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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v RED WINGS

May 21, 2009

Mike Babcock

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Practice Day

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Babcock.

Q. Hossa, Datsyuk, Holmstrom, despite not scoring, how have they made a difference?
MIKE BABCOCK: They've been excellent. I just look at the other team's got to worry about them. They compete hard. They're good defensively. You know, I think they've all had their moments. They're all proud guys and they want to score. And when you don't score, you got to make sure you're a plus, you're doing good things to help the team. They've been doing that, whether that be on the penalty kill, whether that be on the power play.
I never have a problem with how Pav competes. Tommy is doing what he can. I've been impressed with the work ethic of Hossa.

Q. Pavel Datsyuk didn't practice this morning. What is going to happen? Is Pavel going to play?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, we sure think so. It's day to day. He got a rocket off the foot the other night. You know, you go from there and you see what happens.

Q. (No microphone.)
MIKE BABCOCK: I haven't got that far. I moved it like that for a reason, I guess. But good thing about it is I got another night's sleep, if that's still the case. We'll see what happens after the skate.

Q. When you look at the Chicago team, it seems they're so skilled. You can see the potential in them. They're obviously I don't want to say overachieving. Do you almost have to snuff out that confidence, they might be thinking they can't beat you, before they see a glimmer of hope?
MIKE BABCOCK: Overachieving, that's not what they're doing at all. They're that good. I really believe they're an excellent team. They played hard all year long. They're a good team two years ago. They've just continued to take steps. I like their players. I like their pieces.
Game 2, I thought they gave us everything we could handle. It's gonna be a great crowd. When you go to Chicago, it's a great city, but it's a great crowd. It will be real exciting. They'll be jacked right up. We're going to have to be really poised and patient early and play real hard.
I thought they played harder in Game 2. We have to play harder than we did in Game 2.

Q. Some of your role players have stepped forward. You've talked about how they need to step forward. Talk about Hudler, Cleary, Samuelsson, how they can be game changers even though they're not necessarily viewed as superstars?
MIKE BABCOCK: I would tell you that I think that's probably been the part of our success, since I've been here, is the fact you don't win 50 games every regular season unless you have good players. Good players right through. There's no way you can bring it -- you try to, but you can't be the best you can be every single night. So someone's got to pick you up.
Hudler has been great. I don't know how many Huds scored this year, but he scored 20. Cleary was a 20-goal-scorer the year before. Samuelsson is a 20-goal-scorer at one point for us. You go through all that group, Filppula. We have a number of guys. Now Helm has stepped in and done a great job for us. We'll see who goes tomorrow.
We got a kid named Leino here who is a really good player, as well. That to me is what our program is all about, just continuing to develop, bring new guys, seeing what they can do. To be successful in today's league, I think you need that.

Q. Going back to Datsyuk and Hossa for just a second. As a coach, while appreciating the other stuff they do, how do you walk the fine line between understanding that you still need them to score probably at some point?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I think you talk about it. I think you show them some clips. You converse. I talk to those guys all the time anyway.
You know, to me the communication between a coach and a player, if you're talking all the time, when things aren't going good, it's way easier to talk. No different than a marriage. I'll use that as an example. I was going to be careful there. My marriage. If you're talking all the time, things aren't going good, you're talking all the time. If you only talk when things are going good, how does that work out? It doesn't.
So to me, we talk all the time, I don't think there's a whole lot of issue with it. They're looking for you as a coach to help them out, and particularly at this time of year, and you're trying to help 'em.

Q. You said you hope Datsyuk plays. Do you expect him to play tomorrow?
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, he didn't skate today. So he's day to day. Simple. See how his foot reacts.

Q. Fair to say those guys, Datsyuk, Hossa, Holmstrom, they're too good not to score.
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I really am a big believer you do good things, good things happen. It doesn't mean in the short-term all the time. You just keep on doing it. I think they're been a lot of good players playing on a lot of teams that never scored in the playoffs that would have scored if they had a supporting cast around them to get them another round.
Our guys have done a good job for them. They got to do their part as well offensively. In saying all that, I'm saying the same thing you are, is that over time, you don't score like they do all year long, every single year, every playoff, and then suddenly they didn't lose their hands or their skill or anything. So keep on keeping on.

Q. When you face a team with this much speed, what sort of discipline, particularly defensively, do you have to approach each game with?
MIKE BABCOCK: I think your transition in offense to defense, defense to offense, has to be real fast. But to me, as much as things fluctuate or change from team to team you play, you're still focused in on your game and you're just picking up the nuances that can maybe help you be successful.
This team's very talented that we're playing, no question about it. They come at you with speed. I've said it a number of times, you can't fuel the fire with turnovers. You've got to look after the puck better.

Q. Mikael Samuelsson was saying this morning because he's surrounded by so much talent, he feels much more relaxed. Not being the guy that is expected to score, he feels it's easier to score. That is part of the conversation you have with Hossa or Datsyuk or anybody who is struggling?
MIKE BABCOCK: That's a hundred percent right. All I do is I look at every year, July 1, free agency. Your good players get signed by some other team. Instead of being the second line left winger playing with two good players, they put them at first line center. And they wonder at Christmas why he's got no goals. Number one, he has this huge salary he's carrying around on his back. Number two, he's got no one to play with and huge expectations. The most fun you can have in hockey is play with the best players you can play. They make you look good.

Q. You were quick to say Maltby was back in the lineup. Did you see that made you want to put him back in?
MIKE BABCOCK: I expect Malts to do a good job on the wall for us. I expect him to be physical on the forecheck. I expect him to use his speed. I think he'll be excellent for us.

Q. The environment in Chicago tomorrow, obviously you guys are anticipating, but that type of wildness in a big original six city like Chicago, how good is that for hockey overall? I know you want to quiet them, but...
MIKE BABCOCK: I think it's great. You want to quiet it. When we went to Columbus this year in the playoffs in the first round, I thought their crowd was awesome. I really did. You know, we've been in a number of buildings. We were in Edmonton one year, in Pittsburgh, there's been some fantastic buildings. In Calgary. The crowd's not going to play any minutes, but there's gonna be some energy in the building.
I think you can build on it as a visitor, too. Your question about how good is it for the league, I think it's fantastic for the league that these franchises are healthy. I think with the work they've done advertising this year alone, I think they're gonna change the way hockey is marketed. And I think that's a fantastic thing for the league.
So all in all, just think of their franchise. They got the Winter Classic. Now this has happened to them. So just in a matter of time, you know, things have gone well for them the last couple years.

End of FastScripts

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