from Ansar Khan of Mlive,
For two periods Saturday, the Detroit Red Wings looked like they were playing a part in an instructional video of how not to play defense.
Poor execution led to too much easy offense for the Columbus Blue Jackets, more than the Red Wings could overcome with a big third-period rally in a 4-3 loss at Little Caesars Arena....
“It’s frustrating when you give up way too much easy offense to their skill,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “We talk about it all the time. When you play top offensive guys, you want to make it hard on them. You don’t want them to feel it and make it easy on them. We obviously did that. There was so much time and space for Laine and even (Johnny) Gaudreau setting him up. Full credit to Laine’s finishes. All three were world-class; he is one of the best finishers in the world. But it was too easy for him.”
Dylan Larkin said the Blue Jackets’ top line “just floated through” his team.
“They kind of flip it out and wait for the puck to bounce,” Larkin said. “As soon as there’s a little bit of hope that it might go by a guy and they’ll get a break, they’re all going and they’re all over the puck. We just let them go through and the two guys on the wings (Laine and Gaudreau), they’re as talented as anyone in the league when they get time and space, and you make it easy on them to just skate and not be touched.”
from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
I am not giving up on Lalonde because I think he is a good coach for teaching fundamentals. The Wings play better off the boards than they have in years, their 5 on 5 forecheck is much better but some of his decisions like putting Seider back with Chiarot is a mistake. I did not like the Chiarot signing like a few others here and we are seeing why. Also, I said this before Lalonde was hired they either need a coach like Torts that treats them like players and is not worried about them liking him or not or a coach that can give a very different perspective of the game. I really believe Lalonde and Blashill coach similar ways and structure with a similar type of relationship with the players. Its only year one of Lalonde and i am willing to give him a chance. The Wings are more entertaining this year and a better team even if it is marginally better. Last nights game Lalonde had them playing a 1-3-1 or a 1-2-2 against a fast team. Wtf was he thinking. This is not the first time. You cannot establish a forecheck or shutdown the neutral zone with that approach. Not in today's game. Lalonde in my opinion is slow on adjustments during the game and between periods. That is the difference between a good coach and a great coach.
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