"He didn't come in guns blazing": HC Todd McLellan discloses Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman's involvement in post-Derek Lalonde era

On December 27, the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs one day after hiring Todd McLellan as their new head coach to replace Derek Lalonde. But what followed was an entirely different setup with the same players who helped them go 7-0-0, their longest win run since 2012, which was halted on Tuesday by the San Jose Sharks.

While McLellan should be credited for the turnaround, general manager Steve Yzerman's backing also helped. After their game against the Sharks, McLellan opened up about the smooth transition process. After handing over the responsibilities of the team, Yzerman took a back seat and let the new coaching staff do its job.

"Well, he, you know what? He hired us. He put us in place. He wanted us to formulate some of our own opinions about players," McLellan said. "I think he values that. He didn't come in guns blazing and say, 'Hey, this player plays this way or that way, or anything like that'. He and I have had a pretty good relationship for a long time.

"So we've had some real, honest and frank discussions about the team and the direction, and I appreciate that. It certainly helped Trent and I come in blind where we could have those conversations about what it feels like to be around the team, and what it might be missing, not ingredient wise, but just from a spirit standpoint."

"So he's been very helpful and it's been a good thing. Then he backed off and said, you guys figure it out. See what you know, see what you come up with. Formulate your own opinions. So to this point, it's been a good transition," McLellan added. [9:10]

Tough road trip coming for the Detroit Red Wings

After battling through adversity that has plagued most of the first half of their season, the Red Wings now have a chance to capitalize especially because they are sitting four points away from the second playoff wild card spot of the Eastern Conference.

But things are going to get harder for Todd McLellan's team as they statistically have the toughest remaining schedule. They will play the majority of their NHL games on the road (23) and the most games against clubs currently in the playoff spots (27).

It begins with a road trip against the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars and the Philadephia Flyers. The first three are playoff contenders while the Flyers are currently equal on points with the Red Wings making each of these games crucial for McLellan's team.