Albert Johansson & Todd McLellan Practice Media

Albert Johansson & Todd McLellan Practice Media | Dec. 5, 2025

um after that late night flight, how beneficial was it for the group just to get out here today and get the legs moving ahead of this busy stretch of the trip? Uh yeah, I mean like you said the um unfortunately we we couldn’t come out there with two points, but I mean it’s a long road trip, but uh it was a long flight uh last night. So it was night to to get out there and and get moving a little bit and yeah, get ready for tomorrow. Did you like the way this group showed the resilience last night? You guys were down 3-1 there and you battled back to at least come out with a point. Yeah, I mean we um yeah, like you said, we were down and coming back. So, that’s for sure something we um taken with us from that game. Um but uh you know, if we um we want to want to close that game when we have the onegoal lead there, but um yeah, uh one point is is better than zero. But um yeah, got to move on to Seattle tomorrow. when you guys are in those one goal lead situations late. Six on five defensively. What are some of the areas that you guys are focusing on during those situations? No, I mean just uh try to put put pressure on on their guys. Um when we see they’re they’re in a little bit of trouble. Um that’s a it’s a good time to to pressure them uh even more and then you know uh everything comes down to um to to the play around the net. uh we want to own our net front and I think we can do do a better job there. There was a lot of seessawing back and forth in that second period there with all the goals and the power play comes up big on the road. Do you guys feel that momentum shift more than at home? And how do you guys control that? Yeah, a little bit. I mean um when we when we have a power play, we we want to build up that and um yeah, turn around uh the momentum in the game. So, um, you know, every time there’s even box play too, we want to kill that off and and go from there. So, special teams is is very important and like you said, that can build a lot of momentum in the games. Then last one for me, facing the Kraken second time this season. When you look back on the first game, you guys come away with a victory in that one. What are the things that stood out to you about the way they play and what are you guys hoping to replicate? No, I think uh we’re going to focus on on our game. Um, play a fast game. um getting on our our forch check. I think our forch check has been pretty good. Um last two games here and uh you know when we when we have a good forche and and can work with some some pucks um in the offensive zone, we’re a good team. So um I think just just play quick through um out of our our own hand and through the neutral zone and get down there and and work in in their Done. Is everybody available tomorrow that besides Appleton and Yeah, everybody’s available. Um, you know, I’ll keep telling everybody that bumps and bruises exist, but uh they do on all 32 teams. So, we’re we’re dealing with stuff and we’ll be fine. Ready to play. Where do you see like what area most needs to improve for this team, too? Well, our overall game has to get better. We’re still a team that is evolving, growing, learning. Um, you know, we’re not the finished product. Uh, we didn’t expect to be at at game almost game 30, I guess it is. Um, we’ve got some youth in the lineup that has to continue to experience things, make mistakes, we’ll help them fix it. We’ve got some veterans that we’re pushing to get a little bit more out of. Um, you know, so our team, our complete an overall game has to improve both offensively and defensively. So, is there something from camp from all those three weeks? Is there something that you like most that you guys have taken from that and are still um you know I think that there’s concepts that we’ve put in play and they’ve been good and then they slip a little and then they’ve been good. Um we’re still uh trying to not force but trying to um aggressively push uh our defensive responsibilities and and that’s not always just in our zone. That happens up ice. That happens through the neutral zone. Uh, and then when we’re coming into our zone, it’s important the decisions we make in those areas. And then once we’re in our zone, um, so all those concepts are important. We put them in place in in training camp and we’re um, we’re learning on the fly and we’re trying to correct on the fly. Um, and we need to get better on the fly. Is there is game management like maybe what I don’t want to use the word frustrated, but along those lines that you just like what’s what why is it not catching? Like why how many lessons need to be learned? It catches and then it releases and then it catches and then it releases and and the lessons that we uh you know some nights teams are just going to beat us. We’re going to play well and lose. There’s other nights when we beat ourselves a little bit. Those are the frustrating ones. And um I believe that the players are um they’re talking about it more. They’re more aware of it. They’re beginning to hold each other accountable with it. Um they want to repair it. Um, and that’s a real good first step. At least they’re alert and they’re uh conscious of it. You guys are set to kick off the Western Conference leg of this road trip. In your experience as a coach, do you see a difference in the way teams East and the West play or has the game evolved to a way that there really isn’t a distinct style anymore? Uh, I think there used to be. I’m not too sure that there’s a uh a distinct difference right now. Um, you know, some of the younger superstars are in the West right now. You think of Bard and Celibbrini. Um, Connor and Leon, I wouldn’t consider consider them young, but they are uh, you know, mid-range. So, a lot of the the superstar up and cominging power is out here. Uh, but the teams don’t play, uh, a significantly different brand of hockey. I think it’s fairly universal now. Todd, what does, uh, players holding one another accountable look like? Uh, well, sometimes it’s frustration and they’re barking at each other. Um we’re a family so nobody’s uh you know holding hands and skipping stones all the time. Um so so that’s one thing but then they’re also discussing things they’re you know the de are talking to the forwards and back and forth if this happens I’m going here. Um the more responsibility they take on the better opportunity we have of having overall success. So, um, the accountability can go anywhere from, uh, verbal frustration to small groups getting together and and figuring things out to, um, you know, team dinners, that type of stuff. So, uh, it’s all over the map. And then just building off of last night’s game, I know that two points would have been good, but you still got the one. Can you build on the resiliency, the power play? What are some areas that this group you want to carry over? Well, we can we can carry over uh a number of things. I thought we did good things in that game. Uh, power play was real good. Um, I thought once we established playing our game, we got our forch check going and created a lot of chances off of um off of the attack that way. Uh, we stayed in the game which was real important. Uh, we did that the night before and against Boston all of a sudden it’s 3-2 and uh we got a a real important goal uh to to put us further ahead. Last night we had to come from behind. Um, so we’re staying in games. We’re finding ways to uh to come back. Um, so those are positive things that we got to keep going. Do you think players are just so much better that the days of common 2-1, 3-2 games are kind of fading or potentially, but I still see teams playing them? Like I I still believe that the the number three is such a big number in our league. Um I think you see um more total goals scored, you know, the five four games, but if you get the three first or uh you know, you’re hovering around that three mark on any given night, you have a real good chance of winning. Um you know, and we’ve been there a number of times and um haven’t won just because we’re giving up too much. And so for me it’s still [Music]

Albert Johansson and Head Coach Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on Friday December 5, 2025.