The Daily: Alex Lyon Needs To Be The Guy; Michkov Tears up KHL

Alex Lyon was the Detroit Red Wings No. 3 goaltender just a few weeks ago. Now, this team needs him to take command of the Detroit net.

Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said Saturday that Lyon will get the start tonight against the Boston Bruins. The Red Wings need Lyon to have a strong game to infuse confidence into this team. They are still fighting to come out of a defensive slump. The Red Wings have surrendered 28 goals in the past six games. That’s 4.66 goals per game.

It may sound desperate to believe Lyon, with eight starts this season, can be the difference-maker. But Lyon showed last season with Florida Panthers that he can do that. He played a significant role in helping Florida qualify for the playoffs, ahead of Detroit, last season.

Lyon boasts five wins in eight games, and his .925 save percentage and 2.39 save looks pretty good considering that the team save percentage is below .900.

One reason why Lalonde likes Lyon is that he plays confidently. He doesn’t rattle. The Predators got four goals against him last game, but he certainly didn’t have a poor game. He made 33 saves. You can fault him for giving up the breakaway goal, but he didn’t have much chance on the other goals.

This is an important game for Lyon. He has to be the guy. James Reimer is not the answer. No good trade options exist. Ask the Edmonton Oilers if you don’t believe that.

If you’d tell me at the beginning of the season that we’d collectively be excited about Alex Lyon being back from injury I’d say we’re in trouble and here we are lol

— Buschy – Red Wings Report (@buschyRWR) December 29, 2023

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

• Carter Mazur is the Grand Rapids Griffins’ hottest goal scorer. Marco Kasper also has been putting up points.
• No room for Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik. They are sent back to Grand Rapids.
• Is J.T. Compher a better fit for Alex DeBrincat and Patrick than Dylan Larkin? Bob Duff explains the logic.
• Here’s a look into who’s been struggling during the Red Wings defensive slump. Spoiler: Shayne Gostisbehere is now -10 over the past 12 games.

Red Wings Next Game

The Red Wings (17-15-4) play the Boston Bruins (21-7-6) tonight in their annual New Year’s Eve game. The game starts at 5 p.m. Detroit is 2-1 against the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins this season. The Red Wings are 3-8-1 in their last 12. The Bruins won their last two games after enduring a four-game losing streak.  Patrick Kane has a six-game points streak (5-6–11).

Hockey Now Network

Colorado: Defenseman Samuel Girard fully explained why he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program. But he’s ready to return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup.  Evan Rawal has the video and the report.

Montreal: Struggling offense and poor penalty killing dooms the Montreal Canadiens against the Florida Panthers.

Philadelphia: Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov is on pace to break Kirill Kaprizov’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) U-20 scoring record. Philadelphia Flyers.

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby scored his 20th goal of the season in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ 4-2 win against the St. Louis Blues.  Make no mistake, this was a blue collar-type win. The Penguins are 6-1-1 in their last eight. That’s not good for the Red Wings who may have to beat out the Penguins for a wild card spot.

San Jose: Logan Couture fully participated in practice — including having contact. He is very close to returning to the San Jose Sharks lineup.