Wings coach Babcock should zip his lips about refs

RED FISHER, The Gazette

Published: Saturday, January 23, 2010

Detroit head coach Mike Babcock has had enough problems with his Red Wings thus far this season without muttering about a call by the officials that recently provided the Dallas Stars with a sixth-round, game-winning shootout goal.

Dallas goaltender Alex Auld and Detroit's Jimmy Howard stopped everything in the first five rounds before Steve Ott backhanded a shot through Howard's pads. Howard pulled the puck off the goal line, but after a lengthy video review, officials ruled the puck had gone fully over the line.

Babcock was not a happy camper with the decision.

"The puck didn't go in the net," the coach fumed. "I thought that's why we had video replay. The referee on the goal line called it, but then they determined he was blocked out and the referee decided it went in the net. I don't know how a guy 20 feet away can make that decision when we have people in Toronto with video replay. That makes no sense to me whatsoever."

After talking to reporters, Babcock visited the officials' room to voice his displeasure.

Babcock wasn't fined for his outburst, but somebody should remind him that while players can't be fined more than $2,500 (see Alex Burrows) for criticizing referees, the ceiling for coaches is $10,000.