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Detroit Red Wings

Does Lalonde Need Win Monday to Keep Red Wings Coaching Job?

Detroit looks disengaged in Saturday loss at LA

Published

3 weeks ago

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Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde
Could coach Derek Lalonde's job be in jeopardy if the Red Wings lose again on Monday in San Jose?

What’s perhaps the most alarming about the Detroit Red Wings is that they are committing the cardinal sin of professional sports franchises. Not only are they are bad team, they are a boring team to watch.

Turning in another deadly dull performance on Saturday in Los Angeles, the Wings were completely outplayed and outclassed by the Kings in a 4-1 setback.

LA outshot Detroit 41-18. The Kings dominated zone time and had the Wings on the back foot from the opening faceoff. Only Dylan Larkin’s goal with 1:27 left in regulation time would prevent Detroit from suffering a shutout for the second time in the past four games.

As it is, the 7-9-1 Red Wings were held to two goals or less for the ninth time in 17 games. It’s the 13th game in which Detroit has been outshot this season.

The new found commitment to defense that coach Derek Lalonde was promising at the outset of the season isn’t materializing with any level of consistency. They’ve now given up four or more goals on eight occasions.

Friday, the Anaheim Ducks, the NHL’s lowest-scoring team, put a season-high six pucks into the Red Wings net. Over the past four periods, Detroit has been outscored 8-2.

“I understand the frustration,” Lalonde told FanDuel Sports Network following Saturday’s game. “Not 24 hours ago we’re leading going into a third period. Talking about a 2-0 start to the road trip and it kind of fell apart on us.”

Detroit is heading to San Jose to be completing this three-game California. They’ll be  looking to avoid a third successive loss. At this juncture, there’s a question that is worthy of asking. Does Lalonde need to beat the Sharks to keep his job?

Red Wings Need Something To Change

Now, no one is saying that there’s been scuttlebutt about Lalonde’s job being in jeopardy. Let’s be abundantly clear on that front.

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman isn’t one to be sharing his innermost thoughts about his team with anyone else. But you’d have to think what he’s been watching thus far this season is alarming to him.

On the betting front, in the NHL prop wager for first coach to be fired this season, Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan is the +225 favorite. However, next in line at a betting line of +450 is Lalonde.

“I believe I’m the sixth–longest tenured coach in the league,” Lalonde pointed out earlier this season. He went on to explain the challenges of coaching the same team year after year.

“The good coaches find a way to keep guys motivated and keep things fresh,” Lalonde said.

His Red Wings are currently looking stale and lacking in motivation on the ice. The brand of hockey they’re playing is uninspiring. On too many nights, they are letting the other team to be the one dictating the way the game will be played. They can’t score and aren’t sturdy enough defensively to offset that lack of offense.

A year ago, a 3-0 California trip was displaying the heights that Red Wings team was capable of reaching.

Lose Monday and go 0-3 in California, and the outcome will be emphazing exactly how far they’ve fallen.

Edvinsson Unable To Go

The Red Wings played Saturday without defenseman Simon Edvinsson. He took a shot off the knee in Friday’s loss. Edvinsson took the warmup but the team was making a determination that he would not be going.

Justin Holl drew into the lineup. Ben Chiarot was moving into the top pairing with Moritz Seider.

Up front, Michael Rasmussen (upper body injury) was a scratch. He has one assist over his past eight games. Tyler Motte came into the lineup.

Lalonde shook up his lines during Saturday’s game. He was dropping Patrick Kane down to the third unit with Marco Kasper and Jonatan Berggren. That put the struggling Vladimir Tarasenko up with JT Compher and Andrew Copp.

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