{"id":558612,"date":"2026-04-24T06:36:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T06:36:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/558612\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T06:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T06:36:14","slug":"mclellan-shoulders-blame-for-failure-of-red-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/558612\/","title":{"rendered":"McLellan Shoulders Blame For Failure of Red Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

As GM Steve Yzerman<\/a> was quick to point out, it\u2019s easy to pin the blame on the players for the latest playoff failure of the Detroit<\/a> Red Wings.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to sit here and just what\u2019s the right word? Criticize, dump on our players, beat our players up,\u201d Yzerman said. \u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have to take responsibility for it. \u201cUltimately, it\u2019s incumbent upon me and my staff to improve the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Todd McLellan addressed the fall at the end of the season: “When the push arrived, teams elevated.”<\/p>\n

He said the Red Wings either stayed the same or fell. He’s asking if they were “physically heavy enough” or had enough mental resilience that they showed early in the year.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/4qYrzS8N6a<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brad Galli (@BradGalli) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Sitting next to Yzerman as they dissected the team\u2019s misfortune, coach Todd McLellan<\/a> was also willing to wear his share of the blame.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can talk about leadership, captaincy, all that type of stuff,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cYou\u2019re looking at the guy. I\u2019m the guy that\u2019s responsible for it. I\u2019m the captain of the ship. And we have to do a better job. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to get players to do things they don\u2019t want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

McLellan Wants Red Wings to Play a Heavier Game<\/p>\n

One of those aspects that McLellan<\/a> plans to get the Red Wings to do whether they like it or not, is to play with a heaviness in their game. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe heaviness part, the nastiness part, if it\u2019s in there, it\u2019s our job to draw it out of them,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cIf we can\u2019t get it out of them, maybe they can\u2019t do it. But that starts with us, the resilience part, and the mental strength of the group as a whole. <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t, or we can\u2019t control everybody\u2019s mental approach to the game, but we can try to control the heart of the team as much as we possibly can, and we have to do a better job of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I think we all should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

A HEATED Todd McLellan when asked if he was embarrassed after Detroit\u2019s 8\u20131 loss
pic.twitter.com\/JPS1AMQTEz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

McLellan believes that as the season progressed and the competition level in the games ramped up, the Red Wings simply couldn\u2019t keep pace with the rest of the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe league plays out in four different phases, in my opinion,\u201d McLellan<\/a> said. \u201cThere\u2019s the beginning, and then you settle in, the dog days, and then the push. And I talk more about the push than anything. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the push arrived, teams elevated. I don\u2019t know if we stayed at the same spot or if we dropped. Some of the mistakes that we worked hard to correct showed their faces again down the stretch. And the season\u2019s just long enough to expose your true team when it\u2019s all said and done.\u201d<\/p>\n