"Don't let him coach another game": HC Derek Lalonde faces fans' ire after Detroit Red Wings' 6-2 loss to Winnipeg Jets

The Detroit Red Wings faced a 6-2 defeat against the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, marking their third straight loss. Detroit fans on social media expressed disappointment with the team's performance that fell short of their expectations.

Neal Pionk scored two goals, helping the Jets clinch the win. The Jets capitalized on the power play with a 66.7% success rate on two out of three attempts. However, the Jets faced challenges in face-offs, winning only 38.9%, and were outshot, managing only 21 shots compared to Detroit’s 29.

Fans criticized the Detroit Red Wings' direction and questioned leadership decisions as the team's X (formerly Twitter) page posted the final score of the game.

Some fans vented their ire on Detroit coach Derek Lalonde, with one saying

"Don’t let him coach another game."

"Fire the damn coach are you dumb????," another fan commented.

Some fans also questioned general manager Steve Yzerman’s “Yzerplan,” raising concerns about the Detroit Red Wings' long-term direction.

"20 shots, team is lifeless (again). Yzerplan has been an utter failure so far. Accept your mistakes, fire lalonde and try a new coach. If that doesn’t work sell at the deadline and try to get another top 10 pick," one X user said.

"They are now the dead wings. Lelonde and Yzerman need to go. Six years and still nothing. Yzerman plan is dead. Time to move on," one fan said.

"Oh no wings are still garbage year 5 Steve not much progress 🤷‍♂️ nobody wants to play for losing team," a fan commented.

"Time for a change with head coach, give me a break. Make the change," a fan added.

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Detroit Red Wings' second-period push not enough to secure win

The Winnipeg Jets built a strong 3-0 lead in the first period. Gabriel Vilardi scored first at 2:48, followed by Neal Pionk at 4:02. Kyle Connor made it 3-0 at 15:44, marking his 500th NHL point.

The Detroit Red Wings tried to catch up in the second period. Dylan Larkin scored on a power play at 8:13, and Alex DeBrincat added another power-play goal at 17:40, closing the gap to 3-2.

The Jets pulled ahead again in the third. Nino Niederreiter scored just 10 seconds in, making it 4-2. Pionk scored his second goal at 7:19, and Colin Miller added one more at 10:25 for the final 6-2 score.

Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves, helping the Jets improve to a 9-1-0 record. Their only loss was against the Maple Leafs (6-4) in their previous game. The Jets are sitting at the top of the Central Division standings with 18 points.