The Detroit Red Wings secured a 3-2 overtime victory against the Ottawa Senators, extending their win streak to five games under new head coach Todd McLellan. Since McLellan's appointment following Derek Lalonde's firing, the Red Wings have now posted a 5-1 record. However, McLellan remains focused on the bigger picture, emphasizing the importance of playing the game rather than obsessing over wins, losses, or playoff implications.
Todd McLellan's Focus on the Big Picture
“I think that’s a really good thing, but .500 is just .500,” McLellan said. “That gets you nothing really in the League, but to crawl back the way we have is important. I did tell the players to quit worrying about wins and losses, streaks, playoffs. Just play the game. Make mistakes. Play well, we’ll fix it the next day. Later on, we’ll look at the standings. I’m aware we’re at .500, but I’m not overly concerned or too excited about it.”
Despite the victory, McLellan noted areas where the Red Wings could improve, particularly their skating performance. The Senators' Brady Tkachuk scored a power-play goal with 55 seconds remaining in the second period, giving Ottawa a 2-1 lead. McLellan acknowledged this moment as a challenge for the team, as it marked the first time the Red Wings had to respond to being down by a goal in a game under his leadership.
A New Challenge for the Red Wings
“There was a little bit of a challenge to the group there,” McLellan explained. “A brand-new experience for all of us. What are we going to do when we’re down by one? Down by five against Toronto, completely different. But to the guys’ credit, I thought in the third [period] we skated a little bit better. In the second, we didn’t.”
McLellan also assessed the overall team performance, acknowledging that the Red Wings did not skate as well as in previous games but managed to pull out the win in the end.
Team's Struggles in the Second Period, Success in the Third
“I didn’t think we skated quite as well tonight as we have in some of the other games, and that’s going to happen,” McLellan said. “Maybe you don’t have your legs, maybe the team is hooking and holding a little bit more. There’s more to fight through. I didn’t think we got up the ice in units of five, but we still found a way to win a game when we were down by one heading into the third [period].”
The Red Wings’ resilience, overcoming a deficit and ultimately winning the game in overtime, showcased the team's growing strength and ability to respond under McLellan's guidance. However, McLellan’s calm and focused approach reminds his players that there's much more work to be done as they continue to navigate the challenges of the season.
