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WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

September 17, 2016

Mike Babcock

Toronto, Ontario

Canada – 6
Czech Republic ‑ 0

Q. Coach, you've had a chance to coach Sidney Crosby in several major tournaments now; is it possible that he's getting better even now compared to, say, Sochi 2014?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, let's not get carried away. He was a star in Sochi. He was a star in Vancouver. What you saw tonight, though, is he got points tonight. I mean, everyone likes to get points. Sid likes to get points, too, but the reality is it took team one, and he was a leader. And we're just in the process here, and as the team gets better he has to get better, but it was a good start for his line. His line is good.

Q. On the smaller ice, how drastic ‑‑ is the approach different or maybe not at all, but it seemed like tonight you were on them quicker, forcing turnovers. Maybe you can close gaps a little more than you can on the bigger ice?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I think that's part of it. Also, I think a big part of it is they play on their surface and we play on our surface so we're more used to it. I think that's part of it. You're D are more comfortable. They can be up tighter and create more turnovers that way. To me that's part of the excitement of the game. There's no room with the size of the players and the speed now, there's just absolutely no room, so you've got to be so good in tight areas to have success. And that's why a guy like Crosby is so strong with such explosive speed and great hockey sense. That's why, in these tight areas, he's that dominant.

Q. Your top line of Crosby, Bergeron, Marchand contributed and you got some help from your blue line. In a 6‑0 game like this, off the score sheet who was one of your bigger contributors?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I thought we had rolled out the door as much as I could. Tried to get everyone on the ice and be important. Our penalty killers were real good.
I thought the Czechs started great. I thought our speed at the start, we let them come through the neutral zone too quickly. They were on top of our D. They were flying our goalie, who you think at 6‑0‑‑ the goalie was really good at the start until we settled in and got playing. Once we got playing, obviously it was an easier night for him. But the other thing I liked about our team is our discipline, and our sticking to the plan. Even in the third period, we stayed with it, we didn't get careless, which is positive.
You know, I've been to a number of these events, and the team that loses today usually gets better tomorrow, and the team that wins today usually gets a little fatter tomorrow. The important thing to do is just live scared and get better tomorrow.

Q. Just to pick up on something you just said, it seems Carey Price has been put in that situation a few times on these teams with you, where your team starts a little slowly, he has to have a good start and then he can kind of nap, if you will, for the rest of the game. What do you think it is about him that gives him that ability to go from 0 to 60 so quickly, if you understand what I mean?
MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, I think, to be honest with you, at the last Olympics, I don't think Pricey faced much at all, but when we broke down he made huge saves. Tonight it was earlier than normal. In saying that, he's got a calmness about him, the way he prepares, the way he is in the room. The guys are comfortable with him, and he doesn't turn nothing into something. And so that's one of‑‑ that's a great skill for a goalie.
He just seems to be comfortable. He doesn't get any shots or any chances, and then he's there to make a big save.

Q. The end of the first period, the goal with no time left, you got that line, that top line out there really quickly. Was there an intention in that thinking maybe the Czechs, knowing it was late in the period, might ease off a little bit?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, what we did is got them out there two times there in the first period against a non‑match‑up for them, because their third group stayed long, so we were able to double up on their third group there twice, and we scored two times on that level, which worked out good for us.

Q. You've coached a number of games against the Bruins, against Brad Marchand and probably seen him do things you don't like, probably seen him do things to your players that you don't like. What's it like to be on the other side coaching him and seeing him do what he does?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, Marchy is a good man, a good kid. Obviously has developed into a real good player. He plays with great speed and creates turnovers for those guys, and with tenacity. The only time he ever gets in trouble is when he tries to do too much. He's an important player for us, playing real well in the penalty kill and playing real well even strength. When he was with the Bruins, he's a bit of a pain in the butt, but I like him here.

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