Third Period Surge lifts Canes over Wings 5-2

Aho scores 2, Red Wings can’t fly in the Hurricane, falling 5-2 in a penalty-ridden matchup

Stephen Hawn

• 5 min read Front Page

“See where his stick was? Right on the ice.” - Mickey Redmond

The Detroit Red Wings (17-49-5) and Carolina Hurricanes (38-25-5) battled in a chippy whistle fest, as 17 total penalties were assessed in a 5-2 Hurricanes victory. Petr Mrazek made his first visit to Detroit since December 22nd, 2018.

First Period

The game opened with several minutes of back-and-forth action with Carolina controlling the pace early. The Hurricanes led shots 7-2 before Detroit got their first real chance on goal. Anthony Mantha sent a cross-ice feed onto the stick of Dylan Larkin who fired a shot off of Mrazek’s chest for Detroit’s first chance of the game.

Carolina opened the scoring moments later, as Morgan Geekie wired a wrist-shot over the glove of Jonathan Bernier to make it 1-0 8:58 into the first. Geekie, who played his fourth career game against Detroit, has three goals on three shots this season.

Carolina’s Brock McGinn took a tripping penalty 10:27 into the period. On the first shot of the man-advantage, Anthony Mantha fired a one-timer that was gloved down by Mrazek, giving Wings fans all around the world flashbacks of a simpler time. Detroit turned up the heat on the power-play, leveling the shots at 8. Mrazek gave his former teammates no second chances, gloving down every shot he faced as the power-play expired. Soon after the man-up try expired, Mantha floated a backhand shot towards goal that was tipped in by Tyler Bertuzzi making it 1-1 with 6:32 left in the period. Bertuzzi’s goal was his 48th point of the season, surpassing his total last season in two fewer games.

Dylan Larkin found himself in all alone on Mrazek but could not convert. The 1-1 score held to the end of the first period.

END OF 1:

Score: Hurricanes 1-1 Red Wings

Shots: Red Wings 13-12 Hurricanes

Second Period

Mirroring the first frame, the second period opened with several minutes of even action without any dangerous opportunities on either end. 7:41 into the second, Jonathan Ericsson took an interference penalty, giving the Hurricanes No. 9 ranked power-play their first try of the game. The Hurricanes converted with 0:12 remaining on the man-advantage as Nino Niederreiter tipped a wide shot past Bernier making it 2-1.

Detroit’s power-play would have their first crack after Jordan Martinook tripped Jonathan Ericsson 12:05 into the second. The Wings, per usual, could not generate any offense on the power-play, and after a disjointed effort returned to 5-on-5 play. Soon after it expired, Madison Bowey fired a pass into the crease and onto the stick of Christoffer Ehn who pushed it past Mrazek and tied the game with 4:34 left in the period. Ehn’s tally was his first since December 10th.

Moments later, Larkin tried his patented rookie wrap-around. To show that time has passed, he did not convert and was slow to get up, heading straight to the bench. Carolina’ goal scorer Niederreiter took a hooking penalty with 2:03 left in the period giving the Red Wings a second power-play opportunity.

Halfway through, Anthony Mantha took a questionable interference penalty as Trevor Van Riemsdyk ran into him while his back was turned. A small dust-up ensued after the whistle involving Bertuzzi, and Jordan Staal. Both went to the locker room for the end of the period and the last minute was played 4-on-4.

END OF 2:

Score: Hurricanes 2-2 Red Wings

Shots: Hurricanes 22-21 Red Wings

Third Period

Detroit opened the third period shorthanded with Mantha, Bertuzzi, and Carolina’s Staal still serving carryover penalties. 0:35 into the period, Darren Helm took a tripping penalty on an odd spin, Detroit’s fourth of the game and the eighth total. The Red Wings killed the short 5-on-3, but the Hurricanes’ Justin Williams fired a one-timer from the right circle past the blocker side to make it 3-2 just 1:38 into the final period.

3:38 into the period, Martin Necas cross-checked Sam Gagner and went to the box on a boarding penalty, Carolina’s fifth and the game’s ninth. Sebastian Aho received a through pass at center-ice and converted on the breakaway, beating Bernier’s blocker side and making it 4-2 4:23 into the period. The shorthanded goal was the Hurricanes’ third shorthanded goal against the Red Wings. The Red Wings have given up the most shorthanded goals in the NHL. The Hurricanes killed the remainder of the power-play and took a two goal lead into the remainder of the third.

Detroit’s recent waiver pickup Dmytro Timashov looked to bury a loose pack past the right side of Mrazek but was hooked down by Brady Skjei, the games tenth penalty. The Red Wings spent the first minute of the man-up try in their own zone, again failing to set up consistent offensive-zone puck rotation on the power-play, but what’s new. The Canes killed it off, dropping the Red Wings to 0-5 on the man-advantage.

The Red Wings mustered up some chances against Mrazek but ultimately could not find the back of the net. Timashov did this though, pretty neat:

The Hurricanes thought they had scored their fifth of the game as the puck hopped over Bowey’s right skate. Justin Williams picked up the loose puck and pulled Bernier out of position then dropped it for Andrei Svechnikov who easily slotted it in. Williams was offsides, however, and the goal was overturned. A Mantha hit on the boards started another tussle. Mantha and Staal were assessed a roughing penalty. Frans Nielsen served the penalty, as Mantha went to the locker room.

With 3:00 left in the game, Robby Fabbri collided with Mrazek resulting in a five-man fight behind the net with Fabbri, Bertuzzi, and Hronek in the dust-up for Detroit. The resulting penalties pushed the third period total to 10 and the game total to 17, five for each team in the third period. Vincent Trochek and Tyler Bertuzzi were given game-misconducts. As the short 5-on-3 expired, Aho buried his second of the night on a one timer from the right circle to make it 5-2 Hurricanes. While Carolina left with two points, the real winners tonight were the referees who just had what I assume is the hat-trick of the stripes world.

NOTES:

  • Detroit has recorded fewer than 30 shots in 18 consecutive games
  • Boston University, who has three Detroit prospects in Kasper Kotkansalo, Ethan Phillips, and Robert Mastrosimone, will play U-Mass Lowell this weekend in the Hockey East tournament.
  • The NHL draft lottery is tentatively scheduled for April 9th/

SCORING SUMMARY:

First Period-

CAR goal: Morgan Geekie (3) at 8:58. Assisted by by W. Foegele and J. Gardiner

DET goal: Tyler Bertuzzi (21) at 13:28. Assisted by A. Mantha and F. Hronek

Second Period-

CAR goal: Nino Niederreiter (11) at 9:30. Assisted by J. Gardiner and V. Trochek

DET goal: Christoffer Ehn (2) at 15:26. Assisted by M. Bowey and D. Helm

Third Period-

CAR goal: Justin Williams (8) at 1:38. Assisted by A. Svechnikov and S. Aho

CAR goal: Sebastian Aho (37) at 4:23. Assisted by T. Teravainen

CAR goal: Sebastian Aho (38) at 17:58. Assisted by J. Gardiner and T. Teravainen