Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Nov. 11, 2025

Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Nov. 11, 2025

received from the offense. It’s really like here guys. What was the focus in practice to get to kind of generate some scoring? Yeah. Um getting to the net. Um being stronger in front of the net, getting in the goalie’s eyes. Um you know, we’re getting a lot of shots, but a lot of them are from the point and no one’s in front. No one’s going through the goalie’s eyes. It’s uh you know, pretty hard to score in this league if we don’t do that. So, um I think that was an emphasis on today playing um you know in front of the net on both ends of the ice. I think uh we got to do a better job of keeping them out of our goalies eyes and we got to do a better job of going in next. It’s always going well offensively kind of change things up a little bit so stack the top line there playing those two guys. Yeah, I mean two great players obviously. Um fun to play with them. They have a lot of speed, obviously can, you know, make a lot of plays and and hopefully we can have the puck a lot um during the game. So, um you know, I think those two guys are are are good defensively and that’s why we can create um you know, chances turnovers and go down and um you know, play with the puck where where we’re more comfortable. So, um you know, those two guys are fun to play with and I’m excited for it. Change your game much. No, no, I try to do stick to the same stuff. Um, you know, I think with them we can all um, you know, rotate on who’s getting on pucks and all of us try to jump on pucks quick and and, um, create turnovers in the Ozone. So, um, I think that’s kind of how we feed off each other with with, um, us three and, um, create offense that way. So, um, if we can just play a simple game and get it in their end and then work to get pucks back, I think we’ll be fine. battle working. How how big of a difference is Tai strong? Yeah, I think it’s a big part of the game. We need to just uh you know be a more physical and and harder team to play against. Um we’re giving up too much too easily. So um we got to win our 50/50s in the ozone and Dzone and um really all over the ice. So I think um just getting back to that that work ethic and um you know playing simple is is going to be what’s best for us. Yeah. when a team goes through some of these spells. How do you guys mentally stay above and, you know, not over over focus on the little things that maybe aren’t going your way? Yeah, I mean, I think it’s it’s reverting back to that work e ethic and just um playing hockey. I think um we’re all confident here. We know what we can do and um you know, we’ve shown that at different times in the year so far. So, um obviously a little dip right here, but um hopefully get back on track next game. Thanks, guys. Yeah, you know, overall I think we’re pretty confident in our power play. I think um you know, especially with um what we’ve done in the past. So, uh get that thing going again. I think that helps kind of the five on five game too. Get some momentum off the power play, some touches, some good shots, maybe see one go in the net and all of a sudden you have, you know, a little bit of a good feeling mentioned power play. I know you don’t you don’t want to take it for granted, but same five guys that last year. Yeah. I mean, is that what you want to do? We have that chemistry. We don’t really lose that chemistry. No, no. I mean, um, you know, could it be better? Yeah, for sure. I also look at the past couple games and say, you know, we could have had, you know, a couple goals here or there. There were some chances. Um, it wasn’t great by any means, like especially with um, you know, how many times we’re having to break the puck out and enter the zone. It seemed to be a lot of one and done. Maybe a couple times we cough the puck up on the wall and they send it down again. So, that’s where it gets frustrating, right? But, um, um, you know, as a group, I still think we feel feel very confident what we can do. um try not to lose confidence in the power play because it is such a crucial part of shook the lines up here last game. I’m just curious like you obviously there’s some kind of wake up a little bit to that versus the chemistry and kind of what’s the balance there? Yeah, I mean for me it doesn’t really change much. I’m going to continue to play my game. Um you know maybe without Cat on that side, you know, you look for your shot a little bit more maybe or um try to get to the net a little bit more. But other than that, uh, still kind of be who you are as a player. And I think that’s the same thing for Finny and JT, right? Like we all want to be the player that we are. And, uh, um, a lot of communication, too, I think is important. You know, communication on the bench, communication before the game, what we want to see out of each other, different situations. So, you know, obviously I played with JT before, not so much with uh with Finny, but he seems like a pretty, you know, easy guy to play with with his speed and the way he can hunt pucks down and create turnovers. How have you felt since back? Pretty good. You know, I’m pretty I’m pretty happy with um you know, how I feel healthwise. Obviously, um you know, timing is probably a little bit off. Um maybe just getting back into game action after having you know, a few weeks off is um you know, something just trying to get up to speed a little bit again. But pretty happy with the way I feel, you know, healthwise. forward to make some decisions. Where are you at? Um well, I I got to make sure I make that clear. That that wasn’t about um my son, again, my son calls me and he says, “Oh, you guys are trading some players.” Um no, we’re not. It doesn’t mean we won’t or ever will, but that’s not the reason why Danny’s here. Danny’s here because he played real well at training camp. Uh we have some players that are struggling right now and we thought he could inject a little life and some enthusiasm into the team and maybe provide us with some offense. Um he’s earned the right to do that after training camp. Um and you know it’s I guess my comment was we could put him in and see how he works with other players if we can find some combinations and evaluate. But it it had nothing to do with Steve buying airline tickets and sending people all over the place. But if I led you on that way, I apologize. Well, first of all, we’re all huge fans of this song of yours, but Yeah, me too. The the protection drills you had early on with a one-on-one, is that just kind of to instill kind of ignite some competitiveness? Well, we don’t we don’t get a lot of time during the season to practice uh the way we did today. You just can’t because you have so many games in in such a short time frame. Um they expended a lot of energy today. It was it was physical. There was a lot of battling. Um you know so it gave us a chance one to have a practice like that but two to also remind them that that’s an important part of the game. Um after reviewing you know the last two games we had some chances to score um off the rush two ones that that that part of our game’s okay. It’s what happens now when we settle in in the offensive zone and um you know feeder shots are going to the net and and are we near the net? Are we through the goalie’s eyes? Are we around rebounds? And conversely at the other end are we doing a good job. So that was u that type of practice was designed because of time and because of a need um for the group. Did look like you moved moved a couple people CAD up to the top line. I don’t know what you just want to see some things Todd. things. Yeah, we did that in the third period the other night and um you know sometimes lines get a little stale. It’s not a reflection on on Cat or EMTT or anybody else. It just we’re trying different things and uh I thought both lines played better um after the change in the third period. Um so are we going to do that when we play Anaheim in a couple days? We’ll see. Um we weren’t too concerned about who was on what line today. Todd, you mentioned the the physicality and the the battling in the practice. Obviously, it’s something you hope that can carry over into the game uh with a goal of getting more kind of gritty more on the inside. Yeah, I I think that’s a good way of putting it, but you know, we have we’re not a small team. Um it just sometimes we don’t play big. I don’t know if that makes any sense at all, but we we have um we have we have some length. We have guys that are long and tall. We have some some girth. Um you know, and those players have to give us more of of that. Now, the smaller players can also do that, too. They can roll around and and sometimes they’re the toughest to handle in the in and around the blue paint because they got a low center of gravity. They’re quick. Um they’ve got to dart in and out. and we’re just not seeing enough of it right now. Following the game, uh Dylan Larkinson that the team looks to him to score. Obviously, he’s a main goal scorer, but then there are players like uh Elmer Soderblum, Andrew Cop, JBR um all still are stuck on one goal right now. How big of an emphasis is kind of getting that secondary scoring uh going? Well, it’s it’s it’s a must. It it the emphasis is is is huge. they have to contribute. But when you’re not scoring, you sometimes start at the goal and then work backwards. Like you got there’s a whole bunch of things that has to happen for you to score a goal. And timing arriving in the right spots. Um you know, I asked some of them today if you know when’s the last time you had a a tip or a deflection in and around the paint or or had a rebound shot. Um and some of those players that you mentioned, they’re at one goal and and some of them are empty net goals, too. We’re 20% done the season. So, yes, Clark Slark’s um had some real good opportunities the last two games that didn’t score and it’s noble again for him to to put that on his shoulders. Uh but we are as as you are aware that that others have to step up and contribute and uh you know figure out a way to get it done. Then the game’s not until Thursday, but is the plan right now to maybe give Gibby another shot as at his former team? I couldn’t answer that question right now. What what was the thinking behind putting the Casper, Danielson, and Appleton together? What did you like about that trio? Um the the Casper move was to get him on the wing. I like the way he played the other night. Um I thought he had one of his better games, aggressive and and get him on the wing so that we could maybe get him going um in that situation. Danny and and Marco had played together obviously in in Grand Rapids. So, there’s some familiarity, uh, a sense of comfort and App’s been pretty solid two-way guy. So, try and put the pieces together and see what you get. I guess with the way all three of those guys can skate, I guess what I’m getting as like is there a little bit of like an identity that that can form with those? Well, they there can be um, you know, in fairness to to to all of them, that’s that’s a brand new line. Uh Danny’s coming in and we’re we’re expecting a lot from him and putting a little pressure on him. Casp is is squeezing his stick and trying to figure out how he’s got to play every night. And then App is still a fairly new player. So, um identity I I think it can evolve into that, but right now just the three of them worry about their own games and put it all together. With with Marco, how do you kind of look at his process so far this last year? You talked about how he’s on the wing and at some point you have to become a center and everything like that. How do you look at where he has this season? Things like that. Um, so if I if I understand your question, like from last year to this year, what like when you look at his process, right? Like we tal you talked about a bunch of guys squeezing the stick, guys getting tips. When you look at his his his process, his path his path, where where is he right now on that in your mind? Well, he’s not he’s not where he needs to be. Um, you know, I could lie, but you guys would call me a liar right away. Like he’s not where he needs to be. He uh he’s got some work to do. Um you know, he last year the the competitiveness and the the u the the second attempt, third attempt in around the net, crashing the crease. Um solid two ways checking his way into to offense. Those were all staples of his. And uh when you come back as a secondyear player, it just doesn’t pick up from where it left off. like he had a good world championship, too. So, everything was positive, but you got to start all over again. And that’s the uh the the great thing about our sport. You you aren’t guaranteed anything. And um as it goes on and things don’t happen for you offensively now, you begin to wonder. You doubt self-doubt and you might um not you might your your self-evaluation may be poor and you have to be reminded. But Marco’s a real good kid. Um he’s he’s committed to getting better. Um he’ll continue will continue to help him work through it and when he when he does break through which I think is coming um he’ll be back to where he needs to be. Are you seeing enough from him on the defensive side of the ice where kind of building up from that part? The defensive and the defensive side obviously when you look at the offensive side. Yeah. The defensive side of it you know I I think it all goes together. It’s hard to separate because if you’re good defensively, chances are going to come at the other end and if you’re good offensively, well, you’re not playing in your end. So, um it all goes together. And then just going into Thursday, just you saw you guys were in Anaheim what, two weeks ago. Um you guys saw Bard two nights ago. Leo Carlson’s been very good for Yeah, he’s been fantastic. And what about his game when you kind of look at what you saw in person when you kind of prep for them about what the steps that player has taken to kind of lead Anaheim this year? Well, that you know from a distance that would be a good question obviously to ask Joel or or Woody or somebody there because you know I saw Leo come into the league when I was in LA and they were um you know they were they were cautiously bringing him along. They made sure he was getting stronger and there were some nights he didn’t play. Um you know that path isn’t always a bad one for a for a young player. Um you know coming out and watching the game but getting in the gym and spending a lot of of time in there to get stronger and I think it’s paid off. He is stronger. He’s powerful. You know, he’s grown probably an inch or two since he’s been in the league and now he’s confident. So, other than that, what’s happened or how’s it how has it happened? Um, they’d give you a better answer than I would. After practice, Kat talked about just the mental side of going through a spell or stretch like this. As a coach, when you look at navigating this mentally, how do you focus on the positives versus balancing out the negatives? Is there a way that you approach that process? Well, we have to we have to catch them doing it right and wrong. I’ve said that a million times. So, um you know, I could go into the the meeting today and I could show the number of twoon- ons and and scoring opportunities that we have. And in those situations on a twoon-one or on an entry, you’re likely not having anybody at at the net front. You just can’t. You’d be offside by 50 ft. So, that part of our game is good. So, keep it going. Show them, talk to them about it, but here’s where we can fix it. So, there’s a balance between good and bad. Um, and that’s how we how we get after it. Did you have a chance to watch last night? That was a nice shout out. Duncan Keith. Yeah. Well, I I think that well, not think I know that uh Trent Yanni played a has played an important role in in obviously Duncan’s development, but Brent Sebrook, a lot of those those Chicago Blackhawks that won cups and are going to the Hall of Fame now. And then the same can be said while he was in in uh San Jose with us like Mark Edward Vlic and and those types of young defenseman had a lot of toutelage from Yans Anaheim groups coming in here. Um you know so he’s been able to help a lot of Edmonton a lot of defenseman in in the league and and I think he can continue to do that and do a real good job with the the D that we have here. And u it’s a good story for Axe. It’s a good story for Albert to to hear and know that uh the guy that went into that that shrine last night um it meant a lot for Jon’s to be there and it meant a lot for him to have spent time with him. Good.

Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on Tuesday January 11, 2025.