Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jared Coreau has had quite the first-year experience playing in the National Hockey League.
An injury to starter Jimmy Howard meant the Red Wings needed help from Grand Rapids, so Coreau was called up to the big club. But due to inconsistent play from Petr Mrazek, Coreau has seen his playing time increase, and he’s making the most of it. He also earned the start in Detroit’s Centennial Classic matchup against Toronto on January 1.
Aside from a sub-par performance against the Sharks in which he was pulled after the first period, Coreau has made a name for himself in the crease. On Monday, he pitched his second shutout of the season and improved his W-L record to 5-1.
Afternoons are for shutouts.
Thanks to an 18-save performance from @Rozi3B1rd, the #RedWings just beat the #Canadiens 1-0 on #MLKDAY @ JLA. pic.twitter.com/7h2OVtqSDe
— MiHockey (@MiHockeyNow) January 16, 2017
"When you get a shutout it's definitely a team effort." – @Rozi3B1rd #LGRW pic.twitter.com/ccsncAcKd9
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 16, 2017
His highlight of the season, however, is almost certainly the night his 92-year-old grandmother got to see him play for the first time in Ottawa, 40 miles away from his hometown of Perth, Ontario.
With the win, the Red Wings improved back to the .500 mark. They’ll need to keep earning points in order to make up lost ground in the playoffs race. Right now, Jared Coreau has the hot hand in net, and the Red Wings need to keep giving him starts.
