"I Felt Confident": Daniil Tarasov Feeling Good After Strong First Red Wings Start

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The initial plan wasn't for the Detroit Red Wings to use goaltender Daniil Tarasov during Friday night's home game against the Seattle Kraken, especially with another game scheduled less than 24 hours later.

However, after starter John Gibson surrendered five goals on 14 shots, Tarasov was thrust into action for the first time since signing with the Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent over the summer.

Tarasov then got the start, as planned, on Saturday evening against the divisional rival Montreal Canadiens, and turned in as good a performance as anyone could have asked for. 

He turned aside all 30 shots that he faced during regulation and overtime, and stopped five of six attempts in the subsequent shootout as part of a 1-0 setback; a would-be OT winner by Montreal was called back due to offside. 

Still, Tarasov's performance in his first start as a Red Wing was encouraging, but he was sure to give credit to his teammates in front of him. 

"I mean, I feel really confident and enjoyed the game," Tarasov said following Monday's practice. "I was getting into a good spot all the time, getting on top of the crease and seeing the shots. But the guys did a tremendous job in front of me, clearing the screen and giving me more clear shots."

"They just helped me a lot."  

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As far as the chances of getting a second straight start, Tarasov said that he's not heard from head coach Todd McLellan yet for who will play on Tuesday against New Jersey. 

"We're gonna see tomorrow what the plan is gonna be," he said. "We'll see." 

Tarasov, who also switched from Vaughn to True equipment this season, has Vaughn equipment on standby, sitting next to his stall in the Red Wings dressing room. He said he hasn't decided whether it will make an appearance in a game at some point this season.

Tarasov was an original 2017 Draft selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets; he eventually made his debut in 2021-22 and would spend a handful of additional seasons with the organization. 

After the Florida Panthers did not re-sign backup Vitek Vanecek following their 2025 Stanley Cup win, he joined the club with a one-year contract, and went 13-15-3 with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. 

He didn't record a shutout all of last season and had just one previously during his time with Columbus.

However, he made the most of his first start with Detroit, earning the second shutout of his career; goals and saves in the shootout do not count toward a player's statistics.

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