The Detroit Red Wings have one major problem, and no, it's not just that goaltender John Gibson gave up four-plus goals, five to be exact, again. While Gibson has officially become the worst netminder in hockey in the eyes of many, if the Red Wings can clear up just one major issue, they won't be giving up between four and six goals per contest regardless of who's in the net.
In Dave Hogg's postgame piece at NHL.com, Dylan Larkin summed it up, saying, “Todd (McLellan) talked a lot about netfront play in the last couple of days. And then we gave up two goals from the front of the net. Just about all of their goals were from chaos in front. We’re not winning those battles and it is frustrating.”
Lack of solid play in front of the net has been tanking the Red Wings, and if they can solve that issue, then they might just be okay. But after losing three straight games and getting outscored 16-9 in the process, that improvement must start now, or else it's going to be a long December.
Before December hits the Detroit Red Wings have one more challenge
Detroit has a shot at redemption on Saturday as they take on the Boston Bruins on the road. Boston, who suffered a blowout loss at home of their own on Friday vs. the New York Rangers, have rebounded for the most part in 2025-26 after an awful 2024-25 campaign.
It's a team the Wings can't take lightly, and one that is in their own division. If they can snag two points against the Bruins on Saturday, it will give them a major boost in the standings. Especially if it's a regulation win. The Wings may have fallen to fifth in the Atlantic, but two points will once again tie them for second should the Montreal Canadiens lose to the Colorado Avalanche.
Even if Montreal wins, the Wings would sidle into third. So, while they have been through a brutal stretch of three games, the division as a whole remains tight, and it only takes one win for a chance to get back on track.
NHL Insider defends John Gibson
It's easy to understand why Red Wings fans have been tough on John Gibson. He was supposed to provide stability to the net, and he's done anything but. Coming into Friday's game vs. the Lightning, he had a 3.46 GAA and a 0.870 save percentage. He gave up an additional five goals on 27 shots on Friday, so faith in him is dwindling.
But NHL.com's Dan Rosen shared his thoughts in a response to a fan in a recent mailbag, saying, "We can't forget that the Red Wings are Gibson's first new team in his NHL career and for a goalie, it can take some time to get adjusted to playing in a different system with all new defensemen. That's why Gibson should not be at the end of his runway."
The question now is, "What does 'some time' mean?" The season is nearly two months old, and Gibson has been getting acclimated with the team since training camp kicked off in September, so we're going on two and a half months.
While it's easy to see where Rosen is coming from, Gibson's leash has got to be tightening. Sure, the Wings need better play in front of the net; we can all agree on that. But Gibson has given up four or more goals in eight of his 13 starts. It's time to step it up.