James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Kane, Andrew Copp, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments @ SEA | Dec. 6, 2025

James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Kane, Andrew Copp, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments @ SEA | Dec. 6, 2025

H yeah, you know what? Uh again, it’s so it’s been uh a lot of fun to get a chance to play on the same team now with Gainor and um obviously the both of us contributing a big win like this and uh keep the road trip going on a positive note is huge and uh now we got to be ready for Monday. What did you see on your goal? Um yeah, I was just looking past pretty much the whole way and uh I thought that D did a good job of taking that away and I that’s usually kind of my last resort is trying to fire that in on the far side and um uh thankfully it went in. How key was that, especially after how things have been going? Yeah, again, it’s uh one of those uh things for us. I think uh we’ve we’ve done a good job of just responding uh maybe when things aren’t going our way. And I think that’s really uh a good quality for a team to have. So, I think uh um we’re able to have a short memory and just keep playing and it’s different guys stepping up in different uh different times. But I like that about our team that we don’t uh we don’t quit, we just keep playing. For you personally, is it is it just like what what do you see going on lately? Um, yeah, it’s nice to get some uh some puck luck a little bit. I felt a little snake bit uh earlier in the year, but uh I don’t know. I’ve uh I’ve liked our line the last uh few games especially. I feel like uh we’re right there with how we’re reading off each other, just playing simple, predictable, and effective uh with what we’re trying to do, not trying to over complicate things. And I think um that’s been a good recipe for us. So, I think uh we we can continue to get better, but uh I think we’re doing some good things as a line right now. First one of the road trip. How do you guys carry over the defensive effort tonight into the next stretch? Yeah, I think for us, uh, when we’re when we’re playing as that fiveman unit, uh, especially on our when when our D are able to get first touch on the breakout, I think that’s been huge for us is able to get out of the zone. Obviously, when you when it’s time to defend, you want to defend well, but I think we’re doing a good job of not defending as much when we’re when we’re on the same page for our breakouts and uh getting out of the zone and advancing out of our zone so we can kind of play uh in motion a little bit more. So, uh, I think that’s definitely been a good recipe for us, especially the last few games. That 07 draft, uh, Yeah. Um, you know what? It was cool last game um playing together cuz that’s where we were drafted in Columbus and uh a long time ago, but um yeah, obviously JBR’s he’s hot right now and he’s finding a way to to contribute by by scoring goals and he’s making a lot of good plays, too. So, he’s playing really well. How key was that goal to go into the third with a tough game? Yeah, for sure. Um, you know, 3-2, no one really knows what’s going on with the larks. Obviously, that’s a big loss for our team and um you know to to to score and make it 3-3 kind of settled everything down a little bit. You guys showed some resiliency in Columbus. Battleback, get the point, come out with the win tonight. Have you seen a little bit more resiliency from this group last few games? Yeah, I think so. I mean uh I think we’d like to play better. Um and you know, I think that can start with me. I wasn’t very good tonight, but um you know uh sometimes you don’t have your best and you can find ways to win on the road. That’s uh that’s a good skill to have. Can you talk about your goal? did you see on there and you hit the corner there? Yeah, well, I coughed it up in the zone right before. So, uh um you know, we we did a good job defensively and C got the puck and skated it uh um up the ice, kind of drew a couple guys to him. Copper driving the net. That’s a huge part of the play. You know, he might might not be in on the goal, but uh drives the net, creates a little space for me. Just tried to find a pocket, got the puck, and um you know, at that point, you’re just trying to shoot it through the defenseman and get it on net. Thanks, guys. most about the way you guys pulled this one out tonight. Well, I think we just kind of tried to stay as as composed as possible. I think they had some pushes, especially probably the second half of the second period, we weren’t very good. So, um, we kind of found ourselves, I think, in the second intermission and played a pretty solid third period. We didn’t get enough pucks to the net, but, uh, kind of stayed stayed in the battle, stayed in the fight, and then, uh, you know, able to get one late and, um, good teams win games like that. How key was the start in getting a power play goal right away like that? Yeah, I mean I think you know especially coming all the way out here from from the east coast after the game uh clocks are a little off. So, uh we talked about having a really good start and um drawing one on the drawing one uh drawing a penalty and then and then converting on the power play. Our power play has been been pretty good. It’s been huge for us uh in terms of getting uh momentum for the team and obviously uh producing as well. So, um yeah, start was going to be important no matter what. I know you were up close when you poked yours in, but did you see it go over the line after the replay? I was kind of I was kind of uh blocked from from seeing it. Cat kind of set it right away though. It was It’s kind of a weird shift after that. Like he was pretty convinced that it was going to be a goal. I was kind of waiting for the buzzer to go and it never did. And then um you know once we got the replay, but uh yeah, I didn’t really see it. Did you Sorry. Did you see the puck loose the whole time? Like Yeah. Yeah, I saw it loose the whole time. I mean, it kind of came off his back, tried to bank it in off his back and then I was kind of laying there. So yeah, I saw it loose the whole time. What’s your appreciation for Patrick Kane? I mean, nearing 500 goals and the record for Yeah. Yeah. Uh, I mean, there’s only I think it was 50. He he’ll be the 50th when that happens. Um, yeah, it’s uh still can handle the puck as as good as ever and um yeah, it’s a it’s a pleasure to see him operate on the half wall and power play and um yeah, I’m glad he’s on our team. The other guy from the 07 draft, not bad tonight either. No, it was a it was a big goal. Like I said, we were not playing well in the in that second half of the second period. And um you know, they were kind of buzzing around. We we were very uh lacking days with the puck, especially breaking out and we weren’t we weren’t closing on guys in the defensive zone. So uh to kind of get a little bit they were overaggressive, got a break and uh he put it home. So uh obviously he can put the puck in the net, too. Todd, what did you think of tonight’s performance? I’m sorry. What did you think of tonight’s performance? Um up and down. Um, I I liked our start. I thought we got out of the gate okay uh against a team that was going to be desperate. Um, the game played out as I thought. I thought it would be close checking. Um, little disappointed in our Dzone coverage in the second, but we uh certainly clean it up in the third. Didn’t give up that much. Uh, we weren’t in our end for extended periods and um patient enough to wait for an opportunity to score. So, uh, that was better. We talk a lot about young guys, but the 07 draft tonight, Patrick Kane and and Room Strike, those were timely and goals. Yeah, 07 draft, that’s a long time ago, isn’t it? Um, yeah, they were, you know, you could see for for James, he’s got he’s got such a patient game. You can tell he’s played a long long time. Um, even at the end with getting the puck out off the glass, no panic in in his game. uh did a real good job on the entry and and then Kainer um you know to go down and thought Copper did a real good job to open up some ice and distract the goalender and Kainer has that wrist shot to uh to finish it. So yeah, the 07 draft did come through. You talk about your group learning through games and you talk about them tonight going through the ups and down to this one. Is that an encouraging sign to see them kind of navigate this one out and finish it on a high? Um well the encouraging thing is that we did we got ourselves out of a a bit of a rut there in the second period. So that’s encouraging. The the the disturbing part is why are we in that rut again? And and I know we can play better defensively than than what we saw there and we challenged the group uh quite clearly between periods to to clean it up and they did. So um it’s there uh just needs to get done. What was the challenge uh deal when we didn’t have Dylan there in the second for pit? Well, we didn’t know how long he was going to be gone for so we just started filling holes with with different players. And when that happens, you don’t want to lose everybody. So, you’ve got to work uh work the bench a little bit. Make sure that everybody’s feeling the ice and and lines get a little bit disjointed. Um but uh give him credit. He came back. It wasn’t uh sure it wasn’t comfortable getting all those stitches, but he came back and and he played well in the third. What did you think of Gibson? Thought he played a real good game. Um solid. He was tested uh through traffic. Um, he was also tested, you know, just one-on-one a couple times and he he played a real solid game. That’s what we uh expect from him night in and night out. [Music]

James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Kane, Andrew Copp and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday December 6, 2025.