For the second time in his career Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury proved to be the ultimate thorn in Mike Babcock’s side.
Years removed from making the save that broke the hearts of the Babcock-led Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Fleury struck again to bring Babcock’s world crashing down around him as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
Because, just a day after the Leafs dropped their sixth straight loss, Babcock was fired as the Head Coach of Toronto with Toronto Marlies Coach Sheldon Keefe his replacement.
So, ten years after robbing Babcock of a second Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, Fleury ultimately made the save that cost Babcock his job with the Maple Leafs.
Because, hours after the Golden Knights had dealt the Toronto Maple Leafs a sixth consecutive loss, Babcock was replaced by Toronto Marlies Coach Sheldon Keefe.
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There will be a plethora of conversations about whether or not Toronto pulled the trigger too early, and whether or not Sheldon Keefe will be able to get the best out of this Maple Leafs roster remains to be seen.
But, and this is where the Golden Knights come into the equation, Babcock’s ultimate failure in Toronto and the current struggles of the Maple Leafs just proves how crucial roster construction is in the NHL.
The Maple Leafs General Manager Kyle Dubas has built a team that is top heavy with speed, skill and firepower, but it lacks toughness and the know how to manage a game and see it out.
They also have stockpiled far too many offensive defenseman on the blueline, and not having a legit stay-at-home defenseman who can play a solid game in his own zone is really hurting them right now.
And that’s where the Vegas Golden Knights deserve credit. Since entering the National Hockey League in 2017, the front office tandem of George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon have built this team the right way.
They have constructed a solid core starting with an elite goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury, they have some foundational pieces on the blueline in Shea Theodore and Nate Schmidt and their offense is built around the likes of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone.
President of Hockey Operations George McPhee clearly built this team for Head Coach Gerard Gallant, who has been able to roll four lines and play a fast, in your face style of hockey that suits both the coach and his players.
The same couldn’t be said for Babcock in Toronto who clearly didn’t like having veteran Jason Spezza thrown at him, while he didn’t put defenseman Tyson Barrie in the best possible situations to succeed.
Gallant has also made the most of the gifts given to him after implementing rookies in the ilk of Cody Glass, Nic Hague and Jake Bischoff into his lineup this season, and they have all bought into how their coach likes to play the game.
Another flaw attributed to Babcock was his inability to react to certain situations during games, or be flexible when it came to giving his big hitters more ice time during key periods of the contest.
But you certainly can’t accuse Gallant of doing that. He’s well aware of who the stars are on this team as backed up by the fact that the likes of Shea Theodore, Nate Schmidt, Mark Stone and William Karlsson all rank high on the team when it comes to Average Time On Ice.
Also, Gallant has proven that he’s flexible when it comes to shuffling his lines if he needs to light a fire under his team, and he’s done that recently by moving Cody Eakin up to the second line in order to get the forward going.
There is no doubt that this Vegas Golden Knights roster as it is currently constituted has been built in the image of their Head Coach, and it is a tactic that has certainly paid dividends with one Stanley Cup Final appearance and another trip to the postseason.
Granted, the roster has been flawed this year but Gallant, McPhee and McCrimmon all work in unison so expect that to be rectified at the Trade Deadline.
So, if there is one lesson that the Vegas Golden Knights can take from the mess unfolding in Toronto, it is that team construction is instrumental in success on the ice and this franchise has got it right so far.