The Detroit Red Wings lost 4-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday to drop to 11-14-4. They are 1-4-2 in their last seven games with their one win coming in a shootout against the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has lost eight straight. Their playoff drought is already eight years long and this season is slipping away. Red Wings fans are pushing for head coach Derek Lalonde to be fired amid the skid.

@lobspeaker posted, “Lalonde has lost this team. No fight, no drive, no will to win.”

@MikeBartner declared, “If the Wings are a serious franchise, Lalonde will not be the coach tomorrow.”

And it is more than Detroit fans calling for this move. Podcaster Pete Blackburn posted, “Feel like it's becoming pretty clear Derek Lalonde isn't coaching the Red Wings next year so how long are they gonna wait to see what someone else can get outta that group? It's brutally stale.”

Flyers forward Scott Laughton scored all four goals in the win over the Red Wings. Coming into the game, he had only three goals for the entire season. While Detroit did not have incredible expectations this season, the rebuild is taking longer than anticipated.

There are plenty of moves that can be second-guessed but the Red Wings have to focus on the future. What can be done to support this core?

Red Wings must save this core by firing Derek Lalonde

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde looks on from behind the bench against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at PNC Arena
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While it may be too late for this season, the Red Wings should fire Derek Lalonde. There have been teams in worse situations that made the playoffs after firing their coach. They can just look to St Louis, where the Blues were in last place before firing Mike Yeo and won the Stanley Cup.

But the reality for general manager Steve Yzerman is this team is not good enough to compete. The young core is strong, with Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Lucas Raymond. But the free agency acquisitions of Ville Husso, Andrew Copp, and Ben Chiarott have not worked out.

The Red Wings are a team trying to power out of a rebuild and are very old at the same time. They are not in a good spot to make significant improvements at the trade deadline or in the offseason. Firing Lalonde may not be the answer, but it is the only possibility that could save this season.

The Red Wings are back in action at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.