NHL: Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes - Source: Imagn — Red Wings' Derek Lalonde expresses frustration after tough 0-3 road trip (Source: Imagn)

HC Derek Lalonde opines Detroit Red Wings are playing "just not good enough hockey" during struggling 0-3 road trip

Modified Nov 17, 2024 05:57 GMT

Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde shared his frustration after his team finished a tough 0-3 road trip, ending with a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Lalonde pointed out that the team showed flashes of strong play but lacked consistency, which hurt them throughout the trip. He mentioned that while the Red Wings played well at times, they couldn't keep it going long enough to beat their opponents.

During the post-game press conference, Lalonde talked about the team’s struggles, especially their difficulty connecting from zone to zone. He said that the lapses played a big role in their failure to capitalize on scoring chances and defend against teams like the Kings.

(6:44) "Again, what’s frustrating about this is, again, we had some moments of some pretty good hockey, and I think you just gotta tap into that. So, I think it’s there. It’s just not enough of it, probably not connected enough at times from out of our zone, into our zone," Lalonde said.

The Red Wings, now 7-9-1, were playing their second game of a back-to-back after a 6-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

The fatigue from traveling across time zones on a tough road trip clearly affected their performance. Despite these challenges, Lalonde remains hopeful, saying that there’s still room for improvement. He acknowledged the difficulty of their current stretch, which includes three games in four days and the physical toll of traveling from the East Coast to the West.

Looking ahead, Derek Lalonde is focused on his team’s ability to regroup. The Kings' next game is against the San Jose Sharks at 10:30 p.m. EST on Monday.

Detroit Red Wings had lost 6-4 to Ducks losing 3-1 lead

The Detroit Red Wings lost 6-4 to the Anaheim Ducks after giving up four third-period goals. Anaheim scored first with Olen Zellweger’s one-timer at 1:12. Marco Kasper tied the game at 7:59, scoring his first NHL goal on a power play.

Jonatan Berggren made it 2-1 for Detroit late in the first with a one-timer during a 5-on-3 power play. Lucas Raymond extended the lead to 3-1 at 1:05 of the second after forcing a turnover and finishing a breakaway.

Trevor Zegras scored for Anaheim at 17:44 on the power play, cutting Detroit’s lead. Troy Terry tied it 3-3 early in the third with another power-play goal. Cutter Gauthier then scored his first NHL goal at 11:09 to put Anaheim 4-3 ahead.

Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said, per NHL.com, after the defeat

"Got away from what got us to the 3-1 lead, and then we took penalties. It led to three straight penalties, and then it felt like (the Ducks) started to play downhill. So, unfortunately, I think it turned once we had the 3-1 lead."

Ross Johnston added another shortly after, making it 5-3. Alex DeBrincat cut the deficit to 5-4 with a power-play rebound, but Ryan Strome sealed the Ducks’ win with an empty-net goal.