Does Daniil Tarasov Deserve More Runway Following Hot Start, John Gibson's Early Season Struggles?

It has been a rough start to the season for Detroit Red Wings starter John Gibson, opening the year with a 1-3-1 record, a 3.76 goals-against average and a .863 save percentage.

Heading into a contract year, many hoped the 33-year-old would put together a season similar to his first in Hockeytown, when he posted very solid numbers across the board, including a 2.72 goals-against average. 

Instead, the early going has been a struggle and Gibson hasn't gotten much help from the group in front of him, but he has also allowed some costly goals, and that could push head coach Todd McLellan toward a change.

Backup Daniil Tarasov has made that decision more interesting as through his first two starts, he has a 1-0-1 record with just one goal against, and his .974 save percentage currently leads the NHL.

The underlying numbers back him up with Tarasov recording 4.0 goals saved above expected, the ninth-best mark in the league, and he has stopped every high-danger chance he has faced. It's a small sample of just six shots, but he has turned them all aside. He is also the league leader in save percentage on unblocked shots at .990 this season.

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Gibson's numbers tell a different story with his .758 save percentage on high-danger chances, sitting below the league average of .810, and his .794 mark on mid-danger chances is well short of the .879 league average. His one bright spot is long-distance shots, where he has been perfect. That could be a building block, but he needs to start making saves in the danger areas.

With Gibson struggling and Tarasov among the league's best, the question is whether Detroit should give Gibson more rest, allowing him to work through the slow start and make adjustments without the pressure of a nightly workload.

It is still early, and a goaltender with Gibson's résumé is unlikely to struggle for long. But with Tarasov playing at an elite level, McLellan has a viable alternative, and the margin for error is shrinking. A few extra days off for Gibson, paired with more starts for Tarasov, could give the veteran time to reset while keeping the Red Wings competitive in the meantime.

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