InjuredChoker
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“One of the best things that might have happened to this organization is us being so injured,†Babcock said. “What I mean is, we get to see these kids on the ice, so you know what’s in the cupboard. They’ve been way better than I thought. I’m optimistic now that we don’t have to fall off the map and go through misery for 10 years like others do. I see great things coming.â€
“If you walk in our dressing room today, a lot of guys are (ticked) off at me, and they’re probably different than the ones (ticked) off last week,†Babcock said. “Normally, they’re the ones that aren’t playing. One thing I can’t do is confuse the player with the person. I love the people, but they don’t pay me to evaluate that. They pay me to evaluate the player. I have to base my decisions on what I see, shift to shift, game to game.â€
That’s blunt talk from Babcock, not brash talk. Ask him about his future, and he’s not certain. He timed his latest contract to expire when the last of his three children graduates from high school in 2015.
After that? Holland said he considers Babcock among the top two or three coaches in the world. He also knows about shelf lives and adaptability.
“I’m gonna sit down in the summer and see what Mike’s thinking,†Holland said. “Certainly I believe we have a great working relationship. He’s got tons of passion, tons of work ethic. We’ve never missed the playoffs under his watch, and I’m confident we’re gonna find a way to play our way in. The team plays hard and seems to respond to him.â€
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140130/SPORTS0103/301300041#ixzz2rtZuzvjs