The "we" refers to McLellan and his top assistant, Trent Yawney, who joined the Wings at Christmas. This year's spring meltdown to some degree looks worse because the Wings did so well the first two months since the change in coaching staff, stringing together two seven-game winning streaks.

"There’s still time," Dylan Larkin said after scoring his team's only goal. "I wish we would have capitalized – it felt like we were right there to get points again. It’s hard to say that every night, but we just did it to ourselves. We have to find a way to start winning."

The Red Wings might have young players in key roles, but they aren’t exactly a young team. More than half of their top-10 skaters in ice time are vets.