Going into this season, the Detroit Red Wings were in an enviable position.
They had three goalies with varying levels of success in the league. Their starter, Ville Husso, got off to a great start with the team last year before faltering in the second half of the season while backup goaltender James Reimer has had success with several different clubs in the league.
The team’s third goalie, Alex Lyon, is the one who is grabbing all the headlines right now for this hockey club. Husso, 28, is off to an inconsistent start as he is currently (As of Wednesday night, December 6th) 8-4-0-1 with a 3.48 goals-against average and a .891 save percentage.
Reimer, 35, in seven fewer games than Husso has played, has put up some pretty solid numbers. He is currently 2-2-0-2 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
Lyon, 30, on the other hand, has been downright brilliant in his first five games with the team. He is currently 4-1 with a 1.61 goals-against average, a .947 save percentage, and one shutout.
There are a few reasons why Lyon is playing so well. For starters, Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde is allowing him to show what he can do after he excelled with the Florida Panthers last season when he helped the team get into the playoffs by going 9-4-0-2 with a 2.89 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and one shutout.
Just look at what Lyon has done in the five games that he has played:
- November 17th against the Toronto Maple Leafs: Stopped 26 of 29 shots in a loss.
- November 22nd against the New Jersey Devils: 16-save shutout victory.
- November 26th against the Minnesota Wild: Stopped 37 of 38 shots in a Red Wings victory.
- November 30th against the Chicago Blackhawks: Stopped 34 of 35 shots in a Red Wings victory.
- December 5th against the Buffalo Sabres: Stopped 29 of 32 shots in a Red Wings victory.
Since Lyon’s loss to the Leafs, he has won four straight games and has posted a 1.25 goals-against average, a .959 save percentage, and one shutout. His four wins also gave his team eight crucial points in a competitive Atlantic Division as the Red Wings are currently second in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the league with a record of 14-7-3 for 31 points, just six points behind the Boston Bruins.
Another reason why Lyon is playing so well is because he is playing with a lot of confidence right now. This was a goaltender who had not played a lot of important hockey games until he got to the Panthers last season and we all know how he did and how he proved that he could be a quality NHL goaltender.
Lyon is taking what he did last season and is again showing both the Red Wings and the league that he can play at a high level. Lyon is playing at such an incredible level right now that the Red Wings coaching staff has to at least ponder giving him the net a lot more and maybe even making him their starter.
He is also playing well because he never gives up on the puck. This is a goaltender who will not only stop the first shot, but he will battle to stop second and third shots, even if he is out of position.
Lyon showed that battle mentality against the Sabres on Tuesday night, December 5th in his team’s 5-3 win. The Sabres had several rebound opportunities, but Lyon did a great job of stopping them and helping his team pick up two points.
It will be interesting to see how Lalonde manages the goaltenders moving forward. With the way Lyon is playing right now, it should be his net to lose.
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