If Derek Lalonde can't win with 80M value roster, he needs to be fired.

[SantosHalper]

Only coach i would want is Darryl Sutter. If he's not interested, get new assistants.

 

[Bondurant]

What does a new coach bring to the table right now? Goals are being scored but problems on the blue line and in the crease. Newsy can only work with the tools he has been provided. Not sure he is the problem right now.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

What does a new coach bring to the table right now? Goals are being scored but problems on the blue line and in the crease. Newsy can only work with the tools he has been provided. Not sure he is the problem right now.

I don’t think Jacques Lemaire would get a top 10 GA from this squad. Coaching would be the primary problem if we were getting scored on like this while having a crap offense.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

I will say, it does feel like this team lost its soul or mojo after the SJ loss and then combined with the BS the next game with Ottawa. The team's confidence hasn't been the same since.

Ever since we got a lot of guys healthy, it's like they are searching to get it back.

This is what Lalonde has to figure out to get the squad back on track. Everyone has been screwing up. Forwards turn the puck over too much which lead to odd man rushes. D man lose assignments and make unforced errors that lead to goals against. Goaltenders that let in too many soft goals. It isn't an easy fix when you consider all the issues.

Not sure how you fix it all, probably why I post on message boards.

 

[Dotter]

He had a 3 bad week stretch. Bit premature... but if he doesn't right the ship, Yzerman isn't firing him, he'll just let his contract run out.

In a perfect world, tortorella would be optimal for this current team, imo. but that ain't happening.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Looking at the stats, here is where I'm at.

Lalonde: I would keep him but make some changes to the staff. We know we are a not a Cup team right now, the main thing is player development. Ray is on pace for 60 points. Veleno is showing clear improvement. Otherwise it is a fairly well developed roster. I've never had high hopes for Rasmussen so I'm not holding his 'development' against Lalonde.

Tanguay: Our power play is in the top half of the league and DeBrincat is 3 off the NHL lead for most power play goals. Gostisbehere and Larkin are near the top in PP assists. We lead the division in goals for and while I can't quantify this I do think Tanguay has played a role in the surprising offensive production. So I keep him.

Boughner: Boughner simply hasn't gotten it done anywhere in the NHL. Our defense is pretty terrible and I suspect he plays a big role in the defense. I cut him loose.

Westlund: Our goaltending has been terrible, so it's a pretty easy call to part ways with Westlund.

Varady: I literally have no idea. There is nothing in his background that indicates he's a great coach so I could take him or leave him. It would depend on what he is responsible for, if he is responsible for the forwards then I think he's a keeper as the offense has been a pleasant surprise. If for some reason he is overseeing the defense then he needs to go.

 

[Euro Twins]

Wow. Talk about knee jerk reaction.

Lalonde is in his second season as a HC. Half the team is new this year. He has been able to get these guys (and free agents) to buy into his heavy forecheck system. However with that comes bumps and bruises defensively when you pinch at the wrong time. Our defense and goaltending coach should be replaced. Lalonde should be given at least another year to grow as a coach.

A. We need a proper goalie.
B. Our defensive zone coverage HAS been awful.
C. We need a proper goalie
D. Our offense has been insanely good.

Most of you guys would make such great GM's it's insane you guys are riding the couch. Have you tried sending your resumes out to some NHL teams?

 

[The Flying Octopus]

Wow. Talk about knee jerk reaction.

Lalonde is in his second season as a HC. Half the team is new this year. He has been able to get these guys (and free agents) to buy into his heavy forecheck system. However with that comes bumps and bruises defensively when you pinch at the wrong time. Our defense and goaltending coach should be replaced. Lalonde should be given at least another year to grow as a coach.

A. We need a proper goalie.
B. Our defensive zone coverage HAS been awful.
C. We need a proper goalie
D. Our offense has been insanely good.

Most of you guys would make such great GM's it's insane you guys are riding the couch. Have you tried sending your resumes out to some NHL teams?i

Wow. Talk about knee jerk reaction.

Lalonde is in his second season as a HC. Half the team is new this year. He has been able to get these guys (and free agents) to buy into his heavy forecheck system. However with that comes bumps and bruises defensively when you pinch at the wrong time. Our defense and goaltending coach should be replaced. Lalonde should be given at least another year to grow as a coach.

A. We need a proper goalie.
B. Our defensive zone coverage HAS been awful.
C. We need a proper goalie
D. Our offense has been insanely good.

Most of you guys would make such great GM's it's insane you guys are riding the couch. Have you tried sending your resumes out to some NHL teams?

Have you ? Offense isn’t good unless they score 4. Outside of that, they can’t score in a close, tight hockey games.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Wow. Talk about knee jerk reaction.

Lalonde is in his second season as a HC. Half the team is new this year. He has been able to get these guys (and free agents) to buy into his heavy forecheck system. However with that comes bumps and bruises defensively when you pinch at the wrong time. Our defense and goaltending coach should be replaced. Lalonde should be given at least another year to grow as a coach.

A. We need a proper goalie.
B. Our defensive zone coverage HAS been awful.
C. We need a proper goalie
D. Our offense has been insanely good.

Most of you guys would make such great GM's it's insane you guys are riding the couch. Have you tried sending your resumes out to some NHL teams?

Heavy forecheck system?! Have you seen this team play with a lead? Go up a few goals and the game plan is the complete antithesis of anything resembling a forecheck system.

Looking like a future GM yourself with that stellar assessment. We need better goaltending, offense is coached well defense is coached poorly.
All this equals a vote of confidence to the coaching staff: Atta boy fellas! As they say, "Offense wins championships!"

 

[Perfect Human]

I think he gets another year no matter what. The plan was never 100% playoffs this year and the team has been more competitive than last year on the whole.

 

[jaster]

Lol, Lalonde isn’t getting fired this season, c’mon, what a dumb thread.

“I want Lalonde to be fired.” Cool. Have at it.

“Lalonde needs to be fired.” Uh, no, he literally does not.

At least Henkka waited for a sample size of more than 3-5 games I guess. Progress.

 

[Lampedampe]

I believe it's fair to blame the coach when the team hits these types of slumps.

Especially after seeing Raymond's and Seider's play decline so much ever since he took over. And not giving Edvinsson a chance either is just plain bad... Especially since the defense has struggled so much.

Also, why does he keep playing Husso so much? He's been bad since last season.

 

[Euro Twins]

Heavy forecheck system?! Have you seen this team play with a lead? Go up a few goals and the game plan is the complete antithesis of anything resembling a forecheck system.

Looking like a future GM yourself with that stellar assessment. We need better goaltending, offense is coached well defense is coached poorly.
All this equals a vote of confidence to the coaching staff: Atta boy fellas! As they say, "Offense wins championships!"

You got me. I'm definitely the one over here acting like I know better than the gm claiming a coach that's learning with his team needs to be fired because in a year we weren't expecting to make the playoffs we had a rough patch of games.

I thought I enjoyed the games when we score and enjoy watching us score in bunches. I can see where the team is heading and I like the direction. But according to your so thorough assessment I must be an armchair gm like you. Even though I never really call for anyone's heads or let it ruin my day when we have a tough loss.

Have you ever considered some of this is just growing pains for a team coming out of a rebuild and things aren't as bad as you want them to be?

 

[Snuggs]

I will say, it does feel like this team lost its soul or mojo after the SJ loss and then combined with the BS the next game with Ottawa. The team's confidence hasn't been the same since.

Ever since we got a lot of guys healthy, it's like they are searching to get it back.

This is what Lalonde has to figure out to get the squad back on track. Everyone has been screwing up. Forwards turn the puck over too much which lead to odd man rushes. D man lose assignments and make unforced errors that lead to goals against. Goaltenders that let in too many soft goals. It isn't an easy fix when you consider all the issues.

Not sure how you fix it all, probably why I post on message boards.

Lol, I laughed, me too though.

 

[jkutswings]

Have you ever considered some of this is just growing pains for a team coming out of a rebuild and things aren't as bad as you want them to be?

I think there's an element of this, yes. But while I'm not sure how much is the increased run-and-gun nature of the offense and how much is poor execution on defense, the team as a whole feels even less structured than last year. Now I understand that ANYTHING would be less structured than when Blashill coached to try to win every game 1-0 (and failed most of the time). But Lalonde came from a Tampa system that is predicated on lots of talent being very patient to capitalize on mistakes rather than forcing the issue and making mistakes of your own. I think there's a happy medium between the former "no offense and some defense" and the current "all offense and no defense".

Maybe Detroit does need a new assistant coach(es). They certainly seem to need one or more new goaltenders. But I think Lalonde also deserves some heat - nowhere near losing his job just yet - but definitely some heat - for the team being sloppy.

The system simply doesn't make sense for reducing quality chances against.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

You got me. I'm definitely the one over here acting like I know better than the gm claiming a coach that's learning with his team needs to be fired because in a year we weren't expecting to make the playoffs we had a rough patch of games.

I thought I enjoyed the games when we score and enjoy watching us score in bunches. I can see where the team is heading and I like the direction. But according to your so thorough assessment I must be an armchair gm like you. Even though I never really call for anyone's heads or let it ruin my day when we have a tough loss.

Have you ever considered some of this is just growing pains for a team coming out of a rebuild and things aren't as bad as you want them to be?

I would enjoy the increased scoring if it were the right people scoring. Its place fillers and rentals carrying the load while the kids who are so vital to our future are regressing. I'm not just going to blindly cheer because we are scoring more goals.

 

[Gniwder]

The players need to also hold themselves accountable.

Maatta at fault for the first goal against Preds. Passing to Walman who was covered.
Petry at fault for the second for not covering his man coming in hot.
Compher at fault for 3rd with a bad pass to Ghost.
Walman partially at fault for bad clear attempt on the 4th. Larkin mostly at fault for just casually watching Nyquist by the net instead of getting in there to lift a f***ing stick.

Part coaching. Part lazy play and lack of attention to detail from the players. This team as a whole needs a come to Jesus meeting.

Copp was lazy on the backcheck on that Matta flubbed pass, it was actually his guy that scored.

This whole team has so many brain farts, it's almost hilarious. My beer league softball teams had less errors. You can't bench the whole team, so that's why people want a coaching change. It's understandable, even if it's a bit premature.

I think he gets another year no matter what. The plan was never 100% playoffs this year and the team has been more competitive than last year on the whole.

That plan sucks.

 

[Euro Twins]

I think there's an element of this, yes. But while I'm not sure how much is the increased run-and-gun nature of the offense and how much is poor execution on defense, the team as a whole feels even less structured than last year. Now I understand that ANYTHING would be less structured than when Blashill coached to try to win every game 1-0 (and failed most of the time). But Lalonde came from a Tampa system that is predicated on lots of talent being very patient to capitalize on mistakes rather than forcing the issue and making mistakes of your own. I think there's a happy medium between the former "no offense and some defense" and the current "all offense and no defense".

Maybe Detroit does need a new assistant coach(es). They certainly seem to need one or more new goaltenders. But I think Lalonde also deserves some heat - nowhere near losing his job just yet - but definitely some heat - for the team being sloppy.

The system simply doesn't make sense for reducing quality chances against.

Some heat sure. Everyone should have to answer for the job they do or do not do well. But calling for his head when we've been playing well above league expectations because fans are impatient is weird. Yes they need to tweak the system. Yes they need to reduce quality chances against. We do need to replace at least 1 coach. I just can't get behind the whole sky is falling aspect of this thread

 

[Perfect Human]

That plan sucks.

No doubt. Just answering the thread title with my honest opinion that he wouldn’t get fired and then stated why.

 

[Euro Twins]

I would enjoy the increased scoring if it were the right people scoring. Its place fillers and rentals carrying the load while the kids who are so vital to our future are regressing. I'm not just going to blindly cheer because we are scoring more goals.

If Larkin debrincat kane and Raymond are place fillers and rentals than I agree

 

[norrisnick]

If Larkin debrincat kane and Raymond are place fillers and rentals than I agree

Kane is 100% that, yes.

 

[RRhoads]

Kane is 100% that, yes.

Nah, he will and should be extended.

 

[gritdash60]

You guys are so f***ing pessimistic its insane, the team has gone from completely irrelevant to an actual hockey team and you wanna fire everyone and sell every player who has done anything. What a weird way to look at things after the dumpsterfire that Red Wings was for way too long.

Nah, he will and should be extended.

Look at Kanes reaction to Walmans goal last game, i want this guy to be a Red Wing until he decides to retire.

 

[gritdash60]

The way when Kane gets the puck in the offensive zone and starts looking for passes, he just oozes confidence and skill. The last time i saw that kind of sex on the ice was Datsyuk. And i want to see that on Wings, i don't even care if it ends up in a goal, its just so much fun to watch.

Those small stickhandles while having his head up, the posture, man isnt called showtime for no reason. The best thing since the magic man.

 

[RRhoads]

The way when Kane gets the puck in the offensive zone and starts looking for passes, he just oozes confidence and skill. The last time i saw that kind of sex on the ice was Datsyuk. And i want to see that on Wings, i don't even care if it ends up in a goal, its just so much fun to watch.

Those small stickhandles while having his head up, the posture, man isnt called showtime for no reason. The best thing since the magic man.

100% agree.