Red Wings head coach sends strong message to team before facing Rangers: "That excuse is for losers"
Photo credit: NHL.com
After the Detroit Red Wings' West Coast road trip, Todd McLellan wouldn't hold back from holding his team accountable for their latest loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Todd McLellan's team, the Detroit Red Wings, take on the New York Rangers tonight at Little Caesars Arena.
He isn't looking for an excuse.
The team will be playing on home ice tonight, while a common mantra has been recited, much to the dismay of Todd McLellan (he isn't a fan).
Needless to say, he didn't hold back on his opinion of it, that being a team needs to get their legs back after a long road trip.
He sent a strong message to his players.
"That excuse is for losers": Todd McLellan sends message to Red Wings group ahead of facing Rangers Friday
«I don't buy that at all. That excuse is for losers,» McLellan said. «We never talk about it after a team plays really well when they come home from a road trip. We usually only talk about it after a crappy game, and we don't plan on having a crappy game, so there's no excuses.»
The team will take on their Original Six cousins tomorrow night at 7 P.M. with a day of rest in between. So, needless to say, it makes sense why McLellan isn't a fan of that notion mentioned above.
The Red Wings are 9-5-0 and 2nd in the Atlantic Division after their 1-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The team better not rely on excuses, as McLellan wants to stack wins on the hunt for a playoff run with the team.
«We've had some time to rest all day (Wednesday) and get the cobwebs out today. We did have some cobwebs early in practice, but I thought as practice went on, we were a little bit better. Now we come home to a good chunk of home games, and we have to perform well here and find ways to put points in the bank. As you see in the standings, there's very little separation in our division and our conference. Everybody's in it, and so you better keep your foot on the gas to keep going.»
The team will be on a four-game homestand in Little Caesars Arena and needs to establish dominance on home ice.
But what did McLellan mention during the interview? The Red Wings' resilience played a huge role in the road trip.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
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