DETROIT – After a five-game road stretch, culminating in a shutout loss against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings returned home, eager to regain their footing.
Before the game, coach Todd McLellan dismissed the common excuse that teams struggle to find their legs after a West Coast trip.
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“I don’t buy that at all. That excuse is for losers,” McLellan said.
Despite that mindset, the Wings fell short last night, losing 4-1 in an Original Six matchup against the New York Rangers.
Center J.T. Compher scored Detroit’s lone goal, one of just five regulation goals the team has managed over its past four games.
McLellan believes the team needs to sharpen its mental focus.
“Sometimes you’re there physically and I thought we were for the most part. I’m not sure we were there between the ears again and that includes offensively,” he said. “We had some pretty good opportunities and yes, Jonathan Quick made some great saves. But when you’re sharp and you’re alert and you’re attentive, some of those go in for you.”
Forward Lucas Raymond acknowledged the team’s offensive struggles, saying he believes the team has been searching for the perfect scoring chance instead of capitalizing on any opportunity that comes their way.
“I think we’re a little bit too much on the outside, looking for that perfect opportunity,” Raymond said. “Guys not getting to the net. We’re not getting to those dirty areas where a lot of the goals are scored. It’s about keeping it simple. We got a lot of guys in this room that can score goals.”
Another noticeable issue during the game was Detroit’s power play, which McLellan described as “upside down.”
Detroit failed to convert on all four power play opportunities against the Rangers, bringing their success rate to just 1-for-15 over the past four games.
“That’s unacceptable,” Mclellan said. “What we’ve been watching is we put some really good players on the ice and they’ve got to get it done, whether it’s the first unit or the second unit. We’re not getting it done right now.”
The Red Wings are kicking off a four-game homestand and will play nine of their next 11 games at Little Caesars Arena.
Tomorrow, Nov. 9, the Wings will face the Chicago Blackhawks, led by Jeff Blashill, who coached Detroit from 2015 to 2022.
Chicago is wrapping up a six-game road trip.
The Blackhawks have posted a 2-2-1 record on the road, winning their last two games.
They currently sit fifth in the Central Division.
“We had plenty of time to readjust, to re-energize and get ready to go,” Raymond said. “It’s two (losses) in a row now, and we’re looking to change that Sunday.”