Derek Lalonde: No more “feeling sorry” for ourselves

It's really been a case of feast or famine for the Detroit Red Wings in the last month. Fans were riding high and dreaming of a postseason spot after an incredible 4-1 road swing that included victories over the Edmonton Oiler and Calgary Flames, followed by a complete victory at home over the contending New York Rangers.

But then, Detroit ran into a brick wall in the form of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Russian superstar made 45 saves in a Herculean shutout effort in late February, stealing the game for the Tampa Bay Lightning in late February. And unfortunately, that's sent Detroit into a tailspin. Two straight brutal losses against the Atlantic Division rival Ottawa Senators essentially sealed the Red Wings' fate as a seller at the Trade Deadline; they've followed that up with three straight additional setbacks. 

While the postseason is still mathematically possible, Detroit's realistic chances of playing beyond regular season game No. 82 are quickly fading. They're back in action tomorrow night at home against the tanking Chicago Blackhawks, and according to head coach Derek Lalonde, it's time to get back on track and stop feeling sorry for themselves. 

"There was no doubt the boys felt sorry for themselves," Lalonde said. "Is it right or wrong? I think it was more of a reality. It will be my job to get them out of that. We are not going to go through the motions over these 20 games. We are going to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. This lineup is not much different than the beginning of the year, and we were extremely competitive."

Lalonde certainly is lamenting falling short in what he described as "winnable" contests against the Islanders and Flyers in which Detroit led in both before allowing their opponents back into the game. 

"Those games were extremely winnable," Lalonde said. "We led the Islanders going into the third, did not manage it. The Philadelphia game, it was there for the taking. We need to improve in those situations, that’s on me to get the group motivated to stay on track here.

"But there is something, too, now that our lineup is settled. We know what it is. Only have three more call-ups. This is where we are at. Hopefully we get some rhythm and find ways to win some tight games like we could have on the weekend."

The Red Wings and Blackhawks will get underway from Little Caesars Arena tomorrow night starting at 7:30 PM EST.