Red Wings coach Todd McLellan calls out "sloppy" play that led to 1st loss since December 27
Following the Red Wings' 1st loss since Dec. 27, head coach Todd McLellan was brutally honest about the play on the ice that led to the setback.
The Detroit Red Wings missed an opportunity to pick up a pair of points against the lowly San Jose Sharks in last night's game at Little Caesars Arena, losing 6-3 to snap their season-high 7-game winning streak.
Poor defensive play and questionable goaltending led to Detroit's demise, though head coach Todd McLellan pointed to something beyond the final score - the Red Wings appeared as if they felt "entitled to win" the game.
McLellan also called out the Red Wings for not being sharp and prepared to play.
They're on the bench and they're watching things happen, and they can hear coaches barking and they're saying the same thing. And then the next group goes out and does the exact same, behaves the exact same way. That tells me they weren't sharp, they weren't alert, they weren't prepared to adjust. We tried to fix a few things this morning, but obviously we've got work to do.
A brutal turnover in front of the net in the 3rd period by Justin Holl resulted in San Jose's 5th goal of the night, just moments after Lucas Raymond had gotten the Red Wings back to within a goal.
Holl was benched by McLellan for the rest of the game, and he said he was essentially a message being sent to himself.
Sending message? He sent himself a message. And I think that's pretty obvious. You can march him in here. And I'm not going to sit up here and be asked when he had a terrible night. And that's just the way it is.
So whether he got on in the last five minutes or not, it really doesn't matter. He knows he can play better. And, you know, I'm telling you before I'm going to tell him, but I am going to tell him that tomorrow, and that's up to him to fix. I know he's a better player than that.
There's a new aura of accountability with the Red Wings, and Todd McLellan is bringing it.
POLL |
JANVIER 15 | 162 ANSWERS Red Wings coach Todd McLellan calls out "sloppy" play that led to 1st loss since December 27 Is Todd McLellan holding the Red Wings more accountable than Derek Lalonde did? |
Yes | 158 | 97.5 % |
No | 4 | 2.5 % |
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