Red Wings shutout in Vegas, despite bounce back performance from John Gibson

Red Wings shutout in Vegas, despite bounce back performance from John Gibson

Today on lockdown Red Wings, Detroit is shut out one to nothing by Vegas as the offense can get nothing going, but they walk away from the road trip with a three and two record. You’re Locked on Red Wings, your daily podcast on the Detroit Red Wings, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked On Red Wings podcast. We are your hosts, Brian Fischer and Scotty Bentley, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. And you can find us wherever you listen to your podcasts. Scotty, the Detroit Red Wings fall one to nothing to the Vegas Golden Knights. The first shutout in the Todd Mlullen era for the Detroit Red Wings. And I don’t think it was a bad game. I think it was a pretty boring game, but I don’t think it was a bad loss in the regards that they got so heavily outplayed. I think that, and we’ll talk about it, Vegas’s defense just in my opinion really stood out. Uh before we can get to that though, got to let you guys know that today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app by visiting fanuel.com and win $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. And Scotty, normally I go to you first for differencemaker, but if it’s all right with you, uh, I’ll go first here just because I kind of alluded to it just now. My difference maker in this hockey game is the Vegas Golden Knights defensive structure. I think that this was going to be a tough matchup regardless for the Detroit Red Wings. just the last game on a home stand. Another late game. The Red Wings may be adjusted to it at this point. Late game mostly for us, but it’s the last game on a home stand against a opponent that is going to be amongst the favorites for Stanley Cup odds. A very complete hockey team up and down the lineup with adding Mitch Mner to it as well. And the Red Wings all game struggled in my opinion to carry the puck into the offensive zone with possession. Vegas was really good at kind of stopping Red Wings breakout attempts in the neutral zone or at the offensive the Vegas’s defensive blue line at that. So, the Red Wings often times had to switch to a dump and chase offense, which isn’t necessarily bad for the style of hockey that they play. But it’s kind of like football, right? Like you want to establish the run game so you can use the pass game. When the opponent knows all you’re going to be able to do is dump and chase, it’s easy to negate that. And I felt like the Red Wings, while at the end of the game, they actually had more shot attempts, Vegas, as you can tell, had had a wide range in actual shots. I think they shot over outshot them 34 to 24 by the end of the game or something close to that. Vegas had a ton of block shots, too. Right. I felt like it was Vegas’s defense to me that really stood out in a one- nothing victory for the Golden Knights because goalending and defense for the Red Wings was pretty good, too. One mistake cost them, but outside of that, I just felt like this was a defensive battle between these two teams. Yeah. You know, I mean, I I I think I don’t know like as far as one- nothing games go. I I I actually thought this one was pretty I don’t know, filled with opportunities at least, right? Like this wasn’t, you know, a lowevent one- nothing game. Like that both teams still had plenty of opportunities and both goalies were great. And I I do think that Vegas’s defense obviously I mean the biggest thing you mentioned it briefly there uh the biggest thing in my eyes was just they had really active sticks in the neutral zone. Like it was it was impossible for the Wings to get a pass off in the neutral zone or in the Wings offensive zone, right? I mean you you look at the two power play opportunities the Wings had, nothing came of them, dude. like literally no opportunities came from those that you know uh well that’s what you talked about too the the Vegas defense on those power plays was so good at stopping the zone entry right that’s my point yeah it’s uh it just continuous throughout the game it was either in the neutral zone before they even were able to enter or they were able to enter the offensive zone and then two passes in a puck found a stick and and you know it was broken up again like it it just they they were ruthless I guess is the word with that and and so yeah I think that that’s a totally fair difference maker and I think that it was probably you know the deciding factor in the game when in a game in which the Wings scored zero goals obviously pretty easy to say. Um, I I’m going to take a similar but I guess slightly different angle to that and go with the Red Wings finishing, which is something we’ve talked about a lot. Yeah. Despite the fact that the Vegas defense was good and the Red Wings got shut out, they had a handful of high danger opportunities, man. Like that that’s that’s what kind of what I was alluding to at the beginning of the show, right? like it this wasn’t a complete snoozefest of a one you know again in terms of what one- nothing games provide uh that there was a lot of of high danger opportunities for both teams and we’ll I’m sure we’ll talk about Gibson pleing later I think this was probably his best game as a wing unfortunately it’s going to come in a loss but um on the offensive side for the Red Wings they had opportunities they had Finny right in front of the net with the puck on a power play they had Edmonson with nobody near him right in front of the goalender in the first period. Like they had a several high danger opportunities where it was just puck handler and goalie and I’m not even sure if they recorded a shot on net on either of those instances I just brought up. Um you had uh who hit crossbar in this game? Was it Raymond or Debrink? they just they they had chances and um I I think to me when we continue to drive this point home and I I guess maybe it’s kind of a broken record at this point but this game was kind of the epitome of well if they were just a little bit better at finishing the shot differences aren’t that egregious again in just shots the Red Wings actually were were really good in that department. Vegas just blocked a lot of them. Um and and their goalender played amazing and they they weren’t like heavily outplayed on the five on five, at least in the second two periods. You maybe could argue they were in the first period. Um but even in that first period, I I know I’m rambling here. I’ll stop eventually, but like even in the first period, they that was the ice was tilted in Vegas’s favor and and they had a lot more offensive zone opportunities than the Wings. But in the same breath, like they still left the back door open. There was an aggressive forch check mindset for Vegas. Again, really, I mean, all game, but especially in that first period. And the Wings countered with numerous rushes and just couldn’t finish any of them. So, like it it I I think that that was kind of the overarching theme for me is like they got good enough defense. It wasn’t great, but it was good enough. And they got stellar goalending. And this game didn’t go the way that they wanted it to because they couldn’t put the puck in the back of the net with great A opportunities like we’ve seen multiple times this year, right? And that’s going back to the conversation that we had yesterday, right? That’s where you look and see that’s something that will improve just over time to some degree. it might not become like the best finishing in the NHL, but just because of how that type of thing works out, like shooting percentages tend to regress back to the mean, either whether that be higher or lower. And the Red Wings will eventually start putting the puck back in the net if they keep putting themselves in those positions. You know, for instance, you had in early in the second period the Finny to Raymond to Larkin opportunity. You had the back door pass that Michael Rasmusen made to JVR. or if JVR in that instance was just a right-handed shot, not a left-handed shot, that would have been buried. Um, you had the de Brinket chance early in the third period. There were a lot of opportunities late with the goalie pulled the Brinket redirected a puck that just barely went wide on the P second power play that was overall completely neutralized. EMTT Finny got a puck that came to him and he just missed it wide on a net front opportunity. So like eventually those opportunities one or two are going to start falling your way, but right now the Red Wings are 10 and four even with the the low shooting percentage from everybody not named Dylan Larkin at this time. So I agree finishing if if I’m going to say defensive game from the Golden Knights is one difference maker. The lack of finishing is definitely another one. Don’t get it twisted either. The Golden Knights were the better team in this hockey game for sure. But I agree with you in that like it wasn’t so so bad that the running dominated, right? Like you were in it the whole game. It was a onegoal game for at at worst a one-goal game for all 60 minutes. Like you had a chance to to steal a point from one of the better teams in hockey and and uh on the final game of your your five-game road trip. So, um, yeah, I mean, this was not some horrific, oh my goodness, you know, palms on your forehead performance. Um, it’s just like it it was a competitive game the for the entirety of it. Uh, but it’s just one of those instances where you kind of see the glaring difference of like, okay, well, if if uh if Dbrink’s not scoring goals and Larkin’s not scoring goals, who else is putting the puck in the back of the net? in and finishing grade A opportunities. And I think that that’s still a question mark for sure. Scotty, let’s head to a quick break. When we return, we’ll talk about notable performers in the hockey game. So stay tuned to segment two of Locked On Red Wings. Let’s be real, making excuses doesn’t solve everything. We’ve all heard these excuses before. It’s just stress. I’m tired. Or it happens to everyone. sometimes. But when it comes to performance, sometimes your body just needs a little extra support. And that’s where Rouette comes in. 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I think Scotty, when it comes to notable performers, no performer was no more notable for the Detroit Red Wings in this game than John Gibson, who desperately needed a bounceback performance after being less than stellar, let’s say, against the Anaheim Ducks in his return to Anaheim back on Friday night in this hockey game. Scotty. He makes 34 saves, I’m sorry, 33 saves on 34 shots against for a 971 save percentage, his goal saved above expected in this game was 3.29 according to Evolving Hockey. So, while he I I thought his rebound control was a little suspect at times, it’s kind of funny, right? It’s the glove. It’s They did a whole segment I was about to bring that up. They did a whole segment about it. He literally did an entire intermission about it. And it’s not even necessarily rebounds off the pads. It’s the fact that he literally can’t catch a puck. It just bounces out of his glove. So, and he likes it like that, which is odd, but to each their own. I don’t know why they don’t ask me these things. I don’t like that. So, I I I’ve guess we’ll see. But, uh, this regardless like this was kind of a a vintage Gibson performance, which is what we’re hoping to see many more of throughout this season. Hopefully, the first of many. But, uh, yeah, finally uh, and not that he’s been like terrible or anything, but this was kind of the first time that you go, okay, like this is that’s what we traded for. That’s what you gave up, you know, legitimate assets to to bring in. 100%. Uh, Akira Schmid was also very good for the Vegas Golden Knights. didn’t face a lot of action but made big saves when he was called upon. Second time in his career he’s had a shut out. So not a great look for the Red Wings in that regard but thing these things happen. Red Wings are still 10 and4 and they played a decent hockey game at the end of a road trip. Not sounding any alarm bells yet but I want to give credit where credit’s due. He had a goal save above expected also of 1.96. So he gets the win even though Gibson faced more shots and made more saves. Scotty, who would do you got for notable performers? Um, John Gibson again. I mean, in a game in which you get shut out, like I I feel like that’s kind of the the the peak. Um I I do think that De Brinkit just had a classic 2025 Debrink game where like he had like six or seven shots on net, zero goals obviously zero points obviously si six six I think is what that was. I’m not sure what on earth. Yeah, great. Um so six shots on that. I I thought the uh the def defense from him in this game, you saw a couple of uh successful, you know, poke checks and you saw him aggressive on the wings for check. I I don’t know. I I think as as far as performances from forwards in which your team gets shut out, that’s probably as good as you’re going to get. Yeah. And I think those eight he had eight shot attempts, six that made it to net was about all we got out of the second line in this hockey game. Uh second line honestly got pretty caved in. They were given pretty tough matchups. It’s a tough Vegas Golden Knights team in general. Uh but they the second line generated just nine shot attempts at five on five with Mason Appleton. They did mix it up a little bit late in the game. Put JVR up there as they sat uh Rasmusen Appleton and Soderblum in an attempt to tie the game up, but they had a Corsy4 percentage of just 39%. They struggled all game long to kind of get any sort of offense going. Yeah. Uh just the passes weren’t connecting. But Debrink going up ice was able to get lots of shots off. He was firing it from everywhere trying to get rebounds. Anything going for the Detroit Red Wings. So I thought he was pretty good. Gross passes too. Like there was a pass off a skate in the neutral zone in this one. There was uh uh a couple of just like completely errant passes that just found nobody. Like I don’t know. just I’m sure it was a frustrating game for the Wings. They execute their game plan decently against one of the best rosters in the league on the road at the end of a a fivegame road trip and uh just don’t really have anything go their way. Yeah. Yeah. And I do think that the first pair was very good in this hockey game for what it’s worth. I know obviously they were the only one they were the pair that was out there for the only goal against but at the end of the first period they literally gave up one or two shot attempts against through the first 20 while playing the most minutes out of anyone on the team. Uh and they they end the game with a team leading shot attempt share of 69 and 71% with 32 and 29. This is Cider and Edmonson respectively. 32 and 29 shot attempts four when they’re on the ice and 13 shot attempts against while they are on the ice. Uh their expected goals four percentage is under 50% that a large blow came to them because of the BarbersVev goal where I think it was either Cider or Larkin missed the assignment. I’m not really sure who’s because it was it was a fluid situation. Guys were changing assignments, people were moving around. It was a pass that got blocked. It was kind of a scrambly situation. I’m not sure if Larkin or Cider should have had Barbers in that situation that led to the goal against, but that was a 0.25 expected goal on its own, that shot by Barbers, and that really hurt their expected goal share. Uh, but they also started the game, Scotty, with 14 defensive zone faceoffs in this hockey game. And that led the Detroit Red Wings. So, a 14 defensive zone faceoffs for Cider and Edmonson, yet they led the team in shot attempt share. uh kind of speaks to their dominance, especially as Cider led the Red Wings with 27 minutes in ice time in this one. Yeah, Cider Cider had one horrible giveaway and outside of that was absolutely phenomenal. Uh and the giveaway, you know, led to a breakaway but didn’t lead to a goal against, you know, great defense by him to get back and then great save by Gibson, too. So, um yeah, I mean, that’s just what we’ve kind of become accustomed to. He’s taking another step forward. It’s beautiful and glorious and he’s amazing. Um like it’s I don’t even know how other how else to put it at this point. Um yeah, I mean I you know I also think uh I think the fourth line was you know they were good. You can say it. They were good. I I think uh I thought Soderblum specifically was pretty effective. Um I I know I earlier in the season and kind of at the end of camp we talked a lot about JVR and his role on the team and he looks like he’s skating in quicksand. So like if I if that is where we’re at at this point and it’s not like a situation where maybe he’s going to build up because he missed camp or whatever. This is just what it is then yeah, he’s going to stay on the fourth line and and he should. I mean, he Yeah, he he pretty much stood in one spot and like if the bug got to him, you know, something happened, but um not not a lot of movement there from JVR at this point in his career, understandably so. So, yeah, I mean, we’re talking about a 36y old winger. I think that’s perfectly understandable. Pretty much your age. Yeah, right. Uh he Yeah, I agree. The fourth line had a pretty solid night. He’s fine down there on the fourth on the fourth line. He is slow, but the fourth line had a good night. Elmer Soderblum. And I I’m glad you brought up Soderblum because I did want to shout out Sodorblum and Jonathan Bergrren both because they know with Kane’s return imminent, and we will talk about that in a little bit in segment three, that their roster spots are on the line and so they have to really perform well. I think Elmer Soderblum in the last few games has been the more consistent player. I think he’s been the most notable noticeable player on that fourth line kind of with his long reach and now not afraid to finish hits and also not he still sometimes coasts but a lot of the time is doing a better job of moving his feet has been able to force turnovers and get opportunities in the offensive zone even if he hasn’t found the back of the net consistently for him and I got to give credit to Barren too because you know Mlullen talked about it in the preseason it’s like some and he didn’t say Barren’s name specifically but He was asked kind of about a Baragin and how some players like they go live all their life being the best players on their team and they get to the NHL and realize not everybody can be that player. So they have to adapt if they want to survive. And I think Bergrren is very visibly trying to adapt. I see him engaging on a lot more board battles and winning board battles as well. I counted at least three board battle wins for Bear alone in the offensive zone in this hockey game. And I give him mad props because he knows that if he wants to be in the lineup, he’s got to be able to add elements to his game. And he’s trying. I don’t know if it’s going to be enough. Different guys, too, man. Yeah. I mean, got a handful of minutes with uh well, I mean, you look at the last even just like week and a half. I mean, you know, bounced around the fourth line. Um played with conference cup. I mean, you know, just kind of been bouncing around and uh yeah, it continues to to I I think look pretty good. Yep. I I so I give him credit. Uh where credit is due for sure. Let’s head to another quick break and when we return, we will finish up our conversation on this game as well. Talk a little bit about Patty Kane. Stay tuned to segment three lockdown Red Wings. The NBA is back and there’s no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you missed the start of the game or want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus, you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when your team’s making that late push. Right now, FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So, head to fanduel.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Scotty, another one of these. We were talking a lot about difference makers at the start of the show as we always do when we do game recaps and I mentioned the Vegas Golden Knights defense. You mentioned the lack of finishing as that’s been kind of an ongoing problem. One of the few things that’s really been a glaring issue for the Red Wings off to a 10 and four start is their abil lack of ability to finish. But one thing that’s pretty consistently a very good thing for the Detroit Red Wings night in and night out that was not there today and you’re going to love this or you’re not going to like it in this regard but you’re going to love that I’m bringing it up faceoffs, right? They were absolutely dominated in the faceoffs and that definitely contributes to the lack of offense uh that the Red Wings were struggling to generate on a consistent basis because they can’t win. If they’re not winning defensive zone faceoffs, they can’t break out. They’re not winning offensive zone faceoffs. They can’t set up in the zone. And they were I think they only won 40% of the faceoffs in this hockey game if that less than. So less than 40%. 34 try 34 as I know Vegas had over 40 faceoffs win wins to Detroit’s like 20. It literally is almost exactly 2/3 to one third. they it’s it’s really hard to generate a lot of offense when you can’t win a faceoff and establish the zone or get out of the zone quickly. So definitely especially on the power play, you know, that’s a huge that’s been a huge problem for them too is, you know, or at least in this game, not in general, but winning the face off in the offensive zone because when you get a when you take a power play, when you get a power play, you get the off the face off in the offensive zone to start. That’s just how it works. And so if you win that, you immediately establish possession to start your power play. And if you don’t, then you have to go 200 feet down the ice and try to uh set up that way. And it’s a lot harder then. Yeah. One of the biggest things that kind of was noticeable to me, I mean, Larkin goes seven for 18. That’s less than 40%. Obviously, he’s been so good in that regard so far this season. was not as good in this game, but that’s still like one of the highest percentages on the team. And I think the the weirdest thing to me was that uh Larkin got kicked out of uh a lot of faceoffs in this game. Um like whether it be like like Finny had to step in and take a couple of faceoffs, Marco Casper went four for 16 in the faceoff circle. like just a I don’t know ju just a a weird game in that regard. I don’t expect that to be the norm just cuz they’ve been so good so far this season. Um maintaining a consistent level of production there, but uh yeah, I mean it doesn’t help that you’re, you know, going up against a a very talented dude. Is this real? Please guess Thomas Hurdle’s faceoff percentage in this game. Don’t look. You’re looking at your computer. Guess. I only see the Red Wings stat sheet. Sorry. Yeah. Uh 75%. Uh try 94. Uh he went 15 for 16. He literally had 16 faceoffs and lost one. Uh and then like Michael goes 10 for 15. Like I I mean Carlson even goes 9 for13. Like they they just they have a lot of talent. They a lot of guys that are really good in the faceoff circle. We kind of have like one and uh he held his ownish for a decent uh you know the first half of the game and then like I said weirdly was getting kicked out of a lot of faceoffs in this one too. Well, there might not be faceoff help, but help offensively may be coming sooner rather than later with Patrick Kane. Uh Mlen, he didn’t commit. I will I want a disclaimer. He did not commit, but he did say they’re hoping to get Kane back on the ice with the team this week and have him play on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights. again did not commit, but that is the closest thing to a commitment that we have had since he got hurt, right? It’s been a lot of he’s out or we hope that he’ll return. This is like I mean I guess he still used the term I hope but or we hope but it felt like this is more real than the previous iterations because they also were bringing it up on the broadcast too and Kane is really going to be really missed on the power play. EMTT Finny I give him so much respect. his heart and hustle. He’s a little bit of snake bitten right now, too. But he is nowhere near Patrick Kane along the flanks on the power play. Well, who is? Yeah, right. So, getting Patrick Kane back would be such a huge boost for this power play, especially as we talk about this team’s lack of finishing. Patrick Kane, if he’s not finishing himself, he is helping his teammates. Yeah. You know, finish those opport the penalty kill for Vegas, the strategy was just beat the living crap out of Dylan Larkin and they won’t do anything. And it worked. Like they just they just completely swarmed Larkin and uh you know denied all pucks going his way and and it worked out wonderfully for them. Uh, so I I mean just having another weapon like that on power play one with all of our best scores is is going to help a lot for sure. Yeah. And so I’m hoping that he returns by Friday. Couple more days for the Red Wings to rest a little RNR before getting back to the ice as they have two days off. Um Scotty, uh, do you got anything else to add to the episode? I don’t think so, man. Um, I want to kind of talk about the road trip as a whole tomorrow so we can kind of bank that for for them. We’ll focus on just the game today and then, you know, six points out of 10 on the road trip. Is that uh, you know, based on what we wanted going into it? Is that up to up to snuff, if you will? Um, but so uh, yeah, but that’s pretty much it on this game. I mean, it was it it it wasn’t like super discouraging or or super terrible to watch or anything. it just you you weren’t able to finish the few opportunities you did have and you didn’t have a ton of opportunities to begin with. Um but they still held their own. So um yeah, hopefully uh some momentum going uh back home despite that. Um what else can I ramble on with? We ball. Well, I have a question. So, I was gonna say here, if the Red Wings had won this game, they would have been the first team to 10 wins in the league. Have I been saying they’re 10 and four? Cuz they’re nine and five. You’ve been saying 10 and four the entire episode. Um, I didn’t correct you because it didn’t sound wrong to me, but they Yeah, they definitely still are at nine. No. Yeah, it’s nine and five with the loss. I think I was counting I guess I couldn’t even count them before they hatched. It’s hatched and I still got it wrong. Uh, no. They’re 9 and5. They would have been the first team to 10 wins with the victory. That’s that is 1:35 in the morning recording. And I also had a hockey game myself prior to the Red Wings game. So, I am exhausted. Apologize. 172. By the way, I was out there for both goals against. So, maybe keep that part to yourself. I keep myself humble. Uh, yeah. Scotty, any final thoughts? We ball, baby. We do ball. We’ll be back with a new episode tomorrow, same time, same place. It’s your team every day.

The Detroit Red Wings struggled to get any offense against a defensively sound Vegas Golden Knights squad, losing 1-0. John Gibson was stellar in this one though, as he put up 30+ saves. Wings return home on Friday. #LGRW

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