It’s Time For Red Wings to Play Cossa

Perhaps the fact that Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t willing to acknowledge who is starting goalie was going to be on Monday in Buffalo is a good sign.

Maybe it means that they are actually going to give rookie Sebastian Cossa the starting nod against the Sabres.

At this juncture, there’s no reason not to do so.

What have the Red Wings got to lose? Another game? They’ve already lost five in a row.

Ville Husso hasn’t played terribly in his four starts since replacing the injured Cam Talbot.

The Red Wings lose their 5th straight game and 7 of their last 10. Something has to give. Cossa should see the ice against Buffalo.

— The Grind Line Podcast™ (@GrindLinePod) December 8, 2024

“Obviously, very happy with Ville and his play this past week,” Lalonde said. “But now we’re getting into five games in a 9-10 day stretch for him. That’s asking a lot of him.

“So, we’ll have a better feel in the morning.”

You know what else Husso done in any of those four games?

Get a win.

In fact, he’s coming up on a calendar year (Dec. 12, 2023) since he was posting his most recent NHL victory.

Red Wings Need To Give Cossa His Chance

The 15th overall selection in the 2021 NHL entry draft, ever since that day, the team has been billing Cossa as the key to the club’s netminding future.

Meanwhile, the present is fast slipping away from this team. Detroit is now five points out of a playoff spot and one point out of being the worst team in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.

What can it hurt to give Cossa the net for a night? Even if Cossa gets lit up, if one bad game is going to destroy him, then he was never going to be mentally tough enough to be an NHL goalie.

Staying with the same old is doing nothing but sinking the season. This is a team in desperate need of a change. Remember the spark the Red Wings got from first inserting rookie center Marco Kasper into the lineup earlier this season? Well, they need something to spark them again. Maybe Cossa can be the one to turn a flicker into a flame.

Please start Cossa so there is a reason to care about the game https://t.co/9L7JrBWJvq

— OhNyquist (@OhNyquist) December 9, 2024

The competitor in him has Cossa chomping at the big for an opportunity to shine.

“It’s been a week now since I played, so just kind of taking it day by day,” Cossa said. “But yeah, practice is really important right now for me.

“Kind of definitely pushing myself just to keep my body ready.”

For what? To sit on the bench again?

Just let the kid play.