“We didn’t start well in New York, and we never got it going. So certainly there’s the on-ice product that has to be worked on, but there’s the between-ears part that has to be managed as well.”

An issue that hindered the Red Wings in recent years was their inability to deal with adversity. When things went against them the other way, they weren’t fully able to get it back going the other direction.

In this two-game losing streak, some bad habits emerged again.

“I didn’t think we’ve (handled adversity) on this road trip,” McLellan said. “We haven’t done a real good job of handling it, and that’s a huge area of growth for this team.

“When it doesn’t go your way, how do you respond?”

After Saturday’s home game against St. Louis, the Wings go on the road again, this time for a five-game trip that eventually heads west. The Wings say they need to create some sort of momentum before going on the road.

They hope the back-to-back losses fuel an urgent response.

“We didn’t have anything going on,” said captain Dylan Larkin, who has scored a point in all eight games this season, of Thursday’s loss. “We didn’t do a good job enough job of anything. We lost the net battles, battles all over the ice. Our penalty kill was good but you can’t lose that many battles in a hockey game.

“Hopefully we get rest (Friday, a complete day off) and then get the emotion back and juice back for the home game (Saturday). Then kind of figure it out on the road. It’ll be a tough trip. We have to find energy and get our spirit going.”

Danielson activated

The Wings activated forward Nate Danielson from injured non-roster and assigned him to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Authorities said that Saida and four other children were playing in Ryan Park, near the Dearborn border in east Detroit, on Oct. 8, 2024. Lansky, of Detroit, allegedly approached Saida, grabbed her head, tilted it back and slashed her throat. Saida kicked him and escaped.

While she has fully recovered from the physical injuries, Ayad said the young girl will likely always carry with her the trauma she endured that day.

“Forever she will be haunted by this, traumatized by this and is currently seeking therapy and probably will for the rest of her life,” he said.

Lansky has been charged with assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. Ayad said Lansky is currently in the process of being evaluated for competency to stand trial. Online records show he remains behind bars at the Wayne County Jail, held on a $2 million bond.

An attorney for Lansky did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Following the alleged attack last year, advocates called on state and federal authorities to prosecute the case as a hate crime. Ayad believes Lansky, who is White, specifically targeted Saida based on her race. She was the only Arab American girl in the park that day, he said; all other children were Black.

After Saida ran away from her attacker, Lansky then approached the girl’s grandmother, who was in the park with her, Ayad said. The older woman was wearing a hijab, making her a target for a hate-based attack, advocates said. Lansky allegedly fled the scene after Saida and other children began to scream.

“My daughter still smiles sometimes but it’s not the same smile. It’s the kind of smile that hides tears,” Saida’s mother, Amirah Sharan, said in a statement read by attorney William Savage during Wednesday’s press conference. “… As a mother, it’s the worst pain imaginable to see your child hurt and know there’s nothing you can do about it.”

mreinhart@detroitnews.com

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