Todd McLellan once again calls out Red Wings' effort level prior to matchup vs. Panthers
Photo credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QKWmk7fjrY
It's a refreshing change of pace from Detroit's previous coach, who was far too hesitant to step on toes and state the blunt facts of underperforming players.
Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan pulled no punches when he described the results of Detroit's recent 6-3 loss to the Sharks on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena.
Not only did he describe defenseman Justin Holl's night as "terrible" after he committed an egregious turnover directly in front of Detroit's net that resulted in San Jose's 5th goal of the game, but he's now indicating that he's issued direct challenges to players despite having just come off of a 7-game winning streak.
Speaking to reporters before tonight's game against the Florida Panthers (7:00 PM, ESPN, 97.1 The Ticket), McLellan described the Red Wings' effort on Tuesday as "disheveled" and indicated that he's looking forward to seeing how the team responds, especially matched up against a divisional foe that happens to be the Stanley Cup champions.
We're coming off a disheveled effort, I guess is the best way to put it. Coming into the Stanley Cup champs' building on the road after that type of effort, I'm excited to see what we can put forth. It will be a real big challenge for our group, but we need it right now. Like I said, I'm looking forward to it.
We've challenged a couple players that maybe had some off nights, and any time you do that, you'd like to get them right back in and see if they respond. We're doing that with a few of them.
The Red Wings vaulted themselves right back to within striking distance of a playoff spot thanks to their season-high winning streak, but they can't allow themselves to get complacent.
McLellan clearly sensed that some of the lackluster effort that surfaced in the latter half of Detroit's blowout victory over the Kraken crept into their loss against the Sharks, and is doing what needs to be done to squelch it.
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JANVIER 16 | 151 ANSWERS Todd McLellan once again calls out Red Wings' effort level prior to matchup vs. Panthers How are you liking Todd McLellan holding the Red Wings accountable after a lackluster performance? | ||
| Love it, they needed it | 150 | 99.3 % |
| I prefer Derek Lalonde's passive approach | 1 | 0.7 % |
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