Detroit Red Wings sympathize with booing fans, welcome holiday break

The Detroit Red Wings are connected on one issue: They need the holiday break to try to find a little cheer. When they emerge on Friday to host the Toronto Maple Leafs, the hope within the locker room is that three days off will have worked as a restorative balm, and that the Wings can rediscover what works for them. They certainly didn't have it going into the break while losing three consecutive games — the latter of which was especially bleak. It's one thing to be embarrassed on the road, as the Wings were Saturday night in Montreal. But to hear fans at Little Caesars Arena boo the performance that led to Monday's 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues? The Wings had no defense. "They’re frustrated," captain Dylan Larkin said. "We’re frustrated. They’re rightfully so frustrated. When you play at home on a big night like tonight, with the holiday coming up, it’s usually a great crowd. We didn’t give them any reason to cheer and have a good night. We feel it. It’s just a disappointing effort and disappointing game for playing on home ice before a holiday." WINGS MAILBAG: A not very merry playoff outlook and airing grievances Larkin and coach Derek Lalonde both brought up how disconnected the Wings (13-17-4) have looked over the past three games. "It’s hard to make excuses," Larkin said. "When you show to play, you have to show up to play. We just don’t have enough guys doing that right now, myself included. We have to be committed to compete and we’re just not doing that. We’re very disconnected, the forwards from the D on the ice, wingers from centermen. There’s a lot of disconnect. We’re not getting anything accomplished. "I never really think our work ethic is poor. We have a bunch of guys that work hard. It’s just we’re working hard and not accomplishing anything." Lalonde described the Wings as looking "not connected. A little out of rhythm. The break is coming at a really good time. Our last two and a half games, we’re definitely searching. A little fragile maybe. It’s frustrating the way this home stand started. We need the break. It’s coming at a really good time." For Lalonde, the boos showed "frustration because this group has shown it at times. We’re not a perfect team, but we’ve shown the ability to play at a pretty good level." COACH SPEAK: Detroit Red Wings' Derek Lalonde on job security: 'You just don't think about it' It's exactly the dichotomy of how the Wings can play like they did when they beat the Leafs Dec. 14, and then play so poorly in back-to-back losses to the Canadiens. Even the lack of top-pair defenseman Simon Edvinsson in three games and second-pair workhorse Ben Chiarot on Monday doesn't explain the lackluster work ethic against the Blues. "Dichotomy is a good word," Lalonde said. "I will say this, I think there’s care in the group. I think it’s there. But that’s exactly the question — how can you look so good against Toronto and then have this three-game stretch? Probably a little of that is just being connected and having some rhythm in our game. Maybe a little fragile with the group. Again, we need the break. We need a little recharge. "It’s not a very good spot to be in but I just think it’s about finding our game. We’ve had moments when we’ve find our game. Live in the moment and our moment is break, recharge and try to get our game back in order against Toronto." The Wings have been pretty good about not letting frustration be a distraction, but the dreariness has grown, and getting away from it for a few days is a welcome reprieve. "t’s been difficult to come to the rink and continue to build yourself up and then have performances like this," Larkin said. "So get away and spend time with your family and when we come back, we have to get something going." Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.