Todd McLellan Red Wings head coach

Photo credit: NHL.com

The Detroit Red Wings’ head coach, Todd McLellan, may have a tough side, but after the team’s recent win, we saw his soft side, a rarity.

After a recent game against the Boston Bruins, we saw goaltender John Gibson win his first game in the NHL since November 13th.

The team would win 5-4 over an Atlantic Division rival, and the veteran goaltender would come in clutch, making 34 saves, a high for Gibson in 2025.

He stayed disciplined and proved he’s still capable of delivering wins.

There’s been a lot of discussion regarding his viability as a long-term option for the team as a good goaltender behind a bad Anaheim Ducks team for the majority of his career.

After his recent play, the narrative changed, and Head Coach Todd McLellan exposed a soft side by talking up John Gibson, something we don’t see too often after a win.

Gibson earned the victory outright:

“There were some really tough saves and there were periods of nothing, and the game was under control, and then it wasn’t,» McLellan said. «So, it was a very much a roller coaster-type game for a goaltender to play in. At the end of the night, he got the win, so it can’t do anything but help his confidence, the team’s confidence. I’m happy for him.”

“It’s been a while since he got one (a win), and I’m happy for him.”

This is a great development for the Red Wings, and a coach who has been unhappy with their performance lately. It’s a nice change in pace.

Goaltender John Gibson’s pivotal performance against the Boston Bruins

John Gibson made 34 saves on 38 shots against the Boston Bruins in that game during the heated Original Six matchup.

He’d end the night with a .895 save percentage, and increased his overall save percentage to .868 for the year.

Could this be a turning point for the veteran goaltender who was at one point a player who was in trade rumors in Detroit?

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Red Wings’ Todd McLellan shows a soft side we rarely get to see

Did you think Head Coach Todd McLellan of the Detroit Red Wings had a soft side, which we saw on Tuesday?