The Detroit Red Wings made a lineup change, and head coach Todd McLellan sent a clear message as to why.
The Red Wings entered their game against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday on a five-game winning streak. However, Detroit suffered a 4-2 road loss, and it was a disappointing game for the Red Wings.
Yet, one notable move happened as Jonatan Berggren played on the top power play unit instead of Marco Kasper. Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said that was due to the poor play from Kasper.
“I changed them,” McLellan said postgame on Wednesday. “I didn’t think Kasp played anywhere near what he’s capable of playing, and we’ll talk about it tomorrow, but I thought Berggy had a good night.”
Kasper finished the game getting 14:21 of ice time, but he was a -2 as he struggled to perform again, which is why McLellan took him out of the top power play unit.
Kasper was selected eighth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s skated in 7 games, recording 1 goal, while last year was his first full season in the NHL, as he recorded 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points.
Red Wings Coach Frustrated With Team’s Performance
Detroit was on a five-game winning streak and hadn’t lost since its first game of the season.
However, on Wednesday, McLellan wasn’t happy with his team’s effort, as he felt like the team wasn’t prepared.
“I don’t think we were prepared for the pace that the game was played at,” Red Wings head coach McLellan said. “A lot of times, we’ve been dictating the pace.”
Red Wings forward J.T. Compher, meanwhile, was also frustrated with the Red Wings’ start to the game.
“The start wasn’t good enough,” Compher said. “Anytime you take two penalties in the first minutes of the game, it’s going to give the other team a lot of confidence and they get playing their game before we even get most of our guys on the ice.”
Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat also backed Compher’s comments.
“We all should have been ready,” DeBrincat added. “And I think we weren’t necessarily ready in the first period, and it took us a bit to get our legs going. It’s on us. We’ve got to be ready to play.”
The Red Wings scored the game’s first goal in the second period, but Detroit was outshot 11 to 5 in the first period, showing their slow start.
McLellan Called Out Team After First Loss
This isn’t the first time this season that McLellan called out his team.
The Red Wings coach blasted the team after their season-opening loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the loss, McLellan ripped the team for their effort and another loss.
“I actually asked a couple, maybe three or four players, like, ‘Are we tired of this yet?’” McLellan said on Friday. “And they were longtime Red Wings. They didn’t come from other organizations. Just, you know, when is enough, enough, to play sloppy like that? And I wasn’t blaming those players, I wasn’t saying, ‘Hey it’s your fault.’ But it has to have an impact on those guys. They’ve got to be sitting in there going, ‘OK, enough already.’ But if those four start, or five start, and make a difference, the rest will follow. And I’m hoping that will happen.”
The Red Wings return to the ice on Friday on the road against the New York Islanders.
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