Babcock speaks out as his Red Wings regroup at the Stanley Cup
PITTSBURGH — Mike Babcock tried to bite his lip.
The Detroit Red Wings coach has had no cause for complaint so far in this Stanley Cup but that changed on Tuesday when he was asked about the two goaltender interference penalties his team was given in overtime during Game 5.
His first instinct was to give a vague answer, but that eventually gave way to his true feelings on the matter.
“I’ll jump on the soap box,” said Babcock. “We talk about scoring more goals in the National Hockey League. We want more goals. No they don’t — don’t tell me that. I’ve never seen anything like that in my whole life.”
Henrik Zetterberg and Daniel Cleary each bumped Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury while driving to the net with the puck but neither player went out of his way to do so. With the NHL’s championship series on the line, the calls were marginal at best.
The Penguins didn’t score on either of those advantages — they got the winner with Jiri Hudler correctly in the penalty box for high-sticking — but that didn’t make things any better for Babcock.
He had remained quiet during the series while Penguins coach Michel Therrien complained often about obstruction infractions that weren’t being called. After speaking out, Babcock did not plan to have a further discussion with the league about officiating before Game 6 tonight.
“Just had it,” said Babcock. “I’m going to try what the other guy (Therrien) has been trying all series.”
The NHL surely didn’t like that he aired those thoughts. The Detroit players were quick to back up their coach.
Goalie Chris Osgood even said he doesn’t mind a little contact and noted that it’s usually permitted during the regular season. He couldn’t believe it was penalized in overtime during the Stanley Cup final.
“I don’t think it’s a penalty, especially at that particular time of the game,” said Osgood. “It seems to me like there’s such a grey area for that rule right now that it needs to be addressed.”
It’s understandable why the Red Wings might have been feeling a little ornery after arriving to a rain storm in Pittsburgh. No team in the history of the NHL has been as close to capturing the Stanley Cup before failing to close it out.
There was just 34.4 seconds to play when Penguins forward Maxime Talbot tied the game. Phil Pritchard had already shined the Stanley Cup in the bowels of Joe Louis Arena and stadium attendants were wheeling champagne towards the Red Wings dressing room.
That celebration was quickly put on hold.
“When you’re in the middle of everything, you don’t think about (how close you were to winning),” said captain Nicklas Lidstrom. “You’re so focused of getting the game over.
“And I think it’s afterwards when you realize we did have a great chance to win last night.”
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