The Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers met in the finale of the 2025–26 NHL regular season, but only the home team came to play at Amerant Bank Arena. After his team was blown out by the Cats, head coach Todd McLellan had to fight back his impulse to throw every player under the bus. Still, he admitted Detroit played in a lackadaisical manner.
“Yes, I think we all should be [embarrassed],” McLellan admitted, dropping a truth bomb in his final postgame availability of the season, via reporter Helene St. James. “Both teams came in with nothing on the line, and you could see the [Panthers’] championship pedigree. I’m going to compliment them, it runs through the organization. They played and it meant something to them.“
Hadn’t McLellan held back, he would’ve gone ballistic on the Red Wings. Detroit missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th straight season. The Red Wings now hold the longest active playoff drought in the NHL. What was once a promising-looking campaign ended with the Wings losing eight of their last 10 games of the season.
Red Wings spiraled out of control
Down the stretch, Detroit went 8–12–4 since the Olympic break, erasing all the progress and success it had enjoyed prior to the hiatus. Needless to say, McLellan was livid to see his team throw everything away.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings at Capital One Arena
What stung the most was the fact that they showed little to no urgency in their final games. Allowing eight goals against Florida‘s B-squad is a terrible note for Detroit to end the season on.
Florida played with AHL-filled squad
Conceding eight goals is never fun nor justified in the NHL. However, the fact that the Panthers played an alternative lineup—due to injuries depleting their roster—makes the Red Wings’ 8–1 defeat in Sunrise unfathomable.
Florida had 15 different skaters record points. Aside from Matthew Tkachuk and Eetu Luostarinen, none of the point-scorers had played in last season’s Stanley Cup Final. Thus, the Cats steamrolled the Red Wings with a squad that is nowhere near their standard.
This was a fluke year for Florida, but it will be back next season. The question is: will Detroit? Will McLellan make it through the summer in the Motor City? Or will he be the first casualty of the Detroit Spring?
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Will Todd McLellan coach the Red Wings next season?
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