{"id":389231,"date":"2026-01-03T23:37:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/389231\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T23:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:37:10","slug":"mclellan-unhappy-with-red-wings-top-line-detroit-hockey-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/389231\/","title":{"rendered":"McLellan Unhappy With Red Wings Top Line \/ Detroit Hockey Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where do you start to dissect Saturday\u2019s all-around debacle by the Detroit<\/a> Red Wings in their 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Coach Todd McLellan<\/a> decided to start at the top. As in his top forward line.<\/p>\n

Recently, their performance has left him wanting more. Much more.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think that line had anything going early in the game, and I\u2019m not sure they had anything going in Pittsburgh, so we tried something different,\u201d McLellan said.<\/p>\n

“I’ve probably been thinking about [making the U.S. Olympic team] my whole life.”<\/p>\n

Dylan Larkin will live out his dreams with USA Hockey at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics \ud83e\udd29 pic.twitter.com\/aRZP8lMeZE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

During the game, he expressed his displeasure with the unit by dropping rookie Emmitt Finnie<\/a> from the line with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond<\/a> in favor of Marco Kasper.<\/p>\n

\u201cKasp, in the past, obviously, last year, he\u2019s proven that he could handle it, so we made that move,\u201d McLellan said.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t make any difference. Between them, Larkin (one), Finnie (one), Raymond (none), and Kasper (none) managed two shots. Each of the quartet who skated as part of that line finished the afternoon as minus players. Finnie was minus-three, while Raymond was minus-two. Larkin and Kasper were each minus one.<\/p>\n

Red Wings\u2019 Best Players Not Playing Their Best Game<\/p>\n

Raymond has scored one goal over the past 15 games. His last three goals all came on the power play. He hasn\u2019t scored 5-on-5 since November 29.<\/p>\n

Larkin has three goals in 12 games. Of his last six goals, the Detroit captain has scored twice on the power play and twice into an empty net.<\/p>\n

Finnie has four goals over his last 23 games. Since the end of November, he\u2019s accounted for only two even-strength points.<\/p>\n

McLellan doesn\u2019t see the unit doing the things that were making them such a successful line earlier in the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of skating going on right now just for checking purposes,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cTheir extended cycle time, their extended O-zone time where they gain energy, they don\u2019t expend energy, is not there right now, and they\u2019ve got to get that back.\u201d<\/p>\n

That old saying about a team\u2019s best players needing to be their best players came to mind. And the best player on the ice was a shining example of that analogy.<\/p>\n

Can we talk about how much Sid is taking Emmitt Finnie to school in this back-to-back @HunterHodies<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ARAnalytics (@ARAnalytics) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c(Pittsburgh captain) Sidney Crosby, I think, was plus four or five in this series,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cHe scored the first two goals the other night, and was on the ice for the first one tonight.<\/p>\n

That happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

McLellan knows that his top line carried the team to much of its early success. He needs to see that level of contribution again being delivered by his key talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have had real good nights where our best players have been better than the other teams,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cSo I\u2019m not letting anybody off the hook.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see how we respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

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