Patrick Kane has been anticipating this moment for months. Therefore, when the future hall of fame forward scored goal number 499, he knew number 500 was coming soon. The Detroit Red Wings had a 3-1 lead late in a game against the Ottawa Senators. With five minutes left in regulation, Ottawa pulled their goalie. Thus, Kane saw his opportunity and took full advantage of it.
Kane is just the fifth U.S.A. Born player in NHL history to eclipse 500 goals in his career. The Red Wings are grateful that #88 is part of the team, and part of this year’s success. Once goal #500 was scored, the entire team swarmed to congratulate the historic moment. Similarly, the Red Wings’ fan base in attendance celebrated the achievement.
Kane was one of four players to have a two point night in the win over Ottawa. J.T. Compher and Axel Sandin-Pellikka both scored a goal and an assist. James Van Riemsdyk assisted on both of their goals. However, the contributions of John Gibson can’t be overlooked in this win. Gibson stopped 23 of 24 shots, continuing an incredible renaissance that started in December.
The Atlantic Division has no room for error
The Red Wings currently sit tied for the most points in the Atlantic Division with the Montreal Canadiens. Those two teams will meet on Saturday in a game that will be closely watched by fans. The Red Wings have to keep winning to maintain a place in the wildcard race right now. Montreal is going to be a huge test for Detroit, as both teams are pushing hard for a post season appearance.
John Gibson’s performance in net has been a saving grace for the Red Wings. Vancouver had controlled the play in the first period, at times being dominant. However, Gibson has been locked in and able to weather those early storms. Still, Detroit cannot continue to have such a poor start to these games. Fans are hoping that the Red Wings will add reinforcements via trade, especially on the blue line.
Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson have been impressive, but the drop off can be steep. Thus the pair often sees more than 25 minutes a night right now. Those hard minutes can take their toll, however Seider has been a rock for the Wings. He’s yet to miss a single game in his NHL career. Even so, the Red Wings need to make sure he isn’t being overworked.
Other Strong performances for the team
James Van Riemsdyk has been a steady contributor for Detroit for the past month. 13 of his 17 points have come since December 2nd, and he now sits at fourth in goal scoring. JVR has now matched last year’s goal total by the departed Vladimir Tarasenko. Thus, the $1 million dollar signing is looking like a really good decision by Steve Yzerman.
Lucas Raymond has had a strong couple of games, scoring goals in back to back contests. Raymond is a strong points contributor, however he sits at just 13 goals on the season. Both Raymond and the team would like to see him near the 30 goal mark again this year. The Red Wings will need all hands on deck as they face Montreal on Saturday. This game is a bit of a litmus test, as both organizations are thought to be in a rebuild. However, Montreal took a huge step forward last season. Detroit is eager to prove that they too are ready for the next step in this club’s resurgence.
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