from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
Trying to determine which was the most satisfying moment for the Detroit Red Wings during Tuesday’s 7-4 thrashing of the Pittsburgh Penguins was as difficult as seeking out the most satisying outcome for Red Wings players.
There were so many from which to choose.
The path Detroit took to this remarkable victory didn’t not follow the route most taken. It began with the tossing of a coach and ended with the jubilant tossing of hats on to the ice....
For starters, take the case of Red Wings assistant coach Bob Boughner. He was suddenly elevated to bench boss in the second period. Detroit head coach was sent packing. He was assessed a game misconduct after unleashing an obscenity-laced tirade at officials when a coach’s challenge didn’t go the way of the Wings.
Boughner seemed almost startled as he arrived to meet the media post game.
“You guys are just as surprised as I am,” Boughner said. “We couldn’t find the keys for Newsy. The cuffs are still on him in the back.”.
Lalonde came unglued after Detroit gave up two quick power-play goals during a five-on-three disadvantage to squander a 3-1 lead. But his hastened departure only seemed to galvanize his players to bear down and complete the task at hand.
“It says a lot about our group,” Larkin assessed. “With injuries and guys coming into the lineup, guys coming from Grand Rapids, lines changing. A lot of guys are auditioning for spots for next year but you see Big Ern (Adam Erne) block a shot in the third, Ned (goalie Alex Nedeljkovic) come in and play a really solid game. Things didn’t go his way in the second but he battled back.
“Guys playing hard and we had that emotion tonight that we had early in the season. It was good to see.”
Below, watch post game interviews and extended game highlights.
from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic,
Four months ago, I took an early look at how things were playing out for the goalies that changed teams last summer.
It’s time to revisit that. And we’ve got a clearer picture of how each situation turned out, so I’ve added grades.
I’ve also asked TSN colleague and former NHL goalie and goalie coach Jamie McLennan to share his take on each masked man.
Ville Husso, Red Wings
Grade: C
After a breakthrough 2021-22 campaign in St. Louis sharing the net with Jordan Binnington, Husso had started a career-high 51 games this season in his first crack at being a bonafide No. 1 starter before being sidelined in mid-March by a lower-body injury.
His .899 save percentage is down from the impressive .919 he put up with the Blues last season, which netted him a three-year deal with a $4.75 million AAV. He’s handled a bigger workload, though, and played behind a promising-yet-still-rebuilding roster.
I still think this was a wise gamble by Wings GM Steve Yzerman, even if the numbers don’t wow you. The season has worn on Husso, but that’s part of growth.
Goals saved above expected: Minus-9.8.
McLennan: “As those young players on Detroit keep gaining experience, so does Husso. He’s growing with them. Yes, there’s been some bumps in the road there and the numbers will reflect that. But I think Detroit is 18 months away from being really good, the way Yzerman is building that team. I think they’re a good team in the making, and I think Husso is a big part of that. He’s done his job this year, but it hasn’t been without some warts.”
more goalies ($)
via Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
On the surface, an NHL first-round pick playing in the ECHL might not appear to br a good thing, but in the case of Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa, it’s proving to be among the wisest decisions made by the team this season.
Selected 15th overall in the 2021 NHL entry draft, Cossa has been playing almost exclusively with the ECHL Toledo Walleye this season, his rookie pro campaign. And he just keeps getting better.
Cossa is fifth in the ECHL in goals-against average (2.44). He’s tied for second in wins (24) and third in games (41) and minutes played (2383.
“It’s excellent,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said of Cossa’s success rate. “It’s not an accident that a ton, most percentage of goalies in the NHL have spent time, even some significant time in the ECHL.”
Dealing with life in the second tier of minor-pro hockey can come to be a blessing in disguise for a young netminder.
“Sometimes that game is a little more chaotic,” Lalonde said. “You’re dealing with rotating rosters. Sometimes you’re stuck on an overnight and you’re playing with a depleted lineup. Sometimes it’s a less organized game and the goalies down there actually are looking at tougher chances, percentages than they do at every level.
“If he’s doing it over that period of time, no matter what the circumstance is, I think that speaks pretty well of how he’s playing. This is the vision the management team had for him and it’s going exactly to the script.”
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