The ‘amazing’ play of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon was praised by coach Derek Lalonde
Losing a starting goaltender for an extended period often poses challenges for an NHL team, but the Detroit Red Wings have defied the odds. Despite the setback, they not only stayed competitive but also secured the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Much credit goes to goaltender Alex Lyon, who began the season as the third option on Detroit’s goaltending depth chart. Lyon played a crucial role in the recent victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, making 28 saves in the 5-2 triumph – something that did not go unnoticed by head coach Derek Lalonde.
The Red Wings earned a valuable pair of points in the standings
Detroit hosted Vegas at Little Caesars Arena last night, marking the Golden Knights’ first visit to Detroit since securing their inaugural Stanley Cup championship last spring. The scoring opened with Dylan Larkin’s 200th career goal, swiftly followed by Jake Walman‘s 10th goal of the season.
Despite Vegas responding promptly with two quick goals from Ivan Barbashev and Paul Cotter, equalizing the score at 2-2, Detroit regained the lead with a power play goal from Joe Veleno, and they held on to secure the victory.
Andrew Copp extended his personal hot streak by scoring his second goal in as many games during the third period, reestablishing a two-goal lead. This was followed by Larkin’s second goal of the game into the empty net. Lyon enjoyed another strong outing, making 28 saves and securing his 13th win of the season.
Derek Lalonde lauds the ‘amazing’ performance of Detroit Red Wings goaltender Alex Lyon
Derek Lalonde was sure to single out Lyon’s performance in net, as he was making his 12th start in the last 13 games.
“Our goalie tonight was amazing,” Lalonde said. “I didn’t like his first, I didn’t think he was sharp, and I’m sitting there, maybe it’s caught up to him how much we’ve played him. And he was just a beast in the second and third. That’s a credit to him.”
“So I think we can talk about improved practice, translating what we’ve done in practice to our games, we can talk about the play of Alex Lyon, but when you have a run like this against the type of opponent we’ve had, it comes from the room,” Lalonde continued. “This has been a good stretch for us.”
Meanwhile, Lyon is thriving with the heightened workload in the absence of starter Ville Husso, who has been sidelined since sustaining a lower-body ailment last month. Lyon has stepped up admirably to fill the goaltending role during Husso’s absence.
“I think every young goalie learns how to play goalie to be a starter, so I enjoy it,” Lyon said. “I said it maybe two weeks ago but I feel more comfortable with the team. It’s continuing to grow. Like Larks said, we have to continue to keep our foot on the gas because the break is going to test us a little mentally but we just have to continue to stay sharp and stay on top of things because we do have a lot of hockey left.”
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings continued their strong start to 2024, defeating the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights last night at Little Caesars Arena by a 5-2 final
- Goaltender Alex Lyon enjoyed another strong outing, making 28 saves in what was his 12th start in the last 13 games
- Head coach Derek Lalonde loved the ‘amazing’ play of Lyon in net
Bottom Line: The Red Wings are rolling
The Red Wings faced the challenge of rebounding from a challenging month of December, which resulted in a slide in the standings. They have responded emphatically, enjoying a strong start to the calendar year 2024, reclaiming the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Before heading into a well-deserved break for the NHL All-Star festivities, the Red Wings have one more game on the agenda. They’ll face division rivals, the Ottawa Senators, for the second and final time this season on Wednesday night.
