The Detroit Red Wings have confirmed their goaltender for Saturday night, but they face some lineup questions.
Per Daily Faceoff via Ryan Pike, John Gibson returns to the net for Saturday night’s matchup against the Calgary Flames after sitting out in the third period of Detroit’s big win over the Vancouver Canucks. Gibson left with an upper-body injury after making four saves on five shots across 40 minutes, thanks to Detroit’s stellar defense.
Per NHL.com, head coach Todd McLellan clarified the injury: “He had something in his eye. The doctor got it out right after the game.”
Gibson now has seven starts on the season, a 3-3-1 record, an .871 save percentage, a 3.35 GAA, and a .286 quality starts percentage. While Gibson is ready to go, the more telling revelation is that NHL.com’s Status Report also noted that “McLellan said he might make some changes to his lineup after warmups.”
That will be something to keep an eye on, so take the projected lines and pairings with a grain of salt.
Detroit Red Wings Projected Lines And Pairings Against Flames
Alex DeBrincat, Emmitt Finnie, and Viktor Arvidsson are the projected first line, while Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond look to sidle into the second. DeBrincat has been red-hot early in the season, leading the team with 12 points and six goals in 10 games. Raymond is second with nine points and three goals — two of which came in that win over Vancouver.
Per NHL.com’s projections, Michael Rasmussen, Andrew Copp, and Carter Mazur look like they will man the third line. Finally, Nate Danielson, J.T. Compher, and Keegan Kolesar appear to be the fourth liners. Compher made his return to the lineup on Thursday after missing nearly three weeks.
Ben Chiarot and Moritz Seider look like the first pair. Seider has five points in 10 games and will look to heat up in the offensive zone if given the chance. William Wallinder and Justin Faulk are the projected second pair. Wallinder has once again turned heads with a goal in that win over Vancouver. The Johanssons — Albert and Anton — are the projected third pairing.
Andreas Englund and Axel Sandin-Pellikka are the projected scratches, while Daniil Tarasov, Marco Kasper, and Mason Appleton remain shelved.
It will be an interesting development to see if Todd McLellan rolls with the listed lines and pairings or if he will make changes.
Detroit Will Face The Red-Hot Devin Cooley
Devin Cooley has been a revelation lately, so the Red Wings can’t underestimate him. Pat Steinberg confirmed the news that Cooley would man the crease, and he is coming off back-to-back wins against the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild.
Cooley had a .960 save percentage in those two contests, with 72 saves and three goals allowed. Overall, he has a 2-2-0 record, an .898 save percentage, and a 3.25 GAA.
It will be up to the Detroit Wings to put a stop to Cooley’s hot streak. They are coming off an incredible showing of their own, so this could be an entertaining early-season matchup. The puck drops at 10 p.m. EDT.
Red Wings Make Goaltending Decision Ahead of Flames Matchup