It's a solemn ritual of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The game ends and the media hordes descend to the bowels of the arena, where each coach steps up to the podium to explain what we just watched.

The loser claims to be "still confident" while agreeing that "we need more" from some players. The winner credits his team with "a good PK" and "getting pucks deep" but hints at areas where "we have to be better."

The only chance of hearing anything halfway interesting is if a guy takes the microphone in anger, as Detroit coach Mike Babcock did on Wednesday night. Mike was steamed because his team had been victimized by a disallowed goal on a bad call:

"That's a reputation call totally. It's disappointing. Sometimes a guy gets tripped and you miss it. Some things go wrong and you miss it. Just don't make stuff up, that's all. Kelly is a good referee. He just blew the call. That's life."

He's right. On the play in question, Tomas Holmstrom was not standing in the crease, and the goal should have stood.

But as Bob McKenzie points out, the Red Wings feasted on an equally poor call in Game One of the Dallas series. In that case, Holmstrom was clearly standing in the blue paint and obstructing the goaltender. But the Detroit goal was allowed to stand.

Strangely, Mike Babcock didn't accuse the referees of making stuff up on that night.

That's because the coach's podium isn't about analysis or perspective. It's about spin, bull droppings and what-have-the-referees-done-for-me-lately.

Postscript: Mike Babcock isn't the only one with a short memory:

When the bad refereeing favors the Red Wings in Game One, Detroit columnists laud the home team for causing havoc in front of the Dallas goaltender.

When the bad refereeing goes against the beloved Wings in Game Four, it's treated like the end of western civilization.

Photo: Mike Babcock (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)