Babcock Resting Players?

[redwings1973 0]

What are the odds that Babs and the Wings are fudging, just a little, on how injured they really are? Is it possible they are hurt, but mostly resting during game 5 for the final push?? It was obvious that the depth of the Wings was too much for the Hawks, and maybe Babs knew they would finish them without the aid of Lids, Dats, and Drapes??

[ilmickeyli 40]

Possible but improbable.. Did Babs know the wings would play sat if they got the win? Yes. Would he really keep his two best players off the ice to rest them? I don't know.. Was he that confident?

[Konnan511 1,736]

Not possible at all. Sorry.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Not possible. Babs is a no-bulls*** type of coach. If players can play, they will....just like he said when he cut off that reporter when he asked if there was any thoughts of resting the big guns.

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

wishful thinking.

[Snazzy 0]

Dats and Lidstrom do have nagging injuries, but they would have played if it was do or die game 7. However, we had no extreme pressure so it was more beneficial to rest them. Of course he's not going to come out publicly and announce it.

I'm sure by game 1 they'll be well rested and ready to rock and roll.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Snazzy

[datsyukismyfriend 4]

Dats and Lidstrom do have nagging injuries, but they would have played if it was do or die game 7.

while a possibility for lidstrom, i don't think this is the case for datsyuk.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

That's not something you mess around with during the playoffs. It looks fine now because the Red Wings dominated game four against Chicago, but had they lost game five, it goes back to Chicago and anything could happen from that point. It's a nice luxury to have great depth, but the Red Wings would have played Lidstrom and Datsyuk if they were healthy enough to go.

If Lidstrom doesn't play, there's something wrong. He wouldn't just "rest".

[Vladifan 680]

Possible but improbable.. Did Babs know the wings would play sat if they got the win? Yes. Would he really keep his two best players off the ice to rest them? I don't know.. Was he that confident?

There's no way we'll ever know and this is all conjecture, but yes. I think Babcock could be sure enough of his players that he felt it was more important to rest Lidstrom at that point. I believe he really believes in his players...that they have the mindset and team perspective that they're better than anybody when they want to play that way and that their depth could/would see them through Wednesday's game.

Furthermore, I want to think that Datsyuk - even though he got hit in the same area with a second puck - is ready to play and I'd love to think he's been re-conditioning and skating elsewhere. That is, if that's legal by the NHL's most curious rules.

Babcock is a brilliant, ballsy, hard-nosed coach and I think he's capable of any or all of the above.