Shayne Gostisbehere is one goal from joining the list of Detroit Red Wings who have scored in double digits.

He takes a four-game point streak into Thursday's game against the New York Islanders, most recently boosting his numbers with a two-goal performance that demonstrated why teams can live with his defensive deficiencies.

On his second goal in Tuesday's 8-3 rout of the Washington Capitals, Gostisbehere intercepted the puck in the neutral zone as the Capitals were trying to attack, and ended the play with scoring on a setup by Lucas Raymond.

TRADE WINGS: Wings may not make huge splash at trade deadline. They already have Patrick Kane

Gostisbehere described his interception as a form of atonement because, "it was my fault that they had that chance," he said. "I just did whatever I could to get back and thankfully he didn't make the best play, pass-wise. Thankfully, I got a stick on it because it was ultimately my fault that they got that opportunity."

Gostisbehere scored his first goal 5:45 into the game when he one-timed a pass from Joe Veleno. Gostisbehere hasn't had a had trick in the pros, he said, but "I had one in high school."

The Wings already have 12 players with at least 10 goals. Gostisbehere has nine, and leads all defensemen, and is fifth on the team, with 38 points. The veteran, who turns 31 in April, was one of general manager Steve Yzerman's offseason signings, coming in on a one-year, $4.125 million contract. The Wings are Gostisbehere's fourth team in 10 seasons, during which he has consistently been an offensive threat. Along with 349 points in 596 career games, he has a minus-74 rating.

"He competes well on the d-side," Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. "He finds himself in trouble at times. He's had some tough matchups — we've played him in our top pair at times, especially when [Jake Walman] has been out.

"He helps our transition, he moves the puck. He's been a really valuable player for us. We talk about the depth in scoring we're getting from the forwards, but obviously we're getting some offense from our D, too."

Gostisbehere may end up being a stop-gap; Simon Edvinsson won't be waiver exempt after this season, and he's an offensive-type defenseman who shoots left, so he could slot into Gostisbehere's spot. For now, though, it's Gostisbehere who has helped point the Wings towards a playoff run.

"Any way someone can contribute, especially on a winning team, it feels special," Gostisbehere said. "I think we have something special in the room, and it's up to us to do something with it."

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her @helenestjames.

Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. 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.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Shayne Gostisbehere proving his value to Detroit Red Wings