Ben Chiarot & Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 15, 2025

Ben Chiarot & Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 15, 2025

see capping the four game home stand. What’s it going to take for you guys to end this one on a high note? Yeah, similar effort to what we did against Anaheim. Uh strong defensively, um gritty effort getting into into the their goalies eyes, getting in front of the net. Um all the good things that we did against Anaheim. That game against Anaheim, there was a little bit of physicality in there, too. When you guys are stepping up for each other like that, how much boost does that give to the group on the ice and on the bench, too? Yeah, of course. Um, every game should be like that, stepping up for each other physically. Um, it’s a great sign. You guys have a pretty strong record when holding the lead through 40 minutes. What’s allowed that mentality to keep that lead and then maintain it through the end of the game? I think we get great goalending from from Talbs and and Gibby and uh I think this year more so guys are buying into getting in shot lanes, blocking shots, knowing that we’re going to need a a big block there down, you know, in those in those dying minutes. So, um, just against a more desperate effort defensively. And then against the Sabres, Todd yesterday talked about how he, you know, these games are always high scoring against this group. When you look at them on film, what stands out to you and what do you guys do tonight defensively to limit their chances? Yeah, I mean, they got a lot of good offensive players. They like to take off offensively, try and get in behind the defense. Um, always a challenge with these guys seems. So, um, being sharp defensively, defensively, not letting guys in behind us, keep them off the power play. They got a lot pretty dangerous power play as well. So, um, lots of different things to to be aware of. So, with Pelica, I mean, with any young guys, you’re going to see bumps along the road, highs and lows, just progress from Yeah, really good. I mean, for a 20-year-old kid, the minutes he’s playing against good players, um, really impressive. Uh, he’s played with the puck, very calm. Um, makes the right play more times than not. And, um, going to be a good player for a long time. And the ups and downs are common with any any young player in the league. with a guy not the biggest guy is one of the keys to to defenseman like that is just using your legs your quickness to defend and win battles the best ever. Yeah. Yeah. I mean using using his feet using his stick is how he’s going to defend for for his whole career. Um, so the quicker he gets, you know, improves on that and works at that, um, you know, the better, the better he’ll be defensively, that those are going to be the keys for him. Um, I played with a defenseman not, uh, too dissimilar to Axe and Josh Morsy in Winnipeg, smaller guy, but learned how to use his stick really well defensively and, you know, now he’s one of our best defenseman in the league. So, um, facts can figure those things out and something that we try and, you know, preach to him as older guys and Trent Yanni, the coach, talks to him about them all the time. So, um, something for him to to strive towards. Thanks, buddy. Todd, is Gibson uh starting today? Yep. And any lineup changes from the last game? Um, we we’ll get an update on some bumps and bruises, but uh the plan right now is to stay with the same lineup. Okay. Because A couple guys didn’t scan. It was an optional, but so you’re not sure if everybody’s available yet. Um, again, I I’ll get an update on they’re still coming off on some bumps and bruises and we’ll make decisions based on that. Um, you were talking about Sandon Pelica yesterday and uh for a for a young guy uh not the biggest guy defenseman, does it do guys like they have to learn more how to use their their their legs, their quickness, their stick uh to defend it? because it seemed like maybe similar to Y Johansson last year where he sort of figured it out mid-season. Yeah, you’re there. Axe isn’t the biggest guy, but he’s not he’s not tiny. He’s he’s not the biggest uh defender. Um so, who are some of those others that have been around? Dan Bole was a real prime example for me. I spent all those years in in San Jose competitive, knew how uh how to use what God gave him to the best of his ability. So, he knew what battle he could win and lose physically, and he was involved in all of them. Um and uh if if he could win a physical battle, he’d go win it. um if he if his analysis or his judgment was, you know what, I’m I’m probably at on the short end of this stick, then his mind and his legs took over and positioned him well and he outsmarted people. And sometimes when you’re not the biggest or strongest, you have to have legs in your head to to get you out of trouble. And Axe is still learning that. um you know, yeah, yes, he’s played against men before in in um you know, in Europe on bigger ice and and whatnot. This this happens a little faster here. It’s a little bigger, a little stronger. So, and you know, he’s 20 and he’s going to keep on learning throughout his career, but it’s going to be a good long one. What have you thought of the way Simon and Merittz have played together since you put them back? They’ve been I thought the other night they were really good. Um, you know, and that’s the last time I talked about RD, I think we lost, uh, to the Rangers. So, uh, and RD weren’t very good that night. Um, but here I am again talking about the pair. And, uh, I think that for the most part, they’ve been pretty solid. They’re, you know, again, they they have great range. They’re they’ve got length. Um, they’re both physical, so they they can play a lot of heavy hard minutes against some real good players. And then for whatever reason early this season, you guys are seeing a lot of teams twice in this first 20 games and including both times this weekend. What do you gain in the second time through when you see a team twice in short succession? Well, you have um you know, you have your memory of the of the game, but we also have some evidence of how things have gone um you know, against this could be our fourth game against the Sabres if you include the two exhibition games. I know it’s a little different, but coaches are trying to put their systems in and structure in play there. and you see some some patterns. So, the prescout gets a little more um repetitive. Um you can confirm, you know, maybe how the team really wants to play, the the team you’re playing against. Um and then it just comes down to the players executing more. There aren’t as many surprises. Um you know, and it gives us a chance if you if you think about it, you you play series of games. I think this year we only play Buffalo three times. It’s one of those offsetting, but we’re down by one. Um, if you can win a series and continually do it, you’re you’re you’re going to the you’re going to the playoffs really if you want to break it down like that. And um, we’re down by one now. We only get two more chances. So, we got we got to make good on it. Your group’s record this season when leading through 40 minutes is pretty impressive. When you have the lead, how do you make use of that versus, you know, fearing to give it up late in games? Well, fear is a bad word because you start playing with fear you’re going to give it up. Um, you have to stick with with what got you there. Um, I think your game management skills have to get really sharp. U, the other night against Anaheim, we uh for the most part we were we were pretty good in that area. We made some a couple dumb uh not dumb um miscalculated uh plays that led to scoring chances going the other way and plays that we didn’t need to to even attempt with the lead that we had. But we’re still learning that. That’s the the real good teams. They manage those moments so good and shut everything down. We’re still learning. Good.

Ben Chiarot and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s morning skate on Saturday Nov. 15, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena.