Young forwards draw major praise

After practice today, Terry Murray said he hadn’t made a final decision but was contemplating returning Kevin Westgarth to the lineup. Murray didn’t say who might come out, but then later in his chat with media, Murray issued high praise to fourth-line forwards Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford. Given that the last lineup swap involved Westgarth and Brad Richardson, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see Richardson come out if Murray deems Westgarth’s presence necessary for the game against Columbus. Westgarth has played in all three previous games against the Blue Jackets this season. On the other side of it, here’s what Murray had to say about the efforts given by Lewis and Clifford against the Red Wings last night…

MURRAY: “Trevor Lewis showed me a few things last night. He stepped up again, to another level, in my mind. He played outstanding. Battling, competing, strong on the puck. He made a couple plays, he rounded the net and found Doughty coming in on the weak side. I think it was the 4-on-4, actually. He and Simmonds were out on the 4-on-4, and he found Doughty coming in off that back post. He was under pressure. That’s a high-level play. And he gets cut, for four stitches, while coming back and tracking, and he doesn’t miss a stride. He just digs in and comes back. He’s wiping the blood off his face at the same time, but he never stopped playing the game. And you can’t. That’s the way it is. You’ve got to keep going.

“Clifford, I can’t say enough about him last night. Against a premier team, taking pucks off the boards and making plays with composure, going to the net. Man, this kid is improving each day. It’s good stuff. Important fourth line.”

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