Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments vs. MTL | Oct. 9, 2025

Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, Todd McLellan Post Game Comments vs. MTL | Oct. 9, 2025

Kevin, what are your thoughts on this one? Uh, I mean, we just, uh, you know, we we didn’t execute and, um, everything they got, I feel like we we let them get behind us. Uh, we talked about that before the game. Um we didn’t uh we seemed like we really couldn’t do the simple things and chipping pucks in and getting to our game on the for check and um we shot ourselves in the foot so many times that we didn’t uh we didn’t have time to get to our game and create offense and um you know it’s pretty disappointing uh lack of execution and and uh that’s really what it comes down to. So um the good news to that is is uh it’s our first game. we got a chance to uh to fix all that that that a lot of that is is on us and and uh you know was a is just a I thought you know such a special night crowd was unbelievable and and we kind of wasted that one and and uh um we got 81 more to to to start uh not to start but to to get back to our game and and and um we got to figure it out fast and and I I believe it’s in this room. Oh yeah. Why do you think there wasn’t better execution after three weeks spent preparing? And earlier this week, you said you’d never been so prepared or was better prepared for camp for games than I I I wish I had an answer. I mean, it we got out there and and um it was chaotic and and a lot of the chaos was was self-inflicted and um I it’s it was a strange strange game and we just really just did not help ourselves at all out there and and uh um I do believe it’s all all fixable. Dylan, that uh that third goal there late in the first period, I’m sure was deflating it, but are you disappointed just in the lack of a push back there at at the start of the third at the start of the second? Well, yeah, I am. And and anytime you give up goal late, uh end of periods, it’s it’s it’s a killer. And um you know, we we came out and then they got the fourth. And it’s it’s a similar story. they get behind us and and um you know they they it uh we did a lot we didn’t do much good but um we left Gibby out to dry and and uh you know I I I it was uh it was tough it was uh we were shell shocked a little bit just how how bad we executed and how bad we missed our assignments. What did you take away from the performance from the three rookies in the lineup tonight? Yeah, I mean they’re they’re uh they’re special players. I mean, there’s no doubt about it. They had they had glimpses and um I would be lying if you you looked at anyone on our on the ice for us tonight that that really stood out and played well. I mean, no one no one really played well. And um I’m not hitting the panic button. I mean, I believe in this group and and uh I believe that we can correct all the all the the um the the things we the the mis assignments and the lack of execution. I believe we can clean that up. What were the some what were some of the factors that they that they did that potentially made it difficult for them? I thought we made it pretty easy on them and and um you know, oddman rushes and and we know that’s their game. We talked about it. They they they go for offense and and uh we were careless and and letting guys get behind us and careless and um not putting the puck behind them. That check was was there in the first seven eight minutes and then it kind of went away after. Was that hesitance because of the the rushes the other way or did something else change there? I think so. Yeah. When when people start getting behind you, the forch check, we’ve talked about all camp. It’s a fiveman for check and and when when people start getting behind you, we the D human nature just to look like not go and and we need everyone to go. That’s why our forch check uh is good. It was good last year. I was good in camp. Um but when when people start getting behind you, you’re looking over your shoulder. It’s you can’t you can’t go like it it uh it doesn’t all five guys have to have to um be on their assignments. Is it important for you to have like this honest assessment right now just so you can kind of set the standard going forward? Well, I’m not panicking. No, I know. Yeah, I know that. But just like as far as just like being honest about it and just kind of setting the standard for where we need to do every every game. Well, I guess I mean I think Todd’s going to come in here and and if he’s harder, I I I can see it. I mean, uh you know, there’s uh I don’t really have a good answer for you. Um, but it was out on the ice. We we showed it and and uh like I said, it’s dis it’s even more disappointing cuz it was such a special night. The crowd was so good and you know, those three guys, you know, playing in their first NHL games, you always want to um you know, make it special and and uh uh there wasn’t much uh uh going on that was special. How do you guys watch this and make sure it doesn’t happen on Saturday? Well, there’s a lot to fix, but like I like I continue to say, I think it’s fixable and we’re going to probably go over it. We’re going to have skate tomorrow. We’re going to go over it in video. Um, but we we have to fix it quick because this schedule this year, we play every other day and and uh you know, I think um maybe getting a game under our belts uh will help, but the stuff we were doing out there was was was over the top and and uh you know, we we uh I I I think we’ll fix it. I think Todd is is uh is going to probably give it to us and as you should. Thanks, Don. Thank you, guys. How disappointing was this performance tonight? Um yeah, very disappointed. Obviously, we came out I thought with a great start, really good intensity. Um and then the game kind of slipped away from us. We were in detailed. Um yeah, they just kind of outworked us, outsceded us, got a lot of great opportunities around our net and um nothing nothing Gibby could have done there to prevent goals. So that’s definitely up on us and um obviously a disappointing night. More a couple of oddman rushers led the goals there in the first period for them. How do you balance the fact that you guys want to play fast and aggressive but also not give up those easy chances? We just got to count guys. I mean uh we can linger forward when we when we have people uh flying behind us. Um especially especially to hold the crew. I think we got to do a better job. Um and uh yeah starts with us back there. Coach Totten on has spoken so much about the mental aspect of the game and he’s used the phrase it’s all between the ears many times. What was his message on the bench as things started to kind of unravel there? I mean, we talked about it so many times during camp and we just couldn’t find a way to uh prevent the chances and and make it happen on the other side. Um yeah, it’s kind of it’s kind of tough that way, but um just got to regroup. Obviously, it’s a long year and um hopefully it’s just a little bump in the road. There was so much optimism coming into tonight. How crushing is it to have this disappointment? Yeah. Uh very as I said before, but other than that, I think we just got to look at the negatives um analyze it, make the most out of it, and then come with a lot of intensity um in uh two days. Perfect. Thank you. Um fundamental um hockey. hockey that you’d play banttom I don’t even know if they call the leagues that anymore junior uh you know American League pro uh you don’t give up twoon- ones if a D’s down a forward covers you manage the puck you don’t turn it over um I thought we got off to a good start the start we wanted but our uh game management you’re going to hear that all year from me because clearly it’s it’s still a a huge issue um we just played the game. We didn’t play to win the game. And um we’re not we have no chance, you know, and the players will say, they probably have already said to you that, you know what, we can we can fix this. We can when it’s time. Some of them have been doing it for years. It’s time. We just spent three weeks, three and a half weeks at training camp dealing with these situations. Now, if it happened once or twice in a game, it’d be okay. But there was seven maybe six or seven out outnumbered rushes at the end of the the first period from the 10-minute mark on and um it’s unacceptable. We’ll have to drill it back into them. Is it also an example of the mental toughness you’ve talked about responding better when things don’t go your way. Well, certainly um you know I I don’t know if that was the case today. It just was mental lapses period. I don’t know about mental toughness like you can be as tough as you want mentally, but if you’re doing very um disruptive things to to your own game, um you’re going to break down real quick. And we saw that uh time and time again in the game. Uh you know, people that didn’t watch the game, they’re going to sit down and go, “Oh, well, the shots on goal were this or that.” It it that didn’t matter one bit either. It was clearly one team that managed it well and took advantage of the chances they had and another team that created multiple opportunities for the opposition. Going along with that, felt like the first 10 minutes there was some quality chances there. Then it kind of dried up. How do you get more of those quality chances going forward? Well, we had, like I said, we had the first 10 minutes. I thought we we started the game well. We were on our toes. We scored. Uh we gave up that that first goal. Um, exactly something we pre-scouted and an individual or two made a an error and you could feel the the and this probably the mental toughness thing. You could feel the air go out a little bit, but we should be able to keep and sustain. Uh, all of a sudden you’re chasing the game and the coach is pitching and complaining about outnumber rushes. You lose your offensive edge too and now you’re caught in between. Uh, did we create some chances down the stretch? Yeah, but in garbage time it doesn’t matter. Todd, uh, I’m sure it was deflating when they scored with seconds left in the first period. What was the message there in the in the intermission and what didn’t you see there at the start of the second that you needed to see? Well, the the goal at the end of the third, we’ve worked on that since I got here. We didn’t need training camp for that. That was very poorly played uh by a group by a total group of players. Um, and that obviously is game management. 8 seconds left, you shouldn’t be giving that up. Um then we talk between periods about you know how do we want to play? Do do we want to just take take our chances and just play the game and look up at the end of the night or do we want to manage our way through? And um you know then we go out they get the you know sometimes luck is against you a little bit. It goes off Albert and u over Giby’s shoulder and all of a sudden that’s at four now you got a you got a huge hill to climb and you could feel it there not not being real strong on the bench. Hey, Tad, those I mean, you probably would have preferred they probably would have preferred a much different evening, but the three rookies had how’ they look in your eyes? I thought they were okay. I I you know, I can’t recall them uh you know, being involved in a lot of the the crap, if you will. Um you know, it’s a different game. that team had already played once, so for for those three to get in and experience it. Now, our team wasn’t real good around them. So, they’re not always going to feel comfortable, but uh I don’t think that they were involved in any of the uh you know, the major issues that we have, but we’ll have to go back and look at it. For Gibby, I mean, was it kind of similar to Saturday night? You just not much help in front of them. Yeah, it this game reminded me very much of Saturday night. you know, on Saturday night, I don’t know if you could chalk it up to, you know, last game, nobody wants to get hurt or do anything like that. Let’s just get through it. But, uh, tonight meant something and we played the same way and and Gibby had the same results as well. Todd, there was more of a forch check early. I mean, is that a situation where it kind of goes away because of what happens the other way? That’s exactly what happens. You know, you uh you get your game going and then you don’t play smart and all of a sudden you’re trying to fix it and you you back off and and they keep coming. So there wasn’t much of a forch check after that. Uh and even then they got some opportunities. As a coach, you kind of mentioned third period becomes a little bit of garbage time and you do get some chances there, but what are some of the tools that you as a staff can even try to break out when it’s a 5-1 game like um I’m not exactly sure about your like break out break out of our end? Like just like as far as it’s obviously a lot is on the players to kind of get out of a funk, but what are the message there was let’s get something out of this period. You know, you never know what can happen in the NHL. Um, but the way we were playing it, it it it didn’t look good. So, can you individually find your game real quick? Can you start to play situations a little bit better? Can we win a period? Can we uh reestablish our standards? Um, those were me messages that were sent uh to the players in the third period. Dylan said that he felt that the team left Gibby out to dry. Do you share that assessment? Yep. And then with the pairing of Johansson and Hamik in the first period, unfortunately not the best stat line, is that already forcing you to maybe think of some other options, maybe Jacob Bernard, Docker, or are you going to Well, we’ll review the game. It’s it’s unfair to everybody that that played it. Obviously, we didn’t have very many good players, so to to automatically say we’re going to make a change with this guy on the back end, there’s a real good chance we will. Uh but we have to review the game and then um evaluate each of them individually. And then one unfortunate aspect of hearing some of the uh crowd reaction, some noticeable booing unfortunately. What is the message on the bench as things kind of start to unravel because you’ve used the phrase it’s between the ears so so often throughout? Yeah, it’s uh you know that’s not unfortunate. We we earn the uh uh the Bronx booze or whatever you want to call them. we earn those and um it’s up to us to fix it and uh you know they’re not if we just play fundamentally sound hockey we wouldn’t be putting ourselves in that situation. So um until we get that down and get it back in in its box if you will um we’ll have trouble winning games. So practice tomorrow is important. Todd, both you and Dylan mentioned the fact that you kind of lost your offensive edge a little bit as you watched players get behind you. Can you get back to that in a game like this? I mean, it didn’t seem like you ever got back to the four? No, we we didn’t. But it again, you take that 10-minute period. Um, you know, from the time they scored their first goal to the end of the the the first period that I’m guessing there had to be, you know, we watched the chances real quick. Probably six legitimate outnumber rushes. So now we’re barking on the bench. We’re saying we got to play smart and all of a sudden guys get backed off and they’re they’re not extending themselves or not doing what they need to do and, you know, offense dries up a little bit there and the forche dries up. Um, I’m not worried about the forchecking part and the the tenacity part. I think we can get that. It’s what happens when that doesn’t work and it starts coming back at us. We still can’t be playing north when they’re coming south full speed and and no one’s recovering. So, we’ll fix it. All good. Okay. Good night.

Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s game against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday October 9, 2025.