Hossa On Getting Booed and Other Morning Skate News
By: Jeff Riger
Oh how one game can change everybody's perception!
After game one nobody thought the Wings had a chance to win their series with the Blackhawks and now after game 2 everybody is calling for the upset. Monday morning at both teams morning skates, players on both sides echoed the above sediments and more. Below are some of the more interesting things overheard at the skate as we get ready for game 3 tonight at Joe Louis Arena.
Mike Babcock was asked numerous times about the coaching job that he has done this season and if it is the best of his career? Babcock replied "well it's the best one that I've done this year." When it was brought to the attention of the coach that some of his players have talked about how much more positive he has been Babcock said "Scotty Bowman loved the players but he had a job to do. I'm here to tell you Paul MacLean loves the players, Mike Babcock loves the players. When pushing people who don't want to be pushed sometimes they don't like it. I'm here to tell you when you look at the group of coaches that are still playing right now, they're pushing their people. That's just the reality! Whether that is perceived as positive or negative, see in my world, that's positive!"
Chicago forward Patrick Kane relayed the sense of urgency that his team is feeling after getting handled in game two of the series on Saturday in Chicago. "Of course there is, if there isn't now there should have been a long time ago. Obviously you want to ramp up the intensity but at the same time if you worry too much about winning the game it's not going to work out in your favor." I asked the forward if too much was being made of the game two loss and he responded "yeah, but it was probably the same thing after game one where we were going to sweep these guys and we're just going to roll through. That's not the way it's going to be."
Former Wing Marian Hossa talked to a big throng of both Chicago and Detroit media and most of the chatter was about 2009 and the game 7 loss to the Penguins in Detroit. Hossa was asked about the comfort level of playing such an important road game at the Joe, he replied "when it comes to the rivalry, it's almost like the atmosphere elevates and the people go crazy, it's fun to be part of it." I then asked Hossa if it still makes him laugh at the amount of boo's he still receives in this building? "There's going to be boos, you know, that's how it is but it was funny because Patrick Kane told me he hopes he can experience something like that (the massive boos) once."
So I say Detroit give him what he wants! Not only boo Hossa tonight but boo Kane just as bad. It's the least we as a good host could do.
