Fearless, professional (and Pearl Jam fan) Alex Lyon shows Red Wings he's still alive
SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Lyon was singing along to Pearl Jam, as were a few of his Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
That the song "I'm still alive," reverberated from the visitors room at Delta Center was understandable: For the first time in more than a week, and only the third time in 12 games, the Wings deposited a pair of points next to their name in the standings, a much-needed infusion for their playoff hopes.
For Lyon, the song resonated on a personal level: Dropped to third on the depth chart after the March 7 trade deadline acquisition of Petr Mrazek, the injury to Mrazek early in Monday's game gave Lyon an opportunity to show, figuratively, that he is still alive.
"My mentality is I’m here to help the team win," Lyon said. "That’s my job. I take pride in being a professional."
Lyon, 32, has been in the position before. Last season was his first year with the Wings, and he spent the first five weeks third on the depth chart, only getting into one game as a backup.
But when Ville Husso suffered an injury and James Reimer struggled, Lyon rose to the No. 1 spot. He struggled to stay there especially during the second half this season, and then came the trade deadline, and suddenly, the Wings were back to having three goalies, with Mrazek joining Lyon and Cam Talbot. And Lyon was back on the bottom, on an expiring contract.
"Before I was in Detroit, I spent eight years not in the NHL," Lyon said. "Last two years have been a blessing for me to some degree. I love playing in the NHL and I want to stay here, but that’s been the reality of my life forever.
"You have to play with a chip on your shoulder all the time and you have to play with urgency in this league and you have to play fearless."
Lyon hadn't played since March 6 − coincidentally, that was also against Utah − and hadn't won since Feb. 23. Since Mrazek's arrival, Lyon hadn't even dressed as backup until last Saturday's game at the Vegas Golden Knights. He backed up Monday, but was called upon 1:36 into the game when Mrazek left after a collision in his crease.
"I thought Alex did a really good job coming in in a difficult situation a minute int a game when you certainly don’t expect it," coach Todd McLellan said. "The first shot goes by him and now it’s, 'OK, what are we going to get?' But he really settled and played a good game.
"Alex was supposed to come tomorrow, but that’s how things work sometimes. You get it a day before you expect it and he handled himself really well."
The Wings don't expect to know more until Wednesday, after they return to Detroit, regarding Mrazek's status. As is his habit, Lyon will do what he's made a career of doing.
"I’m just staying ready every day," he said. "When you stay ready, you don’t really have to get ready."
Ready, and still alive. Lyon said that he's "a big Pearl Jam guy," but credited Patrick Kane for getting it on the post-game playing list: "His voice carries a lot in this locker room."
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
Her latest book, “The Franchise: Detroit Red Wings, A Curated History of the Red Wings,” was released October 2024. Her books, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” and “The Big 50: The Men and Moments that made the Detroit Red Wings” are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings playoff chase: Alex Lyon wins after Petr Mrazek hurt
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