Todd McLellan calls out Dylan Larkin following lackluster performance in Detroit Red Wings' loss
Photo credit: NHL.com
Detroit Red Wings head coach, Todd McLellan, delivered a brutal assessment on their captain, Dylan Larkin, following his flat performance.
«I can't beat around the bush - he was missing,»
McLellan stated after their brutal 5-2 loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets.«He's a big boy, he can handle hearing that. He's going to hear it from me. Just a lot of mishandles, unsure plays that he usually makes.»
McLellan reverted the conversation to Larkin just returning from the 4 Nations Face-off. He played a total of four games representing Team USA, but McLellan completely dismissed any notion that fatigue may play a factor in the captains current struggles.
«I'd like to think that the 4 Nations is so far past us already,»
McLellan said.«We've had enough rest. I'm not using it as an excuse. I'm not even going to go there. We're playing big games, we need our big players to step up, and we'll need more from not only him but some others.»
The Red Wings head coach made an executive decision to adjust the team's lines during their defeat yesterday. Despite it not being unusual for coaches to shake up lines when trailing, McLellan dropped many key-players, which was a very surprising move.
«It wasn't going well, so as a coach, you make a decision to shuffle things around, try to ignite something or find a couple players who are going.»
However, these line adjustments didn't work in his favour.
«Obviously, we didn't get what we wanted,»
he admittedThe defeat the Detroit Red Wings (30-23-6, 66 points) endured against the Columbus Blue Jackets (29-22-8, 66 points) was nothing less than costly as they are currently battling for a playoff spot.
However the two teams meet again on Saturday in the NHL Stadium Series outdoor game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
This will be a crucial opportunity for the Red Wings to bounce back.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 28 | 239 ANSWERS Todd McLellan calls out Dylan Larkin following lackluster performance in Detroit Red Wings' loss Do you think Todd McLellan was too harsh on his team? | ||
| No, this is the type of tough-love he needs | 155 | 64.9 % |
| No, not if they want a playoff spot | 75 | 31.4 % |
| Yes, he just played in the 4 Nations | 8 | 3.3 % |
| Yes, give him a break | 1 | 0.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
