Is Clock Winding Down on Tenure of Red Wings Lalonde?

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.

Derek Lalonde should have to pay Red Wings fans reparations for every time he makes us watch Petry and Chiarot lose us the game. #LGRW

— Mr Ronok (@Rockin_Ronok) November 29, 2024

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 am a fan of the Devils and we profited BUT there is nothing more I hate then idiotic coaching decisions.

Derek LaLonde challenging the Devils first goals was one of the dumbest challenges ive ever seen.

– DET is cruising vs NJ, they had complete control of the game.
-…

— Top Cheddar 🧀 (@TopCheddarPicks) November 29, 2024

“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.