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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGS

May 31, 2009

Mike Babcock

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Two

Pittsburgh Â– 1
Detroit Â– 3

COACH BABCOCK: Just before I answer any questions. First thing I'd like to clear something up today. Because I came to my press conference this morning with the full intention of talking about how two great players were going after each other and going head-to-head and competing real hard. When I was walking out of the building, someone from TSN told me that I got it all stirred up.
So I misspoke or I didn't speak well, because to me speaking unfairly about Sidney Crosby would be wrong. So that was my intention.
He's going after Z, and Z's going after him. I think it's a great thing. But I wanted to clear that up because that sure wasn't my intent at all. And it's an unfair comment on a classy player who plays hard.

Q. Relative to the performance by your team in period one, what was your frame of mind at the end of that period, and what did you see change in the second period for Detroit?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, I actually thought in the first ten minutes of period one, it was all us. And then I thought in the second ten minutes it was all them. And we talked about that.
We had it going real well. We were coming out of the zone. Sailing in their zone, and suddenly we turned the puck over about four times in a row through the neutral zone. He got momentum and took over, and they were on top of our "D".
I actually thought the second period was much the same, until we got up 2-1. We had taken over, we got up 2-1, and then we stopped playing, and they took it to us for the remainder of that period. And I thought the third period is what you expect when you're up.

Q. What was your view of what happened at the end of the game with Malkin getting an instigator penalty and what do you think will happen?
COACH BABCOCK: I don't think anything will happen. I think they're competing hard and they're frustrated. Their team is playing hard. They've played us real hard. There is no room. We feel real good about having held serve at home. We're going to go into a tough building at their building.
I've been impressed with how hard they've played right throughout their lineup. They've put a lot of heat on us at times. Tonight they hit two posts. Crosby hit a post, Guerin hit a post, Crosby hit a post east-west behind the net. That's the way hockey is. You've got to keep working hard.
We got a good break. When Abby scored tonight, it's a different game when it's 2-1, and they have much more hope.

Q. A year later in the same situation, you guys are up 2-0 after two games at home, same series or different series in your mind?
COACH BABCOCK: I think way different. I think last year the Malkins and the Crosbys were engaged about Game 3. I think this year when the puck dropped they were engaged. And sometimes that's just not understanding or knowing what the situation is going to be.
But this team, the Pittsburgh team has played hard from the drop of the puck. Every inch of the ice is a battle out there with them. There seems to be momentum swings. We take over and then they take over. There's periods of time -- what happened again tonight the previous game they got caught on on an icing. We had ground them for quite a while. They scored a goal and called a timeout. Tonight decided not to call the timeout because last time it didn't work, which is what you do as a coach, and then we scored again.
So there were momentum swings in the game, and periods of time in the second period, and in the first period a time we couldn't get out of our zone, and it's been the same for them.

Q. Can you talk about the play of Helm tonight? Winning the face-off and setting the screen for Ericsson?
COACH BABCOCK: I think Helmer has been great. Helmer's given us an opportunity. Pavel's a Hart Trophy candidate. Obviously a real good candidate for us. Without him, if you don't have someone fill in, the same with Lilja, if you don't have someone fill in on Ericsson, you can't be successful.
So if you think about it. If you thought Ericsson and Leino, and Abdelkader and Helm were playing for us, someone told me that at the start of the year, I would say, yeah, we're a 182, and we were finishing off the season. I wouldn't think we were in the Stanley Cup Final.

Q. Much of the talk is how you're the older team, more injured team. Shorter break from the conference finals. That this back-to-back might really hurt you guys. Clearly that hasn't happened. Is this giving you a lift going into Game 3?
COACH BABCOCK: I think it's hurt us. Don't kid yourself. I thought we were exhausted out there tonight. It's amazing what will does for you. We talked about that before the game. You've got to will yourself through, grind it out and we'll get a day off tomorrow. We should be a better hockey team going into Pittsburgh.
I mean, we found a way to win two games, but we haven't been as good as we're capable of being, and obviously, we need to freshen up.

Q. Have you done anything differently with Ericsson based on his situation? Or have you just played him as you would have earlier in the year?
COACH BABCOCK: His situation?

Q. Because of the appendectomy?
COACH BABCOCK: Oh, no, no. I just play him.

End of FastScripts

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