from Ansar Khan of Mlive,
Ville Husso will make his 33rd start tonight for the Detroit Red Wings when they face the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m., Bally Sports Detroit).
That has him on pace for 59 starts this season. Many goaltenders play 60-plus games a season, but this is unchartered territory for Husso.
It’s a balancing act for the Red Wings. They realize Husso gives them their best chance to win, but they also don’t want him to burn out.
“We have been talking and thinking a lot about it,” coach Derek Lalonde said. “I think we rolled out a tired Ville Husso in some games and he has not been the sharpest, especially in what you saw of some of his play early on. We still want to manage that. If we get a little less (games), in the mid-50s, it would be a good target. We think he’s our best chance to win on a lot of given nights, so it’s just that balance of where it’s going to end up and how we use him.”
Husso, in his third NHL season, started a career-high 38 games last year with St. Louis. He turns 28 on Feb. 6, so the club believes handling 60 games in the future shouldn’t be an issue.
“We think talent-wise, for sure,” Lalonde said. “It’s a marathon within a season. We think he can get there. There’s maturing, how he handles his off-ice; his next offseason is going to be big for him.”
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