from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
One good trend has been the performances, over the last three games, of 2018 draft picks Jonatan Berggren and Joe Veleno, whose simple play has led to the kind of shifts coach Derek Lalonde wants to see.
“Veleno and Berggren had a really good game for us,” Lalonde said after Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss at the Anaheim Ducks. “The special teams took them out of their rhythm.”
Lalonde was less pleased with the way two other young players, Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, played in the third period, when they took penalties 50 seconds apart with the Wings nursing a one-goal lead. Raymond went off a second time when he blatantly hooked Jakob Silfverberg.
“Clean up the penalties, but Lucas plays hard, he plays the right way,” Lalonde said. “I think sometimes he just has to manage his emotions there. That penalty 200 feet from the net — he’s trying, I think it’s just managing a little bit better. So it’s just growth. No worries on where his game is at, of where he’s going to be.”...
Lalonde has kept his message steady through the Wings’ 3-0-2 start; through a couple blowouts; through a slide that has left them 7-5-4. He reiterates they do not have a margin of error, they cannot afford to make risky plays (like Tyler Bertuzzi’s clearing attempt in overtime that the Ducks turned into the winning goal).
“When Bert’s been out, as a team, we’ve learned how to manage risk in our game, and that’s something he’s going to need to do going forward,” Lalonde said.
more ($)
Create an Account
In order to leave a comment, please create an account.