Mike Babcock addressed the media after the team’s 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers in overtime on Tuesday night.
On the team’s performance, coming back to get a point in a back-to-back situation on the road:
I thought we had the puck lots and control. We got down 2-0 and battled our way back on a back-to-back night. We sure controlled lots of play. In the end, you’ve got to give them credit. They hung in there and they found a way to score in overtime and get the two points. We got one. If you look at the two games [of the back-to-back], we probably deserved two points of the four. And that’s what we got.
On William Nylander’s great effort on the Zach Hyman goal:
I thought it was a good play. He turned the puck over; probably felt guilty and felt like he should catch the guy, and then he made a heck of a play going to the net and setting up [Zach Hyman] for the goal. I thought it was a good play, obviously.
On Nylander’s progression over the season:
I just think the competitiveness. You learn to compete every day. The biggest thing about it is that’s what practice is for. If you arrive every day and you are serious about your profession and you compete hard every day, it just becomes automatic over time. That’s still a growth process for a young guy.
On Curtis McElhinney giving the team a fifth straight good start in back-to-back spot duty:
I thought so for sure. There was a power play seam [play] late in the game there where he made a pad save — I forgot who on, but it was a good play. Somehow we missed the seam and he was there and square. Good for him. I thought both goalies [were good]. Every time we play [Roberto Luongo], he seems to be good. I thought he was getting old, but he’s just good. It was a good game that way.
