Riding a strong performance from goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes earned their fifth-straight win against a struggling Red Wings team that has won just three of its last nine games.
The Canes (38-15-6) got off to a hot start, scoring three unanswered goals and held a solid position late into the second period. But the Red Wings (34-20-6) clawed back into the game with two goals 47 seconds apart to close the second, threatening the Canes’ lead. Leading the way to victory, Andersen played a clean game in the final 20 minutes as Carolina netted two more goals to put the game away.
“They got some real good firepower over there and they got behind us a couple times and Freddie kept us in there,” said head coach Rod Brind’Amour. “They had a couple moments but it allowed us to settle down and get to our game and crucial saves at pivotal times tonight.”
Opening the scoring, forward Taylor Hall forced a takeaway in the defensive zone, outskated the Red Wings’ defense into a 1-on-1 chance against Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot, and used a series of puck fakes to send Talbot sliding the wrong way before burying the puck in the back of the net.
With just 40 seconds left in the first period, Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere drew a penalty after maneuvering past two Red Wings defenders with an impressive move. Thirty-two seconds later, he set up forward Sebastian Aho, who doubled the Canes’ lead heading into the first intermission with his sixth power play goal of the season.
Building on the lead early in the second period, Carolina defenseman Sean Walker stepped up and picked off Detroit forward James van Riemsdyk. Walker quickly found forward Eric Robinson who finished the chance with ease, extending the Canes’ lead to 3–0.
Frederik Andersen, off the back of an Olympic campaign where he managed an impressive .913 save percentage with Denmark, got the start in the Canes’ second game back. Andersen opened the game with 18 straight saves, anchoring Carolina early. He made key 1-on-1 saves in the 11th and 13th minutes of the second, drawing “Freddie” chants from the crowd after each save.
The Canes carried a 3-0 lead into the final two minutes of the second period and looked to close out the frame despite sustained pressure from the Detroit Red Wings. Frederik Andersen’s terrific play in net was the only thing keeping Detroit off the board.
After a brawl reduced both teams to four players, Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson ripped a precise shot that struck both posts before sneaking across the goal line.
Less than a minute later, Detroit forward Patrick Kane scored from a tight angle. In a flash, the Red Wings cut the deficit to one, leaving the Canes vulnerable in the third period.
With the pressure 100% on the Canes, the top team in the Metropolitan Division responded. Shayne Gostisbehere recorded his 10th goal of the season, extending Carolina’s lead and giving the team much-needed breathing room.
Forward Jackson Blake pushed the lead to 5–2 on a 2-on-1 transition opportunity. He held the Red Wings defender with his eyes and the threat of a pass, skated the length of the ice and buried the puck in the top of the net. The 22 year old now has 17 goals and 19 assists on the season.
“I mean, the talent — obviously there’s skill — but there’s a fire there that he [Blake] has,” Brind’Amour said. “And it helps him throughout the game. I think he could be a little more shoot first mentality. When he did tonight a few times, he got rewarded.”
With just under five minutes left to go, Detroits’ Simon Edvinsson hit Taylor Hall in the face, leaving Hall picking up his teeth from the ice. Unfortunately for Edvinsson, this resulted in a four minute penalty, allowing the canes to see out the win without issue.
The Canes now sit nine points ahead of the Penguins and the Islanders for the top seed in the Metropolitan Division and two points ahead of the Lightning for the top seed in the Eastern Conference with 23 games to play.
