Following an intense practice on Tuesday, Detroit Red Wings players and coaches acknowledged the need to be more physical and harder to play against.
The Detroit Red Wings returned to the ice on Tuesday in what was an intense practice session at the BELFOR Training Center inside of Little Caesars Arena a little over 43 hours following Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
During practice, the Red Wings emphasized the importance of both puck protection and an increase in physicality, elements of their game they feel have been lacking during their three-game losing skid.
"It's a big part of the game, we need to just be more physical and a harder team to play against," said forward Alex DeBrincat following practice on Tuesday. "We're giving up too much, too easily. We need to win our 50-50s in the O-zone and D-zone, and really all over the ice. Just getting back to that work ethic and playing simply will be best for us."
Just a few blocks away at Ford Field, the Detroit Lions have become the embodiment of a true blue-collar mentality built on grit and toughness.
Throughout their history, the Red Wings have featured several players who would fit perfectly into Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s hard-nosed philosophy. That same spirit and mentality are what Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan wants to see more of from his players.
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“We’re not a small team. It’s just sometimes we don’t play big,” McLellan said. “But we have some length. We have guys that are long and tall, we have some girth. Those players have to give us more of that."
McLellan would love to see an elevated level of grit and toughness from some of the more physically imposing players on the roster, including the 6'6" Michael Rasmussen and the 6'8" Elmer Soderblom.
McLellan, who recently shuffled up Detroit's forward line combinations, also wants to see more of a presence in close proximity to the net from players who don't necessarily have that kind of size.
"The smaller players can also do that, they can roll around and sometimes they’re the toughest to handle in and around the blue paint because they have a low center of gravity," he said. "They’re quick, they’ve got to dart in and out. And we’re just not seeing enough of that."
The Red Wings are hoping that they'll be able to bring an added element of physicality to neutralize the Anaheim Ducks, who have been one of the surprise storylines in the early goings of the season with an 11-3-1 record to lead the Pacific Division.
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