Detroit Red Wings' John Gibson OK to play, Michal Postava in reserve

The Detroit Red Wings called up Michal Postava just in case, but sound optimistic John Gibson will be back in net after a brief injury scare.

The Wings called up Michal Postava, who never has played in the NHL, on Friday, April 10, a day after Gibson left midway through the game against the Philadelphia Flyers , with what coach Todd McLellan described as "stiffness" in the neck. Gibson did not practice Friday, but is expected to be available when the Wings host the New Jersey Devils Saturday in the home finale.

"Call it a maintenance day," McLellan said. "He felt much better today, so we expect him to be ready to go tomorrow."

Gibson absorbed a hit early in the second period when Flyers forward Owen Tippett knocked down Gibson. Tippett was penalized on the play.

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The call-up was announced about two hours before practice, so there was no immediate update on Gibson. Postava was called up at the end of March when Cam Talbot was unavailable, but did not play. Likewise, when Sebastian Cossa was called up in early March when Gibson was unavailable, Cossa did not see any game action.

Gibson (28-20-4 record, a 2.63 goals-against average and .904 save percentage) has been the Wings' most valuable player since Thanksgiving, with a 2.32 GAA and .916 save percentage from late November through early April.

The Wings next play Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, in the home finale at Little Caesars Arena. That leaves two road games: At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, and the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

The Wings (41-29-9, 91 points) are three points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card and are tied with the New York Islanders with three games to play.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com . Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter . 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings' John Gibson OK to play after leaving with injury