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Mike Babcock after a 7-2 loss to the Maple Leafs: “They played harder, longer, faster than we did… Better defensively. Better offensively. Just better.”

Mike Babcock discussed the need for more bottom-six production, his group’s competitiveness, and the Leafs’ superior performance after the Oilers’ 7-2 loss to Toronto. You play a team that gets goals from the likes of Lettieri, MacEwen, and Stecher. You…

Maple Leaf Hot Stone

Published: Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 2:47 AM

Key Things to Know

Mike Babcock conceded Toronto outworked and outperformed his team following a 7-2 defeat to the Maple Leafs.
Babcock accepted coaching responsibility, noting Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller had Toronto better prepared and playing harder.
The coach refused to blame bottom-six forwards exclusively, stating the entire group lacked sufficient effort and preparation.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Mike Babcock addressed the media following a 7-2 defeat against the Toronto Maple Leafs, conceding that Toronto thoroughly outperformed his team. Babcock stated that Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller had his group playing harder, faster, and more competitively from start to finish, admitting that his own squad failed to match the required work ethic on home ice.

While Babcock acknowledged getting players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman back from absence, he refused to blame the bottom-six forwards exclusively. Instead, he attributed the blowout loss to an overall lack of preparation and insufficient competitive effort across the entire roster against high-caliber opposition.

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