A recent report has unveiled why the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Red Wings' offence, defence and goaltending are not what kept the organization out of a playoff position this season, or at least that is what the team's head coach, Todd McLellan, is claiming.
The team missed the final wild card spot by just five points, necessary points that slipped through their fingertips as they were unable to manage several games within the third period, particularly in the waning minutes.
However, in Detroit's season-ending press conference, Todd McLellan unveiled his unfiltered perspective on the Red Wings' downfall this season which he believed ultimately led the team absent from the playoffs.
Todd McLellan reveals his perspective as to why he believes the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs
«You look at some of the teams that made it we were good enough the way we were constructed to make the playoffs,» McLellan said. «We didn't play well enough. And when it got (bad) for us, we went deeper into it instead of pulling ourselves out. That's on us (players and coaches). It doesn't matter who Steve (general manager Yzerman) drops in or who shows up into the locker room. If the mentality of the group as a whole is like that, we can bring three people in, it doesn't matter. So, the group has to change and then we can augment it with others.» McLellan stated.
To summarize McLellan's perspective, it seems as though, from his understanding, the team didn't lack skill or size, yet, they lacked the mental toughness and perseverance to push themselves into that last wild card spot.
«We could sustain the good for a number of games, find different ways to win when it was going well,» McLellan said. «When it didn't go well, we scrambled and struggled to get ourselves breathing again. It happened over days; it happened within games, within periods, within segments of games. I could list a number of games where that happened, and we couldn't recover.»
He continued:
«So, the mental fortitude, the resiliency has to come from us. And for me (game management) has to get better. We can't just put our skates on and play the game. We have to manage our way through the game, and playoff teams are doing that right now.»
Do you believe Todd McLellan's perspective is accurate? Or do you think the organization lacks the skill to compete with it's contenders?
| POLL | ||
MAI 1 | 137 ANSWERS A recent report has unveiled why the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs Do you believe Todd McLellan's perspective is accurate? Or do you think the organization lacks the skill to compete with it's contenders? | ||
| I agree with Todd McLellan | 83 | 60.6 % |
| I think the team needs more help | 50 | 36.5 % |
| I'm unsure | 4 | 2.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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