3 least impressive Detroit Red Wings players from 5-1 Opening Night loss to Montreal Canadiens ft. John Gibson

NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings - Source: Imagn
NHL: Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings - Source: Imagn

The Detroit Red Wings had a disastrous Opening Night at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night. The Wings dropped a 5-1 decision after scoring the game’s first goal.

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The Habs notched five straight goals, ending starting netminder John Gibson’s night early. Captain Dylan Larkin opened the scoring with a power play goal in the first period. After that, it was all Montreal.

Zack Bolduc, Oliver Kapanen, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, and Juraj Slafkovsky (PPG) scored for Montreal. The Canadiens got their first win of the season after losing the night before to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Detroit Red Wings players in their Opening Night loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

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3 least impressive Detroit Red Wings players from 5-1 loss to Canadiens

#3 Albert Johansson

Albert Johansson has emerged as one of the key blueline core members for the Detroit Red Wings. Unfortunately for Johansson and the Wings, he had a rough night.

Johansson registered a minus-3 on the night in over 15 minutes of ice time. He hit the ice for 20 shifts with partner Travis Hamonic. However, the beleaguered pairing bore much of the brunt of the Canadiens’ attack.

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Slafkovsky’s goal, the one that made the game 5-1, was a good example. Here’s a look:

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Cole Caufield’s shot was initially stopped by Gibson. However, Johansson was unable to clear the puck. He was clearly beaten on the play. Following the goal, Johansson’s reaction said far more than words could.

#2 Travis Hamonic

Like Albert Johansson, Travis Hamonic had a tough outing against the Canadiens. The Detroit Red Wings signed the veteran blueliner to solidify the bottom pairing. But Hamonic’s minus-3 on Thursday night left plenty of question marks surrounding his performance.

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Here’s a look at Bolduc’s goal, the one that made the game 4-1:

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Hamonic can be seen covering his man in the corner. As the puck came back to the point, Hamonic casually gave chase as the point shot got tipped in front of the net.

The lost puck battle along the boards allowed the Canadiens to control the zone, and get their scoring chance. The Wings failed to clear the front of the net, creating the traffic that enabled the shot to get through.

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Moving forward, the Red Wings will need to tighten up their defensive play, especially in front of the net and along the boards.

#1 John Gibson

The Detroit Red Wings new starting netminder had a terrible debut. He allowed five goals on 13 shots and got the hook late in the second period. He failed to make key saves for Detroit. The momentum the Wings gained from Larkin’s opening goal was zapped quickly. The score was 3-1 after 20 minutes, essentially taking the steam out of Detroit’s game.

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While John Gibson can’t be solely blamed for the awful night, he faced just 13 shots in nearly 40 minutes. The Red Wings did a great job of holding the Canadiens to an unusually low shot count.

The disappointing start is something Gibson and the club will need to shake off as the take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in their next outing on Saturday night.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan
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