Alex Lyon Driving Detroit's Hot January
For the second time in his short tenure in Detroit, Alex Lyon's performance has swung the trajectory of the Red Wings' season
Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports - Alex Lyon Driving Detroit's Hot JanuaryAlex Lyon hasn't been a Detroit Red Wing long, but twice already in this his first year in Hockeytown, the Yale-trained goaltender has swung the trajectory of his team's season.
Lyon spent the first month and change of his time as a Red Wing not just on the bench but in fact in the press box, relegated to the third slot in Detroit's goaltending depth chart.
Then, with the Red Wings in Sweden and Ville Husso having to make a sudden trip back stateside to join his wife for the birth of their daughter, Lyon's number was called for a spot start against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Detroit's second Global Series game.
The end result was a disappointing 3-2 loss after a blown third-period lead, but Lyon made 26 of 29 saves and showed a remarkable confidence for a goaltender who hadn't faced game action since the preseason.
When the Red Wings got back to the States, they rattled off six wins in seven games (with Lyon the goaltender of record for four of those victories), and suddenly, the sting of a point-less trip to Sweden was forgotten. Detroit was back in the playoff race.
Then, after a dreadful December (in which Lyon was alternately injured and ineffective, and the Red Wings' postseason fortunes once again looked doomed), Lyon has been the primary driver of an outstanding January for Detroit. He has earned a .927 save percentage, 2.47 goals against average, and 6-1-1 record.
On the most recent episode of THN Detroit's podcast The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed Lyon's excellent recent form and integral importance to the Red Wings' success of late. Here's a sample of that conversation:
You can find full episodes of The Silky Mitten State on Apple Podcasts and Spotify:
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