WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

September 15, 2016

Doug Armstrong

Mike Babcock

Q. I just wonder with Team Europe and Team North America, the way those teams are built and included, does this have a chance to be the most competitive international tournament top to bottom that we've seen?

DOUG ARMSTRONG: Yeah, I would say for sure it does. Every team obviously has won a pre-tournament game. I think the competition is going to be at its top, and really what levels everything out is goaltending in hockey, and every team seems to have a hot goalie and a goalie that can steal a game, as well.

So I think that anything is possible, and we're going to have to be at our best.

Q. Coach, where are you at in terms of deciding your lineup and all the combinations and all the decisions that you have to make now that you've gone through the entire pre-tournament schedule? Are those set in your mind and do you care to share those?

MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, pretty much set in my mind. Going to meet with the coaches one more time, announce everything tomorrow, just like we've done all tournament.

Q. What can you say about the way Nikita Zaitsev yesterday played? It looked like he tried really well because he knew you are watching him.

DOUG ARMSTRONG: He probably tried to do well because he was trying to win for his country, so that would be his first priority, but obviously I enjoyed watching him. He's a good player, real good hockey sense, can shoot and pass the puck, played well against good players, has a chance to be an important player in the NHL, and he's a really good man, as well. Important for us that we were able to acquire him, and obviously will help out the Leafs.

Q. Coach, can you talk about what you learned from these exhibition games and what improvements you see yourself that you can share with us making within the team?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, you learn it's going to be tight, obviously. We're basically 2 and 1. We won one in overtime. They had a glorious two-on-one in overtime; could have won easy. Every night the goaltenders have been really good, so it's going to be a hard tournament to win, just like most of these tournaments.

We have to continue to get better. Discipline is going to be critical for us. Took seven minors last night. We've got to keep getting better each and every day, and that's what we'll try to do.

But if you think there's any freebies, there's not, and they're hard tournaments to win, so we have to enjoy our off-day. Get energized -- or as much as an off-day. I know it's not an off-day, so NHLPA you're not allowed to do anything, so I know they wouldn't count this as one, but obviously we've got to enjoy that and get ready to play.

Q. Mike, the process through a few Olympics of finding the right linemates for Sidney Crosby has taken a long time. Bergeron works well with him. As a head coach trying to pair up a great player like Sid, what are the dynamics? What are the hard issues trying to find the right players to put with Sid?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I didn't think it was any issue at all. We had decided in advance. I've coached him a number of times. He likes to play with guys with speed that turn over and guys with hockey sense. The other thing is he wants to be on offense, so if you play him with one really intelligent defensive player, as well, like Bergie, it helps him out. We're trying to have a right-handed and left-handed face-off guy on every line, if we possibly can. We have that, as well. So that's been a good group for us.

We think we have a number of tandems and still obviously things could change, but right now we look forward to that being a group.

Q. You had Carey Price at his absolute best in Sochi. Where is he now compared to where he was then?

MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, I don't know if that was his best or not. We didn't give up much, and he didn't allow any loose change to create more for the other team. I thought his first game obviously wasn't Carey like. I thought last night he was.

I think it's interesting, when you're playing against a team and the other team is getting out-shot and their goalie is standing on his head, it makes it harder for you when you're not getting as much rubber, and he seems to be fine with that, doesn't seem to be a big deal and just plays.

He gives you confidence. He's a calm guy. He's good with the puck. He's good with his teammates. It gives you confidence.

Q. Mike, how much can you draw on the experience in Vancouver in terms of being on home ice, friends and family wanting tickets, everything that surrounds the pressure of having to deliver on home ice?

MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, you know, that would be a great question for the players that were there because I don't see these as the same events at all. To me we all play in the NHL. We all play right here. To me it's not the same kind of thing. I don't know why I feel like that, but I don't feel the same way I did there.

You know, I think we all think we're going to win. I think every team in the tournament thinks they're going to win. I think that's how close it is now. So we're going to do everything we possibly can, and like I said, try to get better every day. I think that's probably boring for you to hear, but that's the reality, and that's what we're going to try to do.

Q. Coach, could you sympathize with some Maple Leafs fans should you see North America in the elimination round if they're a little bit torn with Auston and Morgan in the tournament, and on top of that, have you been keeping an eye on your own guys?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, obviously I'm cheering for those guys, too, every night we don't play them, and when we play them, I hope they play good, I just hope they lose.

Obviously we all have real jobs. This is going to end right away here. It takes forever to get started, now it's going to be over in a hurry. Let's enjoy it here. We've got an opportunity to represent our country and play at the best level and coach at the best level and be around the best players, but there's a season that's going to start right away, and we're excited for that.

If you're a Leafs fan and you're watching all these players play, you have to be excited. You can't help it.

Q. I know you've been through this before, but how do you prepare a team that could out-shoot the other team and run into a hot goalie and could be done if you have one or two bad games? How do you prepare them to handle that mentally and not let that affect them?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I think we've had two experiences like that already. Quick stood on his head when we dominated that game early, suddenly they're up 2-0. Last night I thought we were all over them early, took our foot off the gas, took a ton of penalties, next thing you know we're behind and their goalie is playing real well and our goalie had to play well in the end. He made an unbelievable save when it was 2-1; the game is over at that point.

To me we understand that's what we're in. We know what we have to do to play our game and play well. We will verbalize that again tomorrow and go through it and be ready to play for the tournament.

Q. Just to make it official, this is the roster?

DOUG ARMSTRONG: Yeah, we met with our training staff this morning. Everybody checked out. They'll see the doctors one more time tonight, but this is the group of 23 we're going to be taking into the tournament.

Q. Talking about being the favorite coming into this tournament. Do you like that title? Do you wear it well? Do the players wear it well? I think Canada always has that pressure, but does this feel any different than any other competition you go into, always Team Canada being the one to beat?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, pressure is a privilege. If you don't have any pressure, it means you have no chance. Do you want to come to the tournament with no chance or do you want to come to the tournament with pressure? Their thing is every guy who is used to competing at the highest level, they like 50/50 opportunities. 80/20 doesn't even get them to sweat or get excited. They like 50/50 opportunities where they've got to find a way to overcome it and be in it. That's why you're in it. And I think that's the excitement of it.

For me, I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't think our guys would, either. We're proud to be Canadian. We're proud to be from here. We're proud to represent Canadian hockey. We think it's our job. That doesn't guarantee anything.

But I know if you get up every day and you give her your best and you go home and love your family and do it again the next day, things work out okay.