The Daily: Lyon Faces His Former Florida Team; Elvis A Fit in NJ?

One reason why the Detroit Red Wings signed Alex Lyon last summer was his strong showing for the Florida Panthers down the stretch last season. Lyon was a vital contributor for the Panthers when they were able to hold off the Red Wings and others for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Lyon tonight when he’s in net for the Red Wings against his former Florida mates.

Florida Hockey Now had this quote from Lyon about his return. “It’s cool,” he said. “I feel appreciative for my time here and excited just excited to play here. It’s a great building. They have very good top-end players and their bottom-6 has a real identity. It’s going to be a really good games for us.’’

Lyon’s takeover of Detroit’s No. 1 goalie status has brought stability to the position. Lyon is 9-4 on the season with a 2.58 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. The Red Wings play more confidently with Lyon in net. Ville Husso, the previous No. 1 goal, is still out with an undisclosed injury. Coach Derek Lalonde has said he’s still in the “week to week” time frame.

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Patrick Kane‘s lower body injury will keep him off the Red Wings current road trip. His status will be updated when the Red Wings return hom.
• Defenseman Jake Walman won’t play tonight against the Panthers. He’s still ill. All of the Red Wings news is included in Bob Duff’s notebook.
• Kris Draper has taken his athleticism into a new arena. He’s become a competitive pickleball player.
• Alex Lyon can relate to the misery that Detroit Lions knew before recording their first playoff win at Ford Field.

Red Wings Next Game

Previously injured forward Klim Kostin returns to the lineup  tonight when the Red Wings face the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla. The game starts at 7  p.m.. With Kane sidelined, Daniel Sprong could get some time playing with J.T. Compher and Alex DeBrincat. Sprong, with 11 goals, is on pace for a 20-goal season. He has four points in his past five games. This is a player who infrequently gets more than 12 minutes of playing time. He sometimes receives less than 10 minutes per game. He has received under 10 in four of his past 11 games.

Hockey Now Network

Boston: Is goalie Jeremy Swayman happy with the Boston Bruins and his ongoing contract talks? Jimmy Murphy has the story.

New Jersey: James Nichols examines whether the New Jersey Devils should explore  a deal for Elvis Merzlikins.

Philadelphia: Jonathan Bailey considers whether the Philadelphia Flyers should pursue a trade for Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev.

Pittsburgh: Dan Kingerski looks at why the Pittsburgh Penguins power play is struggling. Is it time to replace Erik Karlsson?

San Jose: Mikael Granlund may be “out a little bit” after suffering injury in a game against the Blackhawks. San Jose Sharks.

Vegas: The Vegas Golden Knights announced that Jack Eichel had successful surgery on his lower body injury and will be out “week to week.”