Mike Babcock addressed the media after his team’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, dropping the Leafs’ record to 9-5-4 on the season.
On the Marner injury:
[It’s] Mitch’s ankle. He’s not coming [to Chicago] tomorrow.
On the team’s performance:
I thought the first around six minutes we were all over the place, and then we seemed to settle in and get playing. I actually thought it was a good hockey game up and down the rink. We had opportunity. They had opportunity. Unfortunate they got the second point and we didn’t.
On Kasperi Kapanen’s game after moving up onto Tavares’ wing in Marner’s spot:
We just put him there. Obviously, he can skate. I thought he worked hard tonight. They had some looks. Obviously, we didn’t expect Moore to be playing there, either, but that is just the way it is. We had a lot of guys play hard tonight.
On how he reacted to Marner’s injury:
What are you going to do? It’s hockey. Injuries happen and then you find out more about your guys. I don’t know the extent of this. I don’t know if it is a few days or weeks or whatever. There is no sense in dwelling on it tonight. Someone else gets an opportunity. Let’s go.
On the strength of the Matthews-Nylander connection tonight:
Johnny plays on their line, too. I just thought they were our best line. In the first, they were our only line that really generated. I thought they were good, though.
On Travis Dermott scoring his first of the year:
It’s good for him. I thought he played good today. It is all part of earning your confidence back. It doesn’t matter who you are. When you come back and you haven’t played and you don’t feel exactly perfect, it takes you some time normally. Good for Dermy tonight. He made some good plays.
