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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGS

June 2, 2009

Mike Babcock

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Three

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Babcock.

Q. Has Draper been cleared to play by doctors and if so, will he play tonight?
COACH BABCOCK: Yeah, he was cleared before last game. Don't know if he'll play tonight. It will be based on Samuelsson. Samuelsson didn't take the morning skate, so we'll see what happens there.

Q. Second injury, we just saw Pavel out on the ice. Just your thoughts on him and how does he look today?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, I guess he had his best overnight experience that he's had. And he seemed to have a big turn around. So he was real optimistic here today. I don't assume that affects today's game whatsoever, but it could really affect the following game.

Q. Could you just address the way the game is being officiated now? Obviously it seems based on the number of penalties it's not quite as stringent as it was in previous rounds of the playoffs?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, I disagree with that. I think there were so many penalties in previous rounds they only called part of them anyway. So if you just think about -- I don't think it's fallen off one bit. But maybe in the previous rounds there was 24 penalties every game, so they only called part of it.
I don't think that's been an issue whatsoever. When you lay it in behind the guy there's been a little more bumping probably than there would be in the first ten games of the regular season. But there hasn't been much in my opinion, because the teams -- there hasn't been much after the whistle.

Q. Do you enjoy the fact that Kirk Maltby tends to play a game within a game and gets chirpy out there and tries to get in everybody's head?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, I think the big thing about Malts is since I've been here the best time of his year each year is at this time. He plays well and he plays hard. He's been real good for us in each and every game. That's just a side bar, Malts.

Q. Traditionally Game 3 is such a swing game as far as, you know, you guys could basically put it away or they could get life. Last year what did they do to get Game 3, and what do you do differently this time?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, last Game 3, and I don't remember it as well as I probably should. But the bottom line is they were able to get started on time, and we still had opportunities in that game. But they got started, they got the lead, and they played well and they used the momentum.
Our key here today is getting started on time. Executing early, making some plays. And just understanding that there's going to be some energy from the crowd, but it's just like in our building, it's for two teams.

Q. Have you attacked in the first two games as much as you would like?
COACH BABCOCK: No, that's a good question. No, I think we really have at times, and I think we've had our foot on the brake at times. We'd like to just have our foot on the gas the whole time.
Now the other thing that happens, and I really believe this, when you're ahead no matter what you say to them, the tendency is to be a little more careful. We don't want to play the game careful. You want to have fun and get out there and get after it. Yet you want to be smart about what you do.
So ideally this should be our best game here today so far. We haven't been as good as we're capable of being in the first two. We should be fresh and understand what's taken place in the series, and we can have a couple of adjustments to allow us to be better.

Q. There's a theory because your game is up 2 games to none they can relax and have more fun. Is that true or what do you think?
COACH BABCOCK: I don't know. Relaxing is for the summer. You know, I guess what I'd tell you here is there's an opportunity today for both teams. You know, Game 1 was huge. Then when we got to Game 2 it was huge, and now Game 3 is huge. Why? Because it's the one we're playing. So I think both teams are very much an understanding of how big this game is. We've both been here in this situation before. We understand it's a big game and that we've got to be at our best.

Q. You guys have played so well on the road this year, what is the mindset when you come into a building is it experience, is it just knowing what to expect? You guys really relished playing in another team's building?
COACH BABCOCK: That's a real good question. We've been a good road team since the lockout, for sure. Played real well on the road. And part of it is depth. But part of it is just understanding how to play.
The other thing I think is on the road you don't entertain. You execute. Sometimes entertaining your own people leads to turnovers and lack of execution. So we just need to play a real simple game here today and make sure we're playing hard and ready to go on time. Thank you.

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