Detroit Red Wings Coach Todd McLellan Unleashes Harsh Criticism for For His Underachieving Team
Photo credit: DailyFaceOff
The Detroit Red Wings collapse wasn't expected, but given how the Vegas Golden Knights dominated the team in all three periods, at a postgame conference Head Coach Todd McLellan criticized his team.
The Detroit Red Wings cannot get out of their own way. Their collapse against the Vegas Golden Knights last night was an indictment against the team's lack of defensive play, and Head Coach Todd McLellan wasn't shy about levying criticism on his players.
However, unlike the New Jersey Devils Sheldon Keefe, McLellan would instead issue a statement questioning the level of buy-in the team has.
They'd fall to the Vegas Golden Knights 6-3 in a collapse that began during the second period. It led him to question whether or not the team is dedicated to making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
«We have to be honest with each other,» McLellan said on the team's website. «We talk about wanting to be in the playoffs, but we're not sure we always want to be in shooting lanes. We're not sure we want to do some things. And I'm not saying everybody, we're just picking and choosing.
«Do we really want to do it around the net? Do we really want to get hit by a puck? And do we want to do the board work when it's hard?
«Do we really want to do it around the net? Do we really want to get hit by a puck? And do we want to do the board work when it's hard?
And it seems that the Red Wings have quit on themselves as a team if we take last night into consideration.
However, with 13 games left in the regular season, the Red Wings haven't put themselves on the path to success.
But McLellan still thinks they have a shot.
«If the answer is yes to that from everybody, then we have a chance. If the answer is yes to those questions from 85% of the players, we don't. And it's as simple as that. We gotta keep asking those questions and working on it.»
If so, McLellan will have to figure out how to button up the blue line which gave up three goals in the 1st-period, two goals in the 2nd, and one goal in the third.
Only Alex DeBrincat would make an effort to keep the team in the game with a goal at 9:36 into the third.
The defense wouldn't save Cam Talbot from getting peppered either, as Talbot gave up 5 goals on 35 shots against, only saving 30.
He'd leave the night with a dismal .857 save percentage.
The Red Wings can and must do better.
| POLL | ||
MARS 23 | 336 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings Coach Todd McLellan Unleashes Harsh Criticism for For His Underachieving Team Do you think Head Coach Todd McLellan of the Detroit Red Wings is wrong about the team's effort? | ||
| Yes | 35 | 10.4 % |
| No | 301 | 89.6 % |
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