Several Detroit Red Wings legends are in town for this weekend’s Centennial Fan Fest. Unfortunately for the current Red Wings, in the midst of this celebration, they’ve become mired in their first prolonged crisis of the NHL season.

A 4-1 home-ice loss to the New York Rangers on Friday was the team’s second in a row and third in four games.

Before the game, Red Wings icons Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov met with the media. Hall of Famers and multiple Stanley Cup winners, they were asked what words of wisdom they’d pass along to today’s team to help them achieve similar heights on the ice.

Fedorov’s advice was simple and to the point.

“Pro hockey is an everyday job,” Fedorov said.

Those don’t seem like profound words. Yet anyone who’s watched this Red Wings team in action over the past several seasons knows that they are.

Bringing it every night. Being ready for whatever curves each game is going to throw at you.

Once again, on Friday, the Red Wings provided ample evidence that this concept remains beyond their grasp.

Red Wings Were Lacking Mental Preparation

Detroit coach Todd McLellan felt his team didn’t take the ice with the necessary mental focus to achieve their objectives.

“Sometimes you’re there physically, which tonight I thought we were for the most part,” McLellan said. “I’m not sure we were there between the ears again.”

He cited the game’s first goal, coming on a New York power play, as a prime example of the lack of focus.

Mika with the feed + Cools buries the PPG. pic.twitter.com/dFyHfQ0nW9

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 8, 2025

Mika Zibanejad carried the puck deep into the Detroit zone. Then he zipped a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Will Cuylle, who was coming late into the zone, for the goal.

“That is part of the pre-scout,” McLellan said of that play. “An hour before we went on the ice, we talked about that exact situation, and we made a mistake.”

Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, another familiar Red Wings malady re-emerged. Artemi Panarin made it 3-1. Less than a minute later, Alexis Lafreniere would add the fourth Rangers goal, and it was game over.

Silky smooth, Laffy. pic.twitter.com/THK9cDAwFz

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 8, 2025

“The mental capacity to stick with it even if it’s not going your way, we didn’t have that tonight,” McLellan said. “Two preventable goals.”

If the Red Wings want to be considered among the NHL’s better teams, consistency is a quality they must find and embrace.

Is it too early to suggest that Sunday afternoon’s home date with Chicago is a must-win for Detroit?

Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond doesn’t think so.

“It’s two in a row now, and we’re looking to change that Sunday,” Raymond said.

A team that began the season with seven wins in the first 10 games would have one win in the next five games if the Wings were to lose Sunday.

“We’ll be ready on Sunday,” forward JT Compher said.

We’ll see about that.