Coreau works through tough times
Bridgeport’s new veteran goalie earned his first win Sunday after a rough few months on and off the ice
BRIDGEPORT — He has won a Calder Cup, been there for a Stanley Cup championship, has 17 pro shutouts and another in the playoffs. He doesn’t have a goal himself, but most goalies don’t.
The resume is impressive but didn’t shield Jared Coreau from rough times this fall off the ice and a rough start for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, who he joined this season after signing with the New York Islanders in July.
“The last four months I’ve been going through some personal stuff,” Coreau said Sunday after earning his first win of the season, a brilliant 39save, 31 win over Springfield.
“Started going to therapy. Started working on some mentalhealth stuff. You start discovering some things about your childhood, how things affect you, how they change your thinking. It all started by losing someone special, and it’s been amazing. It’s been hard, but it’s been amazing, the weight lifted off my shoulders.”
The loss was “just a breakup,” he says, maybe belying the impact, “but it was someone I relied on.”
The start of Coreau’s season was an onice struggle as well. He gave up five goals on opening night, seven in his fourth start, seemingly one whattheheck goal every night he played through the first month.
But the past few weeks
have been more like the goalie Coreau, 28, has been in the past. He has stopped 86 of 90 shots in his past three games, two starts and a twoperiod relief appearance.
“I think the biggest thing has been just being present,” Coreau said. “It felt like a long time in my career I was always worried about making a mistake. That’ll make you play scared sometimes.
“Watching Jordan Binnington last year, being around there for the playoff run, he talked about just, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks as long as you’re having fun and playing for that logo on the jersey. It’s a simple game. You complicate it when you start overthinking.”
Binnington carried the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup last spring. Coreau had joined the organization in the middle of the season from the Anaheim organization and played for San Antonio in the AHL.
That was his first season away from the Detroit Red Wings’ organization after five years. He won the Calder Cup with Grand Rapids in 2017.
His Bridgeport career, though, began 061.
“Some of the games, I was happy with like 95 percent of it, but then I gave up, like, a couple of bad mistakes, and as a result of that, goals,” Coreau said.
Working with Sound Tigers goalie coach Chris Terreri and Islanders director of goaltending Mitch Korn has rebuilt his confidence.
“He’s tracking the puck very well. He’s playing big,” Bridgeport coach Brent Thompson said. “He just has a good attitude. He’s playing hard. You like to see good things happen to good people.”
On Sunday, Coreau was a minute and a half away from his 18th pro shutout when he stopped a Springfield dumpin at the endboards, just to the right of his net. He had a 30 lead and the Sound Tigers were shorthanded, so they couldn’t be whistled for icing. He could afford to try something.
There have been 14 AHL goalies credited with a goal, nine of whom shot the puck themselves. He teed up the puck to try to become the 10th and fired it toward the empty Springfield net, 180 feet or so away.
The puck got about 20 feet before it hit the Thunderbirds’ Kevin Roy in the chest. Roy backhanded it in.
“You know what, I’ve got shutouts before, so: I figured, we’ve got a cushion. I would give up any shutout to get a goal,” Coreau said. “Flubbed it. Gave them a gift. But you know what, lighten the mood.
“It’s the last thing I’ve got to do, you know?”