Babcock to Wings: Have fun in Game 7

[HockeyCrazy3033 168]

Babs message to Wings

Good stuff!

[crotty99 302]

I like this attitude.

[Cern 0]

Definately the way to go. At the very least, they can't get into the it's-Game-7-anything-can-happen,-a-single-bad-bounce-could-destroy-everything mindset, if they do that they let the Penguins get into their heads. Just gotta think of this as just one more home game against a team they know they have solved on the Wings' ice.

[IceMunkee 15]

Very good read. I just got goosebumps!

[dicksmack 33]

At first all of this "have fun" talk was a bit concerning, as though they were focusing more on the experience than the result. But when you think about it, how can they not be 100% engaged?

For a team with a veteran core that's pretty much done it all, along comes something new: a game seven, and a home game at that! If they show up and play their game, they will do just fine. The refs and freaky bounces are my only concerns. Just when you think the refs have put the whistles away, they will call an interference penalty to letter of the law; it's hard to know what the line is sometimes. At least the bounces are somewhat predictable at home!

[Firehawk 305]

I don't buy all this crap about the wings having all of the pressure on them and the Pens have nothing to lose. F that. The Pens lost last year, and they have everything to lose if they lose tomorrow night as well. The wings are already the champs. We take it for granted sometimes our successes. We are spoiled. We should appreciate the wings and what they've done getting all the way back here and 1 game away from repeating. To me, the pressure should really be on the Penguins if you think about it. They haven't won, and if they lose a 2nd straight year, then they should be hammered for it. The wings, really, should have somewhat of a free pass. It'd suck to get this close and lose the cup, but again, we've won so much for so long, and we won it last year.

WIth that being said, like mr dicksmack says, finally there's a new situation for the wings. They have not faced a stanley cup championship game 7. That's about the only thing they haven't seen in their wonderful run. The only other thing I can think of that they have not accomplished is being down 3-0 in a series and winning it .

[C-TownWing 0]

I don't buy all this crap about the wings having all of the pressure on them and the Pens have nothing to lose. F that. The Pens lost last year, and they have everything to lose if they lose tomorrow night as well. The wings are already the champs. We take it for granted sometimes our successes. We are spoiled. We should appreciate the wings and what they've done getting all the way back here and 1 game away from repeating. To me, the pressure should really be on the Penguins if you think about it. They haven't won, and if they lose a 2nd straight year, then they should be hammered for it. The wings, really, should have somewhat of a free pass. It'd suck to get this close and lose the cup, but again, we've won so much for so long, and we won it last year.

WIth that being said, like mr dicksmack says, finally there's a new situation for the wings. They have not faced a stanley cup championship game 7. That's about the only thing they haven't seen in their wonderful run. The only other thing I can think of that they have not accomplished is being down 3-0 in a series and winning it .

Good post. I have to be honest, I don't really understand how there's ANY pressure on us at all really. Well, other than Hossa. It's not like this group has never won a Cup, and we shed the "playoff chokers" thing back in 2007. It's not like this is our last chance at it either, the core of the team is in place, and as we've seen, we have able replacements for anyone the cap might take away.

The Pens, if they lose, for all the talk of things being different (and it HAS been a much tighter series, don't get me wrong) would have the same result as last year. And they would take the ultimate bitchslap from Hossa (on their side it affects the whole team, since he said they weren't good enough collectively). And although Crosby/Malkin are both very young, it's only a matter of time before they get the Peyton Manning/Michael Jordan (anyone else remember when he couldn't win the big one, back in the Bad Boys' heyday?) stigma until they win. It's not like you get to the SCF every year.

[edicius 3,269]

WIth that being said, like mr dicksmack says, finally there's a new situation for the wings. They have not faced a stanley cup championship game 7. That's about the only thing they haven't seen in their wonderful run. The only other thing I can think of that they have not accomplished is being down 3-0 in a series and winning it .

I hadn't thought of it that way. '97 and '98, four games; '02, five games; '08, six games...

[NewBelgium1554 0]

I don't buy all this crap about the wings having all of the pressure on them and the Pens have nothing to lose. F that. The Pens lost last year, and they have everything to lose if they lose tomorrow night as well. The wings are already the champs. We take it for granted sometimes our successes. We are spoiled. We should appreciate the wings and what they've done getting all the way back here and 1 game away from repeating. To me, the pressure should really be on the Penguins if you think about it. They haven't won, and if they lose a 2nd straight year, then they should be hammered for it. The wings, really, should have somewhat of a free pass. It'd suck to get this close and lose the cup, but again, we've won so much for so long, and we won it last year.

WIth that being said, like mr dicksmack says, finally there's a new situation for the wings. They have not faced a stanley cup championship game 7. That's about the only thing they haven't seen in their wonderful run. The only other thing I can think of that they have not accomplished is being down 3-0 in a series and winning it .

Well put good sir! I totally agree here man! If there is any pressure we have, it is making the Pens look like the whining sniveling babies that they really are. And that is it! And putting Cindy back in that team devestation picture again. But no matter the outcome be it good or bad, it doesn't diminish this team at all!!

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

I wonder if he'll go back to wearing the McGill tie.

[55fan 5,133]

I hadn't thought of it that way. '97 and '98, four games; '02, five games; '08, six games...

I'm ok with that for this year; but after this year, I really don't like where this is heading.

[OsGOD 3]

Have fun but not too much fun.... you still have to go to work tomorrow night. Party after you are up by 15 goals

[Dimaline312000 51]

That's the way to be. Just play your best and don't hold anything back.

[Third Man In 2,091]

I'm ok with that for this year; but after this year, I really don't like where this is heading.

I'm with you. Winning the Cup after those 8, 9, and 10 game series is really going to get out of control.

[Firehawk 305]

If the wings really need some kind of speech to get up for this game, then we have more problems than we thought. The wings should play their best game tomorrow, no questions asked, no excuses. There's nothing bigger. You're playing 1 game for the cup, winner takes ALL. How could you need any more motivation?

I would think if anyone's going to be nervous in this game, it's going to be the Pens. They're the young team with virtually no experience. I trust Babcock, have been saying that all along. He'll have the guys prepared. It's the final game of the year, crowd going to be nuts on a Friday night at the Joe. It's set up perfectly for us to win.

[KocursRightHand 0]

You ever notice Mike Babcock's stock answer in his pressers usually begins with 'I don't know the answer to that question.'?

[TheUkrainian 49]

If the wings really need some kind of speech to get up for this game, then we have more problems than we thought. The wings should play their best game tomorrow, no questions asked, no excuses. There's nothing bigger. You're playing 1 game for the cup, winner takes ALL. How could you need any more motivation?

I would think if anyone's going to be nervous in this game, it's going to be the Pens. They're the young team with virtually no experience. I trust Babcock, have been saying that all along. He'll have the guys prepared. It's the final game of the year, crowd going to be nuts on a Friday night at the Joe. It's set up perfectly for us to win.

Quick, someone call Obama's speech writer and get him a first class ticket to Detroit ASAP. So many things to win this game for; the young guys, the vets, the fans, the city of Detroit, Mr. Hockey, watching crosby not win again... etc...

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

anyone see his YELLOW shirt during the last interview???