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NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS: PENGUINS v RED WINGS

June 4, 2009

Mike Babcock

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: Game Four

DAVID KEON: Questions for Coach Babcock.

Q. Can we assume from the fact that Pavel's still out there that he's probably not playing tonight?
COACH BABCOCK: I wouldn't assume anything. Pavel already told me that he's warming up and planning on playing. Now, we've had lots of plans over the years. We'll see what happens.

Q. Will you let us in that Draper was playing yesterday. So you have not made a decision on Pavel and it's going to be game time, correct?
COACH BABCOCK: I'm not making the decision. When Pav's ready, he's playing. He's making that decision or the doctors and trainers. When he feels he's ready to go, and that foot allows him to have some pop, he's playing.
Right now we have Draper going in, we have Abby coming out.

Q. How about his conditioning, Coach? Considering he's been out for so long, how do you expect his conditioning to be tonight?
COACH BABCOCK: I'll take Pavel and his conditioning. I'm not worried about that.

Q. How about getting off to a quick start?
COACH BABCOCK: Last game we were under siege for about the first 7 minutes of the game. Not a whole lot of D-zone poise. You know, I've seen it before. I thought we did a real good job. We got through it. The way the game had worked out, we thought we were set up pretty good, and it didn't work that way. We've got to do a better job tonight. I think especially just managing the puck early. That is the key to coming out of your zone quick and not fueling the fire of their forecheck.
I thought they did a good job early on. But we're going to have to be better.

Q. How are you?
COACH BABCOCK: Feel great, actually, you know. Really good. I'm missing my son's graduation today. I missed my daughter's birthday on Tuesday. So probably not running for Father of the Year, but other than that, everything's good (laughing).

Q. What kind of reports did you get from Grand Rapids on what kind of leader Darren McCarty was for the young guys?
COACH BABCOCK: Oh, fantastic. I think that's part of our program down there, we've had good leadership. Aaron Downey was good for them as well, and leadership in a number of ways. Downey has a chance to be a strength coach in the NHL one day. So you end up having a player that's helping your guys off the ice get stronger, and young guys need to get stronger.
We've had a number of guys that played in Grand Rapids this year, they're going to spend some of their summer with Downey at his farm and his gym, which is real important for development. So leadership is key, obviously.
I think Kenny Holland and the Ilitches have treated the veteran guys in our organization as good as you could ever hope to be treated.

Q. Just wondering what do you think Kris Draper will do for your penalty kill?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, face-offs will be the key. You know, our penalty kill last game is well documented, two goals. We talked with the first one. The second one is to me when the game's on the line, you've got to have a kill. And we didn't get it.
We had an opportunity to get it out a couple of times. We didn't get it 200 feet. I wasn't concerned about where we stood or anything like that. But I was concerned about not getting it out.
Then obviously as you get tired and you're breathing through your eyelids you don't pressure as much. That's what happened.

Q. Going a little bit more about draws and how does someone like Kris Draper get so good at them? And as a team you guys are good at that, too?
COACH BABCOCK: I think it's focus, I think it's mental toughness and professionalism. Taking a lot of pride in doing it. When you talk about leadership, Draper's been working with Helmer and Abby every day since they've been here. That's a big part of what we do here is passing it on.
You know, Chelios really helped Lebda when he came into the league, and helped Meech and Ericsson. You know, earlier in the Playoffs, for example, Ericsson was getting himself run. And I said, Cheli I just want you to talk to him about the situation. Getting the guy on your back and showing him. It's better than me doing it.
So that's what those guys have been able to do. But Draper's a leader for us with his energy level and his commitment. And we need him here today.

Q. Talk about how pivotal this game is tonight, because it's either 2-2 or 3-1, going back on Saturday?
COACH BABCOCK: I think we've talked about this every game now. Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, Game 4, they're all huge. Tonight's a big one. And it's the biggest one because it's the one we're playing. And we're going to say that every game.
But I think it's also important you play the game. You get out there and you get prepared and you put your foot on the gas and let it happen. We'll fix the mistakes after or the next day. But let's play the game. That's what it's supposed to be. Let's play. Let's be the best we can be, let's let her hang out.

Q. When you played this last year, Malkin was on the left point of the power play, wondering how much harder they are to defend on the power play. And if you agree with your goaltender that you're giving Gonchar a little too much time on the power play?
COACH BABCOCK: Well, we did. Especially on the second one when we couldn't get out to them just because guys weren't moving anymore, they were standing still. So I agree with that with Ozzie. On his second, Gonchar had two goals, a minute an 10 seconds into the power play when they scored their second goal. One, he missed the net, we got in the lane and missed the net. The next one he scored. Those are too good of looks and that's what Ozzie is talking about in that situation.
As far as Malkin, he's a good player down low or up top. On the face-offs on one side, they have Letang on the half wall and Malkin up top. So to me good players are good players whether they're up top, on the half wall, or down low on the goal line.

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