Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Babcock: “We’re not taking penalties tomorrow”

Mike Babcock

Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock shouts instructions to his players from the bench in the first period of an NHL hockey game with the Philadelphia Flyers, Friday, Sept. 23, 2011, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)

AP

Mike Babcock didn’t seem to like the refereeing in Game 1 of Detroit’s first round series against Nashville on Wednesday. Regardless, he’s moved on and has vowed that Game 2 will be different.

“We’re not taking penalties tomorrow,” Babcock said.

That might sound like a tall order, but keep in mind the Red Wings are usually a disciplined team. The only squad to accumulate less penalty minutes than them in the regular season was the Nashville Predators, so you can see why Wednesday’s penalty filled contest raised so many eyebrows.

Babcock has also decided that he needs to put Shea Weber’s controversial hit on Henrik Zetterberg behind him. On Wednesday, Weber shoved Zetterberg’s head into the boards with enough force to reportedly crack Zetterberg’s helmet. Weber was fined, but not suspended for his actions.

“I’ve moved on,” Babcock said.

Really, he has no choice, because Detroit needs to bounce back on Friday to avoid falling behind in the series 2-0.