2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs Blog - Stanley Cup Final

There won’t be any “win one for the Gipper” style pre-game speeches from Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock prior to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“No, I don't believe in that,” Babcock said. “You know, if anything, I'll probably be calmer and more boring. I believe that we're a prepared group, that we don't need to get them more excited. That's not the issue here. It's controlling your emotions so you're at the right level of activation so you can execute. That will be what we talk about.”

There won’t be any “win one for the Gipper” style pre-game speeches from Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock prior to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“No, I don't believe in that,” Babcock said. “You know, if anything, I'll probably be calmer and more boring. I believe that we're a prepared group, that we don't need to get them more excited. That's not the issue here. It's controlling your emotions so you're at the right level of activation so you can execute. That will be what we talk about.”

Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom felt it was essential that the Wings stay within in their system and that no one get caught up in the moment.

“We’re all pretty excited,” Lidstrom said. “It’s not very often that you get to play Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. It’s a dream come true for every one of us to playing in a game like this.

“The one thing is that you want to try to be your best, but it’s also a team concept. You have to stick to your game plan. You can’t be out there running around or trying to do it all by yourself.”

Added Wings centre Henrik Zetterberg: “You have to play together and do your part. Try and treat it as a normal game. You’ve got to go out and do your thing.”

Heroes welcome

Someone is going to be a hero in Game 7 and Stanley Cup history shows that it may not be one of the usual suspects who deliver that heroic moment.

Defenceman Brian Rafalski is the only Red Wing with previous Game 7 experience in a Cup final series. His New Jersey Devils blanked Anaheim 3-0 in 2003, but the hero was about as unlikely as they come - fourth-line forward Mike Rupp, who had the game of his life in the biggest game of his life.

“He had a great game,” Rafalski recalled of Rupp’s goal and two assists, which included netting the Cup-winner, to date, the only playoff goal of Rupp’s NHL career.

It doesn’t always turn out that way. Detroit legend Gordie Howe scored the Cup winner in Game 7 of the 1955 final. But Detroit’s other two Game 7 victories in Cup final play were decided in overtime and on both occasions - Pete Babando (1950) and Tony Leswick (1954) - it was a lesser light who lit the lamp.

“To be in the game and have the opportunity to be the hero - it’s not something where you go out there with that mindset - but usually, it is maybe a third or fourth-line guy, or a defenceman that didn’t score too many goals that ends up getting the game winner,” Detroit fourth-line winger Kirk Maltby recognized.

Others didn’t want to ponder a potential role as Game 7 hero. “I try not to think about that,” Detroit checking centre Darren Helm suggested of the possibility that he could be that guy.

“I just hope one of us is,” Detroit defenceman Brett Lebda said. “If one of us is a hero, it means we won the game.”

Best in show

Babcock’s coached a lot of successful teams over his career, but none that have left him as awestruck as this squad.

“I'm very, very impressed with our group,” Babcock said. “We had a great team last year, don't get me wrong. I've coached lots of good teams that have won. But this team here has found a way to keep overcoming. No matter who gets hurt. No matter what goes wrong, they keep on keeping on.

“I've been so impressed with the leadership of Nick Lidstrom and the stick to it of the group in finding a way. There's lots of times this year it didn't look very pretty, but we've found a way to be here. I think you take a lot of stock in that.”

Old school

One of the factors Babcock lists among his favourites about coaching the Wings is the aura that surrounds the franchise and is still very much a part of the current team. In fact, the Wings have stalls in their dressing room for all-time greats such as Ted Lindsay, Howe and Alex Delvecchio.

“I think all of that is really important,” Babcock said. “Mr. Lindsay’s always in the opening meeting before every round. He sits right in the dressing room in his stall with our team. I think that’s a privilege for a coach and for a player. And that Gordie comes in after the game, or that Steve [Yzerman] comes by, that shows these players still care about being a Red Wing.

“Those are original six things that are very special. I’ll bet that the guys in Pittsburgh are thrilled that Mario (Lemieux) still has a stall in the room and that he’s around there. I think that’s what history is.”

Watching and waiting again

Ty Conklin agrees with Tom Petty - the waiting is the hardest part.

Detroit’s back-up goalie is in his third final and about to partake in his second Game 7 of the final series, but he’s yet to taste victory.

Conklin was on the losing side when Detroit beat Pittsburgh last spring and he was part of the Edmonton club that lost in seven to Carolina in 2006.

“It’s worse than playing,” Conklin said of serving as back-up netminder in a Cup-deciding game. “You don’t have a whole lot of effect on the outcome. Whatever butterflies you have are usually gone once you get playing.

“I had a hard time watching the whole game [six] in Pittsburgh. It’s murder.”

No comparison

Zetterberg is one of five Wings who an Olympic gold medal with Sweden in 2006, but hasn’t found this one-game showdown for the Cup to be very similar to the gold-medal match in Torino, Italy.

“It’s win or lose, so in that way, it’s kind of similar to the Olympics,” Zetterberg said. “The Olympics are a little different. You’re only together for 10-12 days. You’ve been a part of this for the whole season. The preparation is so much longer than the Olympics.”