Derek Lalonde was not pleased with Detroit’s 8:15 p.m. ET start time against the Kraken.
NHL players and coaches are creatures of habit, and Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde was irritated by the fact that he had to change things up for Tuesday’s home game against the Seattle Kraken.
Frozen Frenzy, the NHL’s answer to NFL RedZone, made its debut on Tuesday. All 32 teams were in action, with game times ranging from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET.
Detroit, which usually hosts games at 7:00 p.m. ET, was stuck with an 8:15 p.m. start time, which irritated Lalonde.
“Absolutely awful,” Lalonde said, according to Ansar Khan of MLive.com. “And I see the big picture. But I’m not sure why our fans, who are as loyal and passionate as they come, have to come to the rink at 8:23 a.m. My family will not be present. As a result, they’ll be staying at home tonight.
“We play a lot of back-to-backs, some of which are difficult. It doesn’t bother me. It comes with the territory of being the Detroit Red Wings. People want to see us because we’re interesting. We assist the league with TV and other services, and this is one example.”
Alex DeBrincat, the Red Wings’ current NHL goals leader, was not as upset as his coach, claiming that his routine had not been significantly altered.
“Perhaps a little longer nap in the middle of the day,” DeBrincat said, according to Khan. “Almost everything else is the same.” It’s only been an hour. It isn’t too bad.”
Detroit eventually lost 5-4 in overtime, with Jordan Eberle scoring the game-winning goal with five seconds remaining. In the process, the Red Wings’ five-game winning streak was snapped.
Despite the loss, the Red Wings have been one of the biggest surprises so far in the 2023-24 season, going 5-1-1. However, whether their hot streak will last is debatable.
