The Red Wings’ points streak came crashing down in Calgary, and John Gibson took the brunt of it.
Detroit fell to the Flames 4-1 at the Saddledome, with Calgary scoring three times in the second period and handing the Red Wings their first loss to the Flames since 2023. Gibson allowed four goals in what was likely his final appearance at the arena, and it was not a sharp night for the veteran goalie.
The outing fit into a rough start to the season for Gibson. Detroit has used him in eight of its first 11 games, and he came into the matchup with a .871 save percentage and a 3.35 goals-against average. The Red Wings are 3-4-1 with Gibson in net, and in two of those wins they had to score at least three goals to get the job done.
“We don’t survive those moments. We don’t score enough, and tonight proved it.” head coach Todd McLellan said.
Detroit’s offense has not been carrying the load early on, so the burden has fallen heavily on team defense. Gibson has had to absorb plenty of that pressure, and he entered the game ranked 52nd among NHL goaltenders in goals saved above expected.
The Red Wings are also thin behind him. Backup Daniil Tarasov tweaked something earlier on the Pacific Division road trip, leaving rookie Michal Postava, recalled under emergency conditions, as the only other option besides Gibson for the near future.
That makes the next stop even trickier. Detroit is set to face the Edmonton Oilers, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl waiting.
McDavid has 33 points in 11 games, while Draisatl has 23. If Gibson gets the nod, it would be his third straight start in the span of a week.
The alternative is no easy answer either. Starting Postava on the road against a high-powered Oilers team would be a heavy ask, even if he has shown before that he is willing to meet just about any challenge.
For now, the Red Wings need more stability in goal. They can’t afford to keep burning through the opening two months while waiting for Gibson to find his late-season form.
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New Jerseys move for Connor Hellebuyck has now made that path look far less likely, but the speculation around the fit had already opened the door to a bigger what-if. If the Devils had stayed in the chase, the Red Wings might have been looking at a package built around Dawson Mercer, Nick Bjugstad, a first-round pick and more draft capital, which is exactly the kind of return that makes the original rumor linger even after the trail goes cold. [Read more 🡒]
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John Gibson was under heavy pressure in the second, and Calgary made the most of it. With the loss, Detroit is now one point behind the cluster of teams tied for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, so there is still plenty of time to regroup, but not much room for nights like this to linger. [Read more 🡒]
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The real sticking point is the same one that shadows almost any blockbuster involving a pending free agent: what happens after the trade. Detroit would need a level of comfort on Hughes' future before even entertaining the price, because surrendering that much young talent and draft capital makes little sense without some assurance the move is more than a short-term rental. Minnesota's interim GM has also not shown any interest in moving Edvinsson, which leaves the entire pitch feeling more like a thought exercise than a transaction ready to happen. [Read more 🡒]