Pre-game comments ahead of Tuesday night’s game in Washington.
Mike Babcock
With Jake and Morgan and the altering of the right sides of those pairings, what have you liked about the tweaking of those pairings that has, for lack of a better term, stabilized things in the last few weeks?
Babcock: I just think it’s kind of like lines. It probably needed to change. I waited too long to do it. It took a little while to get it figured out, but really it’s just guys playing better, too. Good for them, and good for us.
What are the advantages of having four games at home as you move forward to whatever fate awaits you after that?
Babcock: I don’t know. We’re playing Washington tonight and we’re getting ready to play.
What have you liked about Kapanen since he’s come in?
Babcock: Good speed, good tenacity, he’s got a good brain. He’s got to get heavier and that doesn’t mean in the gym or anything. It’s just attitude. In the NHL, you’ve got to be heavy on the puck. When you get it, you can’t give it away. You’ve got to be stronger in your battles. You’re not used to play men as big. When they put their hand on you, you stop. Until you figure that out and play some games, you’re not going to figure it out. He’s going through a process. He’s playing with good veterans and he’s been good.
You guys are 8-1-1 in your last ten. Can you discuss how important momentum is? How hard is it to get it, and how easy is it to lose it going into the playoffs?
Babcock: Well, we’ve got to get into the playoffs. The first thing I’d say to you is it’s just like all things in life. You want your ups to be longer than your downs. If you work hard each and every day, you have a chance to maintain that and keep it going. Momentum is a great thing when things are going in your life. You’re in a happy place and life is good. You seem to have more energy and it’s easier to work harder. That’s no different in hockey. What I’d say to you is we’ve got a big game against Washington today and that’s what we’re focused on.
How do you prepare some of these your young guys for what the playoffs will mean to this city?
Babcock: I don’t, and I don’t even know what we’re talking about. Let me try it again here. We’re getting ready for Washington and that’s what we’re preparing for. That’s it.
Can you tell me what you think the playoffs would mean to this city, and I’m talking about the fans?
Babcock: I’m going to try this one more time. This is what I’d tell you. We came in here today and we talked about how we’re playing a really good team. They are at the top of the standings. It’s a great opportunity for us. We played a team that played back-to-back the other day and they weren’t prepared to play at the start of the game and we jumped on them. We can’t let that happen here today. We’ll get our group focused on how we have to play to be successful, and we expect our first few shifts to be with energy and show one another we got prepared and we’re ready to go.
I just want to try a different time. I just spoke to a group of students – 14-year-old students – who say they have virtually no Maple Leaf playoff memories.
Babcock: I don’t either. So what?
Do you appreciate their anticipation – these kids who have grown up – that this could be possible?
Babcock: For sure. I just think that my job, unlike many of your jobs, is to just worry about what we’re doing here today.
A lot of buzz about the Olympic decision. Can you share your thoughts?
Babcock: Disappointed.
Can you expand on that?
Babcock: Nope.
What would you say to a player next year if he came to you and said, “Mike, I want to leave the team for a couple of weeks and go play in the Olympics?”
Babcock: Yeah, I’m not going there. We’re playing Washington today. Anybody else?
MacElhinney starting?
Babcock: Yep, Mac is starting.
Do you believe it was an unnecessary distraction for the team, the news?
Babcock: What news?
The Olympics.
Babcock: No distraction.
How impactful do you think it’s been for the game to have the best players there since 1998?
Babcock: Well, you’ve asked me this a hundred times. You know the answers to all of this. Obviously, I made it clear a couple of weeks ago what I thought. I told you I’m disappointed. I’ve been twice. Greatest event you’ll ever go to in your life.
Morgan Rielly
You’ve obviously had a chance to see how important hockey is to this city. If you guys are able to clinch tonight, how do you think the city is going to react to being in the playoffs?
Rielly: Well, I mean, we have the best fans in the world. We’re very lucky to be here. We all feel very grateful to be able to wear the Maple Leaf. I think for us to clinch it would be well-deserved for our fan base. It’s something that we want to do and have wanted to do for a long time. We have an opportunity to do it here tonight is my understanding. To be honest, we don’t talk about it very much. We just focus on winning games. We’re going to go out there tonight and try to do our job, win a game and focus on this home stretch here. We have some important games coming up.
Jake was talking about watching the fans react to the Blue Jays the last couple of years. You’ve obviously had the chance to see that also. To be on the outside looking in is one thing, but to be at the center of that kind of adoration from a city…
Rielly: Yeah, I think it’s almost a good thing the last couple of years watching the Blue Jays play so well and get the reaction they did from their fans. It makes us hungry and it makes us that much more motivated. We want to be a part of that, and give our fans what they deserve. For us to have an opportunity to make a push here is special.
I talked to Jake about the tweaking of D partners with Connor and Nikita. What’s it done to stabilize the top two?
Rielly: It’s been good. I think we’re all comfortable playing with one another. Jake and Zaits have been doing a great job playing together, and obviously, Connor coming back from injury and playing as well as he has has been great. I think we’re very comfortable with where we’re at.
