What Is the State of the Red Wings Goaltending Room Through Five Games?

With five games played, how do things stand in the Red Wings' three-goaltender hydra?

Before the season began, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde described his team's three-goaltender system as "a positive problem," expressing optimism at having three options he trusted in net while also intimating that the optimal scenario was for a single dominant starter to emerge.  Five games into the season, where do things stand with Detroit's netminders?

First up, you have Ville Husso, who rode an excellent pre-season to an unlikely nod as Detroit's season opening starter.  In that outing, however, things unraveled and Husso gave up four goals on just 14 shots (at least three of them more than a little regrettable) before being pulled early in the second period.  In part due to salary cap constraints, Husso was then sent down to Grand Rapids, where he bounced back for his shutout in his first appearance with the Griffins.

Then, there's Cam Talbot, signed this summer to a two-year deal, ostensibly to take the reins in net.  Talbot made 12 saves on 14 shots in relief of Husso in the season opener, before posting a 42-save shutout against the Predators in his first start as a Red Wing.  However, his next outing showed a significant dip in form, with Talbot conceding five times on 19 shots against the Rangers last Thursday in Detroit.

Finally, there's Alex Lyon, last season's unlikely hero looking to prove he's capable of more.  Lyon's first start of the year came against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, where he stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced in a losing effort.  He then came on in relief against the Rangers, making 15 stops on 15 New York attempts.  Finally, on Saturday, he put up his best start of the season, making 37 stops on 29 shots to power Detroit's come-from-behind win in Nashville Saturday.

In the above featured video, I took stock of the three goaltenders based on those performances and discussed the path forward for the Red Wings in goal.