phaenuf: “We were supposed to be on a four-minute power play.”
- The NHL calculates face-off wins for the teams by the period, but Babcock wants to have that information updated every five minutes, so he tasks the backup goaltender (in Wednesday’s case, James Reimer) track that info for him.
“I like centres to know if they win face-offs, they play more,” he said. “It puts a little heat on the guys.”
- Babcock places a card over his mouth when talking to players on the bench to prevent lipreading, and not because he’s worried about strategy theft.
- The most positive takeaway from Wednesday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, in Babcock’s mind, was the play of Jonathan Bernier, a No. 1 goalie still in search of his first win.
- Babcock likes the improvement in puck possession but figures it’s still not where it needs to be.
- Centre Tyler Bozak is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday. Defenceman Jake Garinder is not. “We need Jake back fast,” Babcock said.
- Morgan Reilly gets six per cent better a day: “He’s unbelievable.”
- Healthy scratch Frank Corrado has been sent to the AHL Marlies for a conditioning stint.
The Maple Leafs (1-3-2) search for their second victory of the season Saturday in Montreal.
