​The Detroit Red Wings are 0-2, have scored only two goals and are still searching for their first victory of the 2026-27 season. Todd McLellan, however, has no interest in watching his team start acting like the season is already slipping away.Detroit fell behind by three goals Sunday afternoon before mounting a serious comeback in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Little Caesars Arena. The comeback ultimately fell short, but McLellan saw something in his players that mattered almost as much as the final score this early in the season.They were angry. They were frustrated.They were not defeated.McLellan Has No Interest in PanicAfter the loss, McLellan delivered a pointed message about the mentality he saw on Detroit’s bench once Winnipeg built its lead. His description made it clear that being 0-2 has not created anything resembling surrender inside the Red Wings dressing room.“The guys on the bench are pissed when we’re down. They’re not happy, but no one is digging graves. They’re trying to dig themselves out. I didn’t think the effort, or anything, sagged. In fact, we pushed a little bit. You could feel the building get some energy, and that certainly helped us. We’re appreciative for that,” McLellan said.The “no one is digging graves” line perfectly summarizes where McLellan believes Detroit stands after two games. The results are disappointing, but he does not see a team feeling sorry for itself or mentally checking out when things go wrong.That distinction matters for a team already dealing with plenty of outside noise. Detroit entered the season with Dylan Larkin’s trade request hanging over the organization, Simon Edvinsson’s uncertain future generating questions and a fan base that made its frustration very clear during Opening Night.Red Wings Showed the Response McLellan WantedSunday certainly did not begin like a team headed for a positive night. Winnipeg scored three power-play goals and carried a 3-0 lead into the latter stages of the second period, putting Detroit in danger of getting run out of its own building.Instead, Viktor Arvidsson finally gave the Red Wings their first goal of the season late in the second period. Emmitt Finnie then scored early in the third to make it 3-2, turning what looked like a comfortable Winnipeg victory into a game that came down to the final seconds.Detroit nearly completed the comeback. Lucas Raymond had chances around the net with John Gibson pulled for an extra attacker, but Winnipeg goaltender Stuart Skinner kept the puck out and preserved the victory.The loss still counts exactly the same in the standings. The way Detroit responded, however, gave McLellan evidence that his players were not folding when the game turned against them.Detroit’s Five-on-Five Defense Is Giving McLellan HopeThere is another reason McLellan is refusing to overreact to Detroit’s winless start. The Red Wings have gone six periods without allowing a five-on-five goal.That is an encouraging dev