Goaltender John Gibson’s strong recent play has steadied Detroit and sparked a Red Wings turnaround.
John Gibson is starting to look right at home in Detroit.
The veteran goaltender has been red hot for the Red Wings as of late, winning five straight starts and not losing in regulation in six consecutive outings. Over that five-game surge, Gibson has delivered two sensational shutouts and stopped 157 of 167 shots, good for a .940 save percentage while allowing just 10 goals.
The recent run has helped stabilize a Red Wings team that badly needed consistency in net. On the season, Gibson now owns a 9-7-1 record with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage, numbers that continue to trend upward with every impactful start.
While the surface results have been impressive, Gibson still has room to grow analytically. His 1.4 goals saved above expected ranks bottom five among goaltenders with at least 18 starts, and his 0.23 wins above replacement remains modest.
Those figures are expected to rise if his current form continues with another area to monitor being his performance in high-pressure situations. Gibson currently carries a .742 save percentage on unblocked high-danger chances, ranking bottom seven among qualifying netminders, a byproduct of his slow start to the season as well as poor defense around him letting up quality scoring chances for opponents.
Detroit’s turnaround follows a challenging stretch after its strong start to the season, when the club won eight of its first 11 games before stumbling through a 10-loss stretch over the next 15. During that span, a lack of secondary scoring forced the top line to shoulder most of the offense, while defensive lapses and uneven goaltending made it difficult for the Red Wings to stay in games.
That trend has begun to reverse as Gibson now looks increasingly comfortable, flashing the form he showed during the 2015-16 season when he recorded a .920 save percentage and established himself among the league’s best.
The steadier play in net has gone hand in hand with improved depth scoring, as veterans James van Riemsdyk and Andrew Copp have found their touch in recent weeks. With contributions coming from both ends of the ice, Detroit has posted a 5-1-1 record over its last seven games.
Gibson’s pedigree is well established as from 2015 to 2018, he was among the league’s elite, compiling a 77-47-20 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage over 152 appearances. He finished his Ducks tenure with 506 games played, posting a 204-217-63 record with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
The Red Wings acquired Gibson from Anaheim during the summer draft, sending Petr Mrazek along with a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Ducks.
Anaheim, shifting toward a younger core, moved on from their longtime starter as Lukas Dostal earned a larger share of the workload. Several teams including the Oilers, Mammoth, Sharks and Flyers reportedly explored deals, but Detroit emerged with the Pittsburgh native.
If his current form holds, the Red Wings may be seeing a return of the goaltender who once stood among the NHL’s best, and his play could prove pivotal as Detroit looks to build towards their first playoff berth in almost a decade.
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