Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde told the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan that he understands why the Red Wings are expected to make the playoffs (by their fans, anyway):
“That’s more reality than anything,” Lalonde said Thursday, meeting the media for the first time. “It’s a natural progression. We keep going like this (upward trend) with our points, keep going like this (upward) in the standings, an 11-point improvement last year, and you literally are in a virtual tie for the last playoff spot. Of course, the expectations will keep moving forward. But it’s a little different.”
Meaning, there’s more pressure to achieve those expectations and even surpass them, to claim a playoff spot. And for a large segment of this Wings’ roster, those type of expectations are different from years before.
Lalonde talked often last year about how many national analysts picked the Wings far out of the playoff picture before the season began.
That’s not the case, as much, anymore. Many people consider the Wings capable of making the playoffs.
“It was pretty clear that we were not expected to be a playoff team going into the season, and when you get to that point and start flirting with that type of season, you start getting those points in the high 80s or low 90s, where we were last year, everyone wants a natural progression,” Lalonde said. “That’s the way we see it and what we want.”
…
“It’s pressure, but it’s the reality of our league,” Lalonde said. “It’s so competitive. The parity in our league is at an all-time high and you want to keep this going, pushing it forward. We’ve done that the last two years, and you have to keep pushing it forward. You can call that expectation or pressure, but the simple reality of it is a team going in the right direction.”
Continued (paywall)
