5 gifts for the Detroit Red Wings this holiday season
By Tyler Kotila
![Dec 20, 2023; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) celebrates his Dec 20, 2023; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane (88) celebrates his](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2832,h_1593,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/76/01hjbx8qb76vhc9devz5.jpg)
Derek Lalonde is a gift to the Detroit Red Wings.
Yup. You read that right. Being the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Derek Lalonde is the right move. It's a gift. It's incredible how quickly this fanbase is ready to jump ship. When Jeff Blashill was at the end of his road in Detroit, everyone hated him and wanted him gone. They wanted Blashill gone for a long time, and it was apparent.
Yet, some folks openly said they wished they had Blashill back over Lalonde. Come on now. The Detroit Red Wings bringing in Newsy to serve as bench boss has been good. The team gels well with one another, and then it's going good, it's great.
Now, I'm not saying Lalonde is Scotty Bowman or the guy who's going to be some hero of a coach. He's got plenty to clean up and a lot of work to do to get this team back on track and out of the rut they are in, but Detroit has to keep plugging away, hoping that they can get out of it.
Lalonde is the right man for the job. There's room to ask questions and be concerned with Lalonde, but marching down to Little Caesars Arena with pitchforks calling for Lalonde's head is insane. If anything, let's fire Bob Boughner first, or take a look at the staff surrounding Lalonde because not all of them are guys he brought in with him.
The Red Wings are working to right the ship right now, and a lot still needs to be done, but bailing on Lalonde right now is a bit extreme. Sure, it's a conversation to be had if Detroit throws away the entire season. But the Red Wings are still a long way down the drain.
In the holiday spirit, give the guy a break. Lalonde deserves a gift from the fans, in my opinion. Water always finds its level, and the Red Wings will snap out of this rut.
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