Todd McLellan confirms a last-minute decision before the game against the San Jose Sharks
Todd McLellan made an official lineup decision ahead of Friday night's game between the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena.
The Detroit Red Wings held an optional morning skate on Friday before tonight's game against the Sharks.
The team will look to bounce back from a tough 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins earlier this week, a game that saw goaltender Cam Talbot have a standout performance.
Indeed, the 38-year-old veteran played well, blocking 38 out of the 40 shots fired at him by the Bruins.
After the game, his coach and teammates had great words to say about the goalie, which says a lot considering he struggled in the past few weeks:
"He was really good, especially early. You get in late and have to find your legs quick against a heavy forechecking team. It took us five to seven minutes, but after that I thought we established our forecheck a little bit. It was a pretty evenly played game." - Todd McLellan
"He played unreal. Really kept us in the game the whole way and stepped up when we needed him." - Moritz Seider
"I thought Talbs was unbelievable for us and gave us a chance to win that game. I think we had some O-zone possession, but just a little one-and-done. Missed on our big chances. A tough back-to-back. Can't make excuses, but I thought we battled and hung in there." - Dylan Larkin
"He played unreal. Really kept us in the game the whole way and stepped up when we needed him." - Moritz Seider
"I thought Talbs was unbelievable for us and gave us a chance to win that game. I think we had some O-zone possession, but just a little one-and-done. Missed on our big chances. A tough back-to-back. Can't make excuses, but I thought we battled and hung in there." - Dylan Larkin
Upon seeing the whole team's confidence boost with Talbot's great night, fans were looking forward to seeing who would get the start against the Sharks on Friday.
Todd McLellan finally confirmed the news at today's practice.
McLellan Confirms Starting Goalie Against Sharks At Optional Morning Skate
The Wings held an optional morning skate today, and John Gibson wasn't on the ice, which suggests he will be the starter tonight against the Sharks.
Per Ansar Khan:
After struggling in the first months of the season, Gibson finally found his rhythm last December and is one of the main reasons that explain why the Wings remain at the top of the Atlantic Division.
McLellan saw the work he put in to find his game, and plans to keep 'running him' as long as possible:
"He was stubborn, he worked hard in practice (when things weren't going well), he found his game and, in our experience, once he finds it, he tends to keep it for a long time. So we keep running him as much as he can."
Gibson, 32, has three shutouts in his last 13 games, has been the best goalie in the NHL in the past 10 games, and is currently on a four-game winning streak.
We look forward to seeing him back on the ice tonight. Stay tuned for further updates on the game.
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