Gibson: Red Wings Have no One to Blame But Themselves

The post Gibson: Red Wings Have no One to Blame But Themselves appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Looking back on how the Detroit Red Wings sputtered to the finish line, missing the playoffs again this season, there were plenty of suggestions about where they should be placing the blame.

For goaltender John Gibson, the answer is simple. The buck, much like the puck when he is between the pipes, stops here.

“We put ourselves in the spot,” Gibson said. “There’s really nobody to blame or be mad at other than ourselves.

“It’s a learning lesson, and hopefully we can use it next year as motivation.”

Gibson Played Role In Red Wings Revival

When it was good, when the Red Wings were sitting atop the mountain in front of the Atlantic Division in late January, Gibson was a vital component in making that so.

In his first season wearing the Winged Wheel, Gibson’s star shot into the stratosphere beginning in December. The last month on the calendar in 2025 saw Gibson go 9-1-2. posting a .925 save percentage and a pair of shutouts. That month saw the Wings post an 11-3-1 slate

“Obviously, it was a slow start for me personally,” Gibson said. “But after that, I kind of got back to my game and just did what I do. I try to keep it simple, stop the puck, and give the team a chance to win.

“And I was able to do that the second half of the year.”

The Change Did Him Good

After 12 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. Gibson was ready for something new. Moving to Detroit provided him with that opportunity.

“I was just looking for a fresh start, a new opportunity,” said the 32-year-old Gibson. “That’s what I got here.

“I had a lot of fun. Obviously, the last four weeks weren’t what we hoped they would be, but in general, I think there’s a good group of guys here. I had a lot of fun playing a lot of games, and that was what I wanted to do.

“It just ultimately came a little short, but a lot of lessons to be learned. A lot of things we can use to build off of in the summertime and hopefully come back better next year.”

The post Gibson: Red Wings Have no One to Blame But Themselves appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.