DETROIT — Maybe coach Derek Lalonde had an inkling of things to come after Tuesday's morning skate.
Lalonde was asked about the Red Wings' fine start to this season, and the fact Lalonde has begun hearing about the heightened expectations and maybe an exaggeration of how well the Wings have played during a 3-0-2 start which made the only team left in the NHL without a regulation loss.
Make that 3-1-2, now. There are no more teams without a regulation loss. Sure enough, the Devils came into Little Caesars Arena and defeated the Wings 6-2.
It's as if Lalonde was somewhat prophetic.
"I had someone tell me (Tuesday morning) we're the only team without a regulation loss," said Lalonde after the morning skate. "I want to be like, 'pump the brakes.' Even analytically we're an average five-on-five team. We need to improve. We've gotten outstanding goaltending, and our special teams to date have been very good.
"We're still a long way to go to be a top team or even be in the conversation of being a middle (of the) pack team in this league."
It's not like Lalonde has not enjoyed the fine start. There are many areas the Wings have looked real good in, and Lalonde has been quick to praise those things.
The winning, also, has helped players adjust and accept the new ways of playing and doing things from the coaching staff.
"Anytime you're building a new process, if you get results, it helps," Lalonde said. "We'll go through many games this year where we don't get results with a good process and vice versa. The process has been pretty good, the buy-ins pretty good.
"And fortunately, we've been rewarded. It's exciting. Sometimes it's a little easier to teach from winning. You want to get rewarded when the process is good and right now it has been."
Tuesday's game began well enough.
Dylan Larkin scored just 2 minutes, 56 seconds into the game converting a centering pass from Dominik Kubalik (Kubalik's ninth point in six games).
Against a Devils team that the Wings played so well against in a victory during the opening weekend in New Jersey, you felt maybe the Wings were on their way to another positive evening.
Kubalik then scored his fourth goal and 10th point (in six games) at 8:17 of the third period, cutting the Devils lead to 4-2.
But in between, the Devils were a much better team (New Jersey outshot the Wings 41-22) and Nico Hischier's goal at 15:38 of the third period gave the Devils the 5-2 lead they wouldn't lose. Jesper Bratt scored his second goal to make it 6-2 less than a minute later.
"We've done a lot of good things, not great," Lalonde said. "You've seen holes in our play, ups and downs, but right now we're getting results. I want our team to get incrementally better, win, lose or draw.
"We did that from Friday (overtime loss in Chicago) to Sunday (5-1 victory over Anaheim). Us working to get above pucks, skating to get to certain areas within our structure. With that said, it's five games. You want to be cautious. Right now, we're an average five-on-five team that is competing very hard."
The Devils received goals from Dawson Mercer, Jack Hughes, Bratt (two goals including a power play), Yegor Sharangovich (shorthanded), and Hischier.
The goals from Bratt and Sharangovich to begin the second period extended a 2-1 Devils lead. Bratt's goal ended a perfect, 17-for-17 Wings' streak on the penalty kill to open the season. Bratt one timed a pass from Hughes, past goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic at 43 seconds of the second period.
Sharangovich made it 4-1 off a two-on-rush, shorthanded, beating Nedeljkovic from the dot at 4:54.
Lalonde said he and general manager Steve Yzerman are in lockstep when it comes to keeping the expectations realistic and under control.
"He's big picture," Lalonde said. "Results are great, but he really looks at the process. It's good right now, it's not great. We rarely talk about a win or loss It's we did this, and we did that. It's a small sample size but some of these free agent signings are filling holes right now, so that's exciting for the big picture."
