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Mike Babcock’s post-game comments following the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over the Devils on Thursday night.


Mike, what did you like about your club’s ability to bounce back after a difficult early goal in your third game in four nights?

Babcock: I thought we did a good job. I thought the game was ugly. I expected it to be ugly. It was one of those games on a back-to-back where you’re feeling pretty good about yourself and you thought you played pretty good last night. I knew we weren’t going to be as good early. I didn’t think we were very good at all in the first period. I thought we played a real good second, and obviously the 5 on 3 didn’t help us there in the third. We still should’ve had the puck down 200 feet and had it killed off and we didn’t get it down 200, and that cost us. All in all, though, it’s a real good win. When you’re a good team, there are lots of nights that aren’t great and weren’t perfect, but you just win. They just add up in the paper the next day. You just get the win. I was happy with the way we played. I knew it was going to be ugly going in and it was exactly what I expected.

Does that build character, Mike, or did your character get you guys through it?

Babcock: I said a number of times – just do what we do and we’ll be fine. Just keep doing what we do, grinding. I think you have to learn how to win these games over and over again. You just get so you just expect it. It doesn’t matter if it’s back-to-back. Doesn’t matter where you play. Doesn’t matter who you play. You expect to win. If you expect to get 80, and you’re a kid at school, you get 80. If you expect to get 60, you get 60. When you expect to win, you win.

You’ve come from behind a couple of times in the last little while. You’re holding on to leads. Is there something you’re seeing in the last two or three weeks that you’re doing better?

Babcock: I think you just earn the right to feel confident about yourself. That’s just the way life is. When you do good things, you get more confidence. You just know you’re going to win. Obviously, we’re on a pretty good little run here this last little bit. We’re playing better. Just looking at the schedule, we had a few dips right at the start of the year and just before we got on this run we had a bit of a dip, and yet we didn’t even play bad. We just didn’t win. I mean, that’s life. You just keep grinding and believing in yourself. We’ve got good players and we’re getting better.

Obviously, it is important to peak at the right part of the season at this time of the season. This nine-game stretch that the team is on right now – where would you grade it in terms of how you’re playing?

Babcock: You might be right about peaking. We just want to get in. I don’t care when we peak or any of that stuff. I just want to get into the playoffs and give ourselves a chance. We’re playing better right now and finding a way to win games. That is what we have to continue to do. Last year, I didn’t look at the standings one time. Now I look at it every single day. Obviously, there must be a reason I’m looking at it. We have an opportunity. You just want to keep playing right. Without Polie and without Fehr tonight, I thought our guys stepped in and did a good job. Just keep playing good. I didn’t think tonight was one of our best games, but we found a way to win. I think it’s good to find ways to win when you don’t have your best stuff.

Do you think it’s possible that the expectation of winning clicked in just because it’s a long season and guys are getting more comfortable and sort of figuring some things out?

Babcock: I think it’s just knowing how good they are, and playing better. We don’t do as many silly things. We don’t turn the puck over as much. We don’t get off track kind of thing. We have a better chance to be successful. The other thing is, over time during the year, you find the blue print for how you have to play to be successful as a team. I think we’ve done that. I mean, it’s a win. We have an off day tomorrow. We travel to Buffalo. Every game we play in right now at this time of year is the biggest of the year. So we get ready for Buffalo.

Josh got a goal tonight. He seems to contribute whenever he gets in the lineup. What’s he got to do to stay in the lineup?

Babcock: It’s not really about that. It’s our penalty kill. We don’t have enough penalty killers, so he gets hosed. He’s played good. I’ve talked to him a lot about that. What I like about Leivs is he brings her every day and he’s got a positive attitude. He hasn’t let the adversity wear him down and feel sorry for himself. He just keeps driving. He knows he’s getting better all the time. Over time, and when you’ve got the right attitude, you find a way to be important.

Did you really envision the rewriting of the team record book with the rookies this year?

Babcock: I didn’t care much about that. I just like winning.

Did you think that they could contribute to these victories like they have this year?

Babcock: Well, they’re good players. I thought they were good players. I didn’t know if Mitch Marner could make the team, to be honest with you. I had no idea. I knew Matty was a real good player. I knew Willy was a good player. I knew Hyman and Brown were relentless. I had no idea Zaitsev was even close to being as good as he is, and Connor Carrick – I don’t think we call him a rookie, but to me he is a rookie and a real good player, too. We’ve got lots of good young players, but we’ve got lots of guys… Bozak has really picked it up. Van Riemsdyk’s an important player for us. Kadri is a real important player for us. Rielly. You go through the whole group. You need everyone to be successful. Let’s not get carried away. We won a game. We’ve got a chance. I think we’ve got nine games left. We’re in a good spot. We got to win in Buffalo.

Any update on Eric Fehr?

Babcock: He had something wrong with his hand. I don’t know what that means. They did surgery on him. I don’t know if that’s three weeks. I don’t know what it is. But hopefully, over time, he’ll have an opportunity to get back quickly. We thought he was real effective for us the other night.


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