Red Wings coach Todd McLellan appeared on 97.1 the Ticket this morning, and Will Burchfield shares some of the highlights of the coach’s interview:
“Initially coming in, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” McLellan said. “You think you know the team and the players, and then when you get here you quickly figure them out. You understand their personalities, how they react to certain situations, how they interact with each other.
“And what I’ve found is, this group has been really hungry. They’ve been willing to learn, willing to work, accept new ways. That’s probably been the biggest difference, is their willingness to take new things on. It’s been a real good group.”
McLellan credits a combination of strategic adjustments and a strengthened “belief system” for the Wings’ turnaround. Detroit, for one, has been more efficient at clearing its own zone, which has led to significantly more shots — and more goals — at the other end.
“From a tactical or structure point, we have changed some things, there’s no doubt about it,” McLellan said. “But we haven’t just blown everything up and said, ‘Here’s how we’re doing it.’ We’ve changed small things, we’ve changed some big things, players have been real receptive.
“The mental part, the believing, the energy level, the camaraderie has been real important for this group. And I give the players credit, they’ve pulled themselves through in that area. They take care of each other, they care about each other and they’re playing for each other.”
I can’t embed the interview, but you can listen to him here.
