The Detroit Red Wings couldn't capitalize on John Gibson's stellar outing on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, falling 1-0 in their road trip finale. But don't let that take away from Gibson's 33-save night, giving him a 0.971 save percentage and some momentum as the Wings head back to Detroit.
Gibson held up his end of the deal following a not-so-good performance in his previous outing, a 5-2 loss against his former team, the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson's numbers this season were nothing to write home about, clocking in with just a 0.875 save percentage, a 3.32 GAA, and a 0.429 quality starts percentage across his first seven starts.
He may have an 'L' next to his name following the loss to Vegas, but nobody needed to enjoy a strong performance more than Gibson.
Red Wings have a massive advantage heading into their homestand
The Wings have a four-game homestand coming up, and not a single game on the upcoming slate comprises a playoff team from the 2024-25 season. Should the Wings pick up where they left off at home, where they are 5-1, there's a good chance they can take control of the Atlantic Division. Here's the upcoming slate:
Opponent | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
New York Rangers | Nov. 7 | 7:00 p.m. |
Chicago Blackhawks | Nov. 9 | 1:00 p.m. |
Anaheim Ducks | Nov. 13 | 7:00 p.m. |
Buffalo Sabres | Nov. 15 | 7:00 p.m. |
Not only do the Wings have four straight home games, but they're spread out over nine days. This gives them an ample amount of rest time, especially between their Nov. 9 matchup vs. the Blackhawks and the Nov. 13 grudge match vs. the Ducks.
One thing the Wings can't do here is to play down to their competition. They already lost to Anaheim and Buffalo earlier in the year, so they know what those two squads are capable of. The Blackhawks are also playing much better hockey through the early stages of 2025-26, and the Rangers are no pushover.
Patrick Kane is finally closer to a big return
Patrick Kane has seen time in just five games this season, and he missed the entire road trip. He was averaging a point per game before an upper-body injury took him out of action, but that will be changing soon.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press gave an update on Kane's status, writing, "Patrick Kane appears likely to join practice on Thursday, Nov. 6, after being sidelined three weeks with an upper-body injury," after head coach Todd McLellan said, "There's a real good chance he can skate with us on Thursday,"
Keep an eye out for Kane. If he skates with the Red Wings on Thursday, there might be a chance he'll be ready for the Nov. 7 matchup against the Rangers. If he's unable to go, then perhaps he'll make his big return vs. the Blackhawks, the team where he spent most of his career.