A coaching change has revived the Detroit Red Wings’ season. They were tied for last place in the Eastern Conference but they’ve jumped back into the playoff picture with a four-game winning streak.
Todd McLellan replaced Derek Lalonde five games ago, and the move has breathed new life into a team that had gone 3-8-2 prior to the hot streak. Detroit now faces Ottawa at the beginning of a four-game homestand on Tuesday.
The Red Wings posted a 4-2 win at Winnipeg on Saturday. Alex Lyon made 21 saves and has started three of the four games during the streak.
“We’ve asked the players to check a little harder, to close quicker, block more shots and play more calm when they’re in a panic mode — and they’ve done a good job,” McLellan said. “Alex, he’s done a real good job of managing the games. Getting us a whistle when we needed to, and slowing it down when we needed to. That’s real important, too.”
The offense has perked up as well. Dylan Larkin carries a five-game point streak into Tuesday’s game. He has four goals and three assists during that stretch, including a pair of goals against the Jets.
Patrick Kane has notched three goals and four assists over the last four games, and Jonatan Berggren scored two of his six goals in the last three games.
“When you win like this, the confidence gets higher,” Berggren said. “Right from the start, with the practices since Todd came in, the speed, everyone who watches the practices sees it. I feel like it is translating that into the games. How we start the games. How we skate. How we’re playing right now, it’s a huge boost for our confidence.”
This will be the second of four meetings between the Senators and Red Wings. Ottawa won the first matchup 2-1 at home, with Josh Norris scoring both its goals.
The Senators will wrap up a nine-game road trip on Tuesday. They have dropped four of their last five games.
St. Louis blanked the Senators 4-0 in their last game on Friday. Ottawa returned home thanks to a three-day break in the schedule before hitting the road again.
“It’s been a long month,” forward Drake Batherson said after the Blues game. “We’ve been on the road with the world juniors at home. It will be nice to get back, regroup a bit and then head to Detroit.
“We’re .500 when you look at the last eight games on the road, so we can look at that and take a positive out of that, but it’s been a tough couple of games to end it. It will be nice to get home, give everyone a chance to see their families, have a day off and then get back at it.”
Batherson, the team’s third-leading scorer, has gone eight games without a goal. Tim Stutzle, who leads the club with 40 points, has no shots on goal in the last three games.
“We’ve got to find a way to get some more offense out of our group. We’re playing well defensively,” coach Travis Green said.
–Field Level Media
