Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson sent a message to his critics with a shutout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
For the first time since he became a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization, the 32-year-old veteran goaltender John Gibson stopped all the shots fired at him in a game.
Although some would argue that it may not mean as much considering the Canucks are the 31st team in NHL standings and only have two wins in their last 10 games, he still made 39 saves, an impressive performance.
This was also the 25th shutout of his career, a milestone he achieved in a crucial game as the two points earned propelled the team over the Tampa Bay Lightning at the top of the Atlantic Division.
John Gibson Hushes Critics By Reaching Impressive Milestone In 39-Save Shutout
Todd McLellan is a coach who takes his players accountable, but it goes in the other direction as well. He had great words about Gibson after the game.
In his press conference, he mentioned the goalie’s complete effort and how he saved the team on multiple occasions:
“I thought he played well from Minute 1 to Minute 60. It took us a while to get our legs and get going, and he saved our bacon in the first. I thought the second, we started to settle down a little bit, and then made a few mistakes in the third but he was there for us.”
The Wings rookie defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka also praised Gibson:
“He was unbelievable. It felt like no one could score on him and he had some really huge saves. Incredible. Not much else to say.”
As for Gibson, he didn’t have a lot to say after the win, letting his performance speak for itself:
“It was good. Any time you can get a shutout, it’s nice.”
He also talked about the milestone and how special it was to see his teammate Cam Talbot give him the puck after the game:
“It was cool. I’m not much of a milestone guy but I think when I’m all done and can look back on it, a cool keepsake and something I can look back on.”
Listen to his full comments here:
Hopefully, Gibson will build confidence after his standout performance and keep it going in his next game.
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John Gibson hushes Red Wings critics after shutout win Monday vs. Canucks
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