NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: MIGHTY DUCKS v DEVILS

June 6, 2003

Mike Babcock

COACH BABCOCK: Same thing I do every day. Do what we do. Be the best we can be. Don't worry about where or how or where or who, just do what we do, get out and get playing.

COACH BABCOCK: Obviously we want to play better than we played in Game 5.

COACH BABCOCK: What you try to do at this time of the year is you play the people at the right situations as much as you possibly can. He's a healthy guy.

COACH BABCOCK: It's a big, big game for us, just like every one we've played in the playoffs. But the whole key for us is how we play. Go out and play the best we can. We really thought that last night, as good as they did, getting the puck to the net, they had real fortunate bounces for them. You earn those breaks. We thought we got off to a good start, but we really thought we were emotionally interesting in that we really fluctuated during the game rather than being even. The Finals have been interesting in that way for our team. As we grow and as we get to know it, we're trying to do a better job of that. We're excited to play and get back here today.

COACH BABCOCK: For us, we want to be as good as we can be. You try to play your game the best you can. We thought the game plan they had for last game was identical to our game, except they did what they were supposed to do and we didn't. They were on top of our D. They were greasy. They were physical. They got the puck to the net. There is no difference, they just executed theirs. We're going to try to do the same here in our building.

COACH BABCOCK: You should ask Paul. I would like him to, but they broke out last night, I think 22 shots in the first period last night. Why does that happen? I have no idea. But for Paul, what we try to do on the road is when we play him on certain people, we draw match-ups that we want. We thought we had everything going perfect last night. We were drawing the match-up we wanted. We thought we had a good second match-up. I thought the Turner Stevenson/Brylin line was a dominant factor in the game last night. All they did was do what you're supposed to do. They got it in, worked hard, competed hard. It wasn't spectacular by being fancy. It was just honest, do what they do. I'm sure they call it Devils' hockey; we call it Ducks' hockey. Do what we do.

COACH BABCOCK: I don't think it's match-ups at all, actually. I think the match-ups are overrated, but what I do think is sometimes the confidence you have is at home. I said to a few guys today, "When I get back home and I want to go to the lake and I can remember coming around the corner too fast and running into a deer. That's exactly what we looked like three times in New Jersey, like that deer when I was about to hit it, deer in the headlights. I don't know why that is. We want to have one more chance at fixing it.

COACH BABCOCK: Well, I don't know if there is a fatigue factor. Like, to me, for the opportunity that's here, you've got all summer to get healthy. Don't get me wrong, no one is sprinting to the rink out of their car. Everybody is banged up and bruised, but I don't think anybody thinks they're not ready to go or not energized to go. It's a matter of will and whose will is established first. I thought they beat us last night to the game plan. I thought it was out there to both teams. No one got it established earlier. Once they got it, they didn't give us a sniff after they got it. Why is that, because they traveled less? I don't think so for one second. I think it's because they executed their game plan. We know that we travel all the time. That's all we do out here is travel. We're used to the traveling. Ideally it's going to wear the Devils right down. It's going to be about will on the ice, not about travel off it.

COACH BABCOCK: I think like a coach or like a player is they want to be the best player. I want to coach the best team every year, so the pressure is to win the puck. You want to be the best player, you want to have that pressure, and that's, to me, what this is about here today, is right now our team is stretched. That's why you're in it, to be stretched, but you're in it to show that you can respond, and that's what makes you proud. That's what makes you a superstar. That's what gives you the soul to allow you to overcome all this stuff. There isn't one person who doesn't want to be the best. I think the pressure comes with that. I think they've learned to handle it over the years. Paul's going to do everything he can to be the best he can be, and they're going to do everything they can to make sure he isn't. That's the challenge.