For the first time since January 2015, the Detroit Red Wing have won five in a row.
Dylan Larkin played his best game of the season, while scoring two goals as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday night. The Red Wings remain unbeaten at the Joe (4-0).
Both Andrej Nestrasil and Martin Frk, who were waived and claimed by Carolina last season and this season respectively, played tonight for the Hurricanes, but their impact on the game was minimal. Petr Mrazek made 29 saves on the night.
1st Period
Less than five minutes into the game the Detroit Red Wings took an early 1-0 lead on a goal by who else, Thomas Vanek, it was his fourth of the season and eighth point. Andreas Athanasiou showed why he belongs on the roster playing key minutes with the great feed over to Vanek into the slot to setup the goal.
Later in the first, in a great sign for the Red Wings, Larkin scored his first goal of the season, in electric breakaway Larkin fashion on a backhand shot after Henrik Zetterberg fed him the puck.
Minutes later, in a goal that caused Carolina goalie Cam Ward to break his stick. A 4 on 2 odd man rush, with a shot from Larkin slid into the Carolina net. Patience was key on the play from Larkin and Gustav Nyquist who passed him the puck. Larkin’s second of the season just minutes apart.
Shots after the first: Detroit: 10 Carolina 5
Score After One: Detroit 3 Carolina 0
2nd Period
The first goal of the period was off Frans Nielsen’s pass, which bounced off the JLA boards and landed on the stick of Jordan Staal on a 2-0 with rookie Sebastian Aho and Staal beat Wings goalie Petr Mrazek that trimmed the Wings down to 3-1.
Steve Ott had a shorthanded breakaway, during an Alexey Marchenko penalty, midway through the second period, after Carolina forward Teuvo Teravanien fell down causing him to turnover the puck but was stopped by Ward. The Red Wings killed off the penalty but went back on the penalty kill after Brendan Smith was called for holding.
As the penalty expired a shot from the circle by Victor Rask beat Mrazek through the left arm and suddenly a great 20 minutes in the first has turned into just a one goal Red Wings lead.
With the game tight Athanasiou extended the Red Wings lead to 4-2 with his second point of the game, the goal came after Ott and Luke Glendening battled along the boards near the Hurricanes net, in which Glendening passed the puck to Athanasiou who faked then shot and scored.
Shots after the second: Detroit: 19 Carolina 15
Score After two: Detroit 4 Carolina 2
3rd Period
Midway through the period Viktor Stalberg delivered a dangerous hit on defenseman Mike Green, who was ok and joined the group of pushing and shoving players. Stalberg for boarding Green and Ott for roughing after the hit on Green were assessed penalties.
Mrazek had to make a few key saves in the third period before the Hurricanes thought they cut the lead down to 4-3 with about three minutes left. An obvious high stick by Teravanien which deflected the puck into the net was waived off immediately and reviewed from Toronto and the call on the ice stood.
Ward was lifted for the extra attacker with 1:52 left in regulation. The Hurricanes had 50 seconds of pressure until Darren Helm cleared the puck out of the Hurricanes zone. Detroit would not feel much more pressure and notched another win at the Joe.
Final Shots: Detroit: 25 Carolina 31
Final Score: Detroit 4 Carolina 2
