The Detroit Red Wings won seven straight games for the first time since 2012. This comes after the team fired head coach Derek Lalonde and replaced him with Todd McLellan. As Kevin Weekes of the NHL network said during the recent Red Wings game against the Seattle Kraken, “Your best players need to be your best players.” After scoring two goals and adding four assists in three games, Patrick Kane was named the third star of the week in the NHL after this game. Is this a sign that Kane has woken up after struggling during the early part of the 2024-25 season?
The Red Wings started the game against the Kraken fast, scoring four goals in the first period, including three in the first eight minutes. Both Kane and Alex DeBrincat each have points in seven straight games. Among them is Lucas Raymond, who is on pace to have 90 points this season. This would be the first time a Red Wing has had 90 points in a season since Pavel Datsyuk in 2008-09. Datsyuk was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
One aspect of the Red Wings’ game that has improved under McLellan is the power play. Ranked 11th under Lalonde, the power play has improved to rank second in the NHL in the seven games under McLellan. The Red Wings have now scored a power play in eight straight games, going 14 for their last 29 power play attempts. It has been 10 seasons since the Red Wings had such a prolific power play. Mike Babcock, the head coach at the time, would move on to the Toronto Maple Leafs in April of 2015.
So, what has led to the Red Wings’ power play success? “It is very well connected,” McLellan said about Detroit’s power play, which is currently ranked second in the NHL (29.5-percent success rate). “We use that word in the coaching world. It’s confident and has a real sense of attack points. When it’s not going well, one of the most impressive things is how they go get pucks back.” Confidence is a key part to any athlete having success. McLellan also has head coaching experience that Lalonde did not have.
The seven-game win streak ended as the Red Wings lost to the San Jose Sharks. While this is only one loss, the play against one of the bottom feeders in the NHL was concerning. Before this streak ended, the Red Wings were ahead of the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division standings. McLellan’s job is to get the Red Wings back on track. Next is a road trip against some of the best teams in the NHL. The Red Wings won the first game of their four-game road trip against the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-2. Up next is another Stanley Cup contender in the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Red Wings made the Stanley Cup playoffs in the 2016-17 season, losing in the first round in five games to the Lightning. They were eliminated from playoff contention on the last day of the 2024-25 season after the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Washington Capitals. That is not to say the Red Wings did not improve during this season. Despite this, Lalonde was let go because he was perceived to have lost the locker room.
McLellan sent an early message to the Red Wings team, saying, “Play f—cking hockey. You’ve done it your whole lives.” In a limited amount of time, McLellan has improved certain parts of the Red Wings game. He also seems to be pushing the right buttons as to putting players in the right position to have success in a short time in Detroit.
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