Red Wings Coach Faces Immediate Test

The Detroit Red Wings and their new head coach face a difficult test against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Dec 14, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry (46) receives congratulations from teammates after scoring at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Detroit Red Wings kicked off the post-holiday madness with the firing of Derek Lalonde and hiring of Todd McLellan as head coach. It was less of a shock that it actually happened and more of a surprise of when they decided to make the change. The 13-17-4 Red Wings are desperate to be competitive again in the Atlantic Division and the hiring of the veteran coach is the organization's next attempt to solve that.

Unfortunately for the Red Wings and their new bench boss, their first test is against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It tosses McLellan and company head first into the deep end with this matchup, as the Red Wings will have to find a way to beat one of the best teams in their division.

The Maple Leafs enter this contest with a 21-12-2 record, putting them in second place in the Atlantic with 44 points. They've managed to do this with their captain Auston Matthews bouncing in and out of the lineup due to injury.

This will be the third meeting of the 2024-2025 season for the Wings and Leafs. The Leafs took the first matchup by a score of 3-1, but the Wings returned the favor when they won the second contest by a score of 4-2.

For McLellan, he has to hope that the truncated timeline will allow his lineup to play without constraint. There isn't enough time for him to implement his preferred style of forechecking or his strategy for zone breakouts.

Instead, it's back to basics for Detroit. Don't overthink anything, just go out there and try to put the puck in the net. The simple message could prove to be exactly what the struggling Red Wings need to turn things around and possible find their way up the division standings.

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