The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings coach Todd McLellan regarding the role which Andrew Copp plays on the team:
Copp scored his ninth goal of the season during Thursday’s 4-2 victory over Montreal, a shorthanded breakaway in the second period giving the Wings a 3-0 lead. Lately Copp has been centering Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane (now Vladimir Tarasenko with Kane injured) in more of an offensive role. Whatever role the coaching staff needs, more defensive or offensive, Copp is handling it efficiently.
“That goal (Thursday) is a big one,” McLellan said. “Teams are probably coming in and (wanting) to take advantage of the penalty kill because our (success rate) isn’t good and the game was tight enough they had a chance to strike. Copp and that group did a good job and it just sets them back a little bit more. It was important for us.”
The coaching staff, said McLellan, asks quite a bit from a veteran center like Copp.
“The position that he plays, there’s a lot on your plate when you’re a centerman,” McLellan said. “He has to create some chaos opportunities in the offensive zone by being around the net, especially when you’re playing with Kane and DeBrincat and the way they play. And he has to be responsible in his own end, so we’re asking him to do a lot in 200 feet. But if we simply explain that to him in that way, it paints the picture of what it should look like. He’s a very experienced and confident pro that should be able to take that and run wtih it. We don’t have to make it any more difficult than that.”
