Detroit kicked off its four-game homestand with an important 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Monday, halting a three-game winless streak and improving to 19-11-3 at Little Caesars Arena this season. Alex DeBrincat (three assists) and Patrick Kane (two goals) combined for five points, while goaltender John Gibson made 25 saves for his 25th win of the campaign.
“I liked our response after the first,” Dries said. “It wasn’t the first that we wanted, but I thought we came out in the second with determination and got pucks and bodies to the net. That needs to be the identity of how we’re going to win these games down the stretch.”
On how a club’s identity can evolve this late in the season, head coach Todd McLellan noted that the Red Wings are being tested under significant pressure.
“Every team in the League right now is stressed,” McLellan said. “And I don’t just mean the worry, but the length of the season, the taxing of players, the playoff races. So, that can affect individuals or teams in different ways, and that’s why we talked about being resilient and dealing with issues. I’d like to think that we can handle that better than maybe we have in the past, but we’re not the only team that will go through all of this.”
Montreal, which currently sits just two points ahead of Detroit for third place in the Atlantic Division, is coming off a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday. The game-winner was scored by Cole Caufield, who leads the Canadiens in goals (40) and ranks third in points (68) behind Lane Hutson (69 points on 11 goals and 58 assists) and captain Nick Suzuki (80 points on 24 goals and 56 assists).
Jakub Dobeš, Samuel Montembeault and Jacob Fowler have all spent time in Montreal’s crease this season, with the first-listed netminder appearing in a team-high 33 games for 22-7-4 record.
“They don’t need many chances,” McLellan said of the Canadiens. “They got a 40-goal scorer in their lineup. They’ve got offense from the blue line and from their forwards. You look at their shooting percentage and their ability to finish; it’s exceptional right now. It’s been a real good asset for their hockey club.”