The Detroit Red Wings fired Derek Lalonde after the Christmas break to try and spark the team. Veteran head coach Todd McLellan took over behind the bench to lead the team on a full-time basis. McLellan brought a wealth of experience to the Motor City, and so far, they have responded. The Red Wings are on a four-game winning streak. According to Patrick Kane, they are starting to feel themselves a bit.

Kane spoke with reporters recently about his team's recent surge. Detroit is now 17-18-4 on the year, good for 38 points. This places them three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. With half the season left, Detroit is suddenly playing meaningful hockey. This has helped the team's confidence on the ice.

“These are exciting times, exciting changes to our game to help us play a little bit more aggressive and be on our toes, and I think everyone wants to play like that. I think we’re all getting more confident by the day,” Kane said, via NHL.com.

Patrick Kane, Red Wings must continue building under Todd McLellan

Todd McLellan is aware that his team has played through a new coach bump. He likened it to a honeymoon phase early in a marriage. “When you get home from the honeymoon, the real world kicks in, and it becomes work every day. We’re probably in that phase now,” the Red Wings coach said, via NHL.com.

The Red Wings have certainly benefitted from having a new voice in the locker room. It has brought the team some needed wins, as well. Their most recent win came against the Winnipeg Jets, one of the best teams in the league. No matter what, the team has made some positive changes. At this point, it's about building upon what has worked.

“Yeah, you can say what you want about it being the honeymoon period and whatnot, but I think we’ve made some changes to our game that will help us no matter what time frame we’re in with the coach,” Kane said, via NHL.com. “And I think you’ve got to take advantage of it.”

The Red Wings have a massive game with potential playoff implications coming up on their schedule. They take on the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night in a game that could bring them on the bring of the final Wild Card spot. Let's see if Detroit can bring home a fifth consecutive game and continue making a statement under their new head coach.