As Red Wings coach Todd McLellan attempts to establish a rapport with the Wings’ players, the coach has asked several players to come to his office to meet, as Jonatan Berggren and Marco Kasper told the Free Press’s Helene St. James:
“It’s always a little scary when the coach brings you in,” Berggren said. “So I was a little bit nervous, but it was a good meeting. He just wanted me to let loose a little bit and play my game. Don’t think about mistakes. He knows I’m an offensive player and he wants me to make plays, and don’t be afraid to make them. It was nice things to hear when you’re an offensive guy.”
Berggren had four goals, three assists and a minus-6 rating in 32 games under former coach Derek Lalonde. Berggren recently scored breakaway goals, including a game winner, in back-to-back games and also has an assist and a plus-1 rating under McLellan, who has increased Berggren’s ice time by about two minutes.
“He’s done a lot of really good things to increase our confidence level in him,” McLellan said. “You’re never in the same place twice, so you’re giving it back or you’re gaining it, and he’s done a good job at this point of gaining it in our eyes. That’s always a good thing for him and others if they approach it that way.”
It’s certainly Kasper’s approach, too. When McLellan wanted to send a message to players that their second-period performance against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday wasn’t good enough, he put Kasper on the line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, and moved Joe Veleno to center the fourth line. (McLellan made sure Veleno understood it was not a demotion.)
“It’s a first for me to have a coaching change midseason,” Kasper said. “You just try to go on with what you’re doing. You try to play really well, practice really well. Work hard and show him what you can do on the ice. Right now, vibes are really good in the locker room.”
Continued; St. James also posted a video of Berggren, Kasper and coach McLellan’s remarks:
