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HC Derek Lalonde lays out Detroit Red Wings' shortcomings in detail after 6-2 loss to Jets, team's 3rd straight defeat
Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde discussed his team’s struggles after their 6-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday. Speaking to the media, Lalonde noted that the Red Wings lacked the physicality needed to compete against a strong, organized team like Winnipeg.
Lalonde noted that the Jets’ size and strength challenged the Red Wings, preventing them from implementing the game plan that had worked in past games. This marked the Red Wings' third consecutive loss.
"We’ve had some formula, we’ve had some recipe for success. Tonight, we were a little easy on a really good team. I don’t think we handled some of the matchups well. ... There’s a formula there; we just have to get to it more," Lalonde said (8:10 mark).
Lalonde highlighted specific defensive issues, especially in one-on-one battles that hurt Detroit early on. Three of Winnipeg’s first-period goals came from Red Wings defenders getting overpowered near the net. Lalonde also noted missed details on face-offs and rushes, where Detroit couldn't hold their ground, letting Winnipeg take advantage.
"It was a very frustrating game. The three first-period goals that obviously got us behind were one-on-one battles where we got beat to the net," Lalonde said (4:36) mark.
Detroit Red Wings showed some offensive promise but struggled to maintain momentum. In the second period, power-play goals from Dylan Larkin and Alex DeBrincat narrowed the gap. However, Winnipeg’s quick goal just 10 seconds into the third period halted Detroit’s comeback hopes. Nino Niederreiter scored after an unlucky deflection, making it 4-2. This early blow weakened Detroit’s energy, and the Jets secured their win with two more goals from Neal Pionk and Colin Miller.
In the end, Winnipeg’s balanced attack and strong defense overwhelmed Detroit. Lalonde admitted that Detroit lacked urgency in important moments.
"We just weren’t on top, just a step slow with our forecheck and (were not) on top of them in the O-zone," Lalonde added (7:50).
Despite creating some offensive pressure with solid puck movement from Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, the Detroit Red Wings couldn’t close the defensive gaps that allowed the Jets to widen the lead. Detroit goalie Alex Lyon made 23 saves but had limited support against Winnipeg’s steady pressure.
Detroit Red Wings' losing streak reaches three games
The Detroit Red Wings are now losers of three straight. However, they have shown promise in each of their past three outings.
They lost 5-3 against the Buffalo Sabres over the weekend, and in their previous game, they lost to the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 in overtime. Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal just 18 seconds into overtime.
Detroit’s second line, featuring Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher and Patrick Kane, performed well. Compher scored the first goal with an assist from Kane, and Copp added another on a deflection, putting Detroit up 2-1.
Detroit coach Derek Lalonde praised his team’s defense against Edmonton’s top players.
“It is a little frustrating how things turned out in the third period,” Lalonde said per NHL.com “We weren’t playing our game, but it is still a pretty darn good point.”
The Detroit Red Wings will have a chance to exact revenge over the Sabres on Saturday.
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