Lyon embracing Red Wings’ race for playoff berth
Helene St. James
This is what Alex Lyon has come to relish, when every game carries so much weight.
Take the one the Detroit Red Wings have on the slate Tuesday in Washington: The Capitals are a point ahead of Detroit, sitting in the wild-card berth the Wings are trying to make theirs.
Win, and the Wings move ahead by a point; tie, and the Caps would still be ahead in the standings because they have a game in hand on Detroit; lose, and it’s a three-point deficit with three weeks remaining.
What’s not to like for a guy who is the last line of defense?
“I just love this time of year because you put all your issues aside and there’s just one thing, and it’s hockey,” Lyon said Monday. “And I really love that, and I love that feeling. And so whether the ups and downs come, you just have to embrace it and lay it on the line every day and that’s what it is about.
“It is intense, but it’s also one of the most treasured times of the year for me.”
Lyon will make his second straight start because he had a good outing in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at the Nashville Predators. So did his teammates, who gave a strong defensive effort.
“There were definitely some good things from the game,” J.T. Compher said. “We need to create a little more offensively and not be selective with our shots, but defensively, there were a lot of good things.”
Defenseman Jeff Petry is questionable, as he’s dealing with the bug that’s been going around the locker room, and head coach Derek Lalonde wasn’t sure if fellow blueliner Jake Walman will be ready after missing three games with a lower-body injury. Second-year forward Jonatan Berggren has been reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins after being scratched five straight games.
Lyon had been given a bit of a break, with James Reimer starting three of four games in net before Nashville. Ville Husso remains on the sidelines; Lalonde said he has “had a couple little setbacks” and will start his comeback in Grand Rapids, time permitting.
Lyon looked back in form vs. the Predators despite a 5.15 goals-against average and .859 save percentage in his first six March games — all losses. At 31, he knows not to let such turbulence rattle him.
“I just see that as the natural way of goaltending,” Lyon said. “There’s going to be ups and downs, and it’s about surviving the downs and just continuing to work hard and trust and believe those things. Obviously things weren’t going my way there for a little bit, but I still felt like I had some good games. But then, all of a sudden, it’s like you lose two, and then you’re not feeling as good. It just happens. It’s unfortunate, I hate it, but that’s the strain a goalie goes through. It’s just about managing your emotions and continuing to trust yourself and do the right things.
“I know the narratives out there, I know the position we’re in. But if you want to make deep runs, ultimately you have to learn to take a day-by-day mindset, from September all the way till July. I think if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. You have a practice and a travel day? Work hard in practice, and enjoy the travel. Take tomorrow as it comes.”
Lyon experienced this kind of situation last year with the Florida Panthers, stepping in and going 6-1-1 with a 1.87 GAA and .943 save percentage down the stretch run as the Panthers edged into the second wild-card spot by one point.
“We had that experience in Florida a little bit last year, where we were eight points out with six games to go or something like that, and it was like, Lyon said. “Let’s enjoy the moment, let’s enjoy the group, let’s enjoy the experience. And that’s how you’re going to yield the best results - just being in the moment.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames . Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon , Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.