Derek Lalonde raises eyebrows with latest lineup decision

There may not be another head coach in the National Hockey League who is under a bigger microscope right now than Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde, who by in large has been a massive disappointment in his short tenure with Detroit.

Inexplicable lineup decisions, bizarre postgame press conferences, an strange refusal to call timeouts, an inability to have his team prepared to play in must-win situations, and others are just some of the things that have drawn the ire of fans since he arrived in 2022. 

And according to one notable Red Wings beat writer, Lalonde is planning on once again trotting out the same lineup for tomorrow night's crucial game against the Carolina Hurricanes. That includes defenseman Jeff Petry, who flubbed a prime scoring chance by electing to pass on an empty net, and forward Austin Czarnik, who has racked up one single point all season while sitting Daniel Sprong, one of Detroit's key goal scorers. 

The only change is that James Reimer, who has played well enough in his last few starts, will be between the pipes. 

The Athletic's Max Bultman reported the following: 

"Lalonde planning on going with same group tomorrow in Carolina but with Reimer in net. Liked the Czarnik line last night. Did say if Walman were to be cleared, they'd probably find a spot for him, but that remains to be seen if he's close enough to go."

And not surprisingly, the responses to the reported lineup decisions were less than positive. 

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