"The players will say they probably already said to you, 'we can fix this.' When? It's time. Some of them have been doing it for years." Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan did not mince words after the Red Wings 1-5 opening day loss at home to the Montreal Canadiens. Effectively, McLellan called out captain Dylan Larkin and newly appointed alternate captains Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider to step up and lead, and not let the bad tendencies that have plagued Detroit for the past few years flare up again.
Since McLellan fired the shot at his post-game press conference, the Red Wings have won four in a row. It is not the wins that tell the full picture, but the how. The Red Wings have won games they did not play well in, games they trailed in, and games without Lucas Raymond (upper body injury) in the lineup. This is a refreshing turn of events for a Detroit team that is capable of staying in the playoff race.
Detroit has also done it with Axel Sandin-Pelikka, Emmitt Fennie, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, three rookies in the lineup that have helped out in various ways and have not looked overwhelmed or lost on the ice.
Another reason for the about-face on ice is that players like playing for Todd McLellan. McLellan is known for adapting to his players' strengths and is very engaged with his players. Make no mistake, McLellan is a no-nonsense guy, but he meets his players and coaches them, and they respond.
The Red Wings are headed in the right direction, and the schedule lightens up in the second half of October, which can only bolster the Red Wings playoff hopes.