Detroit Red Wings close out road trip hot, have 18 wins on the season
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A POINTS PERSPECTIVE, IT’S IT’S A REALLY GOOD TRIP FOR US. HAD TO WIN IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO FINISH SIX GAMES IN I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS TEN NIGHTS WITH A SHUTOUT. THAT’S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF. STARTED TRAINING CAMP THREE MONTHS AGO AND WE TALKED ABOUT BEING MENTALLY STRONGER, PHYSICALLY STRONGER AND IMPROVING IN GAME MANAGEMENT. I THOUGHT WE SAW ALL THREE OF THOSE ELEMENTS. >> AND WELCOME BACK TO THE ROUND TABLE ON THIS SUNDAY NIGHT WITH WOJO AND BIRCH. AND WE’VE SEEN THE RED WINGS PLAYING SOME PRETTY DARN GOOD HOCKEY AS OF LATE FOR ONE ON ONE ON THAT TRIP. >> FIRST PLACE RED WING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> AND I THINK A LOT OF. >> PEOPLE. >> BEFORE THEY WENT OUT, WEST SAID, THIS IS GOING TO BE A TRIP THAT’S GOING TO TELL US SOMETHING. WHAT DID IT TELL YOU WILL? >> LOOK, IT TOLD ME THAT ALEX DEBRINCAT DESERVES MORE SHINE THAN HE’S RECEIVED SO FAR THIS SEASON. HE LEADS THIS TEAM IN GOALS. HE LEADS HIS TEAM IN POINTS. HE IS EIGHTH IN THE NHL IN GOALS SO FAR. AND HE’S TIED WITH GUYS LIKE MCDAVID AND BRANDON HAGEL AND SETH JARVIS AND MATT BOLDY. LIKE, THESE ARE GUYS WHO WILL PLAY FOR TEAM CANADA AND TEAM USA AT THE OLYMPICS, AND DEBRINCAT IS NOW MAKING A CASE FOR HIMSELF TO BE ON TEAM USA. I THOUGHT YESTERDAY IN HIS RETURN TO CHICAGO ALONG WITH PATRICK KANE. HE WAS GREAT. >> TERRIFIC. THAT WAS A TERRIFIC. >> TERRIFIC WIN. >> IT REALLY WAS. AND KANE WAS AS WELL. AND I THOUGHT DEBRINCAT FIRST GOAL ON THE OPENING SHIFT WAS A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF EVERYTHING HE DOES WELL. HE WAS BUZZING AROUND THE ZONE THAT ENTIRE SHIFT. HE HAD A DEFT LITTLE BACKHAND DEFLECTION TO PUT THE WINGS UP ONE NOTHING. AND THEN LATER ON IN THE GAME, HE HAS A GREAT LITTLE SAUCER FEED TO KANE TO SET. >> UP SAUCER. >> FEED FOR 98. >> YEAH, TO SET UP KANE’S BACKHAND GOAL. AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF ATTENTION IS PAID TO RAYMOND AND TO LARKIN AND TO KANE. BUT DEBRINCAT IS PLAYING AS WELL AS ANYONE RIGHT NOW FOR THE WINGS. >> AND I’M GOING TO TELL YOU, I THOUGHT GOING INTO THAT GAME MAYBE A LETDOWN. IT JUST KIND OF HAD THAT FEEL. AND LITTLE END OF THE ROAD. THEY’RE GETTING CLOSE TO HOME. THEY COULD SMELL THE BARN AND THEY DIDN’T. AND KUDOS TO JOHN GIBSON. >> I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THAT’S WHAT I TOOK OUT OF THE ROAD TRIP FOR ONE AND ONE ON THE ROAD TRIP, AND HE’S WON FIVE GAMES IN A ROW, SHUTOUTS, TWO SHUTOUTS IN HIS LAST THREE GAMES. AND WE WERE STARTING TO WONDER, OKAY, DOES HE HAVE ANYTHING LEFT? AND TALBOT WAS PLAYING AND NOW GIBSON HAS TAKEN COMMAND OF IT. AND THAT’S WHY I GOT HIM AND AND I DO. I FELT ALL ALONG IT WAS AN UPGRADE. I STILL THINK IT’S AN UPGRADE, BUT IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT A WHILE TO SHOW UP. BUT IF THAT’S WHO HE IS AND THEIR DEFENSE HAS IMPROVED DEFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN WISE, THEN I’LL STAND BY IT. THEY’RE A PLAYOFF TEAM. >> WILL SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT PERFORMANCE WE JUST SAW THE NUMBERS THERE FIVE ZERO. >> LOOK AT THAT. >> POINT ZERO GOALS AGAINST IN THIS LAST STRETCH IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SOMETHING THAT WILL EARN HIM MORE TIME IN. NET OR DO YOU HOW LONG DO YOU SEE MCLELLAN GOING WITH THIS TO TWO GOALIE THING? >> I MEAN I WOULD EXPECT GIBSON TO START ON TUESDAY. OBVIOUSLY HE’S A HOT HAND. THEY’RE GOING TO RIDE HIM. THAT’LL BE A FOX TWO GAME. AND THE WINGS FIRST HOME GAME. AND I THINK IN TWO WEEKS I THOUGHT GIBSON YESTERDAY THAT WAS PROBABLY HIS BEST SAVE EARLY IN THE THIRD. AND THAT’S A BIG SAVE TO MAKE WHEN IT’S THREE NOTHING. IF THE BLACKHAWKS SCORE THERE IT MIGHT SHIFT THE MOMENTUM OF THE GAME. I DIDN’T THINK HE HAD TO MAKE MANY SPECTACULAR SAVES, BUT HE MADE THE ONES HE HAD TO MAKE AND THAT SPEAKS TO THE WINGS PLAYING BETTER IN FRONT OF HIM AND HIM PLAYING BETTER BEHIND THE WINGS. THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE TO CONTINUE. >> AND PROTECTING LEADS, RIGHT? I THINK WHEN MCLELLAN TALKS ABOUT THE TOUGHNESS THAT THEY’VE LACKED AND THEY’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR BOB, IT’S ALL ABOUT PROTECTING A LEAD. WHEN WE’RE IN FRONT AND NOT RESTING AND FALLING BACK. >> THEY HAD THAT HICCUP AGAINST, WAS IT CALGARY UP FOUR. NOTHING BECAME FOUR THREE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? PROTECTING THE LEAD A LOT OF IT IS DEFENSEMEN. BUT IT’S THE SAME THING. WHAT’S THE BEST PENALTY KILL THE GOALIE. AND I’M NOT SAYING GIBSON IS THE THE THE BEST GOALIE IN THE LEAGUE, BUT I THINK HE DOES MAKE TIMELY TWEETS. YEAH. SHOULD I DO THAT. >> IN THE LEAGUE? YEAH. START A FIGHT ON TWITTER. >> HE’S GOING TO WIN THAT VEZINA TROPHY RIGHT. VEZINA. >> CAREFUL NOW. >> OH WAIT A MINUTE. >> VEZINA TROPHY. >> WE’RE LIVE BOB WE CAN’T CUT THAT OUT. >> VEZINA. >> YEAH THE VEZINA. THAT’S WHAT I SAID I WAS HAVING. >> BY THE WAY PATRICK. >> KANE IS TWO GOALS AWAY FROM 500 WHICH YOU MIGHT JUST SEE ON THESE AIRWAVES ON. >> TUESDAY NIGHT AGAINST. >> THE ISLANDERS. PUT UP THE FULL SCREEN. JAMES, WE ARE THRILLED ONCE AGAIN. I DON’T KNOW IF THE WINGS ARE THRILLED, BUT WE ARE THRILLED TO BRING YOU A FUTURE, A FEATURE OF SELECT RED WINGS GAMES RIGHT HERE ON FOX TWO. THE FIRST ONE WE HAVE FOR YOU IS WILL ALLUDED TO IS GOING TO BE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE WINGS RETURN HOME AFTER THAT ROAD TRIP TO FACE THE ISLANDERS. THE GAME STARTED WITH OUR PREGAME SHOW LIVE FROM LCA AT 6 P.M. WITH BIRCH. AND DAN MILLER IS GOING TO BE THERE. HE’S COMING OUT OF ALLEN PARK AND OUT OF THIS BUILDING, AND HE’S. GOING TO BE LCA, AND I’M GOING TO BE THERE AS WELL. SO THAT’S. >> GOING TO BE HE PROMISED TO. >> BUY US ALL DINNER IN THAT. >> GREAT. I THINK. >> IT’S $14 A PERSON. >> YEAH, WELL THAT’S OKAY. >> BUT IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. I MEAN, JUST BACK TO THE WINGS AND THE WAY THEY’VE BEEN PLAYING, IT’S REALLY CRITICAL FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON IT. IT FEELS LIKE THEY HIT THESE LITTLE STRETCHES SOMETIMES IN DECEMBER, SOMETIMES IN FEBRUARY, WHERE THEY’VE JUST GOT TO KEEP IT SOMEWHAT. >> IT’S CRITICAL FOR THEM TO BREAK THE FOX TWO JINX. I GUARANTEE YOU THEY’RE GOING TO BREAK IT. >> THAT’LL BE MCLELLAN’S. >> MESSAGE TO THE TEAM ON. >> TUESDAY NIGHT. I THINK THE YOUNG DEFENSEMEN HAVE STABILIZED A LITTLE BIT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS ANOTHER KEY DEVELOPMENT ON THIS ROAD TRIP. I THINK AXEL SANDIN IS FINDING HIMSELF NOW IN THE NHL. >> DOES THAT RHYME WITH ANYTHING? >> WELL, I DON’T DO RHYMES FOR THE WINGS. THAT’S JUST LIONS GAME DAY LIVE. JUST. NO. I THINK WE SEE PLAYING MORE CONFIDENTLY NOW. LIKE HE HAD AN ASSIST YESTERDAY WHERE HE WALKED THE BLUELINE. HE SHOWED SOME COMPOSURE WITH THE PUCK AND HE SET UP FINISH FOR HIS GOAL. THAT MADE IT THREE NOTHING. THAT’S THAT’S THE PLAYER THE WINGS THINK HE CAN BE. AND IF HE KEEPS PUSHING HIS OWN CEILING HIGHER THAN HE DOES, THE SAME FOR THE TEAM. >> I’M NOT YOU IF STEVIE IS ACQUITTED HIMSELF AFTER THEY COULDN’T. GET TRADE DONE. >> THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE QUINN HUGHES TRADE. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A COST. A LOT FOR A GUY THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, BUT AT LEAST NOW HAS HIS GOALIE IN GIBSON, WHO COULD WIN THE VEZINA TROPHY. >> YOU BETTER SPELL THAT RIGHT. >> I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT. >> IN AGAIN. >> QUINN HUGHES, FOR THE RECORD, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE COST THE WINGS. SIMON EDVINSSON, MARKO KASPAR, MICHAEL BRANDTZAEG NYGAARD AND A FIRST. >> ROUND MINNESOTA GAVE AWAY FOUR FIRST ROUNDERS, R
The Red Wings have the most points in their division with an 18-12-3 record, and are coming off a 4-0 shutout of Chicago before heading home for the first time in awhile. Can they keep it up?
