Coreau Gets Nod Against Bruins

Should this be taken as a sign that the Detroit Red Wings have finally run up the white flag and admitted what everyone else has already figured out, that the playoffs aren’t in their future again this season? When the Wings step on the ice Tuesday to face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, Jared Coreau will make his first start of the season in goal for Detroit, and his first NHL appearance since March 8, 2017 also at TD Garden. Detroit coach Jeff Blashill admitted to Detroitredwings.com that playing Coreau in this game wasn’t something that he originally had in mind. “Not planned all along,… Blashill said. “I knew I was going to try to get him in here at some point.… It could simply be a case of giving Jimmy Howard a breather. Howard had played seven games in a row and looked to be exhibiting the signs of a mentally tired goalie in Detroit’s last game, allowing a couple of stoppable shots to sneak past him in the Wings’ 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. “Obviously, Jimmy has played a lot of hockey here lately, too, and so it gives Jimmy a rest and gives us a look at Jared,… Blashill explained. “I’ve got faith in (Coreau) as a goalie, I’ve said that before, and so it’s just a matter of the right opportunity.… Blashill may be looking upon this situation as a case of what have they got to lose, except for another game in Boston? The Wings have dropped five overall to the Bruins, and at TD Garden, they are on a nine-game skid if you factor in the 2014 postseason series between the two teams. Coreau started in Boston last season in a 4-3 overtime loss on Jan. 24, 2017, facing 49 shots. He mopped up for Petr Mrazek in a 6-1 setback in that aforementioned March 8 game, allowing three goals on eight shots. “Getting here yesterday, knowing I was playing, walking out into the stadium, it just felt comfortable this time,… Coreau said. “I think last year there was a lot of new experiences for me and I think part of that was some of the excitement that came with it. “There’s some jitters, but I feel ready. I feel the most ready I ever have.… Coreau will draw upon his knowledge of the rink he gained last season to hopefully allow him to adjust quickly back to the NHL game. “One was pretty good, the other not so well,… he assessed of his two appearances in Boston. “It’s loud, it’s the B’s. It’s exciting to play here.… An unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Coreau has until the end of the season to convince the Wings that he can fill the role that became available when Mrazek was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 19. “I think every day is another step forward in your career,… Coreau said. “I don’t know if one day’s bigger than another. I guess I’ll just go about my day as a normal game day and try to give the team a chance to win.… Follow me on Twitter @asktheduffer