Coach Todd McLellan doubles down on demand of Red Wings players
The days of passive hockey in Detroit are over, and coach Todd McLellan is making sure that his players respond the right way to their recent disappointing stretch.
The Detroit Red Wings made a critical coaching move nearly a month ago, terminating Derek Lalonde and assistant Bob Boughner and hiring Todd McLellan and assistant Trent Yawney in their places.
And the results came almost immediately, as McLellan helped the Red Wings win eight times in 10 games.
However, the Red Wings have fallen back down a bit, having lost three times in their last four games. They were beaten by a combined 9-2 score by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Dallas Stars; last week, they lost 6-3 at Little Caesars Arena to the lowly San Jose Sharks.
McLellan hasn't shied away from calling out the Red Wings for sloppy play and defensive breakdowns, and is intent on holding players accountable when they don't perform up to his expectations.
Tonight, the Red Wings play the Philadelphia Flyers (7:00 PM, FanDuel Sports Detroit, 97.1 The Ticket). Last month, they were beaten 4-1 by the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center, a building they've not enjoyed much success in over the last 2.5 decades.
Following their morning skate, McLellan doubled down on his directive to Red Wings players to be more proactive than reactive.
We were working on some things. When you don't have practice time and you have a new staff, you have to take advantage of every little bit you can get. We might sacrifice some energy but maybe it'll help us in the long run, and we need it.
Anticipate. If I throw a ball over there, you have a pretty good idea where it's going to land. So, start going to it, don't wait for it to land. You're smart, you can anticipate where plays are going to go. Get there and you don't have to wait for it to happen and then go.
| POLL |
4 HOURS AGO | 13 ANSWERS Coach Todd McLellan doubles down on demand of Red Wings players Can the Red Wings pick up a win tonight against the Flyers? |
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Previously on Red Wings Insider
