Gibson faces his former club as the red-hot Red Wings clash with a surging Ducks squad. Can Anaheim spoil his homecoming?
After the chaos of the Detroit Red Wings’ 4–3 win over the LA Kings on Thursday, the Motor City club is right back at it Friday night as they continue their California road trip with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. Winning both ends of a back-to-back is never easy, especially when both games are on the road, but the Wings are red-hot to start the season. Their 8–3–0 record marks just the fifth time in franchise history they’ve opened with eight wins, and the last three times that happened, Detroit went on to capture the Stanley Cup (10–2–2 in October 1997, 11–2–0 in October 2001, and 10–2–1 in October 2007).
They’ll look to keep that momentum going against a Ducks squad still trying to find its footing. Anaheim entered the season with hopes of taking a big step forward after adding several notable names to the lineup, but a 5–3–1 start has been up and down. The Ducks have, however, won three of their last four and will be skating in just their third home game of the year, aiming to finish the week strong with a much-needed victory.
Red Wings Pick Up 4-3 Shootout Victory After Would-Be Kings OT Winner Disallowed
The Detroit Red Wings picked up their third straight victory, beating the Los Angeles Kings by a 4-3 final score via the shootout after it initially appeared the Kings had won via an overtime power-play goal.
Lineup Storylines
This Ducks squad looks quite different from the one the Red Wings last faced, with new faces sprinkled throughout the lineup. However, several of Anaheim’s biggest offseason additions might not be available for this matchup, veterans Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund are both listed as questionable. If they can’t go, the Ducks could end up icing a lineup that closely resembles the one Detroit defeated 5–4 in overtime last February.
The most notable change comes from the departure of star forward Trevor Zegras, who was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for center Ryan Poehling and a pair of draft picks. Despite the roster turnover, Anaheim’s young talent has started to step up under the added responsibility of a team looking to push for the playoffs with the most notable case being Leo Carlsson. The 2023 second-overall pick is off to a stellar start with four goals and seven assists for a team-leading 11 points through nine games.
Carlsson will face a familiar opponent in this one with goaltender John Gibson, his former teammate. After spending 12 seasons with the Ducks, Gibson returns to Anaheim for the first time as a member of the Red Wings and will get the start in net. It’s a must-watch storyline, as the veteran netminder who carried the Ducks through some tough years in the 2010s now faces the franchise where he built his reputation as one of the league’s elite goaltenders.
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Red Wings Off to a Start That’s Written in Their Past Stanley Cup-Winning DNA
For the fifth time in franchise history, the Detroit Red Wings have won at least eight games in the month of October.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (+118) | ANA ML (-143)
DET +1.5 (-200) | ANA -1.5 (+165)
O/U 6.0 Goals
The Red Wings and Ducks have a history of tight, evenly contested games, with the two teams splitting their last 12 matchups at six wins apiece. Given the back-and-forth nature of this series, it could be the Anaheim’s turn to come out on top, especially with Detroit facing the disadvantage of a back-to-back.
Over the past two seasons, Detroit has played in 21 back-to-back sets, six of which featured consecutive road games, including one earlier this year. In those road back-to-backs, the Red Wings have swept once, split twice, and lost both games four times, most recently against Buffalo and the Islanders last week. Overall, they’ve managed four sweeps, nine splits, and eight losses in both games, suggesting the odds are stacked against them in these situations.
The Red Wings could find motivation in the storyline of John Gibson’s return against his former team, using it as a rallying point to push through fatigue and tackle another tough back-to-back challenge. To succeed, they’ll need contributions from the entire lineup, starting with second-line center Marco Kasper, who broke out Thursday with two goals and an assist.
Kasper has excelled against Anaheim, netting his first career goal against the Ducks last season and maintaining his strong performance in the matchup with a goal and an assist in each of his two career games versus them. His linemate, the red-hot Alex DeBrincat, should also keep Detroit’s offense rolling after scoring in three straight games, amassing three goals and three assists for six points over the last four contests.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 4-2-0 record, 3.20 GAA, .876 SV% | VS ANA: First Game)
Anaheim: Lukas Dostal Expected (Season: 3-3-1 record, 2.84 GAA, .906 SV% | VS DET: 2-1-1 record, 3.43 GAA, .894 SV% in Four Games)
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Drake’s OVO Brand Skates Into Detroit With New Red Wings Collection - Community Post
In a move that’s got both hockey fans and hip-hop heads buzzing, Drake’s lifestyle brand October’s Very Own (OVO) has revealed an upcoming collaboration with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings">Detroit Red Wings</a>.
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