Control key to Mike Babcock's success

TORONTO -- Mike Babcock is the same coach for Team Canada in the World Cup of Hockey 2016 that he is for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. We know what the difference is.
"It's just that the players are better," Babcock said. "I had that same structure [with the Maple Leafs], and we finished dead last last year, and I was the worst coach in the National Hockey League, if I remember correctly. When you're fortunate that they let you coach good players, you look like a pretty good coach sometimes."

But Team Canada is favored to win this tournament because of both its talent and structure, and its structure is especially important in situations like the single-elimination, no-margin-for-error semifinal against Team Russia on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, TVA, TVA Sports).
A main reason many consider Babcock the best coach in hockey, far from the worst, is that he has led Canada to back-to-back Olympic gold medals. The players make him look good. But he puts them in position to win.
"We have a ton of skill on this team, and you see it every night," Team Canada forward Steven Stamkos said. "But it's the skill and the willingness to play at both ends of the ice that is really a winning formula."

It's tempting to think it's easy to build and coach a Canadian team in best-on-best competition. The talent pool is so deep. Just pick 23 of the most skilled players, open the door and let them loose.
It's especially tempting after watching Team North America in this tournament. The players 23 or younger from Canada and the United States put on a show, zipping around the ice, making plays, scoring goals. They defeated Team Finland and Team Sweden, and they nearly defeated Team Russia, coming oh-so-close to the semifinals.
But Babcock has to manage massive egos and put the puzzle pieces together, and he faces different expectations than Team North America did. Entertainment isn't enough. Popularity isn't enough. Only winning is enough in a place where so much pride is invested in the national sport.
"I like watching that team because there's tons of skill," Babcock said. "I like winning more, though. I just want to win. That's what our players came for. They came to win."
Team North America traded scoring chances and ultimately did not advance because of a bad six-minute stretch against Team Russia. That's all it takes in a short tournament. Team Canada is built and coached to avoid that.
"You try to control the outcome of the game," Babcock said, "and trading chances is not normally the way you control the outcome."
Babcock takes advantage of his depth by rolling four lines and three defense pairings and giving most everyone a role on special teams. That makes everyone on his team feel important. It allows his team to play at a high tempo. It wears down the opposition.
When his players have the puck in the offensive end, he gives them room to be creative. But when they don't have the puck, he expects them to pressure all over the ice to get it back, and he expects them to make simple, low-risk plays to get it up the ice and into the offensive end again as quickly as possible.

He wants puck possession, of course. The more time you spend in the offensive end, the more you increase your odds that you'll beat the other goaltender, even if he's hot, and the opposition won't beat yours. But he also wants to avoid the big mistake that can put you behind and force you to open up or cost you a game, and the tournament, on its own.
"We know we're up against dangerous teams every night that can make you pay if you make mistakes defensively," Team Canada center Jonathan Toews said. "I think the way Mike Babcock coaches is that he wants you to be on offense. He wants you to play with the puck. He wants you in the offensive zone. His style really works out great for that style of player that wants to play offensively.
"So I think to do that, you need to look after things defensively, and you have to get on them. You have to get those pucks back and turn it the other way, and that's what we've really concentrated on, is being responsible defensively, managing the puck, and eventually you get the chance to let that offensive creativity come out."
Players buy in because they see captain Sidney Crosby backchecking the length of the ice. Players buy in because they have seen it lead to winning and trust it will lead to winning again. Players buy in because it has become a badge of honor to "sacrifice" for a team that is so stacked it has a Hart Trophy winner on the fourth line.
"You're part of this team; that's pretty cool," said Joe Thornton, the Hart Trophy winner on the fourth line. "So you'll do anything to be part of that team."
Players also buy in because they know how deep the Canadian talent pool is. If they don't buy in, they won't be here.
Team Canada picked Jay Bouwmeester as an injury replacement over more flashy defensemen because Babcock does not want flashy. He does not want his defensemen skating the puck up the ice and taking chances. He wants predictability. Bouwmeester has played for Canada before. He knows Babcock; Babcock knows him.
"I don't like to feed my family on hope," Babcock said. "I like to feed my family on know. I don't like surprises, not on Christmas, not my birthday. So I don't want any more. I want it under control."
Babcock has it under control as much as any coach can.