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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGS

May 30, 2009

Mike Babcock

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game One

Pittsburgh Â– 1
Detroit - 3

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Babcock.

Q. People might expect goals from someone like Franzen. But can you talk about Abdelkader and what he brings stepping up in that line playing well for you?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, they're a hard group for the fourth line because they don't play a fourth line. So when you've got Crosby and Malkin coming all the time, you know, I basically told Abby in the first period he might not play one shift. Just be ready. And we were able to get him out there for five minutes. What we'd do is play Zetterberg or Filppula with a fourth line like they did. In the end, that line did a really good job for us. Got us useful minutes and wear and tear on their D.

Q. With the saves you made when it was 1-1 early in the second, did you think Chris Osgood was maybe your most important player tonight?
COACH BABCOCK: I think the goalie is the most important player every night. It's hockey. It's like that every year. I thought Ozzie did a good job for us. I didn't think we were very good through the neutral zone tonight, turned over way too many pucks.
In the end, that catches up to you. Ozzie made some real critical saves. I thought their goalie made some good saves as well.
It was just one of those games that wasn't as clean. There's not that much space out there. Both teams are fast. They're working hard from behind, and the ice isn't very good. So it leads to turnovers.

Q. Are those end boards an advantage for you guys because you know them so well?
COACH BABCOCK: The?

Q. The way the puck comes off the end boards in this rink?
COACH BABCOCK: They were tonight.

Q. Is it often an advantage because you know it so well?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, in the morning skate they were out there working on banking off them. I mean, they've played here before.
You know, I guess it's like anything. Every building you go to there are little nuisances, and you try to take advantage of them the best you possibly can. So tonight we got some breaks, but I always believe when you're at the net you've got a chance to get some breaks.

Q. Can you talk about the importance of the strategy of when using a timeout, and now with this no change after an icing, how it comes into play. Now you use it in a time you don't want to?
COACH BABCOCK: I'm just a big believer in you waste it all the time. You never, ever use it lots of times. And you know, tonight was an example. Their coach used one, and actually we ended up scoring on it. Then we used one just because the guys are fatigued out there. And you know, it's hot, it's humid. The ice is heavy, and you'd rather be fresh.
Now down the stretch you might have used your timeout tonight on a face-off. But in the end, I thought it worked out fine for us.

Q. What do you think worked well particularly to slow down Crosby and Malkin for them not to go wild like they've been?
COACH BABCOCK: I mean, they're really good players. Crosby to me looked very, very determined tonight. Malkin, you know, we knew coming into this series that these guys when you've been here before, you know what to expect so you're ready to start on time. Last time we played them it took them a couple games to get going. They were very good tonight. They were very competitive.
I thought Crosby went to Zetterberg in the neutral zone, got him in the crosscheck. That's just being competitive. They're high-end players and we've got to compete back.
I didn't think our second period was competitive enough, but we found a way to win the game. It was a real big goal for us.
They got a big goal when Stuey-Malkins with the long reach cut off that indirect off the wall in the first period, and I think they scored with 1:23 left, and we got a big goal, I don't know how much time was left in the second, but not very much. So both teams had momentum going in.
We had it going in the third. They had it going in the second.

Q. Do you believe you have an advantage in the face-off circle or just a good night for you guys tonight?
COACH BABCOCK: Just a night. I think it goes like that. Some nights it goes your way, other nights it doesn't. Obviously, if you have the puck, you don't have to chase it.

Q. In '03, your trademark was the greasy goals. You got a couple tonight. You don't need as many with this team because of the skill. But that was one of those nights tonight where that's how you won?
COACH BABCOCK: I think we have to play like that. The way they're playing, they're reloading fast, they're tracking back hard. Their "D" are trying to box out. We're going to have to get goals like that. I don't think there's going to be a lot of skill plays.
Even tonight, their main opportunities were when we turned it over. Malkin stole one off Stuart, stuff like that in the neutral zone. If you don't count it on turnovers and they're not giving you any, you're going to have to work hard for your goals and you need a good net presence. I think we've got guys that do that.

Q. Can you talk about Abdelkader's goal? Obviously, any time you get the first goal in the Stanley Cup Final what that means to him and his performance a little bit?
COACH BABCOCK: I just thought abby did a good job for us. He didn't get to play much because of the match-up situation with Malkin and Crosby. But I thought he did a real good job. Helmer was playing well, so it gave us four lines. So the way they go about it with the tempo in this series. Like the tempo in the first period was unbelievable. So, you guys got to have a lot of energy. We're playing back-to-back and playing three and four. To just play three lines, you know, we're going to have to be in shape to keep up. So it was good that Abby got five minutes and played real well and got us a goal. I thought Maltbie was really good. And I thought lien owe was strong as well. So it gave us a good group.

End of FastScripts

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