Off to a blazing start in ’24, the Wings take on up-and-down Hurricanes.
Since the calendar flipped, the Detroit Red Wings have been the model of consistency, securing a point in all seven of their games, winning six and losing one in overtime.
After a strong start to the season, the Red Wings experienced setbacks but have regained momentum heading into their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in Raleigh, N.C.,
where they hope to extend their win streak to four and points streak to eight.
Detroit, which will wrap off a three-game road trip on Friday, has a 7-2-1 record in its last ten games.
Dylan Larkin expanded his team’s goal lead by scoring his 18th of the season in overtime of Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Alex DeBrincat is the team’s leading scorer with 40 points, one ahead of Larkin.
“Give these men credit; it is really difficult to win in this league. It’s difficult to win on the road,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde remarked after the win propelled his team to third place in the Atlantic Division. “It’s still a long way to go; you can see all the teams bunched up.”
“You’re going to have to have some quality runs to keep yourself in the battle, and we’ve had a few of them.”
Prepare to face the Hurricanes, who are third in the Metropolitan Division. However, coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team has recently been inconsistent. Following a five-game winning streak, the Hurricanes have split their last four games and are coming off a 5-2 setback to the visiting Los Angeles Kings.
Following a disappointing setback, the Hurricanes have had three days off during a six-game homestand, allowing them to relax before embarking on the second half of the season, when they seek to secure a playoff position.
However
the impending issue for Carolina is in the crease, as only Pyotr Kochetkov has a save percentage of at least.
900 among the four netminders who have seen game action — and he is in concussion protocol.
With Frederik Andersen out indefinitely, Carolina’s options are Anti Raanta, who has a.869 save percentage, or Yaniv Perets, an ECHL call-up who stopped the sole shot he saw in 12:46 of playing time against the Kings after replacing Raanta.
On a better note, the Hurricanes will benefit from the return of Martin Necas, who has missed the last five games due to an upper-body ailment.
“Marty is one of our most gifted and impactful players. “He can make a difference in a game,” Brind’Amour stated. “He might go unnoticed for the entire game, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, he has that skill. We need him to perform at the level he is capable of.”
