NHL News: Derek Lalonde makes something clear to Red Wings players after 6-4 loss to Ducks

The Detroit Red Wings were unable to maintain their momentum after a recent road win against the Penguins, falling 6-4 to the Anaheim Ducks on the road. Despite leading 3-2 going into the third period, the Red Wings allowed four goals and couldn’t hold onto the advantage, leading head coach Derek Lalonde to criticize his team’s lack of discipline and maturity.

“The first half was quality again,” Lalonde said. “Very similar to where we were in Pittsburgh. And again, just a little sign of an immature team. At 3-1, we didn’t manage our game. Got loose, we turned some pucks over and that led to bad penalties. The whole momentum changed.”

Lalonde pointed out that at 3-1, the Red Wings failed to manage the game and lost control as turnovers piled up, leading to penalties that swung the momentum in Anaheim’s favor. The team’s inability to close out the game in the final period left a lot to be desired, with Lalonde emphasizing the need for better management of the game as they moved forward.

Marco Kasper Reflects on First Career Goal

Despite the loss, 20-year-old Marco Kasper had a personal milestone, scoring his first career NHL goal. Kasper, however, shared that the goal would have felt better with a win. “It’s awesome to get your first goal,” Kasper said. “It would have been much better with a win. That’s why you try to score, to help the team win, but still a great feeling to get the first one.”

Kasper acknowledged that the team needed to play a full 60 minutes and pointed out areas for improvement, including better puck management and avoiding bad penalties. “We got to play a solid 60 minutes,” Kasper said. “Our first period was really good. Just got to try to get out there and play solid, try to get a lead again and play a good road game tomorrow.”

Dylan Larkin on Red Wings’ Loss

“We’re all not happy with the result,” Larkin said. “We needed to win that hockey game, and we didn’t. We were in position to win to do it, and we didn’t come through with two points. The good news out of all of this is we get a chance tomorrow to bounce back.”

Larkin’s frustration was clear, as he reflected on the back-to-back losses where Detroit failed to hold a two-goal lead. “Tough loss. That’s two games in a row we had a two-goal lead. We just started turning the puck over and got away from how good those two games in a row were when we had good first periods. Just got away from that game, and this one stings a lot,” Larkin added.