Netminder John Gibson, who made a season-high 34 saves in Tuesday night’s 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins at Little Caesars Arena, said the group is embracing the opportunity ahead.
“It’s a big road trip for us, so we got to put the points together,” Gibson said. “Obviously, we want to get off to a good start and got a big win here before the road trip. Hopefully, we can carry that on in Columbus and make it a good trip.”
Sure, a lengthy voyage like this can certainly strengthen team chemistry. But, as McLellan said, the “best bonding trip is a winning one, no matter where you go.”
“We always talk about that before we leave and hope it comes to fruition,” McLellan said. “But if you suck the whole trip, then it’s not a lot of fun bonding like that. There are opportunities for the players to get out, get together, have team dinners and all that stuff that we talk about all the time.”