Detroit City Wire

Detroit Red Wings were unable to overcome a two-goal deficit in their 2-1 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena on Monday night. The game marked Detroit’s fifth exhibition contest of the 2025-26 schedule.

Head coach Todd McLellan expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance, stating, “I thought we looked slow and sloppy. I don’t know which caused what. Sometimes, the legs move you around the rink slow and sometimes the sloppiness causes you to be disjointed. We were both, and I thought [the Penguins] looked quicker and a little more determined on pucks. At the end of the night, we got what we deserved.”

John Gibson made 18 saves for Detroit, while Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry stopped 21 shots. Gibson described his experience in net: “Tonight was a little tough, just scrambling and everything like that. It’s nice to get out there, get used to the building and everything like that. Just trying to get my reps in and doing everything I can to make sure that I’m ready to go for the first game.”

Pittsburgh opened scoring early in the first period with Ben Kindel finishing off a rush at 3:40. The Penguins extended their lead in the second period when a puck deflected off Tommy Novak into Detroit’s net.

Detroit cut into Pittsburgh’s lead late in regulation when Dominik Shine scored after receiving a pass from Ian Mitchell. Despite pulling Gibson for an extra attacker during the final minutes, Detroit could not find an equalizer.

McLellan commented on Mitchell’s style of play: “He plays with a little bit of risk. He’s always been that way. He’s a visionary guy. He’s got a pretty food shot and can read and react.”

Reflecting on the team’s effort throughout the game, McLellan said, “There were moments, I thought, early in the game where we were okay then we faded. End of the second, maybe 4-5 minutes left, we kind of went after them a little bit. And then at the end of the game, after we scored, we got excited about playing again. Pretty indifferent night for us.”

The Red Wings will continue their preseason schedule against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Tuesday.

When asked about Gibson's overall preseason performance so far, McLellan said: “I thought Gibby’s been fine. Some odd plays tonight -- you think of the second goal where it’s kind of bouncing around and it ends up in the side of the net, but he’s been pretty solid. He looks big. He looks confident. He looks excited. I’m not worried about him one bit.”

Gibson discussed his goals for preseason preparation: “On a new team, obviously just get the chemistry with the guys, get my timing down and just kind of keep loading up,” Gibson said. “Getting ready for the opener. We have a lot of divisional games to start, so I think everybody is getting prepared to start off on the right foot.”

Gibson also talked about adjusting to his new teammates: “Since we got back from Traverse City, we’ve kind of had one group together so just kind of getting more reps with the guys rather than the split team, so that definitely helps. Kind of getting better each day. We’re growing each day, putting in the work and making sure we’re ready for the opening week of the season.”

Carter Bear reflected on his experience being around NHL players: “It’s unbelievable, being in a pro environment. These players you looked up to in your life and I think you just try to act as professional as you can. It’s just trying to take it all in and learn the best from them.”