Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs: Notes, Lines, Goalies, How to Watch

The Detroit Red Wings begin a new era tonight when they play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Derek Lalonde is out as coach. Todd McLellan is in.

The move wasn’t a surprise, exactly. The timing, coming as day after Christmas, a bit of a shock.

Then again, there’s no such thing as a good time to make a change.

So McLellan and his .637 career winning percentage takes over. He will have the task of  reinvigorating a Red Wings team that has lost three games in a row ands is near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

He’ll have to find a way to fix a penalty kill that is next-to-last in the NHL and an offense that isn’t much better.

The move was a few days coming. The Wings had to work out a deal with McLellan’s last team, the Los Angeles Kings. McLellan was fired by the Kings last season and was getting paid $5.5 million to stay home until today. It’s doubtful Lalonde was being paid that much.

How long will McLellan be in Detroit? It depends on performance, of course. He’s got to get the Wings out of their tailspin and show progress at the same time.  A lack of both could be both the end of McLellan and possibly general manager Steve Yzerman with the Red Wings.

So with no shortage of drama with the Red Wings. The saga begins tonight.

The Matchup

Who: Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs

Where: Little Caesars Arena

When: 7 p.m.

TV/Radio: FanDuel/97.1 FM