Yzerman on Blashill....
“Jeff Blashill is a good hockey coach. He ran a really good program,” Yzerman said in a press conference on Monday afternoon. “I can certainly attest to what has been our program for the last three years because it’s been dictated by me. You cannot judge Jeff Blashill on the Detroit Red Wings’ record. I think you judge it on how he ran this program and how he conducted himself, and he was extremely professional in that.” He added: “Pardon the expression, but he ran a good program. This wasn’t a complete shitshow.”
Yzerman points to the defense as the biggest sore spot. “We’ve been unable to, with the group that we’ve had, specifically in that area, to get better,” Yzerman said. “To get our team to play, both individually and collectively, as a sounder defensive hockey team. And it’s been three years we’ve been trying."
“It hasn’t been a lack of discussion, a lack of effort on the coaching staff’s behalf, or trying. We just haven’t been able to do it. I look at this now as - that’s an area that’s going to need to improve. In order to do that, I’m going to bring in a new coach and see if he can’t do that with the group that we have.”