Todd McLellan’s appointment as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings is looking like a home-run hire for GM Steve Yzerman and the organization. Since moving on from Derek Lalonde, the Red Wings have become one of the most dominant teams in the NHL, putting the league on notice as they push for a playoff berth. However, McLellan isn’t letting the team get complacent, issuing a stern reminder to the locker room—including star Patrick Kane, who has been on an incredible run lately.
Detroit is riding a huge wave of momentum provided by their league’s best seven-game win streak. Since McLellan’s arrival, the Red Wings have only lost once, during the head coach’s season debut. Since, the team has absorbed the identity and has become a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. That is, of course, if they make the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs first.
The Red Wings‘ lackluster and frustrating start to the season, characterized by inconsistency, could turn detrimental to their postseason hopes, and seriously hamper their chances at the Cup. However, the franchise in Motor City is firing in all cylinders right now, and is hoping they can extend this stretch deep into the season.
Though McLellan’s impact upon entry in Detroit is remarkable, his job is not nearly finished, it’s just getting started. After the Red Wings dismantled the Seattle Kraken, the team held a mandatory off-day, one which McLellan voiced his strong concerns, and warned Kane and everybody in the locker room about.
“Tomorrow’s an off day — a mandatory off day. Actually, that concerns me a little bit because of the way this game kind of played out. You have a 4-0 or 5-0 lead really quick, and it gets loose,” McLellan stated, via the Red Wings official YouTube channel. “Some things aren’t really important and you have a tendency to give something back. In an ideal world, it’d be nice to have a practice tomorrow. So we’ll see how the group responds to that test.”
Showtime Kane is back
It took Patrick Kane just one game to get accustomed to what McLellan planified for him. After being held scoreless during the coach’s debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kane has turned it up a notch and since boasts a seven-game point streak.
His point streak coincides with the Red Wings’ winning streak and may actually be a cause of it. Whenever Kane registers a point, McLellan’s side walks away victorious. If that trend continues, it may be best for Kane to receive as many pucks as possible coming his way.
Through the season, Kane tallies 27 points in 37 games, courtesy of his 10 goals and 17 assists. Moreover, Showtime has 13 points over the last seven games, giving fans in Detroit a trip down memory lane and showing flashbacks of his best self during his time with the Chicago Blackhawks.
As the Red Wings chase a playoff berth, Kane hopes he has one last bullet in the chamber, his sights set on a shot at the Stanley Cup. One last dance, one final lap around the rink with Lord Stanley, one last painful yet rewarding hoist of the 34.5-pound silver monster that is the obsession of every NHL player—even those who have already hoisted it three times in their careers. It’s never enough.