Red Wings Face Crucial Decision Amid Playoff Push
With just two must-win games left in the NHL schedule to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Detroit Red Wings find themselves grappling with a familiar dilemma as they approach Game 81 of the season.
The question of who their go-to goalie is remains unanswered.
Heading into a home-and-home series against the Montreal Canadiens to close out the regular season on Monday and Tuesday, the Red Wings are deliberating whether to stick with veteran James Reimer, who recently celebrated his 500th career NHL game with a win in Toronto and has been drawing praise from the team for his positive attitude and performance.
“Reimer is giving the club a boost during his limited opportunities to work between the posts,” said captain Dylan Larkin, describing Reimer as the “ultimate teammate.”
However, since returning from injury in late December, journeyman veteran Alex Lyon has been shouldering the bulk of the workload in goal for Detroit. Despite establishing career highs in games played, wins, and shutouts this season, Lyon’s recent record hasn’t been as successful as the team would hope.
Meanwhile, Ville Husso, who was initially slated to be the Red Wings’ top goalie this season, has been sidelined for most of the season due to lower-body injuries.
@DetroitRedWings goalie Ville Husso was scheduled to start for @griffinshockey & did take warm ups but then left the ice a bit early. We are told he will no longer start nor dress tonight. @SebastianCossa will now start, riding a personal franchise record 19 game point streak pic.twitter.com/EZFn4OdDmf
— Larry Figurski (@larryfigurski) April 12, 2024
The fact that the Red Wings are in contention for the playoffs without a clear-cut No. 1 goalie is a testament to the hard work and dedication of both Lyon and Reimer.
“As we look back on this season, losing our starting goaltender and remaining competitive in that position speaks volumes about both those guys,” remarked Detroit coach Derek Lalonde. “They’ve been excellent for us.”
