Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan spoke about the club's mental fortitude after they were officially eliminated from postseason contention.
For the 10th consecutive season, the Detroit Red Wings will not be participants in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It's now the longest active drought in the NHL.
Their fate was sealed on Saturday evening at home against the New Jersey Devils, who rallied from three separate deficits to take a 4-3 lead late in regulation en route to a 5-3 victory.
For the Red Wings, it was the fourth time since March 4 that they lost a game that they led during the third period.
Head coach Todd McLellan made special note of the need for the Red Wings to elevate their mental fortitude, repeatedly using the phrase, "It's between the ears," from the beginning of training camp.
After their latest collapse, which officially confirmed their status as a non-playoff team, McLellan stressed that the team’s struggles with situational play continue to cost them when it matters most.
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"We picked that as a theme, and we tried to pound it into them, but everything is connected," McLellan said regarding Detroit's mental fortitude. "The game management part, you think of some of the ways - tonight, we had two goals, pinch and cover. Teams are going to make mistakes; they're going to give one of those up, but not two, and especially not with four minutes left in a game where we need the points."
So, is that mental, between the ears? I'm sure some of it is. The other part is game management. Just figuring out how to win. We still have a long, long way to go."
A long way to go."
The Red Wings surrendered a third-period lead for the fourth time since early March, resulting in a loss. Saturday's setback, combined with such performances against the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets,
When the calendar turned to March, McLellan had no interest in revisiting the club’s struggles during the month in years past, saying this version of the Red Wings would write its own story.
That story has now been written. And unfortunately, it was all too familiar.
There is still plenty of work to be done before the Red Wings can get back to their status as Stanley Cup contenders.
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