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Detroit Red Wings

Is Clock Winding Down on Tenure of Red Wings Lalonde?

Is his job really in jeopardy?

Published

6 days ago

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Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde
There's been speculation that a losing homestand will be costing Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde his job.

Rumors about the future of Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde are taking on a Chicken Little feel to them.

This guy is falling! This guy is falling!

In this instance, it was TSN floating the Lalonde ouster speculation. The NHL insiders on the 24/7 Canadian all-sports network were suggesting that if this weekend’s three-game homestand didn’t go well for the Red Wings, then Lalonde could be shown the door.

Yeah, we’ve heard that one before.

We even previously were making a similar suggestion here at DHN when Detroit was on the verge of completing a winless California swing earlier in November. The Red Wings went 0-2-1, but the bottom line is that Lalonde didn’t go anywhere.

Should we give the latest talk about Lalonde’s future any greater credence? Well, the bottom line is there’s two things we know for sure about the situation.

Firstly, Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman isn’t one for sharing his thoughts on any subject regarding his team and the inner workings of his decision-making process. If Yzerman is contemplating a coaching change, the only one who knows about is him.

Secondly, firing a coach in the midst of a season isn’t traditionally his style, or that of the Ilitch family for that matter. Yzerman did it once. Interestingly, Guy Boucher, the guy that he fired in Tampa Bay, was just accepting a coaching position in the KHL.

As for the Ilitches, they’ve been owners of the Red Wings since 1982. During that time frame, they’ve intiated one in-season coaching switch, going from Harry Neale to Brad Park in 1985-86. Red Wings fans of a certain generation can tell you that decision worked out about as well for the team as the switch to new Coke was working out for Coca-Cola.

Lalonde Blunder Cost Red Wings Game

What has to have Yzerman and the rest of the Red Wings brass more than a little concerned is Lalonde’s decision to make a coach’s challenge on New Jersey’s first goal during the Devils’ 5-4 victory over Detroit on Friday.

Certainly, it was clear there was contact between Detroit goalie Cam Talbot and Devils forward Stefan Noesen at the net front. What was appearing to be almost as clear to the naked eye was that it was Talbot moving out of the blue paint into white ice who was initiating contact with Noesen.

At the best of times, which way a goalie interference call is going to go is a toss up. In this instance, there didn’t look to be much hope of the goal being overturned.

“I think our group would challenge that 100 out of 100 times,” Lalonde insisted.

Detroit was leading 2-0 at the time of the first Devils goal. The Wings were playing a strong period up until that point. Making a decision that was putting the NHL’s worst penalty-killing unit back on the ice was a risk not worth taking. And it backfired spectacularly whrn the New Jersey power play scored again to make it 2-2.

“Unfortunately, it was a pretty big turning point,” Lalonde was admitting . . . “it was a huge momentum.”

Could it prove to be a turning point in Lalonde’s future as coach of the team?

Only Yzerman knows that answer for sure.

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RWHockey13

Lalonde is not going anywhere… sadly. And to me, he will not admit he made a mistake. Onward. Wonder where they pick in the 2025 draft.

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Kevin Volz

Just my opinion which doesn’t count as far as the Wings are concerned, if Yzerman wants to make something of this season, he needs to make a coaching change. Lalonde isn’t getting the job done as far too often the Wings aren’t ready to start the game. Or the Wings come out for the start of another period not ready to play.. Yes, it’s the players job to be ready but when it happens all the time that’s on the coach. The weak pentaly kill is another area that the coach is ultimately responsible for. I like LaLonde but I feel he needs to go.

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Ray F.

He should be fired just for the penalty kill. Why he puts his weakest players on the kill is why it’s awful. I know he doesn’t want to put his best forwards out there so they stay fresh. But, what good does that do when they give up goal after goal losing games? Any coach that has a kill at 66% should expect to be fired. They could make the playoffs if they just killed 75% which isn’t even great.

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RWHockey13

Exactly.

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Mike Babcock

Unfortunately, Losey isn’t going anywhere.

And even if Losey were fired, Yzerman would likely replace him with Boughner.

Boughner is part of the problem.

He’s in charge of the Red Wings horrible PK. 😬

Last edited 5 days ago by Mike Babcock
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TKL

I respect you much more than the real Mike Babcock. I’ll vote for you to replace Losey

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Mike Babcock

Thanks. I think. 🤣

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Steve B

I must admit, when it happened live, I thought it was goalie interference too. On watching the replay it was obvious it wasn’t. As soon as the challenge was lost, I knew putting that PK on the ice was a tied game and as soon as the game was tied, I knew that the game was lost. Unfortunately the whole thing had an air of inevitability about it. It was a chain reaction destined to end up in a bad result. Some things you just shouldn’t mess with and that was one of them. Better to have let it go. It is something you can add to a myriad of naive coaching calls such as not calling timeouts when its prudent to do so, even when your captain is trying to tell you something about why you should.

Yzerman’s is the only opinion that counts. I think we all know how thats going to go. People can scream for change as much as they like. He’ll listen to the fanbase like Lalonde listens to his captain.

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RWHockey13

Deplorable. Too bad pressure from above him is not something that will move the needle.

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Steve B

True. What does move the needle sometimes for the people in the uppermost offices is $$$. For a few weeks I’ve been hanging on to the thought that if a losing season was too much for the fanbase to take, it might end up in less tickets being sold. That might be one condition where pressure might be exerted. I’m reliably informed that ticket sales have never been so good at LCA (which is baffling considering the product that is being sold this season), so I dont see anything coming from that direction. I think we’re stuck as is. Looks like its going to be a season we’re going to have to suck up. I just cant fathom how we can go from the thrills and spills of last season to this. We were right on the precipice. How can you go backwards from there? Surely Steve cant be satisfied with this.

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RWHockey13

Totally with ya.

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Mike Babcock

In the words of the late Robert Stack “Maybe you can help solve a mystery.”

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