March has been the part of the NHL schedule that has caused the Detroit Red Wings the most trouble in the past three seasons. In two of these three seasons, the Red Wings were led by former head coach Derek Lalonde. The Red Wings had a record of 3-11 in March of 2024 under Lalonde. After defeating the Boston Bruins by a score of 2-1, the Red Wings will finish the month of March with a record of 4-10. What are the things that are holding the Red Wings back?
This win draws the Red Wings to within one point of the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The saving grace for the Red Wings is the fact that the teams ahead of them in the wild-card chase have slipped at the same time. The Red Wings have nine games remaining in the 2024-25 season. The NHL did not do the Red Wings any favors, as they have the toughest remaining schedule of any team. Five of these nine games are against fellow Atlantic Division teams.
Cam Talbot made 20 saves to secure the win for the Red Wings. At 37 years old, Talbot has been pushed into the backup goalie role as Petr Mrazek was injured in a game against the Utah Hockey Club. In 36 games played for the Red Wings this season, Talbot has a record of 19-17. Ville Husso was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations. This goalie carousel has spun as the Red Wings wait for Sebastian Cossa to make his way to the Red Wings roster full-time.
Special teams continue to hold the Red Wings back this season at a historic rate. The Red Wings have the 32nd-ranked penalty kill in the NHL. Red Wings opponents have gone 9-21 in the team’s last 10 games. The power play has also regressed under head coach Todd McLellan. The Red Wings have the third-best power play during the 2024-25 season. Whether or not the Red Wings make the playoffs, McLellan has the upcoming off-season to change his systems from those of Lalonde if he chooses to.
McLellan was hired by the Detroit Red Wings on December 26th, 2024. In that time, the Red Wings have a record of 21-16-2. The Melville, Saskatchewan native has coached for three NHL teams prior to accepting the Red Wings’ head coaching job. Before this, McLellan was an assistant coach for the Red Wings under former head coach Mike Babcock. McLellan led the San Jose Sharks to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
The Red Wings need to get back to McLellan’s message of “play f—king hockey” if they want to make it back to the Stanley Cup playoffs. It has been eight seasons since the Red Wings have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The teams ahead of them in the Atlantic Division wild card are struggling down the stretch, which only helps this. The Red Wings’ play in March has been sub-par for the past three seasons, which has sunk the team’s chances to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.
ITR 36: Coaching Carousel – Inside The Rink
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