4-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty shares brutally honest take on Detroit Red Wings

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Jack Sutherland
November 21, 2024 (9:08)

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Former Detroit Red Wings forward Darren McCarty knows that the Red Wings are struggling lately, but he wants fans to keep something in mind.

Following a 0-2-1 California road trip, the Detroit Red Wings (7-9-2) have returned home and will face the New York Islanders (7-7-5) on Thursday evening at Little Caesars Arena.

They'll be looking to claim a badly needed victory over the Islanders for the second time this year; they earned a 1-0 shutout win at UBS Arena last month despite only registering 10 shots on Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.

But while there is plenty of speculation regarding the job security of Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, one former Red Wings hero is sharing his unfiltered thoughts.

While speaking on The Woodward Sports Network podcast, four-time Stanley Cup champion Darren McCarty got brutally honest about the current state of the Red Wings.

To begin with, he immediately pushed back on the notion that anyone may have that GM Steve Yzerman could be on the hot seat.

You're either on the Yzerplan or not. But there's layers to it, so it's not Steve's on the hot (seat)....then you don't get it. He's never going to be on the hot seat. So why even go there?

I saw somebody in the chat who said Lalonde needed to be canned last year. Last year was not the time. There was progress, there was stuff, there was excitement to the end of the year.

However, McCarty admitted that watching this year's edition of the Red Wings is difficult due to a lack of energy and excitement.

I am apathetic to watch this team, because there's no spark. There's no excitement. There's no flash.

I mean, I get more out of, like, watching a video game.

McCarty's comments will resinate with a portion of fans who agree with him about the lack of jump and energy the Red Wings have displayed in 2024-25.

POLL
What is your favorite memory of former Red Wing Darren McCarty's career?
▢ Pummeling Claude Lemieux on March 26, 1997
▢ Scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1997
▢ Playoff hat-trick vs. Patrick Roy in 2002
▢ His return to Detroit in 2008 and 4th Cup win