What looked like a scoreless game for the Carolina Hurricanes took a wild turn of events, leading them into overtime, but ultimately ended in a loss against the Detroit Red Wings.
After faltering early, the Hurricanes (28-14-4) surmounted a three-goal deficit, but couldn’t close their efforts, allowing the Red Wings’ (28-15-4) Andrew Copp to net the game-winner just 90 seconds into overtime. The loss snaps a four-game win streak for Carolina.
The Canes came out of the gate with a lack of energy as left wing James van Riemsdyk opened the scoresheet for Detroit in just under two minutes, assisted by fellow left wing Lucas Raymond and defensemen Moritz Seider.
The Hurricanes remained goalless in the first period of the game despite peppering the net with 12 shots on goal. The Canes still average the second-highest shots on goal per game, averaging 32.26 thus far.
Detroit, practically mirroring the events of the first period, capitalized again when right wing Alex DeBrincat, with help from center Andrew Copp and defenseman Ben Chiarot, shot the puck straight down the middle of the ice past netminder Frederik Andersen just over a minute into the second period.
The Red Wings scored again minutes later when defensemen Albert Johansson breezed the puck past the right side of Andersen after assists from right wing Patrick Kane and repeat actor DeBrincat.
This season, Andersen has faced much negative discourse. Suffering mulptiple injuries in the past three years, Andersen has struggled with blood-clot issues and a major knee injury that needed surgery, putting him out of commission for a large portion of the season. Last month, Andersen hit a career low when his save percentage dropped to 0.875. His comeback is going to be slow and steady as the favoritism shifts towards Brandon Bussi, who has taken Pyotr Kochetkov’s spot while he is out with an injury.
Going into the third period, hope was lacking for Carolina. Still putting up more shots on goal than Detroit, things looked bleak as just 20 minutes remained.
Then, five minutes into the third period, right wing Jackson Blake scored a power-play goal, getting the puck past the sea of red jerseys surrounding the goal with help from left wing Taylor Hall and defensemen Alexander Nikishin.
Just three minutes later on a shorthanded chance, center Seth Jarvis brought Carolina to a one-goal deficit off an assist from center Sebastian Aho. Jarvis fired the wrist shot after the Red Wings lost possession of the puck at center ice, which sent the duo flurrying down the ice to score.
Now pumped up, Carolina’s pursuit to score another goal continued. Three minutes before the final sound of the horn, defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere scored Carolina’s second power play goal of the night, leveling the score 3-3 and forcing the game into overtime.
Next, Carolina travels to Missouri to take on the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 13. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
