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After a brisk 24-minute practice Friday, Toronto coach Mike Babcock said, “I didn’t want anybody out there wasting any energy fooling around. I want it at game-time."Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

Mike Babcock was not in the mood for a lengthy discussion on the matter, but it seems he thinks the self-satisfaction meter on the Toronto Maple Leafs is set too low.

The Maple Leafs head coach remained displeased with his team after a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. His displeasure came through loud and clear in a rather odd practice on Friday and a little later in a brief session with the media.

While there was no bag skate – as the long, punishing sessions that NHL coaches usually employ after the latest of a series of bad games are known – the Leafs' practice was conducted at a higher tempo than usual. It was also far shorter than usual, as Babcock abruptly cut the practice off at 24 minutes.

In another unusual development, the players immediately left the ice together while Babcock himself picked up the pucks. No one hung around on the ice working on this or that. Nor was there a video session, which is what usually happens when a losing team is ordered off the ice.

"I didn't want anybody out there wasting any energy fooling around. I want it at game-time," Babcock said.

However, Babcock's refusal to answer one question and his answer to another indicated he thinks his young team, which still sports a nifty 7-3 record, might be a little too full of itself and too easily satisfied with a good effort. Satisfied enough to take it a little too easy in the next game.

When the coach was asked if he finds it frustrating that the Leafs, who have now lost two of their past three games, could turn in poor efforts for no apparent reason, he declined to answer.

"I'm not going there," Babcock said. Why not? "I'm just not."

A little later, someone brought up the Leafs' 3-2 win on Monday over the Los Angeles Kings, which was the Kings' first loss in regulation time. Babcock fired back with a timeline on the Leafs' three losses, all by a 6-3 score and all to teams as fast as they are, but more committed to playing a defensive game when it matters. All of those losses came after good wins over some of the best teams in the NHL.

"I thought we played real well against Los Angeles," Babcock said. "If you go back, we beat Chicago before we lost to New Jersey. Everyone was talking about a good team and a good win and what happened to us? We weren't ready to play the next day.

"Then we beat L.A., supposed to be a good team, hadn't lost yet and what happened to us? So the level of commitment to doing it right every single day for a championship team is that [high]. You've got to do it every single day. You've got to do it at practice, you've got to do it when you don't feel good, you've got to do it when you travel, you've got to do it when you're tired. You just do it every single day. That becomes the norm and the expectation. That's what we have to set here."

Clearly, Babcock believes he needs to set that attitude in stone quickly. One reason is that bad habits need to be stopped quickly on young teams. Another is that after the Leafs play the Philadelphia Flyers at home on Saturday night, they leave for a western trip, from California to St. Louis, in which they play four games in six nights. Even a strong effort every day does not guarantee success in those circumstances.

A common thread in all three losses was a slow start. In each game, the Leafs fell behind early because they weren't ready to play and then saw furious comeback attempts fall short.

"When you get off to a good start [to the season], sometimes you're not as urgent to start games," said Leafs centre Nazem Kadri, which indicated Babcock said as much to the players. "I think we learned our lesson. [The Hurricanes] came in and played better than us."

Babcock also indicated his opinion of what some of his players need to do when he was asked about Patrick Marleau, who is still faster than most at the age of 38.

"Works every single day. Doesn't say very much, but does it right every day," Babcock said. "So if anybody's watching him, they've got an opportunity to learn from a guy who's been around. You don't play 1,500 games by accident.

"You don't do those things without looking after yourself and being a good pro. To me, that's an example we needed and we have."

James van Riemsdyk, who played on Thursday after sustaining a leg injury in Monday's game, did not practise. Babcock said he did not know if van Riemsdyk could play on Saturday. Mitch Marner took van Riemsdyk's spot on the line with Marleau and centre Tyler Bozak.

The Montreal Canadiens say they understand the frustration from fans after the team’s poor start to the NHL season. Forward Brendan Gallagher says the Habs are confident they can fix the problems that are costing them wins.

The Canadian Press

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