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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v RED WINGSMay 18, 2009Mike BabcockDETROIT, MICHIGAN: Practice Day THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Babcock. Q. After watching the video, is there anything you saw that you guys could do better defensively against a guy like Kane who had no shots yesterday? MIKE BABCOCK: We turned the puck over way too often yesterday. Turnovers just fuel the fires of a transition team. We can't be doing that for sure, so we got to do that a lot better. We never had enough O zone time. Didn't hang onto the puck and grind like we'd like to. But we'll focus on trying to get better in that area as well. Just things when you haven't played a team in the playoffs that you try to adjust to, tidy up, that's what we have to do. Ideally our legs will be better. And our emotional engagement in the first 10 minutes wasn't good enough. Ideally we'll be better at that tomorrow. Q. Several straight games allowing a power play goal. Are you concerned about the penalty kill? MIKE BABCOCK: I'm always concerned about the penalty kill when it doesn't do a good job. I thought last night we did a real good job. Bang, bang, bang, it's in our net. If you look at our power plays, we're all over them. Khabibulin made four or five unbelievable saves. Was their penalty kill better than our penalty kill? Q. How much do you think the maturity factor plays into it at this time of year? It came up last year against Pittsburgh. MIKE BABCOCK: Did it come up last year against Pittsburgh? Q. We brought it up. MIKE BABCOCK: So did that mean it actually happened? Q. Well, I thought that throughout the course of the series, your experience came through. MIKE BABCOCK: How do you tell that? Q. I thought you guys weren't as panicky with the puck as they were. MIKE BABCOCK: Okay. Q. You were more businesslike. That's what I saw last night, too. MIKE BABCOCK: Well, like if I look on the sheet, now the guys upstairs, it's not the way I count it. I think they had us 11 turnovers to zero turnovers for them. Now, we actually turned the puck over 16 times in the game. So when I look at that, puck poise, I didn't think was on our side early. I thought in the first 10 minutes they could have been up by two or three. So, you know, I think it's an easy thing to talk about because they got some players that are younger than ours. I think experience is a great thing when you have it. When you don't have it, you think it's overrated. Do I think it's going to determine who wins the series? Absolutely not. Q. Can you talk about the emphasis of defense first for this team and the forwards, even if they aren't contributing with goals, the way they play defense, the commitment to defense by every player up and down the line. MIKE BABCOCK: Yeah, I mean, in saying all that, though, we led the NHL in goal scoring, you know. So we like to have the puck. We want to play with the puck. We want to generate offense. I think that's what they've become accustomed to here in Detroit. The fun side of the game is the time when you have the puck. And yet in saying all that, you want to win. In order to win, you got to be good without the puck. You know, I think it's a huge priority. The other thing I'd say to you is, just like on their team with Toews being their captain and a great two-way player, that's what you have in Zetterberg and Datsyuk and Hossa and Franzen and Cleary, the same kind of thing. So when you go through it that way, that's what we expect from our guys. Filppula is another one. So it's just kind of the standard. If you want ice time, that's what you got to do. Q. Mike, I know they're doing other things well, but how concerned are you about the offensive production of Hossa and Datsyuk? MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I'm about winning. As long as we're winning, I'm not concerned. You got to find a way to contribute. I thought Pavel made some unbelievable plays last night, and I thought those guys had some great luck. So if we weren't getting looks, I'd be concerned. If they weren't competing, I'd be concerned. Q. On that note, too, coach, you have to be feeling pretty good about determination. I see a determination with this team over and over from series to series. Are you seeing that at its best right now, too? MIKE BABCOCK: Let's not get carried away. We won one game. If I remember correctly, the Blackhawks were down last series, and they looked like they were on the brink of getting eliminated actually in some ways when they were down I think it was 2-1 or something like that in their building, or 2-0 or 2-1, whatever it was, and then they turned things around. So they're a determined group or they wouldn't be here. They've come a long way over the last few years. I'm very impressed with the leadership of their group there with Keith and with Seabrook and with Toews. I think they do a real good job that way. So determination in each series has a way to work itself out. And usually the team that wins is the more determined team. So let's not hand anything out too soon here. Q. You've joked that you're ready for the Blackhawks with the salary cap problems... MIKE BABCOCK: I haven't joked. That's the facts. I can't wait. They got way too much skill. And so the only way we can eliminate their skill is by the salary cap getting involved here. So the more goals those young guys score... You may laugh, that's the truth. When you're on the outside looking in, you just keep in the regular season hoping that 32 is going to snipe one more and get another one, get another one, get another one. The salaries just creep up and they can't have all the players. The scary thing about this new world is you walk out and say thanks for everything and they go somewhere else for more money, and it's tough. Q. You had kind of jokingly said to us on Saturday that Dan Cleary was explaining to all the teammates once upon a time he was 50 goal-scoring in juniors, late scorer, taken late in the draft. MIKE BABCOCK: I don't think I said all that. Q. I'm putting words in your mouth. Can you talk a little bit more about where he started and where he is now, with all of the things he's shown you. MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I hope he's not reading all this stuff here, that's the first thing. It's important to remember where you're from and who you are. He's a hard-working, grinding-type NHL player. In saying that, he's got a lot of skill, it's because he's got good hockey sense. I don't think he has one or two things that you say are all world, but he's a good player that can play with good players because he's got hockey sense. You know, you don't have the minor league -- not the minor league, the amateur career he had unless you have elite ability of some kind. And obviously that now, with his family situation, with his workout situation, with being a part of this team, what's expected of him, he's found a home and he's played well. Q. Can you just talk about how much peer pressure there is or you feel from where you are inside that locker room to the success that you have on a yearly basis? MIKE BABCOCK: Huge. Q. Do you think it's small? MIKE BABCOCK: No, not small. I think it's huge. I think peer pressure is exactly what it's all about. You've been in the locker room with teams that have won. You know the answer to that question. But the reality is we have a high expectation as coaches for our players. Management does and ownership does. And they have a high expectation of themselves. And I believe when the standard is set, no different than when you're going to high school and you think you should get 80, you get 80 all the time. If you think you should get 70, you get 70 all the time. The standard you set for yourself as a team is so important. But you need professionals at the top and to do it each and every day. They got to be self-starters. They've got to be driven people. That's the only way you can have success year after year after year like Ken Holland and Jim Nill have been able to get going here. Q. You mentioned before you considered Coach Quenneville a friend of yours. Where did that begin and what are your thoughts on him as a coach? MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I used to watch his teams. When I was in the minors, I was always a big fan of the way St. Louis played. So I watched his teams a lot. I followed him that way. Actually, when I had a bad year in Anaheim, my second year there, and I was gonna have an opportunity to go to the World Championships, I think St. Louis and him had parted ways during that year. I knew he was going to be the head coach. I phoned him and said, When you get an opportunity, I'd like to be an assistant coach of yours. So that's where it started. We went to the World Championships together. I just so happened he got sick, so I filled in for him. But ever since that time, we've had a good dialogue and enjoyed talking about hockey. We're not gonna talk much this week. Q. What you were saying about peer pressure, how you cultivate it within your locker room, how important is that for young teams to establish that and how intimidating can it be when it already exists, as it does in your organization, to other contenders who are trying to get what you have? MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I actually think the Blackhawks have come a long, long way in that area. I said this a couple days ago when I talked about Toews as the type of guy that you need to lead your franchise. You need a great human being who's a workaholic to set the tone. And that's what you have in him. So I think when your key guy does things right, everyone else does. I always joke that Nicklas Lidstrom is just the kind of professional that does everything right every day without ever being told. And to me that's what we're all trying to do in our walk of life anyway. I don't think we need someone looking over our shoulder if we do it right. And yet, let's be honest, if everyone was like Nick, there would be no coaches because there would be nothing for us to do. THE MODERATOR: Thanks very much. End of FastScripts |
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