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Coreau making case for Wings goalie job

January 16, 2017, 7:11 PM ET [3 Comments]
Bob Duff
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
As the NHL season unfolded for the Detroit Red Wings, it was clear there was a switch ongoing between the posts.

Petr Mrazek had usurped the No. 1 goalie role from Jimmy Howard in 2015-16, both those roles were completely reversed this season, as Howard clearly outplayed Mrazek right up until the time he was shelved by groin and now knee injuries.

The job was again Mrazek’s to lose and it looks as though he’s lost it again - this time to rookie Jared Coreau.

Monday, Coreau blocked 18 shots for his second NHL shutout and beat his idol, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, for a 1-0 victory, as Detroit won back-to-back games at Joe Louis Arena for the first time since Oct. 22-25.

Coreau, who has openly discussed how he studies Price’s game for pointers and ideas to try himself, sought to downplay his victory over his hero.

“I look down and I know it’s him, but at the end of the day whether it’s Carey Price or another goalie, or if it’s a breakaway from Sidney Crosby or any other player, we still have to score goals and I still have to save shots,” Coreau said. “So you try not to think about it too much.
“If you think about something too much or one player it’ll consume you and distract you from the big picture.”

Detroit coach Jeff Blashill, no doubt recognizing how quickly Mrazek’s star fizzled out, wasn’t about to anoint Coreau as his main man in goal.

“He’s played pretty well,” Blashill said. “It certainly was a good game tonight and a good game the other night (in a 6-3 win over Pittsburgh). “I talk lots about that this league is every single day. You better show up every day to be great and that just gives you a chance to compete.

“So good job so far for him.”

Coreau is 5-1-1 since his Nov. 26 recall from AHL Grand Rapids and he’s the only Detroit goalie to win a game in the past month. Mrazek is 0-5-1 since he beat the Anaheim Ducks Dec. 17.

When Coreau suited up for his first game as a Wing this season, backing up Mrazek Nov. 26 against the Habs at the Joe, he received a congratulatory tap on the pads from Price, and his hero was certainly impressed by the work of Coreau in Monday’s game.

“He played very well tonight,” Coreau said. “He’s a big body. He fills up a lot of net and keeps his game simple, quiet.

“I’m sure his coaches like that.”

Studying Price’s calmness in net and working with Detroit goalie coach Jeff Salajko, Coreau sees a significant improvement in his game since he arrived in the NHL.

“I think just being calm, being sound technically,” Coreau said. “We work on things quite a bit. We have goalie practice and things like that and go through video, but you just try not to get stretched out too much.

“I think when you just stay within your gage - that’s what we call it here - your net, your crease, and with the size I have I think sometimes pucks will just hit me too.

“It’s about just not getting to scrambly and keeping the puck in front of me.”

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