The division leaders in the Eastern Conference will meet once again on Monday, and the Detroit Red Wings will be looking for a better outcome this time.
The Red Wings enter their home game against the Carolina Hurricanes clinging to a one-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. The Hurricanes hold a slightly more comfortable four-point lead over the second-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division.
On Dec. 27, the Red Wings visited the Hurricanes while riding a three-game winning streak, but it was Carolina that earned a dominant 5-2 victory with a 38-20 shot advantage.
Andrei Svechnikov and former Red Wing Shayne Gostisbehere led the Hurricanes, with each player recording a goal and two assists.
Heading into the rematch, Detroit owns another three-game winning streak. It blanked the division rival Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on the road on Saturday. John Gibson made 27 saves for his third shutout this season.
Gibson was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks during the offseason and has gone 12-2-0 since the beginning of December.
“He’s huge for us,” forward Lucas Raymond said. “Playing against him, you knew he was a great goalie. But seeing him every day, and seeing how he takes care of himself, it’s incredible.”
Detroit avenged a 5-1 opening-night loss to Montreal, during which Gibson was pulled in the second period after allowing all five Canadiens goals.
“I thought all 20, from the goaltender out, played a pretty solid game,” Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan said. “We didn’t give up much and when we did, Gibby was there. Power play gets us one, but we checked well.”
“Pretty satisfying,” said team captain Dylan Larkin. “How opening night went, kind of look at the game opening night and (Saturday), it shows how far we’ve come.”
Carolina also comes into Monday’s game on a hot streak. The Hurricanes have won four straight, most recently a 3-2 triumph over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
The Hurricanes trailed 2-1 midway through the third period before Jordan Martinook and William Carrier scored just over three minutes apart to keep Carolina’s win streak alive.
“We knew coming in how this game was going to go, just based on how they’ve been playing,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “You weren’t going to get an odd-man rush because they were staying above it.”
Jordan Staal notched assists on both late goals.
“I don’t see myself as a playmaker,” Staal said. “I see myself as a strong defensive (player), try to chip in offensively when I can, whether it’s dishing or shooting or going to the net hard and it going off my leg. I’m just trying to help win games. It was a couple nice passes to help us win.”
Sebastian Aho, who leads the Hurricanes with 43 points, didn’t have a hand in any of the goals on Saturday. He’s been a thorn in the side of the Red Wings over the years. In 30 career games against Detroit, Aho has 11 goals and 16 assists.
Adding to the excitement in the building on Monday is that the Red Wings will honor Sergei Fedorov before the game, raising his No. 91 jersey to the rafters. Fedorov won three Stanley Cup titles during his 13 seasons in Detroit and ranks among the Red Wings’ top seven all-time in goals, assists and points.
–Field Level Media
