In 16 games since McLellan took over, the Red Wings are 11-4-1, riding a three-game win streak as they prepare to head to western Canada on Wednesday. It’s not unusual to see a midseason coaching change bring better results in the NHL, but now more than 30 days in, the Red Wings’ surge has lasted longer than a simple adrenaline rush.
The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 thanks to a sensational night from young star Lucas Raymond, after the game head coach Todd McLellan sent the 22-year-old a bold statement.
The Kings take a two-goal lead in the first period before losing, 5-2, against their former head coach and dropping to 2-5-1 over their last eight games.
Certainly coach Todd McLellan did not have much positive to say after ... "From the first goal, that kind of set the tone for us," said Lucas Raymond, who scored on a power play. "It’s a huge part of our game and didn’t get it done.
The Red Wings showed they're learning how to win after falling behind against a great defensive team like the Kings and scoring five straight goals.
Detroit — Sunday marked the one-month anniversary of Todd McLellan taking over as head coach of the Red Wings. McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde on Dec. 26, with the Wings in seventh place in the Atlantic Division and eight points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
McLellan has put his stamp on the Red Wings a month into his tenure. They’re playing faster. They’re scoring more. They’re outshooting opponents most nights because of better puck possession and a newfound shot mentality.
The Red Wings (24-21-5, 53 points) would tie Tampa Bay and Columbus for the final wild card spot with a win over the Oilers and a regulation loss by the Blue Jackets at Vegas, though technically Detroit would still trail based on points percentage and tiebreakers.
Lucas Raymond is on fire, and is the third Red Wings player to hit the 20-goal mark this season. Todd McLellan compared him to Red Wings great Henrik Zetterberg. Brad Galli has more.
Veteran forward Andrew Copp said the Detroit Red Wings have a togetherness they lacked before head coach Todd McLellan was hired in late December.
Raymond had an assist, three shots on net and one block in Thursday's 4-2 win over Montreal. Several Canadiens defenders bought Raymond's fake to the slot before he slipped the puck to Alex DeBrincat,