Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a subscriber-only article in which he speaks in depth with coach Todd McLellan about the Wings’ narrow playoff miss last season, setting up the following:
“The value of two points is no different on any game day 82 times a year,” McLellan said. “I don’t think players think like that all the time.”
Whether it’s the last game of a long road trip, perhaps the third game in four nights, or another game in an extended homestand, there are games that offer the potential for a team to let down their guard.
“There was a game during the year where they gave themselves permission – ‘You know what, it’s not that important tonight’ – and they played poorly and it cost them,” McLellan said.
Coaches get paid to worry. McLellan worries that his team’s last game before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, a 6-3 home-ice loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, might ultimately turn out to be that game that costs his team.
“Let’s hope that Tampa game the other night wasn’t our night,” McLellan said. “I was disappointed because I didn’t think we accepted that challenge. I think we gave ourselves permission to get to the break four hours early. We can’t afford that and it’s unacceptable. We talk about that a little bit. This could be the night it really matters.”
Continued (paywall) with a discussion of the Wings’ need to have a strong “B-game” for when they’re not at 100%…
