Todd McLellan sounds off after picking up 1st win as Detroit Red Wings head coach
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Washington Capitals 4-2 at Little Caesars Arena, giving Todd McLellan his 1st victory since returning to Hockeytown as head coach.
The Detroit Red Wings raced out of the gate today against the Washington Capitals, taking new head coach Todd McLellan's demand of "just play f***ing hockey" to heart.
The Red Wings blasted the Capitals for a season-high four goals in the 1st period, and immediately responded when the ageless Alex Ovechkin blasted a one-timer past a helpless Alex Lyon that initially halved Detroit's 2-0 lead.
Clearly, the Red Wings took McLellan's fiery message in yesterday's practice to heart, and he was happy to see them get rewarded with the win.
When you put practice together and you work on something and see it applied in the game, there were a lot of moments in the game whether it was penalty kill or some back-checking scenarios that are important to us; we had worked on it the morning before, and you saw in the game.
So that's progress, and I'm happy for the guys to win. It hasn't been real good; you can feel it when you walk around, and they worked real hard (Saturday at practice) and were rewarded (Sunday).
Alex DeBrincat scored twice, while Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond also found the back of the net. With his assist on DeBrincat's 2nd goal, Kane became the 39th player in NHL history to register 1,300 career points.
The Red Wings also didn't wither after Nic Dowd scored midway through the 3rd period to give the Capitals some life; they not only held them in check for the remainder of the contest, but also killed off a 6-on-4 power play chance late in regulation.
| POLL |
DECEMBRE 29 | 169 ANSWERS Todd McLellan sounds off after picking up 1st win as Detroit Red Wings head coach Will today's win be a springboard for the Red Wings moving forward under Todd McLellan? |
|
|
|
10 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Former Hockey Night in Canada host Don Cherry blasts Team Canada as cheap |
|
11 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Team USA players and coaches can't stop praising Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine |
|
11 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Terrible update released on Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews |
|
13 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Former head coach of bitter Detroit Red Wings rival releases concerning personal update |
|
15 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Details of failed trade for Canucks forward Elias Pettersson have emerged |
|
16 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Todd McLellan points to major difference he's already seeing out of Red Wings |
|
16 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine dominates Team Canada at World Junior Championships |
|
20 hours ago | By Jack Sutherland Red Wings Coach Todd McLellan shrugs off major career accomplishment after Red Wings win 2nd straight |
Previously on Red Wings Insider
