Youth gets a spin, but it’s Predators that win
Babcock praises call-ups, although Leafs can’t quite overcome Forsberg hat trick
When Mike Babcock takes the podium after a Leaf game, particularly after a loss, it is like theatre.
The coach enters, sweating from a workout. He says “hello” to the media mob and brings a prop: the game sheet. He reads it over as he answers questions.
His answers seem, at times, brutally honest. At other times, they seem like public relations. The key is figuring which is which.
The entire event lasts, usually, less than three minutes. Then the media scatters to begin to parse what they heard.
The Leafs lost 3-2 to the Predators on Tuesday night, with a natural hat trick from Nashville’s Filip Forsberg too much for an injury- and trade-depleted team to manage. But after listening to Babcock, one couldn’t be blamed for thinking the Leafs — losers of seven of their last eight games — are on the upswing, that call-up Brendan Leipsic is going to be a star and that Josh Leivo, who has three goals in his last three games, has his work cut out for him.
The spotlight is on the Leafs’ young players, and Babcock knows it. Hence, the backslapping praise, part of his goal of making it safe for players to play in Toronto.
“I thought Leipsic was good, I thought (Stuart) Percy was good,” Babcock said.
“You get opportunities and you’re looking for players, and some guys separate themselves from others, and you go from there.”
Leipsic played 17 minutes and 39 seconds, fourth among Leaf forwards. He had a shot and registered three hits. He also had a nose for the puck.
“He’s got some quickness, he’s not scared, he has the puck, he makes plays in small areas,” Babcock said.
Leivo scored the third-period goal that kick-started a rally that fell short. Morgan Rielly scored late and chances with the extra attacker missed. In a goal streak interrupted by four games missed to injury, Leivo is displaying a shoot-first mentality. But Babcock showed he won’t let a young player get too high with the highs.
“The pace of his game has to improve,” Babcock said. “He’s got to get a lot stronger. He’s got to commit to fitness in the off-season and get strong. If he does that, he’ll become a way better player, because his hands and mind are good.
“He’s a guy that can score, and shoot the puck. He’s got confidence doing it.”
There is no question the Leafs’ roster is decimated by injuries, trades and suspensions. Leo Komarov has one more game to go on his threegame suspension. Tyler Bozak, out with an undisclosed injury, might well return by Thursday, but that may just be an audition in front of the ever-growing number of pro scouts who are taking in Leafs games. There were 20 on Tuesday night.
The Leafs play again Thursday and Saturday, the final two games before Monday’s trade deadline.
All of the change — the recent trades and injuries to the likes of Matt Hunwick, James van Riemsdyk, Joffrey Lupul, Milan Michalek and Jared Cowen — has created opportunity for some Marlies and Babcock believes their transition to the NHL should be smooth. “When you come here from the Marlies, your teammates are here,” Babcock said. “It’s not like you’re going to someplace strange. You’ve played with these guys all year. It’s not a whole bunch different, just the players you’re playing against are bigger and faster and better. “You get some lessons in a hurry.” Still, on a night when just about half the Leafs on the ice knew each other from playing in the Ricoh Centre, it would be easy to blame a loss on the relative inexperience of the roster. But it would also be wrong.
The Leafs did not lose because of the recent call-ups. They lost because the veterans on the team were making mistakes — giveaways and lost puck battles by veterans like Jake Gardiner, James Reimer, P.A. Parenteau and Martin Marincin.
“They capitalized on the mistakes that we made,” said Peter Holland, who assisted on both Leaf goals. “We gave them those opportunities. We can do a better job of limiting those.”