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NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: BLACKHAWKS v RED WINGS

May 22, 2009

Mike Babcock

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Game Three

Detroit Â– 3
Chicago - 4

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Mike Babcock.

Q. What was your reaction to the major and the game misconduct to Kronwall?
MIKE BABCOCK: I just heard Joel's press conference. So it's amazing how two people that know each other and see things similar a lot of times can see things so different.
But I heard the league already sent something out covering it. You know, the bottom line is, the puck came around the wall. Havlat had it in between his legs. Kronwall didn't leave his feet. He did it on the follow through. He just finished the check. He hit the guy fair and square.
There was a play in the game where the puck runs around the wall, our D doesn't touch it at all. Eager runs it totally. No penalty whatsoever. It's a reaction to what happened.
It takes one of your good players out of the game right off the hop. In my opinion, it was absolutely the wrong call. It was actually a good finish check.
You never want to see the guy get hurt. That's not what this game is about at all. It's about playing hard. That's unfortunate. But I guess that's my thoughts.

Q. Just the way your team battled back, only to lose in overtime. Mixed feelings out of that.
MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I mean, we were shorthanded nine minutes in the first period. You get the Cleary penalty. Let's be honest, they cut Stuey for stitches. He wasn't ready -- Byf high-sticked him right in the face. He didn't get the call. It's just one of those things.
I'm a big believer when you work hard enough, good things go your way. Good on them. They played hard. They found a way to score one more goal than we did.
We never got the puck out, and then had to ice the puck a couple times in overtime. And in the end ended up in our net. When we did that to them in the third period and had it tilted, it didn't go in.
That's the game. We're going to have to get regrouped here tomorrow and get back at her.

Q. Would you be surprised if the league took further action on Kronwall?
MIKE BABCOCK: I'd be shocked. I'd be absolutely shocked. You know, I'm not allowed to say that.
Players have bad games. Coaches have bad games. But they're not allowed to have bad calls or games.

Q. What goes through your mind when the Hawks change goalies after the second period?
MIKE BABCOCK: No, Huey is a good goalie, a veteran goalie. He was actually brought here to be their guy. Let's be honest. They did what they could to move Khabibulin early in the year. It didn't happen. He's a very quality goalie. I thought he looked calm and poised. I thought he got fortunate on Nicklas Lidstrom's shot. He was kind of leaning off the post, rattled around. We had a couple tips. He played good.
The big thing is you want to get the puck in the net. I thought they did a good job. We both ended up with six shots in the third period. Not a lot of shots.

Q. You're down 3-0 second period. At that point are you upset or do you chalk it up to the penalties?
MIKE BABCOCK: Not upset. I didn't like the power play goal they scored. They went half wall across. We got to be up in that lane. Filppula had no chance to get back in the lane because of what we allowed to have happen. I didn't like that goal.
But, you know, the bottom line is we're in the box. Those are tough penalties, the ones we took, one, I didn't think was a penalty. The other one, high stick, that's the way it goes. I thought if we got on top of them, we'd have a chance to battle back. That's what we did. I thought we stuck with it. Obviously without Kronwall, it made it a little harder. We lost Draper in the game with a pulled groin. We were a little shorthanded. That's playoff hockey. You got to find a way to dig in.

Q. Did Datsyuk's absence have any effect on your team and is he expected to play on Sunday?
MIKE BABCOCK: He's day to day. No, I mean, the bottom line is at this time of year, whoever puts on the sweater has to be good for you. I thought we got good minutes out of our guys tonight. It's one of those things, he's not available right now.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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