![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/John-Gibson-Detroit-Red-Wings.png\")
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Photo: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
The Detroit Red Wings lost two straight games to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the second of which was by a score of 4-1 to start the year 2026. Before this game, the Red Wings had the opportunity to have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-2. They then won games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets to end the year 2025. What does the recent slump say about the Red Wings\u2019 game as a whole?<\/p>\n
During the Red Wings\u2019 recent slump, the team has struggled to start games. Starting on time is a continuous message heard from coaches across the NHL. Todd McLellan has recently passed the one-year anniversary of his coaching tenure with the Red Wings. His message has been clear from the point during his first practice with the team when he said, \u201cPlay f\u2014ing hockey. You\u2019ve done it your whole lives.\u201d McLellan can deliver a message that gets the Red Wings back on track.<\/p>\n
This is evident given McLellan\u2019s comments after the second game against the Penguins. \u201cThey really overwhelmed us for two periods,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cWe found our legs a little bit in the third, but they\u2019re a tough team to come back against. We didn\u2019t do much with the first 40, and not enough at the end.\u201d Perhaps the second most important coaching axiom is playing a full 60 minutes. The Red Wings need to get back to the type of play that saw them nearly have the best record in the NHL before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.<\/p>\n
Red Wings Road to Playoffs is Difficult<\/p>\n