Wherever Detroit Red Wings bench boss Derek Lalonde truly ranks among the most handsome NHL coaches, you apparently don’t want to see him when he’s angry.
Following a goalie interference coach’s challenge that didn’t go the Red Wings’ way, Lalonde lost it to the point that truly novice mouth readers could tell that he was saying some bad words. Ultimately, Lalonde uttered enough profanities and pointed criticism at officials to get ejected from the Red Wings’ eventual 7-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. David Perron had a hat trick in the third period to carry Detroit to victory as Lalonde watched from the locker room.
Lalonde, 50, moved to “.500” in his first season as an NHL head coach, as the Red Wings improved to 32-32-9. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that former Red Wings coach Jack Adams once received an ejection for punching a referee, so you can’t say this is the worst behavior ever seen from a Motown bench boss.
In early March, San Jose Sharks coach David Quinn was ejected for “conduct demeaning the officials,” and eventually faced a $25,000 fine, so we’ll see if Lalonde experiences the same treatment.
Painful loss for Pittsburgh
Don’t blame the Penguins and their fans if they’re tempted to drop their own F-bombs when they consider this missed opportunity.
After the Florida Panthers lost their fourth game in a row (all in regulation) on Monday, the Penguins had a chance to improve their margin for error in the playoff race. Instead, they sit at 82 points to Florida’s 79, with both teams having eight more games on their schedules. (The Islanders only have seven left, but have some room to breathe with 85 points.)
Pittsburgh’s now on a miserable 2-6-0 slump over its past eight games. Whether these stumbles cost them a playoff spot or not, the Penguins aren’t exactly loading up on “momentum” right now.
