It is amazing what listening to your coach can do. Last time I blogged, the Leafs were throwing all caution to the wind. Defense was gone. In fact, it was banned from their vocabulary. Andersen was the defense everyone else was in the other end.
So what changed? It certainly was not Babcock; Mike has been teaching "defense first" all season. The forwards were not coming back into the defensive zone at all, paying too much attention to the stats. They were following the leaders of this team, so when the leaders changed, the teams changed. Kadri was the first to change when he started playing with intensity. JVR and Bozak are beginning to do what it takes. The even better news is, the offense has remained as the Leafs defense has improved.
Babcock knows darn well what wins cups. Defensive responsibility in their own end. The offense will take care of itself. The Leafs no longer have to score five goals to win. Because forwards are coming back, the defense doesn't have to panic. Giving the defense a target to pass the puck is vital to this team success. Sometimes, it may take a couple of passes to get out of a zone, and that is a good thing. Get excited people: this Leaf team could be special. Come along for the ride.
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