Red Wings Defend Howard's Performance; Hasn't Won Game Since Dec. 3
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
Two games in less than 24 hours took its toll on the Red Wings, but probably nowhere more so than with the team's goaltending. Petr Mrazek has had an impressive year (fifth in the NHL in save percentage and eighth in wins credited to him, with 22). But Jimmy Howard, his goaltending counterpart, has struggled recently, and especially Monday against the Islanders.
The Red Wings lost for the first time in six games Monday, allowing four goals to their one. Howard was in net, thanks to Mrazek's day off (after starting less than 24 hours before). He allowed the Islanders to score four times off their 32 shots, a .875 percentage. It was a rough end to the weekend, after the Red Wings allowed nine goals in two games.
"Howie made some good saves when he had to, breakaway there, a couple kind of breakaways," Wings forward Justin Abdelkader told reporters after the game. "He made some good saves and kept us in it there. There's no blame on him. We got to do a better job defensively, sorting things out and clearing rebounds for him."
Head coach Jeff Blashill wouldn't throw Howard under the bus either, saying that the goalie couldn't be responsible for scoring more goals himself.
"You can say four goals not good enough and we all want more saves, including him, but I thought he played good," Blashill told reporters. "He gave us a chance to win, made a big save on a breakaway early (on John Tavares) in the game. I thought it was a big moment. If we score on some of those opportunities it could be a different game."
Howard hasn't saved more than 90 percent of his shots since Dec. 18 against Vancouver. He hasn't been credited with a win (0-6-3) since Dec. 3, when the Wings beat Arizona 5-1.
Next to him on the roster, Mrazek has been a rock more or less all season and has taken the win in four of his last five starts. Last week against Florida, he saved all 23 of the shots the Panthers slung his way.
Henrik Zetterberg said it was good to have two goalies "when we really need it" – and the Wings did need that flexibility this weekend. Their game against the Bruins Saturday (at home) started at 3:30 p.m., and the team traveled to New York for a 1 p.m. start time the next day against the Islanders.
"I think yesterday's game (6-5 win over the Bruins), if we're honest, that was a pretty crazy game, a pretty wild game both ways and pucks seemed to find the nets there," Gustav Nyquist said. "It's just one of those fluke games and obviously letting up five, I don't think it really tells you the whole story of how we played at home. … But today, letting up four, that's not good on the road. We gotta be better than that."