Thanks to another strong performance in net by goaltender John Gibson, the Detroit Red Wings picked up two huge points in the standings on Monday evening.
The Detroit Red Wings picked up a badly-needed two points on Monday evening, securing a 5-2 victory over the lowly Calgary Flames at Little Caesars Arena.
Future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane scored twice, while the Red Wings also got goals from Emmitt Finnie, Moritz Seider, and Dominik Shine (empty-net).
They also got 25 saves from goaltender John Gibson, who turned in another strong performance for Detroit, who can now turn their attention toward the impending divisional clash against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
"It's nice, enjoy it, and get ready for Thursday; you can't dwell on any games," Gibson said afterward of the win. "It's too close. But it's exciting. You ask anybody, and this is what you want to be playing for; you can't be nervous (about) the pressure. You have to take it head-on and have fun with it."
Gibson had to be sharp early after a turnover in Detroit's own defensive zone led to a direct chance in front of the net from Joel Farabee; he robbed his golden chance with a windmill-style glove save.
Had Calgary scored in the first minute of the contest, it may have turned out completely different.
"It's my job, doesn't matter if it's a breakaway or a shot from the red line," Gibson said of his key early save. "You gotta make the saves."
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Gibson has been one of the NHL's best goaltenders since the beginning of January, and his swagger between the pipes has aided the Red Wings.
Head coach Todd McLellan made special note of not only how well Gibson has played, but the communication he provides to the team at the bench during television timeouts.
“I don't know if you could put a number on how big it is, but you can just feel it, Gibby does have that swagger," McLellan said. "When he comes to the bench during the timeouts, and he's in total control and command of the game, and he sees things that the forwards and D need as reminders, he's barking, and they're listening."
“Once that started, his game really started to go. It's still like that, and it's huge. You have to have goaltending at this time of the year.”
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