Detroit Red Wings: ‘We didn’t respond’ against Colorado Avalanche
Detroit Red Wings Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher & Todd McLellan, Jan. 31, 2026 in Detroit.
Todd McLellan rattled off a litany of things he didn’t like about the Detroit Red Wings’ latest performance, and then a litany of things they need to look at in order to regain their footing.
The Wings head into their last two games before the Olympic break, both on the road, and the first against a team that just leveled them. The Colorado Avalanche await the Wings again on Monday, Feb. 2, in Denver, having just picked them part Saturday in Detroit.
That 5-0 loss was what the Wings deserved; they looked flat after failing to generate anything during two power plays in the first period. The Avalanche, on the other hand, just kept building.
“We just didn’t have a response to their offense,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “They got to what they like to do and we kind of just watched a little bit.”
The Avs top the NHL standings, but were missing three key players from their lineup and had lost four of their last five games. They’re not invincible, the Wings just made them look that way with a performance that deserved nothing but criticism.
“A lack of energy, a lack of drive, a lack of execution,” McLellan said. “You can’t have all of those things disappear at one point and expect to have success. I didn’t think we skated well at all. I didn’t think we passed real well at all, which affects your skating. And then when it was time to do some of the harder, the heavier things, battles, 50-50s loose stuff, the foot races, they were much better than we were.
“We’ve got to fix something.”
It’s been a week since the Wings returned from a three-game road trip with five points, and there was a consensus among players and McLellan that this season, when they’ve hit a ditch, they’ve been able to to drive themselves out. Now they’re trying to gain traction after picking up just one point from a three-game home stand.
“We have to figure out why we’re flat,” McLellan said. “There’s different reasons for that. One is lack of focus. And if there’s a lack of focus, then that’s on all of us to get it back and make sure we’re executing. It could be that you get stale with line mates and it’s not working. It could be complacency that slips in and you’re okay with what’s going on and that’s wrong. We have to fix that.
“It could be a bit of a fatigue factor. And if it is that, then we’ve got to suck it up. We have six periods left. And those could be the deciding points. If we aren’t completely willing to dig in and get after them, then regret comes in many different ways and at many different times. Or we can dig in and at least give ourselves an opportunity.”
The Wings (32-18-6) are still in second place in the Atlantic Division, but the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins are within close chase. And most of the players in the room should still remember the lesson from 2023-24, when the Wings missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker. That’s how valuable a single point can be. Feeling sorry or frustrated over how things have gone these last few games can’t fester.
“The outside, the rest of the hockey world doesn’t care,” McLellan said. “We have to care. We have to get it back on track. This is what it feels like to be in a battle and in a race, and that’s good for us to be in it. But the fact that we’re in it, we have to respect the opportunity that we have.”
These last two weeks have shown the Wings playing some of their best hockey, during the road trip, and then coming home and looking progressively worse.
“You’re going to have ups and downs,” J.T. Compher said. “It’s stopping the downs. Todd said during the game that when it’s going bad, you’ve got to stop it. And it doesn’t mean it goes all the way back up to the best level you’ve got. It’s just got to inch back upwards.
“There’s a ton of belief in our room. There’s a lot of confidence in our room. And we’ve done it all year. We just need to return to that level.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
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Detroit Lions podcast includes Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
Nolan and Richard are joined by Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
By this point in the offseason, it’s well documented who the Detroit Lions have added, as well as who they’ve lost.
Former Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays was the prize of free agency. He’ll replace Graham Glasgow in the middle of Detroit’s offensive line. Clemson’s Blake Miller, selected 17th overall in April’s draft, is poised to quickly take over at the tackle spot opposite Penei Sewell, stepping in for Taylor Decker. The pass rush was overhauled across from Aidan Hutchinson, with Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy being the only other edge defenders still on the roster from last season.
Today, we’ll try to take our analysis a step further, identifying a few patterns within Detroit’s offseason approach and exploring what those acquisitions, retentions and departures mean for a Lions team looking to bounce back and reemerge as a title contender in 2026.
Detroit’s offense had its own share of issues throughout 2025. But what the defense produced down the stretch with the season on the line failed to meet reasonable expectations. Opponents averaged 28.1 points and 382.1 yards per game from Weeks 12-18, a stretch that resulted in four losses. Pinning all of Detroit’s defensive woes on one factor would be foolish (and you can’t ignore the role injuries played), but an inconsistent, at best, pass rush certainly didn’t help. The Lions owned the third-slowest time to pressure (2.86 seconds) in the NFL last season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Aside from the retooling opposite Hutchinson, the Lions also seemingly put an emphasis on acquiring interior defensive linemen who can get after the passer. Levi Onwuzurike is back after his contract tolled last season — Josh Paschal, a run-defending lineman who also had his contract tolled but was released in March, wasn’t afforded the same opportunity — and the Lions spent a couple of late-round draft picks on Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howard and Tennessee’s Tyre West. Both players were drafted because of the flashes they’ve shown as pass rushers, particularly Gill-Howard, whose win rate in 2025 (14.4%) ranked 10th out of the 512 FBS interior defenders who rushed the passer on at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Copying the Super Bowl champions isn’t always wise — every team’s personnel has its own set of skills — but it’s striking how much Detroit’s defense differed from that of the Seattle Seahawks, who rode their defense on the way to winning the franchise’s second title. The Lions led the league in use of base defense (three linebackers) last season, deploying those packages for 657 plays, according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks were last, with 66 plays. It was the opposite for use of nickel defense (five defensive backs), with the Seahawks leading the league (815) and the Lions at 32nd (355). Of course, Seattle is unique, given head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive system and nickelback Nick Emmanwori’s immediate impact as a rookie.
The Lions won’t overhaul their entire scheme in one offseason, but it’s difficult to see their moves in totality and not come away thinking they could lean more on nickel packages in 2026. Alex Anzalone, one of the league’s better linebackers against the pass, allowed the Lions to play base defense as much as they did, as he was comfortable in coverage. He’s now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions added a number of viable options to play nickelback next season, including veterans Christian Izien Jr. and Roger McCreary, as well as fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II (Arizona State).
Assuming the starting five, from left to right, winds up being Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Mays, Tate Ratledge and Miller, Detroit’s offensive line will have an average age of 25.2 next season. That’s down from 2025 (27.8) and 2024 (29.8). In no way does the influx of youth indicate surefire success, but the Lions would certainly be set up for sustained success if each of the five projected starters reach their ceilings. The offensive line could be even younger if 2025 fifth-rounder Miles Frazier, who is 11 months younger than Mahogany, wins the starting job at left guard. Juice Scruggs, another contender at left guard, is nine months older than Mahogany. Ben Bartch, 27, is the veteran option.
Whether Mays continues ascending at center will be key to Detroit’s success in 2026. He’s only started 20 games at the position over his four seasons in the NFL, and all of those starts have come within the last two years. He showed week-to-week growth in his 12 starts in 2025, enough for the Lions to commit $25 million ($14 million guaranteed) to him over the next three years. Mays surrendered 13 pressures last season and didn’t allow sack, according to PFF.
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How the PWHL unveiled Detroit’s team amid much fanfare
Chris Ilitch, Mary Sheffield, Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer talk about the PWHL Detroit team on May 6, 2026.
Josh Sciba comes to the Detroit Professional Women’s Hockey League team with a tremendous recent accolade.
Named to coach the ninth franchise in the PWHL’s history on Thursday, May 28, Sciba joins the team fresh off having served as an assistant coach with the women’s team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Olympics.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning,” Sciba said in a statement. “This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment.”
The Detroit PWHL team has taken shape over the past month: From being introduced on May 6 in a gala event at Little Caesars Arena (where the team will play starting late November/early December 2026) to naming Manon Rheaume general manager on May 15.
“Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader,” Rhéaume said in a release “Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”
Next on the agenda is shaping the roster itself, which will happen at the June 17 expansion draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Sciba, 41 and a native of Westland, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the PWHL’s New York Sirens and brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to the role.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
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