Mike Babcock addressed the media after his team’s 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, the team’s fourth loss in a row.
On the bounces going against the team:
The puck went in our net. I thought, to tell you truth, I don’t know what we were down to start, but it looked to me like we had the puck and we were controlling the play. When they fired it on the net, it hit something and it went in our net. We couldn’t keep it out of our net. In the end, we end up chasing the game. They played hard and we didn’t get enough done.
On the positives despite the loss:
I just thought that we skated alright. I thought we had the puck a tonne. I didn’t think we gave up that much. In the end, though, the puck went in. It’s real simple: You’ve got to outscore the opponent. You’ve got to find ways to win games. I’m not much into moral victories. I’m more into — the puck is dropped and you’ve got to get the job done. We didn’t get the job done.
On whether the upcoming one-game-in-eight-days stretch is welcomed in order to get practice time in after a four-game slide:
I suppose. The bottom line is you’ve got to get it turned around. You can’t continue to lose hockey games. I think, on the start of this trip, we were playing alright. I didn’t think we played well at all against Washington and were out-played and slapped around. I didn’t think tonight’s game… it was kind of a weird game, to say the least. The puck went in our net and it went in our net frequently, and we weren’t able to recover.
I just want us to play at the top of our game each and every night. Even though we want that all the time, that’s not necessarily going to happen all the time. We’ve just got to get back to work. We have a little hiatus this week. We’ll get back to work and get our guys freshened up and get ready to play a good Pittsburgh team.
On the goaltending interference ruling that allowed the fifth Buffalo goal to stand:
What I don’t like is that the report that came out from the league is different than what they told me. They told me he was interfered with outside of the paint, which is not true. That tonight is goaltender interference, any way you look at it. The coaches in the league… no one knows what is going on. We better get it solved. Just this statement saying, “Okay, we’re going to leave it the way it is…” No chance. Let’s get it fixed. Let’s get it fixed before the playoffs so we all know the rules.
On Frederik Andersen letting more goals past him of late:
I just think it’s like all of us. We are all human and it doesn’t go the way you want it all the time. He’s got to get back to work like the rest of the group.
On the play of Matt Martin in his return to the lineup and the look of the team’s fourth line:
I thought he played good. I thought that line was our best line in the early going. Leo had a couple of goals tonight. I thought Plekanec had good jump. I thought that line as good.
