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Mike Babcock met with the media after practice on Monday, discussing Nylander and Marleau potentially uniting on a line, Auston Matthews’ latest status, the importance of developing the right organizational culture, and more.


A good chance to reset, Mike, with two full practices as you get ready for another busy week?

Babcock: Yeah, obviously, it’s time to get refreshed physically and mentally, and then let’s get to work here. We’ve been in every game we’ve played here in the last three. We haven’t found a way to win. We’ve been ahead. We’ve been behind. All scenarios, we’ve got to do a better job and find a way to get points. That’s it.

Patrick Marleau and William Nylander were out there on a line together. If they play together, what would you hope to see from that group?

Babcock: It’s like any line you put together. You’re hoping there is some chemistry and that they play well and spend more time in the offensive zone than their own zone. We played Willy in the middle at home before when we control the matchup. We control the matchup here. We’re going to try to do the same. Patty’s a guy who can play down low and look after him if he needs to as well and go from there. Hyman, Brown and him are a real good line as well, though, so we can always have that option.

Do you like that kind of line, knowing the opposition tomorrow and how Bill Peters is going to prepare his club?

Babcock: Well, that’s what we try to do. They’re trying to get ready for us and we’re trying to get ready for them. We know exactly what we’re getting. It’s going to tight. There is going to be no room. It is going to be one of those games where it hardly looks like there are any plays taking place whatsoever. That’s the new NHL. There is not a lot of space. We’ve got to find a way to make plays and play in the o-zone.

What do you know – with the jerseys for tomorrow — about the history of the franchise and Toronto Arenas?

Babcock: I obviously know way more about the franchise history now that I’ve been here three years. I knew nothing about the franchise before besides that they’re an original six team and a team that used to play the Montreal Canadiens on TV when I was a kid. Other than that, I knew not very much about them. I was a Boston Bruins fan, to be honest with you. Any time you are involved in an Original Six there is a ton of history and tons of great players who have gone before you. You want to represent them well. You want to get our franchise back to its rightful place. We are working at that and trying to get better each and every day. We understand it is a process, but I think we’ve got a product right now that our fans are proud of and we’ve just got to keep getting better.

In your wildest dreams, would you have imagined what your predecessor would’ve done a hundred years ago behind the bench?

Babcock: I’ve been coaching a long time, too, and I’ve seen how the league has changed since I’ve been in. I started coaching in Red Deer College in 1988. To see the time from then until now, or even to look back on significant events in your coaching career and think about how you coached then and how you coach now… I mean, the game is ever changing. No different than your job. If you are not getting better, people are going by you, and pretty soon you don’t have a job. I think it’s the same in the National Hockey League. It’s always changing. You’re always trying to evolve. The game is getting quicker. They changed the rules and you’ve got to adjust. It’s exciting.

To answer your question, no, I haven’t gone back that far.

What did you do to kind of get Nazem Kadri to figure things out and what he had to do to stick in this league?

Babcock: Great question. What part is Naz coming of age? What part is Naz growing up? What part is you’ve been through enough struggle and it’s just time to dig in? I think, sometimes as a coach, you get way more buy in when the guy is ready, or when the players arrive and you have the culture established already. That’s what we are trying to do here now. It’s not so much worried about Naz, even though you’ve got to work with him on a daily basis. It’s the new guys coming in. If they don’t turn into good pros, then it’s on us. That is having a great culture here. That is why Marleau is here. That is why Hainsey is here. You try to make your organization better, so that there is no wiggle room for these guys. Most people follow the path of least resistance. Sometimes that’s not through the weight room.

Is there any update on Auston?

Babcock: Yeah, he’s doing good. I don’t know when they’re letting him play, but he’s doing good. How’s that?

Do you expect he’ll be in for either of these back-to-backs?

Babcock: Yeah, that’s a great question. I ask the same one.