“Second period was unacceptable”: Coach Todd McLellan disappointed with Detroit Red Wings 'self-inflicted' 4-2 loss to Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes stretched their winning streak to six games with a dominating 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday evening. Detroit, struggling to remain in the playoff hunt, couldn't overcome a second-period meltdown. Red Wings coach Todd McLellan had no choice but to speak bluntly of what he called the team's 'unacceptable' play during that span.


While the Red Wings exhibited glimpses of grit—particularly in a powerful third period charge—McLellan was adamant that the harm had already been inflicted. “I thought the second was the period that really hurt us. First, you have to weather this storm here. They come out real hard. We got some good saves. I thought we settled in as the period wore on. Scoring certainly helped us, but the second period was unacceptable. It wasn't just Carolina inflicted. It was self-inflicted,” he said candidly after the game.
He cited poor turnovers, defensive breakdowns, and expensive mental mistakes as reasons why Detroit trailed. “It started with the very first shift, the turnover, and they scored. And now they got some momentum, some line changes, just some really dumb play on our behalf,” he said, visibly upset.
Even a third-period tally by Michael Rasmussen that gave life to the Red Wings wasn't enough. McLellan felt that his team's inconsistency was their undoing. “We had a little chat between the second and third and found a way to push a little more, but obviously not enough. And if you don't play your full 60 against these top teams, you're likely going to come out on the losing end,” he conceded.

A dominant second period, where they scored three goals, proved to be the difference. The Hurricanes (40-22-4) were led by the trio of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jack Roslovic, and Taylor Hall, who had five points between them, as they took complete control of the game, keeping Detroit (31-29-6) on their heels.
Even with the loss, goalie Petr Mrázek played well, coming up with important saves and keeping Detroit in the game. McLellan recognized his efforts, adding, “I thought he was excellent. Not an easy team to play against. There are a lot of shots with a lot of traffic coming. He was very athletic and got to some rebounds that we needed him to get to. No issues there,” he said. “I thought he played an excellent game. There was a lot to like in the last two games before tonight, a lot to like in the third period here tonight.”
In the meantime, Alex DeBrincat remained a beacon of light, recording his 31st goal of the season. McLellan complimented his reliability, describing him as ‘a guy we can count on every night.’ At the same time, however, he made it plain that Detroit must have more players who will rise to the occasion. “He seems to be a guy that we can count on every night. He's usually not at the scene of the crime defensively, and offen he's got some pop. He battles well,” he said.

As the playoff push tightens up, Detroit simply can't let games get away. McLellan stressed the importance of playing full games: “We know what we're going to face on Sunday, or maybe we don't yet because we haven't had our pre-scout, but our attempt at a win there is going to have to be more consistent than it was here tonight. The game may be a little bit different. They play the game a little differently. But if we're not in it for 60, it doesn't matter what momentum we're talking about or what preparation we're talking about,” he said, “It's not the time of the year to play two periods. It's time to compete for three.”
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The Red Wings will seek to get back on track on Sunday against another difficult foe. Whether they have learned their lesson from this defeat is yet to be determined.