Master communicator that he is, Mike Babcock had no trouble crystallizing the main issue for his Detroit Red Wings after their game two loss to the Boston Bruins.
“I just think you’ve got to decide what you want to do,” Babcock said following Detroit’s 4-1 loss. “Do you want to play like them or play like us?”
The question came about after the Wings took four roughing penalties—Babcock tallied them up from the game sheet at his post-game press conference—in an apparent attempt to knock the Bruins off their game. Needless to say, their coach wasn’t a fan of the ploy.
Programming Note: Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will air on Sportsnet 360 Tuesday night beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
“We haven’t had four roughing calls this year,” Babcock said. “So you’ve got to do what you do, not what they do.”
There’s that wonderfully simple logic again.
What Babcock is saying may seem self-evident, but it’s easy to understand why there’s a tendency for clubs to sometimes rear back and run at the Bruins. No matter how skill-based a squad is—and smart, efficient play is in Detroit’s DNA—they’re all still littered with aggressive athletes who don’t want to be pushed around. The temptation is always there to stand up to the bully. That’s how scenes like the one we saw at the end of the first period happen, when Wings defenceman Brendan Smith spent a few very crucial moments contemplating the potentially face-altering decision to fight Zdeno Chara. Gloves were never dropped and Smith’s smile still looks as it did before the game.
Maybe getting back to home turf for game three will remind the Wings what they’re all about. Beating Boston at all is difficult enough, but besting the Bruins at their own game is virtually impossible. And nobody is more capable of delivering that message than Babcock.
Other Eastern Conference musings:
After years of playing pick your poison in the crease, the Philadelphia Flyers might finally have a deadly duo. Backup Ray Emery was terrific in the Flyers’ 4-2 come-from-behind win in game two over the New York Rangers. The Blueshirts were riding a nine-game home winning streak over the Flyers and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in this contest before many of the Madison Square Gardens faithful had taken their second sip. But Emery shut the door after that, allowing Philly to head home with a 1-1 series split. Injured starter Steve Mason carried the mail all season for the Flyers and could be ready to return as soon as Tuesday night’s game in Philadelphia. But the way Emery is going, coach Craig Berube has to leave him in the net. And that’s not something we’ve said of a Flyers goalie in the playoffs for a long time.
I can’t recall which member of the CBC broadcast crew said it during Montreal’s 3-2 win over Tampa Bay, but when Rene Bourque is playing the way he is, it’s like the Canadiens have two Max Pacioretty’s. It’s actually jarring to see how effective Bourque—with three goals in his past two games—can be when he’s engaged. Players accused of occasional lapses in engagement are usually skill-based guys who simply don’t exert any extra effort on nights when hands alone won’t get it done. For an example close to the hearts of Habs fans, think Alex Kovalev. But Bourque is a different beast all together. And beast is the right word, because when the broad-shouldered left winger is chugging, he’s a six-foot-two, 217-lbs force with speed and a good shot. Bourque’s physique makes him someone who should be able to have an impact even when he’s not scoring. But he doesn’t—at least, not for sustained stretches. So with a pair of great games behind him, is Montreal on borrowed time with Good Bourque? The way he’s playing right now, it will be harder than ever to say good-bye.