Gorilla Crouch

Mike Babcock Conference Call

Q. Mike…You alluded to your first playoff year in Detroit a couple times. How are you different?

MIKE BABCOCK: Well, I think the first year, without any question, I had no idea when I got to playoff time how things were going to be different. What I mean by that is I’ve been in the playoffs in the NHL, but I didn’t know the expectations of the past were going to haunt us. And I couldn’t believe how we were paralyzed. I had no idea. I didn’t understand that.

A thing about our team, we weren’t, in our opinion, hard enough and we weren’t quick enough. We weren’t good enough. We had more points than any team I coached since, but we weren’t anywhere near as good as the next two years’ teams. I think it was a real eye-opener for all of us, maybe not for all of us but I think Ken Holland knew what was coming. I didn’t.

And so I thought through the next year and even this year we’ve made adjustments as a team. We’re much younger, we’re much quicker, we’re much harder. That gives us a chance to play at this time of year.

Matt over at On the Wings has the full transcript.