Dylan Larkin, Emmitt Finnie, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments vs. UTA | Dec. 17, 2025

Dylan Larkin, Emmitt Finnie, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments vs. UTA | Dec. 17, 2025

How do you think you guys played tonight? Um, I mean, I thought for the most part we were in the game and felt a lot like the Islander game where um, back and forth uh, up and down the ice at times and then at times not much going on and um, playing defensively and and then uh, you know, in the third we pushed and and got the goal and and then um got a little uh, a little too excited to get the second one and then it cost us and and um you know that’s what went downhill after that but thought the game was out of reach by then. >> What did you notice on the power plays in the second period? >> I mean unlike last night we just we we had looks, we had zone time. We just didn’t get it done and and um didn’t get pucks through. Credit to them. They they had a tight diamond and and um I’m sure Todd will tell you both uh on the on their penalty kill and and five on five, they probably won the the the net play tonight and and um that was probably the story of the game. >> You said it was going to be tough coming back from the road in that first game back, but the way you guys played yesterday, does it give you confidence that this isn’t just something to be worried about? This was maybe just pushing a little bit too hard, not getting those bounces. >> Yeah, I’m I’m not worried at all. I mean, you’re going to have games like this and back to backs. We’re going to have to be a little better on on on back to backs with uh our schedule moving forward with with all of them coming up here and um some really tough matchups like like this this back to back was. Um, so, uh, it’s just growing and and and experience and and knowing when we’ve we’ve done on the road, uh, where you don’t have your best, um, you know, you got to find a way to win and and and bring something better than than what we brought tonight probably. And, um, you know, when you’re at home, it doesn’t change change much. You know, I think, uh, um, you want to make more happen. It’s it’s a natural a natural feeling. So, you don’t have to play that way. you we can we can make it boring and and and find our legs and and get going like I thought we did. We had some good zone time again and and I thought our five on five game was was pretty good. >> Just backto-back games where you didn’t score in the first two periods. I mean, how difficult does that make it when you’re just playing catchup? >> Yeah, and that that’s a that’s a good point. Um you know, I think uh like I said, it it felt a lot like the Islander game. Um, and it would be nice to to uh not make a trend of that and and and you know, come out the next game ready to go, ready to ready to play and uh in a tough building on the road. So, um, we have things we have to address and and like we’ve done all year, Todd’s brought it to in meetings, brought it up in meetings and and we’ve addressed it and and, uh, we’ve improved on it. >> Along those lines, it was like the Islanders game. What was the difference tonight that didn’t make this one a victory? >> Um, we didn’t score more goals than they they scored. Um, yeah, we we just didn’t uh didn’t get it done offensively and and um they won the net that battle net front battle on both ends. Dylan said he’s not he’s not worried long term, but just when you have a game like you did last night where you guys bounce back in the third period and have this building rocket, how tough is it to to not come out with a win on a game like this? >> Yeah, it’s tough. I mean, you know, credit to them. They, you know, they played pretty hard and um, you know, I didn’t think we had uh a good enough third period. >> How much was the setback having those backto-back call plays in the second and not getting more out of them? >> Yeah, I mean, it’s frustrating for sure when you don’t score on those. Um, you know, I thought we generated some good looks, but um, yeah, definitely a little frustrating when you don’t score. >> How difficult did they make it or did they make it just getting to the net and establishing any kind of net presence or making it harder on their goalie? >> Yeah, they, you know, they dominated the net play tonight against us and, you know, on both ends. Um, you know, I thought we weren’t good enough in our own end and, you know, they were, you know, boxing us out and taking away our chances. You >> guys have had some quiet first periods at home really throughout the year. Is there anything to that that that you’re noticing? >> Yeah, I mean um you know I think we’ve struggled a little bit scoring in the first period. Um you know I think we come out flat a couple of times but um you know we’re we’re looking to change that. >> Can you walk us through your goal? I mean talk about the fortech check. You had three guys I think behind the net at one point and you’re out in front. Just walk us through that and the pass from Leonard. >> Yeah I mean it was a great play by Leonard. Um you know we had numbers behind the net and you know I figured we were going to come out with that puck so um I was just trying to put myself in a good position in the slot and you know Lenny made a great pass. It’s kind of an interesting second power play unit now. And you know, back in September, most people would have probably thought four of those guys would be in Grand Rapids and here you all are in Detroit. >> Yeah, I mean you know we have lots of players who can play on the power play and you know every given night it can change. So um you know I think we we have a skilled group and you know our our unit’s been clicking a little bit. >> Sitting in here I’m sorry. >> It was just 24 hours ago you were sitting in here saying you think they figured things out. How would you assess tonight and maybe especially the second period? Well, I I after last night, I wouldn’t take those words back at all. Um team did a real good job. And you know, tonight for me, the difference was was obvious. It was play around our net. And it wasn’t just the goals we gave up. It was some chances that that they had even earlier in the game. Um they were much better around their blue paint. And I’m not talking about goalending. I’m talking about clearing and and u you know batting pucks away uh making sure that sticks were on on plays that were made in towards that scoring slot area. Uh we weren’t. And you know look at the first goal that’s easily that that’s preventable. Uh the second goal is preventable. um you know the third one they all came kind of the same way and uh they were better than us in that area and they got the best of us and it’s it’s a obviously an area that we got to work on this week because we’re going to play against a a team that goes to the net and um scores in those spots um in in Washington. >> Todd, I believe you guys are one and five on the second night of a backto-back this year. Is there anything to that besides, you know, the obvious? Um, I would say no right now. I off the top of my head, I’d have to go back and review all the games. Uh, we play uh three more sets of them. I this weekend we’re going to have another one. And um, you know, I’m not sure that we’ve scored first in any of those games, which makes it more difficult. Um, but I don’t think there’s anything that’s uh in my mind that that’s sticking out. Um, but that’s without doing any any type of review. >> Then what did you think of those two power plays in the second period? Did you feel like you I mean obviously you don’t score, but did you feel like you generated enough looks on those or where were you at? >> Our power play got us a goal tonight. And if it’s running at 25%, we can’t ask it to score four a night, three a night, two a night. It got us one goal. Uh, yeah, it wasn’t real good, but it got us a goal. We didn’t score five on five and we gave up four goals. So, we can whine and about the power play and write a story about it. It has to be better. But for me, it was the five on five play around the net. >> It’s unfortunately six games now without a win for Cam Talbat in his last six starts. Are you sensing any changes in his confidence as opposed to earlier in the season when he was stacking up the wins? >> Well, Talbs has played a long, long time. I’ve been with him for a good chunk of that. I don’t see any change in his demeanor, the way he carries himself. um wins and losses and and goalie stats are often shared by the group as a whole. Um we played some better games um lately with Gibby in the net. I’m not sure we did that early in the year. Probably had our better ones with Talbs in the net. Talbs has had the backto-backs. We went to Edmonton last week. He played in this one today. Um, so, uh, if I was, you know, and I will run into Talbas tomorrow or on Friday and I’ll certainly have a conversation real quick just let him know that we believe in him because we do. >> Uh, Todd, when you talk about uh, the net play, I know sometimes like it’s just a bad bounce like when Cider cleared it off Tal. Uh but beyond that, what is it just uh being more determined to get to the net or what what do you what >> what I’ve seen is that we are we’re in position to do the job. You know, it’s it’s like sitting at your desk at school. You’re you’re sitting there, but big deal. Are you doing any work? Um we’re we’re in position. Do the work. Do the job. Get it done. And you can tell by a player’s reaction after a goal is scored, you know, they’re looking up to the heavens. They’ll tell you right there that they knew exactly what they were supposed to do. And um Simon um Danny goals one and goals maybe even Benny around the net uh on the on the second one. So first, second, and fourth. If you just look at their their individual reactions, I’m not sure about the second one, but the first and the fourth, they know exactly what they had to do. They were at work. They were on the job. They just didn’t get the job done. And um you know, there’s not much. We can keep practicing, keep practicing, but eventually you got to get the work done. >> You you’ve fallen back into that habit of getting behind and not getting any goals early in the game. in the two games since you’ve been home, you weren’t doing that on the road. Yeah. >> What’s what difference is making that happen? And I guess, you know, how much harder does that make it when you’re kind of swimming against the current? >> Yeah, I the back end of your question first, Bob, it makes it tough. Um, you know, the race to three again tonight and last night, we saw the difference. Uh, scoring first, especially in a back-to-back game, makes you uh, you know, alleviates a little pressure on the offense. I thought the two games last night and tonight were completely different. Last night we had some all alone looks. Um Leonard and and uh you know some breakaway type situations. Razer coming right down and we didn’t score. Finally got to them in the third. We didn’t really have those looks tonight. Um you know a lot of it was distance shots with scrambles around the net that we we didn’t get to. Um and they did. So um we like to score early. like to score a lot and like to have a cushion. We saw what it did for us in Calgary when we um made some mistakes late in the game, but when you’re chasing it, it’s hard. >> Good night,

Dylan Larkin, Emmitt Finnie, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s game against the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday December 17, 2025.