Red Wings Crushed By Mammoth

The Detroit Red Wings were hoping for a second straight win after defeating the New York Islanders. However, the Utah Mammoth were able to shut down the Wings, beating Detroit 4-1. Both teams had played the night before, yet Utah seemed far more engaged for this game.

Captain Dylan Larkin acknowledged that pushing for offense caused defensive lapses. Consequently, the team found themselves in a deficit they could not overcome. The Red Wings often struggle when the opposition scores first, therefore defensive breakdowns can be very costly.

Cam Talbot is struggling right now

Goaltending is obviously a critical component for success, and right now Cam Talbot is struggling. Talbot has now been on the losing end in his past six straight starts. Conversely, John Gibson has won his past sixth straight starts. That’s a massive shift from November where Gibson lost every one of his starts.

Still, with another back to back coming up Talbot will soon have another shot. Coach Todd McLellan acknowledged the recent losing streak when asked about it. However, McLellan reaffirmed the team’s confidence in Talbot moving forward.

Detroit will play back to back games against the Washington Capitals this weekend. Therefore, Talbot will get another shot to try and get back into the win column. The Red Wings will get a rare day off and regroup on Friday to prepare for the weekend series.

Griffins Rally with 5 Straight Goals vs Iowa | Every Griffins Goal https://t.co/U4V4gUkQo3 via @YouTube @DetroitRedWings @griffinshockey scored five goals, storming back from a 2-0 deficit to get their 23rd win of the season. The team is 23-1-0-1 in this historic start
— Red Wings Report by Strings’nPucks (@TheJeremyLaura) December 18, 2025

Grand Rapids continues its historic season

Elsewhere, the Grand Rapids Griffins continue to add to their historic season. While Detroit was playing Utah, the Griffins were in action against the Iowa Wild. Grand Rapids came back from a two goal deficit to win their game 5-2. The team is now 23-1-0-1 in this historic start for the franchise.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard continues to grow his game, gathering two assists in the win. The Griffins were without leading goal scorer John Leonard, who is currently with Detroit on recall. Leonard gathered his first NHL point this season, assisting on Finnie’s power play tally.