The Detroit Red Wings pulled out an exciting 2-1 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. The game would have been a 1-0 shutout had it not been for J.J. Moser’s third-period goal.
The game-tying marker sent the game to overtime, where Dylan Larkin does what he does best. But beyond the evident excitement of pulling out a thrilling win, the subtext reveals something much more encouraging.
John Gibson made his first start since Opening Night against the Canadiens. Gibson got the hook and hadn’t played since. In his stead, Cam Talbot has channeled his inner Vezina Trophy winner and propelled the Red Wings to three straight wins.
So, with a tight schedule, Todd McLellan went with Gibson. And whatever was in Gibson’s water, it worked. Gibson was fantastic. He stopped 31 of 32 shots against the Lightning on Friday night. He would have notched a shutout, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Still, Red Wings fans will take his performance any day of the week. The win provided a little bonus for long-suffering Red Wings fans. It could just be that Friday’s performance by Gibson could be the realization of Steve Yzerman’s vision: Two solid goaltenders backstopping a talented, gritty team.
Red Wings take page out of Lightning’s book
The Lightning maintained a highly successful operation for several seasons thanks to a supremely talented core and a gritty, yeoman style of hockey.
Tampa won back-to-back Stanley Cups under the unusual circumstances of the bubble playoffs. They also made it to a third Final as part of a full season.
Since then, they’ve run into a string of first-round exits. But the legacy remains. That seems to be the path the Detroit Red Wings are on. They have an extremely talented, young core. The latest name to graduate to the NHL is Axel Sandin-Pellikka. He notched his first NHL goal on Friday night and has hardly looked like a rookie out on the ice.
But the biggest claim to fame has been the Wings’ grinding game. They showed how effective it could be against the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking back-to-back games against another highly talented team.
Moving forward, the Red Wings have plenty to look forward to. They have the talent and finally the structure the club has needed for a while. The only question that remains at this point is whether they can sustain their 4-1 start.
It’s a long season. So, consistency will be the club’s biggest enemy. The NHL is a war of attrition. The teams best equipped to deal with it are the most successful ones.