Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 29, 2025

Todd McLellan Morning Skate Media | Nov. 29, 2025

Todd, I know you’re talking about trying to work on some of the quick goals and some of the practice that went with that. When you don’t have as much practice time to clean up, what are the challenges of trying to clean that up on the road in short time? Well, all teams in the league are are presented with the same problem that uh that we have and lack of practice time. So, um but that doesn’t mean you can’t address things. You uh you use video. Um you have individual, you have group meetings, you have team meetings, and you try and practice without actually expending any energy. So, uh, we’ll review some of the, uh, not so finer points of the game last night, but also some of the good things that we did. We want to build on those and clean up some other stuff. Alex Debrinks 400th straight game in this one between him and Moider has a bit of an iron man streak going. You guys have been pretty fortunate on the health front. What have you seen with just their reliability out there? Well, those two are uh, you know, they get banged up a little bit. They block shots, cat the other night. Um, but they’re they’re competitive. their toughest nails, both of them, and uh they play through a lot. And I I think to have an iron man streak, uh as those two do right now, uh it takes a lot of of playing through uh illnesses, bumps and bruises, you’re never 100%. Um but they find a way to get it done and we appreciate them for that. There’s some injury going on on the other side with the Bruins. What are the challenges they still bring to the table even with the injury bug bit? Yeah, they’re um you know, they’re snake bit with with losing individuals. I don’t know who’s going to play or not play tonight for their team, but uh they’re I know Marco really well. Consider him a great friend and uh they’ve taken on his identity as a as a person and as a coach. You can see they they bought into to his belief system and um you know there’s there’s nothing tricked out about their game other than that they play hard for a full 60 minutes. So um if you’re not prepared to uh to meet that match um eventually they’ll get the best of you at at some segment of a game. So, uh, we better be engaged right from minute one all through minute 60. You’re saying yesterday you know that this group cares that they’re taking the coaching. What are you looking to see in the response and the execution on the ice after yesterday? Well, exactly that. You kind of answered your own question, some some execution. Um, we have players that are very capable. We’ve seen it for long periods of time this year where they they really get the job done well. Um, and we’re going to have some ups and downs. There’s going to be some uh, you know, some segments of our schedule where we’re not happy. Uh, nobody’s happy. We’re miserable and we’re probably in one of those right now. But, uh, the tools exist in there. We expect the players to bring it. And, um, you know, we can’t go back and and wallow in what we did or didn’t do last night or the night before. The same same things going on next door with Marco’s team. Uh, put it behind you. Come and play and and clean clean a few things up individually and we’ll be okay. Just some housekeeping. Any Is Talbot in tonight? Talbot’s playing tonight. Any other changes? Uh, there could be. We’ll know after the morning skate. So, we’ll get We’re like anybody else where there’s bumps and bruises and we’re trying to evaluate players as we go on. Does it seem kind of odd? A guy can get to 495 goals and suddenly can’t in the open net. I mean, we know he’s going to get to 500, but Oh, he’s going to get to 500 and a lot more. He’s he’s a hell of a player. And if we weren’t talking about the chances he was missing on, uh, then I’d be concerned because he’s still getting the opportunities and, um, it’s not going to rattle him for a long time. He’s been through so much. Um, you know, he out of those 4, I think it’s 95, there were some real ugly ones. Uh, I’m sure the next one might be that way and then everything else will go in. But, you know, he could have been at 4 410 by now, but he isn’t. Or 510, pardon me, by now, but he isn’t. and we still got a lot of season. We’re counting on him. One of the things I see standing out about him, you know, he’s obviously a great player, but how good he is in the locker rooms. Well, what is his leadership mean to a team like this? Well, you have a lot of credibility when you walk in the room. You’re you’re Patrick Kane. You’ve done basically everything you can in the game. U and when you walk in, he’s got a presence. It’s not a a commanding or but he’s just got a presence. He’s got a a track record and um you guys look to him for for advice. Um I think his hockey mind, his IQ and what he sees is valuable. Uh he can share that with maybe some players that don’t see things. I know it helps me as a coach. So um you know, all around pretty good locker room guy. When you have a guy to that pedigree, when he does have sort of struggles like that, do you even need to say anything to him or is it like, you know, he can figure it out on his own because he’s gone through? You know what? We have to coach everybody and and there’s conversations that we have. Uh am I going to tell Patrick Kane how to score goals? Probably not. Um but I’m going to try and help him with other parts of his game and uh and we’ve done that. Um and he helps me again with some of some of the stuff that I need to do. So it’s it’s a good relationship that way.

Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s morning skate at TD Garden on Saturday November 29, 2025.