Red Wings coach Todd McLellan didn’t appreciate what he saw from his team in general when it lost to a 2-1 game to the Pittsburgh Penguins Monday.
But his sweeping criticism didn’t include prize rookie Axel Sandin Pellikka.
“I thought that Axe overall tonight was certainly one or two on
our blue line,” McLellan said. “As far as tonight’s game went, I thought he played a
pretty solid outing. In our end he handled the pressure and made plays from the red line in. He was dynamic and moved pucks around. So he was a factor. He wasn’t somebody that I walked
into the coaches room after the game and worried about or talked about. Other than the positive side, there were some others back there that need to get better.”
Getting that level of testimony from McLellan is important when you are a rookie trying to demonstrate whether he is ready to play at the NHL level.
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John Gibson’s competitiveness has to be a major part of Detroit’s quest to end its nine-season playoff drought.
Forward James van Riemsdyk will join the Red Wings on Wednesday.
Coach Todd McLellan isn’t happy with all of his veteran players. He needs more from them.
Red Wings Extra
The Red Wings today released defenseman Justice Christensen from his amateur tryout Monday. Additionally, they returned goaltender Rudy Guimond to the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. While still officially in Detroit’s camp, Guimond was able to go back for two Wildcats games. He is 2-0 with a 2.37 GAA and .927 save percentage.
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