Detroit Red Wings 'felt like they quit.' Late rally relieves coach Derek Lalonde
Maybe the Detroit Red Wings have finally figured it out, and the sorry play that marred much of their March will fade.
They head into a big game Thursday coming off an emotional overtime victory that left their coach as candid as he has been in nearly two years behind the Wings' bench. It took a goal with seconds to go in regulation and another one barely a minute later in overtime to bank two points Tuesday, after a start that was so bad it belied explanation.
"I was flabbergasted, I was shocked," Lalonde said after the Wings rallied from two goals down against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. "Disappointed. I never thought with this group that it felt like they quit, and I couldn't believe it.
"We talked it through in the first, and how much adversity and bounce-back this group has shown this year, how much this group has shown in the two years I’ve been here. I was just, I couldn’t believe it. They didn’t quit, obviously. Huge credit to the guys — the pushback in the second, and to hang in there and not to quit right till the end and get the full two points."
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On Thursday, the Wings (35-28-6) will test their resolve and resilience against the opponent that sent them reeling three weeks ago: The New York Islanders, whose 73 points are three behind Detroit's 76 for the East's second wild-card berth.
The Wings didn't start on time when the Islanders last visited Little Caesars Arena, on Feb. 29, and that night's loss heralded a seven-game skid that eliminated the leeway the Wings had built in climbing into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Now they're trying to hold on to the final spot.
"So many emotional narratives this time of year," Lalonde said. "If we lose, there’s a big narrative. We win, and we’ve won two of our last three, and we’re over that line again. It’s huge, but it means nothing if we don’t get a little more battle to start and stop feeling sorry for ourselves.
"It has to come from everyone. Like honestly, going into this game, I thought we would have some jump. There’s probably been one consistent guy that I know what he’s going to give us, and that’s (Lucas) Raymond. Maybe DP (David Perron). I hate mentioning some names, but those are the two guys that I can walk into a game and know what we’re going to get from them, and it’s not good enough. I appreciate the pushback from the guys; it was a huge moment that our season is not over yet, but that first period was real and it happened and it’s not good enough."
Raymond, who scored twice in regulation Tuesday, has been the Wings' most consistent performer since captain Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury March 2, with eight points in the last nine games. Patrick Kane, who scored in overtime and assisted twice in regulation, is next with eight points. At the other end, Alex DeBrincat has just two assists in that span.
More than anything, the Wings have made it so hard on themselves because they've started poorly and only shown their best selves in spurts.
"I think sometimes we are guilty of feeling out the game a little bit instead of taking over right away, and we have the team to do it," Kane said. "Obviously the starts haven’t been great through this little stretch we’ve been on. We’ll try to figure that out. Next game is a huge one against the Islanders. Have to be ready from the puck drop."
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It has been a frustrating time within the organization, as a team that looked so good in January and February crashed so spectacularly, losing twice in one week to the Arizona Coyotes, who've been headed to the draft lottery since January. There were moments that stoked optimism here and there — a good performance in Las Vegas on March 9, beating the Buffalo Sabres in Detroit on March 16 — but most of the past 10 games have eroded any confidence this team can end the franchise's seven-year playoff drought.
"There’s been moments," Lalonde said. "Vegas, Buffalo — I expected that group again tonight. Maybe it’s the captain being out, maybe there’s some feeling sorry for us, maybe there’s some mental fatigue. Ultimately it’s probably on our coaching staff; to start like that, I was absolutely — I could not believe it. But again, credit to the guys. But we have to find some more consistency in our game going forward. We have some really tough opponents coming up."
Being able to rally is good, but with four weeks left in the season — and after Thursday's game, a road trip that runs through Nashville, Washington, Carolina, Florida and Tampa Bay, all teams in playoff contention — playing with more consistency from the start would seem to lead to a better chance to secure a playoff berth. That's where Tuesday's performance gives hope.
"I think we stayed composed in the locker room," Kane said. "A lot of positivity even after the first, even after we were down, 2-0, about hanging in there and trying to get ourselves back in the game. We capitalized on the power play to get us some life and got a bounce on the second goal and hung in there till the end. I liked the response from the group. That’s a huge win for us and hopefully gives us some momentum and hopefully we can look back at this at some point and say it was like a big turning point for our season."
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings run through emotions: 'Flabbergasted' to 'pushback'
