Derek Lalonde admits the Detroit Red Wings simply failed to ‘reach the finish line’ in their latest setback.
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The Detroit Red Wings saw their seven-game point streak to start the calendar year of 2024 come to an end on Friday night with a 4-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The game saw Detroit only manage a season-low 12 shots on goal; according to head coach Derek Lalonde, the Red Wings simply couldn’t reach the finish line in their road swing.
The Red Wings started off on a positive note with Klim Kostin scoring his second goal of the season, providing an early lead. However, Carolina quickly responded, with Jordan Martinook tying the game. The back-and-forth continued as Martin Necas put Carolina in the lead, only for J.T. Compher to equalize for Detroit with a power-play goal.
Unfortunately, the Red Wings couldn’t maintain their momentum thanks to Andrei Svechnikov‘s power play goal in the 3rd period; and the game ended with a 4-2 loss. The team also had to deal with the challenge of injuries, as defenseman Ben Chiarot was sidelined and did not return to the game.
Derek Lalonde admits the Red Wings couldn’t reach the finish line at the end of their road trip
The Red Wings finally lost in regulation for the first time in 2024, despite in his words, doing things that made them successful on their road trip that included victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
“We were doing a lot of what’s been successful for us on this trip,” Lalonde said afterward. “We just weren’t able to get it to the finish line.”
“It’s about us playing the right way and finding our game,” Lalonde said. “This is what you ask for. We want to start playing important games as a group. We’re tied with Tampa (in points) and these are real games now. We’ll see how we handle it.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings suffered their 1st loss in regulation in 2024 on Friday night, falling by a 4-2 final score to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena
- Despite goals from Klim Kostin and J.T. Compher, Detroit only managed a season-low 12 shots on goal
- Head coach Derek Lalonde admits that the Red Wings simply weren’t able to reach ‘the finish line’ as part of the loss.
Bottom Line: Back home to Detroit the Red Wings go
Despite the setback on Friday, the Red Wings are set to return to the familiar surroundings of Little Caesars Arena for the next five consecutive games. During this home stretch, the team is optimistic about the possibility of getting injured forward Patrick Kane back into the lineup.
The Red Wings will face the Tampa Bay Lightning at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday at 7:00 PM. The game time was adjusted from its original slot at 5:00 PM due to the Detroit Lions‘ scheduled game at 3:00 PM at the nearby Ford Field. ning.
