Detroit Red Wings goaltending woes: The struggles of Ville Husso are getting more concerning.
While Detroit Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso‘s win-loss record is satisfactory, his other statistical measures are falling short of the expectations aligned with his compensation. In fact, he’s now gone 14 consecutive home games in which he’s allowed at least three opposition goals dating back to last season, a dubious new team record.
Ville Husso is proving to be too inconsistent
Husso’s goals-against average has reached 3.65, and the six goals conceded against San Jose further hindered the reduction of this statistic. Currently, he stands tied for 52nd among NHL goalies in the goals against average category. Moreover, his save percentage sits at a mere .886, placing him at the 43rd position among all NHL goalies in this metric.
Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t as critical of Husso’s performance last night in which he allowed six goals on 37 opposition shots, most of which came on odd-man rushes and one breakaway.
“Ville was actually excellent up to those four goals,” Lalonde said. “He didn’t have much chance. Ville was our best player for 40 minutes.…You can see the odd-man or the two-on-one developing and we were just lazy and casual away from the puck.”
Addressing goaltenders’ mental fortitude during challenging periods is crucial for the Red Wings. In the 2008-09 season, when they were defending their Stanley Cup championship, Detroit opted to send Chris Osgood home for a week to facilitate a mental reset and recenter his focus. This proactive approach highlights the team’s commitment to supporting their goaltenders during tough stretches.
Husso may need something similar if he isn’t able to get his game back in order. Until then, Detroit may consider re-inserting veteran James Reimer into the goaltending rotation. He’s not played since mid-November, but like Lyon, has posted positive statistics with a 2.30 goals against average and a .917 save percentage with a shutout.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Red Wings have encountered challenges in receiving the necessary goaltending performance from starter Ville Husso.
- In the 2008-09 season, the Red Wings made the decision to send starter Chris Osgood home for a valuable mental reset, acknowledging the importance of mental clarity during tough stretches.
- While awaiting Husso’s improvement, Detroit might contemplate reintroducing James Reimer into the goaltending rotation
Bottom Line: Can Husso find his game?
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman made a significant investment by acquiring Husso from the St. Louis Blues last offseason in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick, sealing the deal with a three-year, $14.25 million contract. While several goals against in the recent game stemmed from defensive breakdowns, there are instances where a goaltender’s performance is pivotal in bailing out the team.
Currently, Husso’s inconsistency has left fans questioning their trust in his abilities. Encouragingly, there’s still time for him to rediscover his form and return to the consistent level of play he exhibited during the first three quarters of last season
