The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Vegas Golden Knights, letting a big opportunity to climb in the NHL standings slip through their fingers. Following the defeat at T-Mobile Arena in Sin City, head coach Todd McLellan issued a harsh statement for the rest of the team to hear.
It was Detroit’s second loss in as many games, with the team in Motor City following a very dangerous trend lately. The Red Wings are 2-8-0 over their last ten outings, a record that has cost them greatly amid their Stanley Cup Playoffs push in the NHL.
Detroit is now standing five points behind the second wildcard team in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens. The players and coaches inside the locker room must right the ship in record time, or their season, once looking promising, could be headed for the gutters.
McLellan is well aware changes are needed, and he started things off by setting off a bold wake-up call for the players, who had a lackluster performance against the Knights.
Head coach Todd McLellan of the Los Angeles Kings on the bench before the game against the Nashville Predators at Staples Center on October 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
“We have to be honest with each other. We were, again tonight, between periods,” Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said, via NHL.com. “We talk about wanting to be in the playoffs, but we’re not sure we always want to be in shooting lanes. We’re not sure we want to do some things, and I’m not saying everybody.“
see also
Red Wings’ playoff push in jeopardy after key defenseman’s long-term injury
Calling them out
The Red Wings jumped to an early 1-0 lead, after Lucas Raymond found the back of the net during the team’s first power play attempt of the game. However, McLellan’s side failed to contain Vegas‘ surge during the latter half of the period. The Knights scored thrice, to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. And they wouldn’t look back throughout the rest of the night.
“Do we really want to do it around the net? Do we really want to get hit by a puck? Do we want to do the board work when it’s hard? If the answer is yes to that from everybody, then we have a chance,” McLellan firmly stated. “If the answer is yes to those questions from 85 percent of the players, we don’t.”
Unstoppable Hertl
Tomas Hertl was a force to be reckoned with during the Golden Knights’ triumph over the visiting Red Wings. The 31-year-old scored a hat trick that helped pave the way for Bruce Cassidy’s team.
Tomas Hertl #48 of the Vegas Golden Knights takes a break during a stop in play in the first period of a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on March 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
However, conceding three goals to Hertl left a sour taste in McLellan’s and Detroit’s mouths. All the goals he scored were put into the net from within the crease, underlining a disappointing performance from the defensive group, who allowed the opponents to easily skate within stick’s reach of their goaltender, Cam Talbot.
see also
NHL News: Dylan Larkin’s bold praise for Red Wings’ rising star amid injury crisis
With little to no room for error, the Red Wings travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Hockey Club on March 24, in a game where Detroit must walk away with two points.
