The Detroit Red Wings have received brutal injury luck following the NHL Trade Deadline. Both Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp were injured in back-to-back games. And they are also without forwards Michael Rasmussen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. The combination of injuries and recent losses made Monday's clash with the Calgary Flames important for John Gibson and his teammates.
Fortunately for its fans, Detroit rose to the challenge. After allowing the opening goal, the Red Wings took control of the contest. Gibson made 25 saves while Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane combined for five points. This was more than enough to claim a 5-2 victory on home ice.
“At this time of the year, every game is important, so this was big,” Gibson said of the win over the Flames on Monday, via NHL.com. “We need to start racking up some wins, so this was a good start.”
Kane scored twice on the night while DeBrincat provided three assists. Both wingers have helped lead the way while Larkin, Detroit's captain, has been sidelined with an injury. Head coach Todd McLellan was pleased to see their efforts pay off with a win on Monday.
“It was good to see (Kane) and (DeBrincat) get rewarded for their elevated play,” McLellan said. “They’ve been doing it for five or six games now, and we are going to need it.”
The Red Wings moved into the top Wild Card spot in the East with this win. The Boston Bruins lost against the New Jersey Devils on Monday night in overtime. As a result, Detroit has a one-point lead over Boston in the Wild Card race. And they are tied on points with the Montreal Canadiens for an Atlantic Division playoff spot.
Speaking of the Canadiens, Detroit returns to the ice on Thursday night when it plays host to the Habs at Little Caesars Arena.
