Too late for lollipop?

Leaves are not taking energy from your plant they produce it!! the small growth shoots that produce bud, those are the ones stealing energy from your top colas! at this point I would only suggest removing 1-2 shoots weekly to avoid heavy stress on your plant, ideally you want to remove most if not all small shoots about a week or two before flowering. At this stage I would avoid Lolli-popping since now your plant is focused on flower production and not foliar production, with less leaves your plant will have less energy and thus less yield! Only remove dead leaves at this point and when big fan leaves cover a bud site then just tuck it underneath! Hope this helps! Good luck and happy growing :)