Last night, the Detroit Red Wings made a statement. Despite captain Dylan Larkin's injury, they pulled off an adrenaline-pumping battle against the Montreal Canadiens, ending the night with a 3-1 victory.
Believe it or not, last night's achievement was acually a record. Brian Fisher of Locked on Red Wings reported that the Red Wings are the first team to defeat the Habs in regulation with above a .900 save percentage. The game had everything: an adrenaline-pumping atmosphere, gritty physicality and a highlight reel-worthy go-ahead goal that got everyone in Little Caesar's Arena off their feet.
As far as victories go, the Red Wings couldn't have asked for a more opportune one.
These four takeaways from last night's game should fuel the engines of Hockeytown for the foreseeable future.
The Red Wings didn't back down from a challenge
At no point in the game did the Red Wings look prepared to roll over and accept their fate. Emmitt Finine has leaned heavily into his new role. Marco Kasper outworked former first overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky at nearly every outing. Best of all, the Red Wings weren't afraid to throw hits and impose their will upon the Habs. The environment felt like a playoff game. The pure grit and physicality the Red Wings showcased in the face of adversity proves that this team is not the Red Wings of the past.
"It was loud in here, we felt the energy. It's great. Hopefully it's like this the rest of the year," Alex DeBrincat said in a post-game interview. "We're playing well right now, we just gotta stick to the process and win some games."
DeBrincat's dominance
Alex DeBrincat posted his second three point game in a row, setting up two goals and providing a highlight reel-worthy go-ahead goal to put the Red Wings up. He's the sixth-fastest Red Wing in history to reach 100 goals with the team, putting up his 34th on the season last night. DeBrincat leads the team in scoring and will be leaned on heavily for even-strength scoring until Larkin makes his return.
John Gibson's show-stopping performance
John Gibson is everything the Red Wings hoped he'd be and more. Tonight was no exception. Gibson stopped 31 of 32 shots, many of which could've easily gone in on any other circumstance. Gibson currently sports a 26-15-3 record. His record this season is the best Detroit has had since Petr Mrazek all the way back in 2015-16.
While a win/loss record is typically seen as a team stat, Gibson's four shutouts tie him for third in the NHL. He has a jaw-dropping .930 save percentage on away ice, leading all NHL goaltenders in save percentage. The next best goaltender, Mackenzie Blackwood, has a .914 save percentage and plays on the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
J.T. Compher stepped it up for the Red Wings
Compher, who is under a spotlight, stepped into big shoes following Larkin's injury. Since the captain went out against the Florida Panthers, Compher has strung together four points in six games, including a key goal against the Habs last night. Compher played 22 minutes and earned a plus minus rating of +3. He's shown that, when he's on, he's on.
The Red Wings will need every ounce of skill they can get from Compher during this upcoming stretch. He's shown he's capable of playing alongside big names like Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. The question remains, however, whether or not he can keep this production up. With Andrew Copp back in the fold, he might not need to. The more the team can spread out their offensive efforts, the better for both Compher and the rest of the offense.