DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills conducted a conversation with Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde ahead of training camp:
Derek Lalonde will begin his third Training Camp as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings next week at Traverse City’s Centre Ice Arena, and after the improvement the club has shown over the past two seasons, he and his players are extremely motivated to take the next step in 2024-25.
“I know it sounds cliché, but you just trust your everyday process,” Lalonde told DetroitRedWings.com on Tuesday. “That starts on Day 1. We improved 11 points last year and 17 over two years. Only a handful of teams can say that, but we must keep pushing. We need more. That’s just concentrating on the things we can control, which is what goes on in our locker room and on the ice.”
Last season, Lalonde guided the Red Wings to their most wins (41) and points (91) since 2015-16. Although Detroit just missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Lalonde said playing meaningful games down the stretch helped the team grasp how much of a focus there must be on the small details.
“You have to bring it every night because it’s so intense,” Lalonde said. “You find out what happens on nights when you don’t bring it. It was a really good lesson. We preach how important every point and moment are.”
Lalonde said the Red Wings are seeking more consistency night in and night out this season.
“This league is so competitive,” Lalonde said. “If we want to work our way towards the top half of this league, there’s a finer line in the difference between winning and losing. We saw moments of it last year, but we need a little bit more of it throughout.”
Continued; there’s a lot of coach-speak in here, but it’s good to hear that the coach expects his players to be ready to go on day one, and to be more consistent this upcoming season.
