Red Wings coach Todd McLellan has bad news for Red Wings opponents
Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said that thanks to Detroit's improved play since his arrival in late December, other teams are paying more attention to them.
The Detroit Red Wings were in a state of disrepair when the decision was made by GM Steve Yzerman to make a badly-needed change in direction behind the bench.
Out came Derek Lalonde and assistant Bob Boughner, and in their place arrived back to town former 2008 Stanley Cup-winning assistant coach Todd McLellan as head coach along with assistant Trent Yawney.
And since the move was made, the Red Wings have turned around their season, going 11-4 and vaulting themselves right back into within striking distance of a postseason spot.
McLellan has brought a dramatic improvement and aura of accountability that was lacking under Lalonde, and because of their turnaround in fortune, he can sense that other teams are no longer overlooking them on the schedule.
Everyone pays attention in the league, and you know when teams are elevated or when they're dipping a little bit, and sometimes teams look beyond an opponent and look to the next rivalry game or whatever it might be.
The Winnipeg game (4-2 win on Jan. 4) was one where I thought maybe they weren't quite ready for us, especially in the first period, but then they played after that, and it was a good challenge for us.
I don't think we'll sneak up on teams, we're going to get their attention, and the players have earned that respect. But with that respect comes a lot of responsibility to respond and play properly.
The Red Wings will have the chance to put their newfound success to the test when they embark on a critical 4-game road trip that begins tomorrow night in Edmonton and later takes them to Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle.
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