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Mike Babcock addressed the media after practice on Wednesday, discussing the challenge coming up on Thursday night against the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning, Nazem Kadri’s game through 31 contests, and more.


Can we expect a track meet tomorrow night, Mike? How does a game with these two teams find itself going?

Babcock: I’m not sure. Each night is a little bit different, but they’re a good team. We’re going to have to have a real good game for us, obviously. We are excited to have the opportunity to play against them. They’re obviously setting the standard for the NHL. We’d like to be where they’re at. We’ll have a look tomorrow.

Is it inevitable when you have two teams at the top of the league play each other that there will be a different energy and a different anticipation going into the game?

Babcock: I think so. It’s like after you drop a couple. You get engaged. Tomorrow is the same thing. It is a little bit different because of where they are in the standings. They set the standard for the NHL. We’d like to be like them. They’ve done it for a long period of time. They’ve had good teams here for I don’t know how many years… probably since Stevie came here.

In the end, they all want the same thing and the same thing as us. We just want our young guys to get the experience quicker so that we can be a good playoff team quicker, but in the meantime, we have to win regular season games.

Where do you see Nazem Kadri’s game at 32 games into the season?

Babcock: I thought Naz played one of his best games last night. The big thing is just to get him skating, get him moving, and get him involved physically. I thought he was that last night. He is going to have to be again.

In fairness, suddenly we have more depth in our roster so more guys have people to play with. Matty and John — we gave them more help right from the get go. I don’t want to say he is by himself, but he didn’t have the same kind of experience and same kind of players. Now, he seems to be coming around.

With how this playoff format works, have you guys thought much about trying to win the division or is that not in your minds at all?

Babcock: I am trying to win every night. Instead of worrying 100 games down the road or what the schedule is or when the next back-to-back is, I know we play Tampa. We are getting ready to play Tampa. Ideally, all the rest of that stuff takes care of itself.

If we just stay in the process and we focus on getting better and cleaning up our details and improving our players, things look after themselves. In the end, wherever you end up, you are excited to be in the playoffs and you’re excited for the opportunity.

John Tavares was saying he anticipates that the moms will need less babysitting than the dads.

Babcock: He is probably looking at his own family. I heard a lot of rumours that it’s the other way around. I think it just depends on what house you live in, you know what I mean? I think it’s a great opportunity for you to get a chance to say thanks to your mom.

My mom is not alive and hasn’t been alive for a long time. I still pray to her every day. For these guys to have an opportunity to say thank you and spent some time with them is a special thing. I’ve been in the league a long time and had a lot of dads trips. This is the first moms trip. I think it will be great.


Player Quotes: Tyler Ennis, Nazem Kadri, John Tavares

John Tavares on his impressions of Nazem Kadri’s game 30 games into the season:

I think Nazzy is just very consistent. I think he’s got a very good understanding now at this point in his career of the way he has to play and what he has got to do to be at the level he wants to be at on a game-to-game basis. Obviously, he competes really hard and gets in people’s faces. He can agitate a little bit. He’s got great finish and touch and hockey sense out there making plays and finishing around the net. He’s a guy who can do a lot for us with his ability to kind of mix it up. Especially when you need a guy to go out there and provide a spark physically or just kind of turn up the tension a little bit, he brings that for us.

Tyler Ennis on Frederik Gauthier:

He had a lot of energy last game. With Freddy, you know what he is going to give. He is going to be below the puck supporting. He is going to get in on the forecheck and use his big body. He plays with a lot of energy. He is good on draws. We communicate a lot and he’s a good guy. We’ve just got to continue to build some chemistry.

Ennis on whether Gauthier’s speed is underrated:

For sure. You can’t really play in this league if you can’t get up and down the ice. He hadn’t been playing in a few games and he came in and played a really good game.

Kadri on the challenge of playing with revolving linemates this season:

With our depth and the guys that can play with each other, sometimes tweaking the lines isn’t a bad thing, whether you’re looking for a spark or you need one guy to pick it up — whatever the case may be. Interchanging the players, everyone gets a good feel for each other by playing with each other. We seem to have found some pretty good chemistry as of right now.

Kadri on Babcock’s comments about “keeping everybody important” and whether he has been successful with that:

Yeah, of course. I don’t need a pat on the back every single day. I just go about my business. I know the value I bring to this team. We’ve got a lot of talented players, and that’s what you need to have a chance to win a championship. We are nothing but excited.

Kadri on the success of his line with William Nylander and Patrick Marleau so far:

We’re just able to move through the neutral zone pretty successfully and that is allowing us to play more on offense. Our forecheck has been good and it gives us more time and space with the puck. With the players on our line, I think that is a pretty dangerous recipe. For us moving forward, we’ve just got to continue to do that. The goals will start coming.

Tavares on the challenge against the Lightning:

It should be hard fought. Both teams are very talented and very deep. They’ve proven themselves over the last — I’d say — five years as one of the top teams in the league consistently and everyone kind of expects them to be one of the teams that is challenging every year to go deep in the playoffs. We know their capability and what kind of team they have. We have to be ready to play and be at our best. They’re very explosive and have good depth.

Ennis on the Lightning:

It’s going to be a fun game. Two fast teams. Two teams that play offensive styles. It is a really important divisional game, obviously. It’s two teams looking to keep climbing the standings. Tampa Bay is at the top right now. It is a huge game for us. We’re excited. We’re motivated. We’ve got our moms coming in for a little extra boost. It should be fun.

Nazem Kadri on the Lightning:

It’s going to be a fun game and a nice game to see where we are at. Both teams are close to the top of the league standings, so it is going to be interesting. I think we can’t get into too much of a track-meet style against these guys. They have too many offensive weapons. Even though we can score, too, we’ve just got to stick to our structure and come out with a big road win.

Potentially you can see them down the road, which definitely makes things a little more interesting from a player and a fan perspective. It gives you guys something to talk about, but for us, we approach it… We’ll give them all the credit in the world, but we want to go in there and beat them.

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