The Toronto Maple Leafs got a plain kick-in-the-butt message from head coach Mike Babcock on Friday.
In the shortest practice of the season so far — about 24 minutes — Babcock made it clear that their play in a 6-3 loss to Carolina the night before wasn’t acceptable and won’t be tolerated.
The Leafs worked at a breathtaking pace in a couple of drills. There was no shouting from the coaching staff, no bag skates, no private chats — although the previous night’s mistakes were pointed out in a video session. Just the fact the practice was unconventional and brief got the message across: Championship teams do not behave the way the Leafs have in losses to Carolina and Ottawa in two of their last three games.