On Monday, the Detroit Free Press wondered if Mike Babcock was trying to send a message to starting netminder Jimmy Howard with his not-so-subtle “the bottom line is the puck can’t continue to go in our net” remark.
On Tuesday, that speculation might’ve been proven correct.
The Red Wings announced that backup Jonas Gustavsson would make his second straight start on Wednesday vs. Boston -- a decision that will result in “The Monster” playing four of Detroit’s last six games.
It’ll be interesting to see how this move is perceived.
On one hand, Babcock is riding the hot hand for a team needing wins -- Gustavsson is 5-0-1 this season with a .926 save percentage and 2.35 GAA, while Howard is 5-7-6 with a .908 save percentage and 2.72 GAA. So it’s easy to make the case for going with the in-form netminder, as Gustavsson is coming off a 21-save win over Buffalo on Sunday.
On the other hand...
Howard is coming off a banner 2013 campaign, one in which he tied for the league lead in shutouts (five) before backstopping Detroit to within a game of knocking off eventual Cup champs Chicago. He’s the club’s clear-cut No. 1 and is in the first year of a six-year, $31.75 million extension, making him the 12th highest-paid goalie in the league.
According to Babcock, Howard is having a hard time living up to those expectations.
“We expect Howie to be a star,” Babcock said. “We expect that each and every night. All you gotta do is look at our team record. It hasn’t gone as good for him, but I think we’re in that all together. When you’re real organized in your own zone, it’s way easier for your goaltender to play real well.
“But I also think when you start pressing as an athlete and worrying about things you shouldn’t worry about, things don’t go your way.”